As of last week, Twitter has stopped enforcing its COVID-19 misinformation policy, which allowed users to flag content promoting false or misleading information about COVID-19 for review and potential removal from the platform.
Twitter’s COVID-19 guidelines were launched in January 2020 to combat misinformation in real time and make it easier for users to find accurate information about COVID-19 on the platform. The rules, while imperfect, have led to the suspension of over 11,000 accounts circulating COVID-19 misinformation. With the end of the policy, some large accounts that fueled early waves of COVID-19 misinformation and contributed to enduring vaccine hesitancy have returned to the site. Other prominent anti-vaccine accounts that have been flagged by public health and fact-checking organizations are expected to return soon.
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The loss of Twitter’s COVID-19 policy coupled with the proposed return of the blue check subscription that enables any individual to purchase account verification without vetting means that anti-vaccine conspiracists will now have increased reach on the platform. The impact is unlikely to be limited to COVID-19, as many accounts that promote misleading COVID-19 content also circulate misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines, polio, and other health issues. Continuing to report misinformation on other platforms is recommended, as is exercising caution when consuming and sharing health information on Twitter. Following trusted accounts and double-checking that verified accounts are real and reputable sources of information are also recommended. Consider countering misinformation on the safety and efficacy of vaccines by emphasizing the amount of time and research that goes into the development process and the billions of people worldwide who have safely received vaccines. Fact-Checking Source(s):
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