Social Media Misinformation/Disinformation

Campaigns
Public health experts cite dangerous misinformation campaigns as leading public
health issues. Researchers have found that social media disinformation, including from
foreign actors, led to COVID vaccine hesitancy, despite evidence of vaccine safety and
effectiveness. This was only the latest example of vaccine hesitancy.
The controversy around vaccines and autism continues to have a negative impact on
the childhood vaccination rate. This can impact herd immunity and cause the spread of
diseases that can lead to serious illness and death.
Health misinformation is widespread on social media, and countering it effectively is
challenging. Tactics include the following:
 Monitor messaging across platforms. Health researchers must stay on top of
health messaging across many platforms, not just Facebook. TikTok, Reddit,
Tumblr and others are all sources of health memes and videos that spread false
claims.
 Understand motivations. Why does disinformation spread so easily, and why is
it so hard to counter? Understanding the psychological drivers behind this type
of campaign is the first step toward effective countermeasures.
 Assess the impact. Misinformation can have a serious impact on public health.
It can create the impression that no scientific consensus on best practices exists.
It can lead to individuals deciding that no information can be trusted, and that
can have serious effects on their health.
 Identify vulnerable populations. Which populations are susceptible to
misinformation? Even individuals who are well-educated may be vulnerable, due
to confirmation bias and other factors.
 Develop and test messaging. Public health officials should develop messaging
that takes all this research into consideration, and then assess the results,
changing the messaging as needed. They may need to launch educational
campaigns. Tactics may also include supporting legislation that requires
platforms to remove false claims.