Health Misinformation Debate
Health misinformation is not new, but social media allows false and misleading claims to spread faster and further than ever before.
During the Covid pandemic, misinformation fuelled vaccine hesitancy and created fear and uncertainty, sometimes with serious consequences. The problem has not disappeared, with misleading online content now affecting public understanding of conditions such as ADHD.
In Parliament, I argued that tackling this requires more than simply telling people that they are wrong. We need clear public information, better health literacy, trusted community voices and rapid responses when harmful claims circulate.
Scotland must also have the powers needed to tackle online harms and the algorithms that amplify misinformation. In the meantime, everyone in public life has a responsibility to ensure that what we say and share builds trust rather than undermining it.
