Experts grade Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube on readiness to handle midterm election misinformation

Misinformation has bedeviled social media companies for years, and the problem is especially consequential during elections. Are the companies up to the job as the 2022 midterm elections approach?

Scott Shackelford, Professor of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University • conversation
Oct. 17, 2022 • ~16 min

How fake science websites hijack our trust in experts to misinform and confuse

Bogus science articles are attempting to take advantage of our trust in experts.

Isobelle Clarke, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Research Fellow, Lancaster University • conversation
Sept. 12, 2022 • ~7 min

Deplatforming online extremists reduces their followers – but there's a price

Online extremists may lose followers when removed from mainstream social media, but their remaining supporters can become even more toxic.

Emiliano De Cristofaro, Professor, UCL • conversation
Aug. 26, 2022 • ~8 min

Misinformation is a common thread between the COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS pandemics – with deadly consequences

The spread of misinformation in many pandemics, including the smallpox and 1918 influenza outbreaks, have undermined efforts to contain infections and prevent deaths.

Cristian Apetrei, Professor of Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
Aug. 24, 2022 • ~9 min

YouTube: how a team of scientists worked to inoculate a million users against misinformation

The study is the largest of its kind. Researchers hope it could be a breakthrough in the fight against misinformation.

Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of Bristol • conversation
Aug. 24, 2022 • ~9 min

The mathematics of human behaviour: how my new model can spot liars and counter disinformation

Mathematical model suggests information processing lies at the heart of decision making.

Dorje C Brody, Professor of Mathematics, University of Surrey • conversation
June 26, 2022 • ~8 min

Misinformation will be rampant when it comes to COVID-19 shots for young children – here's what you can do to counter it

With COVID-19 shots finally available for infants and preschoolers, knowing how to combat misinformation on social media and elsewhere could be more important than ever.

Maya Ragavan, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences • conversation
June 24, 2022 • ~9 min

How many bots are on Twitter? The question is difficult to answer and misses the point

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.

Filippo Menczer, Professor of Informatics and Computer Science, Indiana University • conversation
May 23, 2022 • ~8 min

Countries with lower-than-expected vaccination rates show unusually negative attitudes to vaccines on Twitter

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.

Ali Zain, Ph.D. Student of Mass Communication, University of South Carolina • conversation
May 10, 2022 • ~7 min

Elon Musk is wrong: research shows content rules on Twitter help preserve free speech from bots and other manipulation

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.

Filippo Menczer, Professor of Informatics and Computer Science, Indiana University • conversation
May 9, 2022 • ~11 min

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