It should be made illegal for conspiracy theorists like David Icke to spread disinformation online, an MP has said.
A number of well-known names with large social media followings have been key distributors of false information during the pandemic, research shows.
The spread of baseless theories linking 5G to ill health led some members of the public to set fire to network masts, while false and dangerous claims that disinfectant could be used to treat the virus were even repeated by US President Donald Trump.
Conservative MP Damian Collins, who has launched a fact-checking service called Infotagion to combat falsehoods during the pandemic, told the PA news agency: “Disinformation can kill people.’
