UK recommendations on food stocks are subject to misinformation on social media

A customer walks down an aisle inside a Tesco supermarket in Manchester, UK. — Photo: REUTERS/Phil Noble

The posts claim that several countries are indicating stocks of water and food as a precaution for a possible global emergency. "This time the blackout is real and should happen in the next few days" and "An energy and internet blackout is coming", some of the messages say.

Some disinformative content still criticizes the Brazilian government and the country's media, which are not guiding the population: "What about us here in Brazil? Are we just watching?"

Launched on October 22, the "Be Ready" campaign, in fact, encourages British families to have the necessary supplies at home to sustain themselves during adverse situations, such as climate crises, cyber attacks, as well as interruptions in power, water, telephone and internet supplies.

"Those who can follow these recommendations should do so," said Dan Jarvis, UK security minister. According to him, the measures also serve to reduce pressure on emergency services in times of crisis, such as during severe storms.

The British government clarified that the measures are in line with government instructions from other countries, such as France, Germany and Sweden, which also have similar emergency plans.

The initiative is part of a three-year government public awareness plan and was launched ahead of the winter season in the United Kingdom, a period that has been marked by a series of severe storms in the region.

In September this year, the United Kingdom's Environment Secretary, Angela Eagle, had also guided food stocks to face Super El Niño, which could cause more than 800,000 deaths related to extreme heat by March 2027.

The recommendation comes after a serious security breach that led companies and governments around the world to take thousands of websites offline in October this year.