Warning of right-wing misinformation and conspiracy theories in Irish social media groups

QAnon is a debunked right-wing conspiracy that claimed, among other things, that former US President Donald Trump was fighting a secret battle against “deep-state enemies” and a cabal of child sex traffickers. File picture

There is a "very clear pattern" of right-wing misinformation and QAnon conspiracies beginning in Irish social media groups, an Oireachtas committee has been warned.

The Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage to discuss electoral reform was told by Dr Jane Suiter, associate professor at the DCU School of Communications that it would not be possible for Ireland to rely on tech giants like Facebook or Twitter to fight the kinds of misinformation being seen.

Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery Kearney asked Dr Suiter if she felt that the proposed electoral commission may have a role in tackling misinformation around elections. Ms Seery Kearney said that there "is a pattern of online content that is repeated through several countries and we are just the latest country to exhibit this".

"It is a deliberate disruption campaign that is being orchestrated by somebody or some parties. 

"My concern is that we are reliant on the Facebook definition of community rules to examine that content or do something about it and there is not, per se, anyone with the powers for a mandatory order to remove content

Dr Suiter said that the platforms "operate according to their own rules" and that the question for Ireland was whether to allow social media sites to regulate themselves or to step in. 

Jane Suiter: impossible to trust tech giants to manage fight against spread of misinformation.

She said that the particular type of misinformation being spread should concern lawmakers. She added that the Electoral Commission should be tasked with tackling misinformation around elections and referendums as is done in Australia.

"One of the researchers who works with me, Eileen Culloty, has been in some of the far-right groups that are manufacturing some of this disinformation on places like Parler and Gab, and has found a very clear pattern that shows that some of the discourse that is starting in QAnon groups in the US is arriving in Ireland.

"We are beginning to see more of that appearing in Facebook groups and people start to believe it so it is something that would be concerning for all members of the Oireachtas. This is where it might be good to start thinking about how we might tackle that."

QAnon is a debunked right-wing conspiracy that claimed, among other things, that former US President Donald Trump was fighting a secret battle against “deep-state enemies” and a cabal of child sex traffickers.