WhatsApp groups spread more false Covid claims than social media – Badenoch

‘The things that really concern me are the pieces of information that are less visible,’ the Tory leader told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Kemi Badenoch, former minister of equalities, leaves after appearing at module 4 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry at Dorland House in London (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Family WhatsApp groups were more worrying for the spread of false claims about the pandemic than social media sites, Kemi Badenoch has told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Mrs Badenoch, who served in several ministerial posts during the pandemic, was questioned about her role as an equalities minister as the inquiry examined the vaccine uptake among ethnic minorities.

The former minister said she had been “less worried” about Facebook and X – formerly Twitter – and their influence on the spread of fake news than more private channels of communication.

The Conservative leader added: “The things that really concern me are the pieces of information that are less visible. The last time I was here, I talked about WhatsApp groups, for example, family WhatsApp groups, things that government has no insight into.”

“It’s everything from ‘vaccines will kill you’ to ‘the government is suppressing information’,” she said.

The Tory leader said “likely reputable” sources, including representatives of the British Medical Association (BMA), had been used to support false claims and misinformation.

While she said she was not sure how to combat misinformation in private groups, she added: “The thing that government can do best is provide as much information as possible and show that we are all in it together.”

Ms Badenoch took part in vaccine trials to show that “if the minister herself was taking part in trials which are more risky than a fully tested vaccine that might help with public trust”.

She continued: “I’m also not attacking the people who were propagating this. So as annoyed as I was by representatives of the British Medical Association saying this, what I didn’t do was go after that, because that can actually fuel the misinformation or the conspiracy.”

Covid-19 pandemic inquiry — Kemi Badenoch, former minister of equalities, arriving to give evidence at the inquiry (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The Conservative leader elsewhere said a drive to boost the number of people from ethnic minority backgrounds receiving the vaccine had helped to make a difference.

The odds of people from ethnic minority groups getting a Covid jab was lower than among people from white backgrounds.

Ministers took steps including using places of worship as vaccine centres, and a communications drive on the BBC Asian Network, to increase uptake.

Asked if this had improved the number of people getting the jab, Mrs Badenoch replied: “I think it made a difference. It certainly created improvements.

“The biggest benefit, I think, was the awareness raising, which meant that other people started doing these things and that we weren’t relying just on government.”