Dublin City Council passes motion to combat misinformation

Dublin City Council met last week for a special meeting to discuss the role of misinformation and how it impacts public safety, as well as how the council can tackle issues on social media platforms.

The meeting heard from Dublin City Council boss Richard Shakespeare, who outlined what role Dublin City Council has to play in terms of combatting misinformation and online abuse.

He said it was the duty of Dublin City Council to eliminate discrimination and to protect the human rights of staff, as well as the people Dublin City Council represents.

The meeting was called by independent Clontarf councillor Barry Heneghan, who said “the rise of misinformation, particularly around immigration and public safety, is a growing concern.”

“As public representatives, we must be held to the highest standard of truth. Misinformation, especially from elected officials, cannot be tolerated. I believe that anyone deliberately spreading false information must publicly apologise and correct the record. This simple step will help restore trust in public discourse.”

He emphasised how quickly false information can spread through platforms like WhatsApp and social media, leading to harmful consequences for the community.

He noted that the government’s “lack of clear communication” on certain issues such as immigration creates a vacuum that can be filled by disinformation.

Heneghan said that the aim of the meeting was not to play the blame game, but rather about finding solutions.

He said that direct lines of communication between local authorities and communities need to be established to spread accurate information before falsehoods can take hold.

The independent councillor also said that public representatives or individuals who spread harmful disinformation should face consequences for their actions.

“Let’s make Dublin a city where truth prevails over fear and unity over division. Together we can ensure that Dublin remains a place of inclusion, respect, and trust,” he said.

The meeting heard from politicians from various parties about the challenges facing elected representatives in the modern age, specifically in relation to social media.  

Social Democrats councillor Daniel Ennis said “we are still feeling the effects of misinformation” in East Wall.

The North Inner City councillor said that children are “still traumatised” as a result of anti-immigration protests in early 2023.

He said IPAS centres have regenerated the local community, with his local football team, East Wall Bessborough FC, boasting players from 14 different nations.

“We teach our kids at our club there are only three colours on the pitch; your jersey that’s red, the opponents that are blue, and the green grass that we all have to share.”

He said that “kids don’t see hate; hate is taught.”

He stated that members of various “Says No” anti-immigrant communities were taken advantage of and misinformed.

“Most people realise what it was really about and didn’t want anything to do with it; the division has torn our communities and families to pieces.”

Ennis said, “we can’t turn our backs on people that are still being manipulated.”

Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan said “communication of factual information is an absolute must, including the government, before the falsehoods are allowed to grow legs and run.”

“There has to be accountability; misinformation needs to be stopped and as elected leaders of our communities we need to be held to a higher standard.”

“Anybody who is deliberately is spreading false lies and misinformation needs to be held to highest account,” she said.

Green councillor Janet Horner questioned Dublin City Council still using certain social media platforms.

While not outright naming the platform in question, she questioned the wisdom of Dublin City Council still using Twitter, which is “owned by an exploitative billionaire that is profiting from the division of our communities as our city burned last November.”

“As a councillor I know the abuse you get on those platforms; I know it is no longer safe for me to talk about people of colour, LGBTQ rights or certain issues around women on certain social media platforms.”

“If we cannot, as councillors, freely talk to the values of our city – diversity, inclusion, respect, anti-racism and respect – then I don’t believe those platforms are of any service and I would like to see the council review their use of them,” the North Inner City councillor said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Heney said that misinformation can be “really dangerous and really unhelpful, and it can cause unnecessary fear among vulnerable members of our society.”

“Whether it’s being purposely being put out there, the misinformation causes great fear among the people who voted for us, believe in us and trust in us; we need to be really careful and do our utmost to prevent misinformation across our city.”

Heney said, “I really do understand people have different views, but we are all elected to provide the best outcomes for the people of our city.”

Independent Left councillor John Lyons said, “there are real-world consequences to misinformation; people who spread it need to be held to account.”

“It’s getting incredibly dangerous for people of different colour skin, different nationalities or different colour skin in the city,” he said.

The Artane-Whitehall councillor remarked that anti-immigration protesters “have no solutions to the many myriad of problems created by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.”

Fine Gael councillor Supriya Singh said she has “personally witnessed” how misinformation can “create unnecessary fear and hatred.”

“As someone who moved here with my family years ago, I have personally experienced the warmth of Irish people and culture and I deeply value these core ideals.”

“Misinformation around immigration poses a serious threat to this proud legacy and it spreads fear when there should be understanding,” the Donaghmede councillor said.

The motion was unanimously passed by Dublin City Council.