Ms Martina Chapman:

I thank the Chairperson and the committee for the invitation to speak today as independent chair of the National Counter Disinformation working group. I am joined by Dr. Eileen Culloty who is also member of the working group.

Disinformation is concerning because it deceives citizens, distorts evidence and undermines the democratic process. This is not new. Powerful actors have always weaponised disinformation and used it for financial gain, political influence and social notoriety. What is new is how the attention economies of online platforms are able to propel disinformation faster and further than ever before, aided by personal data and algorithmic systems which can exploit the fears and concerns of people to hijack and distort democratic, public debate.

What is also new is how information is created. Some information is produced by media or individuals who adhere to rules and regulations and some is produced by media or individuals who do not. The difference is not always well understood. That makes it harder to judge the reliability and accuracy of information. This situation is made worse by attacks on journalists and researchers who investigate disinformation. There are also other factors which can make individuals vulnerable to disinformation narratives. We have outlined a number of those in the working group's subgroup reports, which are all available online.

For all that, we must remember that disinformation can be subjective and a matter of debate. It is not always possible to establish clear-cut facts. In addition, some issues are fundamentally matters of ideology and opinion. In a free society, people are entitled to express and believe things that are incorrect. Across the EU, disinformation is understood to be legal but harmful content and states can mitigate that harm in different ways. Countering disinformation is clearly a cross-policy issue that requires a co-ordinated approach. This is evidenced by the range of representatives on the working group. I thank Seamus, Paul, Kevin and Eve from the Department for providing the secretariat support to the working group.

As Mr. Hempenstall mentioned, the working group is in the process of developing a national strategy. The purpose of which is not to decide what is and is not disinformation and neither is it to call for new legislation. The purpose of the strategy is to adopt a rights-based approach to counter disinformation. Another purpose is to encourage cross-sector co-operation, collaboration and co-ordination to achieve better results all round.

The strategy is likely to include a number of specific recommended actions around the themes of media literacy, research, promoting trust in media and effective implementation of existing legislation. The working group operates by consensus and agreement, so the recommended actions are been designed in conjunction with the bodies that will have responsibility for delivering them. I would like to thank the members of the working group members for their engagement in this process and hope that continues over time.

Disinformation is a dynamic and ever-evolving problem and our response to it must be dynamic and ever-evolving. So this strategy should be viewed as the first step in a much longer term process and that will require the monitoring and updating of the actions, on a regular basis, in response to global, national and local developments.