What Is Social Media Doing to Protect Against Misinformation of COVID-19?
4.9.20 | Kevin Stoll
As media professionals, one of the COVID-19 developments we are interested in is how the dissemination of news information has changed over time, and how new media channels may help people face the challenges of a global pandemic. This is particularly interesting in the world of social media, which has the potential to spread news rapidly and keep the public informed like never before, but also the risk of false information jeopardizing public safety.
Ever since the 2008 Great Recession, an increasing number of adults are using social media as a primary news source. According to a March study from Morning Consult, while TV and news websites are the primary news channels for adults, social media is not far behind with over half (55%) of adults getting at least some information about the coronavirus on social media [1].
As valuable as the readily-available communication on social media may be, we also see this as somewhat of a paradox, as the majority of adults of all generations have become increasingly aware of the spread of false information and “alternative facts” on social media, especially as it pertains to politics. In this Election Security study from NPR/PBS Newshour, at least 78% of respondents across Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers believed they were likely to read misleading information on social media platforms during the 2020 election year [2].
This led us to wonder: what are the social platforms doing to protect readers and ensure the spread of accurate information on COVID-19? The good news is the major social networks seem to be sensitive to the scrutiny placed on them from prior grievances and mishandling of information, resulting in the networks working individually and in unison to combat COVID-19 misinformation. In mid-March, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube issued a joint statement saying:
“We are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts. We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world. We invite other companies to join us as we work to keep our communities healthy and safe” [3].
Together, the platforms are prioritizing syndicated news updates from authoritative channels like the World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control. Individually, some of the more noteworthy updates include:
Facebook/Instagram:
Combatting misinformation by prioritizing accurate information with popups and high impact placements from authorities
Launched COVID-19 Information Center to house updates from authorities
Providing the WHO with as many free ads as needed and millions in ad credits to other health authorities to reach people with timely messages
Twitter:
Prioritizing getting reliable information in front of users with a COVID-19 events page, #KnowTheFacts search prompt, and COVID-19 verified accounts
Updated content moderation policies to remove misinformation
Partnering with journalists and authorities
#AdsForGood updates to prevent advertisers opportunistically using COVID-19 to target inappropriate ads [4]
YouTube:
Prioritizing authoritative news sources in search and recommended videos, showing information panels and linking to locally relevant sources.
Removing videos that violate updated YouTube policies, including those “that discourage people from seeking medical treatment or claim harmful substances have health benefits” [5]
Utilizing more Artificial Intelligence to review video content instead of human reviewers now working remotely
These policies are changing daily as the leaders in social media proactively seek to keep the world informed. At Inline Media, we’re staying on top of the changes as we continue to wear our many hats. As humans, we are avid consumers of news and information, and strive to get our news from sources that we trust. As media planners and buyers, we are helping our clients navigate social platforms, messaging around COVID, and best practices during this time. The ever-changing world of social media keeps us on our toes.
Sources:
[1] eMarketer: Social Media Update Q1 2020 – 3.1.20
[2] eMarketer: How COVID-19 Is Testing Social Media’s Ability to Fight Misinformation – 3.17.20
[3] Facebook Policy: Keeping People Safe and Informed About the Coronavirus (https://about.fb.com/news/2020/04/coronavirus/)
[4] Twitter Policy: https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/covid-19.html
[5] YouTube Policy: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9777243?hl=en