Boris Johnson summons tech giants Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft to Downing Street coronavirus meeting to discuss fight against fake news about the pandemic
- Senior figures from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook in No 10
- They will be joined by Mr Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock
- Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens also there
Top tech firms will meet ministers and health experts in Downing Street tonight to discus the fight against coronavirus fake news.
Senior figures from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook will join Health Secretary Matt Hancock and top health figures including Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England.
Mr Johnson is also expected to drop into the meeting, which comes as the Government works with top online firms to spread reliable facts about the pandemic.
At a Whitehall briefing, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said: ‘Technology companies have been invited to Downing Street for a meeting this evening on ensuring the public has access to reliable information on coronavirus.
‘They will talk about thinks like how to help inform the public around coronavirus and talk about things like modelling the spread of the disease, tracking its spread, those sorts of things.’
Senior figures from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook will join Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured today) and top health figures including Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England
Mr Johnson is also expected to drop into the meeting, which comes as the Government works with top online firms to spread reliable facts about the pandemic
‘This is about acknowledging that there’s a wide variety of expertise available in the tech world and sitting down and seeing if there’s any way we can work together for the mutual benefit of the public.’
The government revealed on Monday it has worked with Google, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so that official advice appears first when people hunt online.
The health service is also working with social media companies to verify more than 800 accounts belonging to NHS organisations, including hospital trusts and other local groups.
The range of new online tools will also include Knowledge Panels – prominent pop-out boxes of information – in Google search results on mobile devices.
The boxes are part of a new partnership between the NHS and Google, and will offer easy access to official information about more than 250 conditions, including Covid-19.
The government said it has worked with Google, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so that official coronavirus advice (NHS site pictured) appears top when people hunt online
Meanwhile Google is recommending UK and Ireland employees work from home from Thursday in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the PA news agency understands.
The move comes after the tech giant told staff in its North American offices they could work from home if their role allowed it.
Last week, Google asked employees at its European headquarters in Dublin to work from home, after an employee reported flu-like symptoms, which the company used as a chance to test its ability for staff to work remotely.
The person with flu-like symptoms tested negative for Covid-19.
In the UK, the firm has more than 5,000 members of staff, mostly in offices around London.
A number of tech companies have adopted similar precautionary measures, with Twitter encouraging all staff to work from home where possible and suspending non-essential business travel.
Facebook has temporarily halted social visitors to all its offices.