FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 27, 2022

The Essential Role of Whistleblowers in Countering COVID-19 Disinformation

Government Accountability Project and Manchester Metropolitan University publish landmark report.

WASHINGTON – A new report co-published by Government Accountability Project and Manchester Metropolitan University entitled The Critical Role that Whistleblowers Play in Countering COVID-19 Disinformation, tracks COVID-19 related whistleblower cases around the world and analyzes the significant role that whistleblowers played in countering disinformation about COVID-19 to protect the public interest.  

Fraudsters and disinformation instigators who thrive on insecurity worsened the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. People died because of disinformation’s negative impact on the public’s vaccine acceptance and adherence to public safety protocols. This research paper argues that whistleblowers are essential for pandemic prevention and to protect public health. However, it also finds that the systems for whistleblowers to deliver the truth are far weaker than the systems that protect liars. As such, it recommends that countries prioritize establishing or further developing robust legal protections for whistleblowers.    

Through four international case studies and reviewing previously published works on the topic, our research found:

  • Whistleblowers’ COVID-19 related disclosures were instrumental in preventing the promotion and use of bogus vaccine drug therapies, ensuring vaccine safety, identifying public procurement fraud, and protecting patient data privacy from cyber security risks;
  • Whistleblowers were an important tool for countering disinformation during the pandemic and made a difference;
  • Whistleblowers and whistleblowing speech was suppressed in various ways, from gag-orders, to threats of or actual acts of retaliation;
  • Despite the risks, external channels for whistleblowing were highly utilized, as well as social, digital, and print news media. However, most workers reported internally first before going outside their employer;
  • Although social media platforms are at the forefront of the challenge to tackle countering disinformation, they’re also disinformation spreaders;
  • Social media’s policing of disinformation has also censored whistleblower speech;
  • Globally, the inadequate policy developments in whistleblower protection left countless people without any rights against retaliation;
  • As of March 8, 2022, only eighteen out of thirty (60 percent) NATO countries had comprehensive national whistleblower protection laws in force; and
  • Despite the introduction of the COVID-19 whistleblower protection bills in the U.S. House and Senate, and despite sustained advocacy from whistleblower groups, no COVID-19 spending laws passed by U.S. Congress included whistleblower protection.

Samantha Feinstein, Government Accountability Project’s International Program Director and primary author of this report said:

“Disinformation is the biggest threat against democracy, accountability, economic security, and human life; not the pandemic. Whistleblowers reveal truths that Governments rely on to protect the public interest, and the public relies on for protection from abuses of power. This report found that whistleblowers who courageously used the truth as their weapon against disinformation from government or corporate actors made a difference. However, whistleblowers faced gag-orders, job loss, strategic lawsuits against public participation, and other acts of retaliation without adequate legal protections and systems to shield them. Despite the risks, whistleblowers reported in higher volumes and used external and public reporting, as well as anonymity, to get the message out. However, more is needed to reverse the balance of power from disinformation spreaders to truthtellers. We recommend that nations urgently prioritize passing best practice whistleblower protection laws, and that businesses do their part to ensure internal disclosures are protected.”

Associate Professor in Business and Law at Manchester Law School, Costantino Grasso said:

“An innovative and insightful study, this report explores the role that whistleblowers play in unveiling false information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings focus on a burning issue for our contemporary society, namely the challenges we constantly face in countering hostile forms of information. The report also offers potential recommendations for policymakers to protect whistleblowers, who play a crucial role in countering wrongdoing, especially those perpetrated by powerful actors.”

The Critical Roles that Whistleblowers Play in Countering COVID-19 Disinformation can be found here.

Contact: Andrew Harman, Communications Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 926-3304

Government Accountability Project

Government Accountability Project is the nation’s leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, Government Accountability Project’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, Government Accountability Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.

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