Fake ads undermine democracy, says council leader

Fake adverts promoting bogus initiatives and job roles such as a "volunteer pothole repairer" and "volunteer flag removers" using a council's logo have appeared online.

One of the ads, mocked up with City of York Council's branding, features a man in a hard hat and hi-vis jacket climbing a ladder and pulling a St George's flag off a lamppost.

Council leader Claire Douglas said the public should watch out for such content and question whether it is real, while calling for healthy public debate based on facts.

She said: "The level of false information being posted is alarming, increasing significantly and is seeking to undermine UK democracy and community cohesion."

Another post features an illustration of two people and says: "Do you have a spare room in York? Help support asylum seekers in your community."

The initiatives depicted in the ads do not exist but they feature real phone numbers and email addresses and ask people to contact the council.

They have been posted and shared on social media, including in community Facebook groups.

Right-wing internet personalities have also commented on them including making video reports based on the assumption that they are real, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The ads and online commentary about them have appeared following news on Monday that a by-election is set to take place in the Heworth ward in January.

None of the adverts make any explicit mention of the election.

Douglas said the level of false information being posted by those seeking to undermine democracy was becoming increasingly sophisticated.

She said: "Those seeking to influence elections in this country, both within and from outside the UK, are using more sophisticated techniques to make their content seem genuine, so the public needs to watch out for it and always ask the question: 'Is this real?'.

"We don't have to accept this, we must continue to value and seek out facts and from that, engage in healthy public debate."

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