Parents warned spreading Covid misinformation on WhatsApp could breach data protection laws

Data expert Daragh O’Brien is warning parents not to treat WhatsApp groups as personal as they could be challenged under data protection rules.

The HSE has issued a warning to parents not to use group chats on WhatsApp to name children with Covid-19.

Parents found to be spreading misinformation or personal data in Whatsapp groups, could be in breach of data protection laws and may be sued.

There is a fear parents' WhatsApp could go into overdrive now that primary schools no longer need to inform parents when their child has been identified as a close contact.

Data expert Daragh O’Brien is warning parents not to treat the groups as personal as they could be challenged under data protection rules.

Processing of information for domestic use - for your own personal or household use - is outside the scope of the legislation, he explained.

"Once you move into an organised public sharing of information even if you are not a school or a business, you are in that grey area where you could actually fall within the scope of the legislation."

Principal of St Etchen’s National School in Westmeath, Matt Melvin says parents have been left confused by the change in contact tracing rules.

He said parents were able to handle cases being in schools when contact tracing was in place.

"I think they would probably prefer if open communication remained in place."

Founder of mams.ie Siobhan O’Neil said her child has been “outted” in a WhatsApp group.

She said she has left a number of groups because she found them to be filled with scaremongering.

"I've seen people saying such-and-such has Covid and they got it from such-and-such and that information hasn't actually been true.

"They are very, very dangerous and the schools have no control what people do outside of school property and they have no control over what the students do on social media."

The HSE says families should not feel targeted or pressured to release information.