Online Platforms Struggling to Combat Spread of Coronavirus Misinformation

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Online Platforms Struggling to Combat Spread of Coronavirus Misinformation

Internet giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Google are faced with their own COVID-19 coronavirus-related epidemic, as bots, scammers, trolls and everyday individuals have begun spreading misinformation concerning the disease and treatments for it.

As countries continue to report their first confirmed cases or additional verified infections of coronavirus, a number of netizens and outlets – whether knowingly or not – have been involved in recent campaigns based on misinformation and fearmongering.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed the outlet that the United Nations agency has been in contact with Google to “make sure people searching for information about the coronavirus see WHO information at the top of their search results.”

“We recently implemented a policy to prohibit ads that refer to the coronavirus and create a sense of urgency, like implying a limited supply, or guaranteeing a cure or prevention. We also have policies for surfaces like Marketplace that prohibit similar behavior,” a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider.

Additionally, Google-owned, video-sharing platform YouTube’s “harmful or dangerous content policy” explains that it does not allow “content which claims that harmful substances or treatments can have health benefits.”

However, being that most of these misinformation campaigns are viral in nature and drive traffic to both large platforms and the deceivers’ own websites, some individuals, such as Bergstrom, are skeptical of the platforms’ willingness to fully combat the issue.

NewsGuard, a company that rates the credibility of news and information websites, announced Wednesday that it had launched a “Coronavirus Misinformation Tracking Center” that would identify websites that have been posting false content amid the COVID-19 crisis.

As of February 26, websites from the US, UK, France, Italy and Germany have been referenced by the tracking center, including InfoWars, PressTV and the website of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Rush Limbaugh.

Sourse: sputniknews.com

Online Platforms Struggling to Combat Spread of Coronavirus Misinformation

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