A flood of false information about coronavirus has forced a Merseyside council to hide all the comments on its Facebook page.
Knowsley Council said it had noticed an increase in the number of comments claiming the local authority was misleading the public about the spread of coronavirus.
The comments come against a background of rapidly rising case numbers in the borough, which now has one of the highest infection rates in the country.
In a post on its Facebook page, the council said: “In recent weeks, the council has noted an increase in the number of comments being posted on this page alleging that some of the information we’re sharing about Covid-19 is untruthful or exaggerated in some way.
“Many of these posts come from a small number of individuals. Often, those individuals go on to quote misleading information or sources which either cannot be verified or have been proven to be inaccurate.”
The council added that it had a responsibility to provide residents with accurate information about the pandemic and “a duty not to propagate comments or statements which are factually inaccurate and could serve to mislead the public”.
The post said: “Given the importance of communicating only verifiable information about Covid-19, we have reluctantly taken steps to make most comments ‘hidden’ from public view.”
Over the course of the pandemic, social media sites have been criticised for allowing the spread of false claims about coronavirus, with Facebook singled out by campaign group Avaaz as a major source of misinformation.
The misinformation ranges from allegations that the pandemic is a hoax or exaggerated to false claims that certain products can cure the disease.
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In some countries, false claims about Covid-19 circulating on social media have led to deaths as people either try dangerous “cures” or ignore public health advice and end up contracting the virus.
Knowsley Council said: “We appreciate that everyone is entitled to their own views, but the Council is equally entitled not to share and propagate views which we feel are misleading or potentially dangerous.
“There remain many other forums across the internet and social media where those views can be expressed, and we respectfully suggest that those who hold such views should take them to those other places.”
The council will continue to monitor comments left on its Facebook page and pass them to relevant teams if necessary, but the comments will not be visible to the public.
