The spread of misinformation in many pandemics, including the smallpox and 1918 influenza outbreaks, have undermined efforts to contain infections and prevent deaths.
Disinformation damages trust in government and undermines democracy. Our research shows there are ways to tackle it – with examples from Australia and abroad.
Earlier this year, a deepfake impersonating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spread on social media – with Zelenskyy supposedly asking Ukrainians to surrender to Russia.
New research shows that at least half of Canadians have encountered pro-Kremlin propaganda online and that those who hold left-leaning views are less susceptible to the Kremlin’s disinformation.
South Africa has no comprehensive national media literacy programme. Often it comes down to individual teachers and schools to make learners more media literate.
It’s one thing to get ‘likes’ on a video of a cute dog or a photo of your weekend adventures – but another to create content that fosters understanding of complex topics.
Katie Attwell, The University of Western Australia et Tauel Harper, The University of Western Australia
Contrary to the popular belief that social media creates rumours about COVID vaccine harms, new research suggests social media generally only aids the spread of these rumours.
Elon Musk’s focus on the number of bots on Twitter, whether genuine or a distraction, does little to address the problems of misinformation and spam. A pair of social media experts explain why.
There’s a tension between facilitating free and fair debate on social media, and businesses’ bottom line. And it must be resolved with the public interest in mind.
The reasons for the prominence of the Ukraine war in the West are many – and include the Ukrainian government’s strategic efforts to tailor presentations of the conflict for Western sensibilities.
Jungmi Jun, University of South Carolina et Ali Zain, University of South Carolina
A team analyzed more than 21 million tweets about COVID-19 vaccines and found that negative sentiments on social media were tied to lower-than-expected vaccination rates in many nations.
Elon Musk said he wants to make Twitter a platform for free speech. Here is what research shows about claims of political bias and excessive moderation.
Online campaigns in Vietnam are falsely maligning Ukrainians and discrediting the legitimacy of international organizations. It’s all at odds with the aims of the Vietnamese government.