Local councils warn false online claims are spreading
By Laura Linham 14th Jun 2026
Somerset councils are urging residents to check sources before sharing serious online claims about public money, meetings and local decision-making.
Somerset Council said it is seeing more online material, including edited images and posts, which does not always accurately reflect council decisions or the full context behind them.
A spokesperson said: "Unsupported or misleading claims, particularly when widely shared, can have a real impact.
"They can create confusion, reduce trust, and make it harder for people to engage with accurate information about how decisions are made locally."
The warning comes as Nub News has reviewed online claims seen by local readers in Somerset. Some raised questions about genuine public-interest issues, while others were not supported by council records, published accounts, official websites or other public information.
Many of the examples reviewed related to Glastonbury, but the issues raised involve Somerset Council, town and parish councils, public spending, online claims and the way residents across the county engage with local government information.
Some posts included dates, names, figures, legal phrases, council-style wording and official-sounding document references, which can make them appear credible when shared on social media.
Nub News has previously fact-checked a number of local claims about council meetings, public participation, Town Deal funding, council assets, reserves and alleged wrongdoing.
Those checks found that several claims shared online were not supported by council records, published accounts, official websites or other public information.
The full fact-check can be read here.
Somerset Council said it does not keep formal records that would allow it to quantify trends in misinformation or AI-generated content. It said artificial intelligence can be a positive tool when used responsibly, but can also make it easier for content to be created and shared quickly without proper context or verification.
The council said it welcomed public scrutiny as a vital part of local democracy, but said the key distinction was whether information was based on verifiable evidence. Residents with questions about council spending, governance or services were encouraged to contact the council directly or use information published on its website, where decisions, reports and financial information are available.
The spokesperson added: "We will continue to challenge inaccurate information where we see it and ensure our own communications are clear, accessible and evidence-based."
To test how easily AI can create plausible local-government misinformation, Nub News asked Google's Gemini tool to produce a Facebook post about a council scandal.
Within seconds, it generated a realistic-looking post with an invented local council, and made-up figures, dates, document references, meeting details, quotes and allegations.
The test showed how quickly AI can mimic the structure of a local scandal while producing material with no factual basis.
Google's terms for generative AI services warn that the tools can provide inaccurate content and say users should use discretion before relying on, publishing or otherwise using AI-generated material. OpenAI's terms also warn that output from its services may not always be accurate and should not be relied on as a sole source of truth or factual information.
Media law consultant David Banks said unfounded claims about council finances and corruption could carry legal risk, not only for the person posting them but for those sharing them.
He said: "While it is not possible to libel a council, making unfounded claims about council finances, including allegations of corruption, could certainly libel council officers or elected members, even if they aren't specifically named. Mainstream media would not normally publish such claims without proper evidence to prove they are true.
"Repeating, sharing or re-posting such libellous material also creates a liability — it is no excuse to say you are only repeating what you read from someone else.
"Likewise, if AI creates the libel, it is you who decides to use it or publish it in some way, so it is you who bears any legal responsibility for it. Social media has made us all publishers — but unfortunately very few people get the training that mainstream journalists do.
"They learn about giving people a proper right of reply and they learn about gathering evidence and verifying claims before publishing them. They also understand the need to correct serious errors when they are made."
Glastonbury Town Council has been named in misleading online claims about meetings, public money, councillors and local projects.
Town Clerk Conor Ogilvie-Davidson, speaking on behalf of the council, said the volume of misleading posts had affected trust in local government at both Somerset Council and town and parish level.
"The council, with limited resources, struggles to respond to all of these online posts," he said.
Mr Ogilvie-Davidson said that when the council does respond, it can be accused of producing "spin" or further misinformation. He said it was not always possible to keep up with the flow of incorrect information, and that factual responses he had posted had sometimes been ignored or ridiculed.
"As Town Clerk, I know just about everything the Town Council is doing, and how it is doing it," he said. "I'm therefore able to spot where posts are incorrect."
He said responding to incorrect online claims takes up officer time and can be demoralising for staff and councillors. Unsupported allegations of fraud, corruption, hidden money or criminal wrongdoing could cause lasting damage in the town, he said, while misinformation could also make it harder to focus on genuine public-interest questions about local government and public spending.
The Local Government Association has also identified AI-generated synthetic media as a growing concern for councils. Its 2025 survey found a third of respondents viewed deepfake-driven disinformation as a risk "to a great extent", with a further 37 per cent seeing it as a risk "to a moderate extent".
Cllr Richard Clewer, chairman of the LGA's Public Service Reform and Innovation Committee, said: "Synthetic media and deepfakes are no longer abstract technological concepts, but real risks which councils are already beginning to face.
"This is particularly pertinent for elections and other future democratic engagement, where misinformation, disinformation and malinformation are likely to spread further."
Somerset Council said residents should pause before sharing posts that make serious allegations, check the source, consider whether the claim is evidenced, and look for confirmation from trusted or official channels.
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