According to a report released by Global Witness, Facebook’s algorithm amplifies climate doubters rather than nudging people towards reliable information.

Reports say Facebook pushing sceptics towards climate misinformation

Australia’s media regulator will be able to force internet companies to share data regarding their handling of misinformation and disinformation under the laws passed by the government.<o:p></o:p>

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will also have the power to enforce an internet industry code on platforms which refuse to cooperate with the proceedings. The government said in their statement that this move is intended to reduce the spread of fake news.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-in-a-historic-move-australia-returns-29-antiques-to-india-464233" hreflang="en">In Pics: In a historic move, Australia returns 29 antiques to India</a>

The laws came after an ACMA investigation which found that four out of five Australian adults have encountered some misinformation regarding COVID-19 and almost 76 per-cent believe that online platforms should take more responsibility in cutting down the amount of false content.<o:p></o:p>

The laws are somewhat similar to the standards imposed by Europe to curb false online content which will come into effect by the end of 2022. However, the European Union are looking at tougher measures in order to combat the misinformation campaign from Russia, according to Reuters.<o:p></o:p>

“Digital platforms must take responsibility for what is on their sites and take action when harmful or misleading content appears,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a statement.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-us-president-biden-to-visit-poland-on-europe-trip-this-week-464181">Ukraine-Russia conflict: US President Biden to visit Poland this week</a>

The authorities noted in the recent past that disinformation continue to target Australians and Facebook had removed four disinformation campaigns in Australia from 2019 to 2020, it said.<o:p></o:p>

A spokesperson for Labor’s shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, told Reuters the opposition supported the expanded powers but the government had taken too long to introduce them since they were recommended in 2019.<o:p></o:p>

Australia’s media regulator will be able to force internet companies to share data regarding their handling of misinformation and disinformation under the laws passed by the government.

Australia’s media regulator will be able to force internet companies to share data regarding their handling of misinformation and disinformation under the laws passed by the government. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will also have the power to enforce an internet industry code on platforms which refuse to cooperate with the proceedings. The government said in their statement that this move is intended to reduce the spread of fake news. Also read | In Pics: In a historic move, Australia returns 29 antiques to India The laws came after an ACMA investigation which found that four out of five Australian adults have encountered some misinformation regarding COVID-19 and almost 76 per-cent believe that online platforms should take more responsibility in cutting down the amount of false content. The laws are somewhat similar to the standards imposed by Europe to curb false online content which will come into effect by the end of 2022. However, the European Union are looking at tougher measures in order to combat the misinformation campaign from Russia, according to Reuters. “Digital platforms must take responsibility for what is on their sites and take action when harmful or misleading content appears,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said in a statement. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: US President Biden to visit Poland this week The authorities noted in the recent past that disinformation continue to target Australians and Facebook had removed four disinformation campaigns in Australia from 2019 to 2020, it said. A spokesperson for Labor’s shadow communications minister, Michelle Rowland, told Reuters the opposition supported the expanded powers but the government had taken too long to introduce them since they were recommended in 2019.

Australia to battle misinformation with new regulations for big tech companies

YouTube was urged by more than 80 fact-checking organisations to better combat disinformation. They offered help to debunk false statements. The fact-checkers called YouTube 'one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation'

"Every day, we see that YouTube is one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation worldwide," said the groups spanning the globe, from Politifact and the Washington Post in the United States to the Kenya-based Africa Check.

In an open letter, the fact-checking organisations said that videos containing false information had gone "under the radar of YouTube's policies, especially in non-English speaking countries". The open letter was addressed to YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki.

"We urge you to take effective action against disinformation and misinformation... and to do so with the world's independent, non-partisan fact-checking organisations," they added.

"Our experience as fact-checkers together with academic evidence tells us that surfacing fact-checked information is more effective than deleting content."

It also urged the platform to make sure its recommendation algorithm did not actively promote disinformation to its users.

YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez defended the platform, saying that fact checking was a "crucial tool", but just "one piece of a much larger puzzle to address the spread of misinformation".

"Over the years, we've invested heavily in policies and products in all countries... to connect people to authoritative content, reduce the spread of borderline misinformation, and remove violative videos," she added.

She said YouTube had seen "important progress".

(With inputs from agencies)

YouTube was urged by more than 80 fact-checking organisations to better combat disinformation. They offered help to debunk false statements. The fact-checkers called YouTube 'one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation' "Every day, we see that YouTube is one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation worldwide," said the groups spanning the globe, from Politifact and the Washington Post in the United States to the Kenya-based Africa Check.

YouTube was urged by more than 80 fact-checking organisations to better combat disinformation. They offered help to debunk false statements. The fact-checkers called YouTube 'one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation' "Every day, we see that YouTube is one of the major conduits of online disinformation and misinformation worldwide," said the groups spanning the globe, from Politifact and the Washington Post in the United States to the Kenya-based Africa Check. In an open letter, the fact-checking organisations said that videos containing false information had gone "under the radar of YouTube's policies, especially in non-English speaking countries". The open letter was addressed to YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki. "We urge you to take effective action against disinformation and misinformation... and to do so with the world's independent, non-partisan fact-checking organisations," they added. "Our experience as fact-checkers together with academic evidence tells us that surfacing fact-checked information is more effective than deleting content." It also urged the platform to make sure its recommendation algorithm did not actively promote disinformation to its users. YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez defended the platform, saying that fact checking was a "crucial tool", but just "one piece of a much larger puzzle to address the spread of misinformation". "Over the years, we've invested heavily in policies and products in all countries... to connect people to authoritative content, reduce the spread of borderline misinformation, and remove violative videos," she added. She said YouTube had seen "important progress". (With inputs from agencies)

YouTube urged by fact-checkers to fight disinformation

Various healthcare professionals have urged social media giant Facebook to disclose all of the data related to COVID-19 disinformation that is available on the platform.

Various healthcare professionals have urged social media giant Facebook to disclose all of the data related to COVID-19 disinformation that is available on the platform. In a letter addressed to the company, now under the parent name Meta, the doctors wrote, "Facebook had become “cesspools of anti-vaccine comments” that created “a huge problem” that the company needed to fix". The letter further read, "This deception must end now. So many deaths could have been prevented, and we must act with haste to prevent more, particularly with vaccines becoming imminently available for young children. We simply cannot afford another deadly round of covid and vaccine misinformation." The letter by Doctors For America was signed by over 500 healthcare professionals. This includes medical professors at New York University, Columbia University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Also read | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should step down, says whistleblower Frances Haugen The doctors emphasised how technological platforms like Facebook have a moral and civic duty to limit the spread of health disinformation. "Facebook must take immediate, urgent action to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 disinformation on its platforms. Facebook must disclose all data about the scope, reach, and content of this disinformation and its impact on users for evaluation by independent public health researchers," the doctors urged. This comes after a whistleblower leaked internal company documents. The ex-Facebook employee, Frances Haugen leaked tens of thousands of internal documents, which give details about the company’s struggles with user safety and misinformation. Haugen also criticised Zuckerberg’s “unconscionable” decision to invest in metaverse concepts rather than solving its issues. When asked if Zuckerberg should step down, Haugen said, “I think Facebook will be stronger with someone, who is willing to focus on safety, so yes.”

'Cesspools of anti-vaccine comments': Doctors urge Facebook to reveal data on COVID-19 misinformation

According to documents from a former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India.&nbsp;

These documents were a part of files handed over to Congress and provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Frances Haugen, who happens to be a former Facebook employee and whistleblower.&nbsp;

The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action.

The documents from 2019 to March 2021 show Facebook has not been able to keep up with misinformation and hateful content in India. The Associated Press reported that Facebook has known about the issues for years. The documents raise questions about if enough has been done to get rid of such content online.&nbsp;

One of the issues which were highlighted was that Facebook did not have enough moderators who spoke Hindi or Bengali to stop misinformation or hateful content.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-weakens-our-democracy-harms-kids-top-quotes-from-whistleblower-frances-haugens-testimony-418489">Also read |&nbsp;'Facebook weakens our democracy, harms kids': Top quotes from whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony</a>

The company labelled the languages as priorities for “automation on violating hostile speech.”&nbsp;

In 2019, one employee created a completely new Facebook account in India to see what someone would see recommended on their feed with no prior bias, reports AP. He said the account, which was live for three weeks, became "a near-constant barrage of polarising nationalist content, misinformation, and violence and gore.”

The content that the employee received&nbsp;contained fake news.

Facebook has “invested significantly in technology to find hate speech in various languages, including Hindi and Bengali,” the company told The Associated Press, which “reduced the amount of hate speech that people see by half” in 2021.

Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company's most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.

According to documents from a former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India. These documents were a part of files handed over to Congress and provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Frances Haugen, who happens to be a former Facebook employee and whistleblower.

According to documents from a former Facebook employee obtained by The Associated Press, Facebook has struggled to curb hateful content in India. These documents were a part of files handed over to Congress and provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Frances Haugen, who happens to be a former Facebook employee and whistleblower. The Facebook whistleblower told US senators that the social media juggernaut promotes divisiveness, hurts children, and urgently needs to be controlled, prompting promises that Congress will take long-delayed action. The documents from 2019 to March 2021 show Facebook has not been able to keep up with misinformation and hateful content in India. The Associated Press reported that Facebook has known about the issues for years. The documents raise questions about if enough has been done to get rid of such content online. One of the issues which were highlighted was that Facebook did not have enough moderators who spoke Hindi or Bengali to stop misinformation or hateful content. Also read | 'Facebook weakens our democracy, harms kids': Top quotes from whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony The company labelled the languages as priorities for “automation on violating hostile speech.” In 2019, one employee created a completely new Facebook account in India to see what someone would see recommended on their feed with no prior bias, reports AP. He said the account, which was live for three weeks, became "a near-constant barrage of polarising nationalist content, misinformation, and violence and gore.” The content that the employee received contained fake news. Facebook has “invested significantly in technology to find hate speech in various languages, including Hindi and Bengali,” the company told The Associated Press, which “reduced the amount of hate speech that people see by half” in 2021. Haugen recently disclosed reams of internal information to authorities and The Wall Street Journal, testified on Capitol Hill, fueling one of the company's most serious crises yet. Haugen said that she believes that Facebook's products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.

Facebook struggles to combat misinformation and hate speech in India: Report

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

An array of US news outlets cited documents from former Facebook worker Frances Haugen, adding to a series of critical revelations already published based on information she provided.

Articles in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere on Friday focused on how Facebook apparently intensified political division.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-pay-french-publishers-for-news-content-422671">Facebook to pay French publishers for news content</a>

Examples included an internal finding that 10 percent of political content viewed by US users in the days after the election perpetuated the falsehood that the vote had been rigged.

What has come to be known as the "Big Lie" has been repeated relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and enraged his supporters, who stormed the US Capital in a deadly attack on January 6.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms banned Trump from their platforms for encouraging the violent effort to thwart the democratic process.

Revelations published Friday indicated that Facebook could have anticipated such trouble.

'Carol's journey'&nbsp;

The information was reportedly found in the thousands of internal documents Haugen provided to regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Haugen told US lawmakers early this month that the social media giant fuels division, harms children and urgently needs to be regulated, drawing pledges Congress would take up long-delayed action.

The testimony by Haugen has fueled one of Facebook's most serious crises yet, and prompted a denial from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said in a post on his account that her claim the company prioritizes profit over safety was "just not true."

A common theme in revelations is that Facebook knew about problems hurting users and society but chose, in large part, to ignore them.

Articles Friday referred to a report compiled by Facebook's own internal researchers titled "Carol's Journey to QAnon."

Facebook's security team in 2019 reportedly created a fake account for a "conservative mother from North Carolina" given the profile name Carol Smith.

The social network software quickly offered Smith a "barrage of extreme, conspiratorial and graphic content" including from the QAnon movement known for unfounded conspiracy theories, according to the researchers.

Defense&nbsp;

Faced with the mounting criticism, Facebook on Friday detailed anew steps it has taken to protect the election and keep the social network safe.

"Our comprehensive strategy to protect the US 2020 elections began years before the election cycle even began and was designed to last through the inauguration," Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen said in a blog post.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-banned-on-twitter-and-fb-to-launch-his-own-social-network-422513">Donald Trump, banned on Twitter and FB, to launch his own social network</a>

"Responsibility for the insurrection itself falls squarely on the insurrectionists who broke the law and those who incited them."

Facebook's tenacious efforts to fend off critics is not likely to appease elected officials openly calling for action against the tech giant.

More revelations from leaked documents appear in store, and a former member of Facebook's integrity team emerged Friday as another whistleblower.

The former employee reportedly told US regulators that Facebook dismissed controversy over Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election as a "flash in the pan" and that managers undermined efforts to fight disinformation for fear of angering Trump or his fans.

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday. An array of US news outlets cited documents from former Facebook worker Frances Haugen, adding to a series of critical revelations already published based on information she provided. Articles in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere on Friday focused on how Facebook apparently intensified political division. Also Read | Facebook to pay French publishers for news content Examples included an internal finding that 10 percent of political content viewed by US users in the days after the election perpetuated the falsehood that the vote had been rigged. What has come to be known as the "Big Lie" has been repeated relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and enraged his supporters, who stormed the US Capital in a deadly attack on January 6. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms banned Trump from their platforms for encouraging the violent effort to thwart the democratic process. Revelations published Friday indicated that Facebook could have anticipated such trouble. 'Carol's journey' The information was reportedly found in the thousands of internal documents Haugen provided to regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Haugen told US lawmakers early this month that the social media giant fuels division, harms children and urgently needs to be regulated, drawing pledges Congress would take up long-delayed action. The testimony by Haugen has fueled one of Facebook's most serious crises yet, and prompted a denial from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said in a post on his account that her claim the company prioritizes profit over safety was "just not true." A common theme in revelations is that Facebook knew about problems hurting users and society but chose, in large part, to ignore them. Articles Friday referred to a report compiled by Facebook's own internal researchers titled "Carol's Journey to QAnon." Facebook's security team in 2019 reportedly created a fake account for a "conservative mother from North Carolina" given the profile name Carol Smith. The social network software quickly offered Smith a "barrage of extreme, conspiratorial and graphic content" including from the QAnon movement known for unfounded conspiracy theories, according to the researchers. Defense Faced with the mounting criticism, Facebook on Friday detailed anew steps it has taken to protect the election and keep the social network safe. "Our comprehensive strategy to protect the US 2020 elections began years before the election cycle even began and was designed to last through the inauguration," Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen said in a blog post. Also Read | Donald Trump, banned on Twitter and FB, to launch his own social network "Responsibility for the insurrection itself falls squarely on the insurrectionists who broke the law and those who incited them." Facebook's tenacious efforts to fend off critics is not likely to appease elected officials openly calling for action against the tech giant. More revelations from leaked documents appear in store, and a former member of Facebook's integrity team emerged Friday as another whistleblower. The former employee reportedly told US regulators that Facebook dismissed controversy over Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election as a "flash in the pan" and that managers undermined efforts to fight disinformation for fear of angering Trump or his fans.

Rising tide of leaks threatens to inundate Facebook

A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said on Monday it has set up a special committee to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts.

The issue of damaging online posts has emerged as a second battlefront between Big Tech and Australia, which last year passed a law to make platforms pay licence fees for content, sparking a temporary Facebook blackout in February.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-makes-an-attempt-to-stop-the-illegal-sale-of-amazon-rainforest-419379">Facebook makes an attempt to stop the illegal sale of Amazon rainforest</a>

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week labelled social media "a coward's palace",&nbsp;while the government said on Sunday it was looking at measures to make social media companies more responsible, including forcing legal liability onto the platforms&nbsp;for the content published on them.

The Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), which represents the Australian units of Facebook Inc, Alphabet's Google and Twitter Inc, said its new misinformation oversight subcommittee showed the industry was willing to self-regulate against damaging posts.

The tech giants had already agreed a code of conduct against misinformation, "and we wanted to further strengthen it with independent oversight from experts, and public accountability," DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose said in a statement.

A three-person "independent complaints sub-committee" would seek to resolve complaints about possible breaches of the code conduct via a public website, DIGI said, but would not take complaints about individual posts.

The industry's code of conduct includes items such as taking action against misinformation affecting public health, which would include the novel coronavirus.

DIGI, which also counts Apple Inc and TikTok as signatories, said it could issue a public statement if a company was found to have violated the code of conduct or revoke its signatory status with the group.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-instagram-stop-working-yet-again-twitterati-open-bag-of-memes-419307">Facebook, Instagram stop working yet again; Twitterati open bag of memes</a>

Australian communications minister Paul Fletcher, who has been among senior lawmakers promising tougher action against platforms hosting misleading and defamatory content, welcomed the measure.

"I'm pleased that DIGI is announcing an important development to strengthen the way the code will protect Australians from misinformation and disinformation," he said in a statement.

But Reset Australia, an advocate group focused on the influence of technology on democracy, said the oversight panel was "laughable" as it involved no penalties and the code of conduct was optional.

"DIGI's code is not much more than a PR stunt given the negative PR surrounding Facebook in recent weeks," said Reset Australia Director of tech policy Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran in a statement, urging regulation for the industry.

A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said on Monday it has set up a special committee to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts.

A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said on Monday it has set up a special committee to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts. The issue of damaging online posts has emerged as a second battlefront between Big Tech and Australia, which last year passed a law to make platforms pay licence fees for content, sparking a temporary Facebook blackout in February. Also Read | Facebook makes an attempt to stop the illegal sale of Amazon rainforest Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week labelled social media "a coward's palace", while the government said on Sunday it was looking at measures to make social media companies more responsible, including forcing legal liability onto the platforms for the content published on them. The Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), which represents the Australian units of Facebook Inc, Alphabet's Google and Twitter Inc, said its new misinformation oversight subcommittee showed the industry was willing to self-regulate against damaging posts. The tech giants had already agreed a code of conduct against misinformation, "and we wanted to further strengthen it with independent oversight from experts, and public accountability," DIGI Managing Director Sunita Bose said in a statement. A three-person "independent complaints sub-committee" would seek to resolve complaints about possible breaches of the code conduct via a public website, DIGI said, but would not take complaints about individual posts. The industry's code of conduct includes items such as taking action against misinformation affecting public health, which would include the novel coronavirus. DIGI, which also counts Apple Inc and TikTok as signatories, said it could issue a public statement if a company was found to have violated the code of conduct or revoke its signatory status with the group. Also Read | Facebook, Instagram stop working yet again; Twitterati open bag of memes Australian communications minister Paul Fletcher, who has been among senior lawmakers promising tougher action against platforms hosting misleading and defamatory content, welcomed the measure. "I'm pleased that DIGI is announcing an important development to strengthen the way the code will protect Australians from misinformation and disinformation," he said in a statement. But Reset Australia, an advocate group focused on the influence of technology on democracy, said the oversight panel was "laughable" as it involved no penalties and the code of conduct was optional. "DIGI's code is not much more than a PR stunt given the negative PR surrounding Facebook in recent weeks," said Reset Australia Director of tech policy Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran in a statement, urging regulation for the industry.

Facebook-backed group launches misinformation adjudication panel in Australia

In a crackdown on accounts spreading COVID-19 misinformation, Facebook removed a series of such accounts days before Germany’s federal elections. &nbsp;

These accounts were also encouraging violent responses to Covid restrictions. &nbsp;

The crackdown, which was announced on September 16, was the first action taken according to the Facebook’s new “coordinated social harm” policy. It aims to stop disinformation campaigns.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cnn-pulls-out-of-facebook-in-australia-citing-defamation-risk-416879" hreflang="en">CNN pulls out of Facebook in Australia, citing defamation risk</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

In Germany, around 150 accounts, pages and groups were linked to 'Querdenken' movement, a group that protests lockdown measures in the country. &nbsp;

While far-right users called it censorship, Facebook pushed it as an innovative response to potentially harmful content. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-youtube-bans-rt-due-to-multiple-violations-russia-threatens-to-ban-video-platform-416785" hreflang="en">After YouTube bans RT due to multiple violations, Russia threatens to ban video platform</a>

Earlier, Facebook also announced various new efforts to combat climate crisis misinformation on its platform. &nbsp;&nbsp;

These included expanding its climate science centre to provide more reliable information, investing in organisations that fight misinformation and launching a video series to highlight young climate advocates on both Facebook and Instagram.

Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australia-regulators-demand-special-authority-over-tech-firms-416514/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

However, as per critics, the push falls short and will allow vast amounts of climate misinformation to slip through the cracks. &nbsp;

During the 2021 April congressional hearing, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that climate misinformation is “a big issue”. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a crackdown on accounts spreading COVID-19 misinformation, Facebook removed a series of such accounts days before Germany’s federal elections. These accounts were also encouraging violent responses to Covid restrictions.

In a crackdown on accounts spreading COVID-19 misinformation, Facebook removed a series of such accounts days before Germany’s federal elections. These accounts were also encouraging violent responses to Covid restrictions. The crackdown, which was announced on September 16, was the first action taken according to the Facebook’s new “coordinated social harm” policy. It aims to stop disinformation campaigns. Also Read: CNN pulls out of Facebook in Australia, citing defamation risk In Germany, around 150 accounts, pages and groups were linked to 'Querdenken' movement, a group that protests lockdown measures in the country. While far-right users called it censorship, Facebook pushed it as an innovative response to potentially harmful content. Also Read: After YouTube bans RT due to multiple violations, Russia threatens to ban video platform Earlier, Facebook also announced various new efforts to combat climate crisis misinformation on its platform. These included expanding its climate science centre to provide more reliable information, investing in organisations that fight misinformation and launching a video series to highlight young climate advocates on both Facebook and Instagram. Watch: × However, as per critics, the push falls short and will allow vast amounts of climate misinformation to slip through the cracks. During the 2021 April congressional hearing, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that climate misinformation is “a big issue”. (With inputs from agencies)

In a crackdown, Facebook axed accounts spreading Covid misinformation in Germany before polls

Facebook has announced various new efforts to combat climate crisis misinformation on its platform. These include expanding its climate science centre to provide more reliable information, investing in organizations that fight misinformation, and launching a video series to highlight young climate advocates on both Facebook and Instagram.

However, as per critics, the new push falls short and will allow vast amounts of climate misinformation to slip through the cracks.

During the 2021 April congressional hearing, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that climate misinformation is “a big issue”.&nbsp;

Also, in the past, the company has said such misinformation accounts for “a very low percentage of total misinformation on the service” but declined to share figures.

As per the climate change and misinformation experts, the lies on the platform can spread quickly.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-documents-show-how-toxic-instagram-is-for-teens-reports-413284">Also read |&nbsp;Facebook documents show how toxic Instagram is for teens: Reports</a>

The climate denial watchdog groupInfluenceMap in October 2020 found dozens of climate denial ads had been viewed more than 8m times after slipping through the social network’s filters.

In March, 13 environmental groups, including the Union of Concerned Scientists and Greenpeace, sent a letter to Zuckerberg, calling on him to commit to monitoring climate disinformation and provide more transparency about the scale of the problem.

A recent study by Friends of the Earth, an environmental organization, has revealed that about 99 per cent of climate misinformation about the February 2021 power outages in Texas went unchecked.

The study further found misleading reports that wind turbines were at fault in the outage that had run rampant on the social media platform.

It also showed how such theories make their way from the fringes of Facebook to the mainstream.

Facebook rejected the study’s findings, calling its characterization “misleading”.&nbsp;

However, Michael Khoo, co-chair of the climate disinformation coalition for Friends of the Earth, argues that the data “shows that

Facebook and other tech platforms must take far stronger action to limit the super-spreaders, and not put the burden on ordinary users”.

There have been various other stories that have revealed that other climate crisis-denying posts and resources outpacing accurate information on the platform.

Facebook has announced various new efforts to combat climate crisis misinformation on its platform. These include expanding its climate science centre to provide more reliable information, investing in organizations that fight misinformation, and launching a video series to highlight young climate advocates on both Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook has announced various new efforts to combat climate crisis misinformation on its platform. These include expanding its climate science centre to provide more reliable information, investing in organizations that fight misinformation, and launching a video series to highlight young climate advocates on both Facebook and Instagram. However, as per critics, the new push falls short and will allow vast amounts of climate misinformation to slip through the cracks. During the 2021 April congressional hearing, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that climate misinformation is “a big issue”. Also, in the past, the company has said such misinformation accounts for “a very low percentage of total misinformation on the service” but declined to share figures. As per the climate change and misinformation experts, the lies on the platform can spread quickly. Also read | Facebook documents show how toxic Instagram is for teens: Reports The climate denial watchdog groupInfluenceMap in October 2020 found dozens of climate denial ads had been viewed more than 8m times after slipping through the social network’s filters. In March, 13 environmental groups, including the Union of Concerned Scientists and Greenpeace, sent a letter to Zuckerberg, calling on him to commit to monitoring climate disinformation and provide more transparency about the scale of the problem. A recent study by Friends of the Earth, an environmental organization, has revealed that about 99 per cent of climate misinformation about the February 2021 power outages in Texas went unchecked. The study further found misleading reports that wind turbines were at fault in the outage that had run rampant on the social media platform. It also showed how such theories make their way from the fringes of Facebook to the mainstream. Facebook rejected the study’s findings, calling its characterization “misleading”. However, Michael Khoo, co-chair of the climate disinformation coalition for Friends of the Earth, argues that the data “shows that Facebook and other tech platforms must take far stronger action to limit the super-spreaders, and not put the burden on ordinary users”. There have been various other stories that have revealed that other climate crisis-denying posts and resources outpacing accurate information on the platform.

Facebook steps up its fight against climate misinformation, critics say efforts fall short

Social media is a handy tool to stay in touch with your loved ones, reading news and even acquiring new knowledge. But it is also the fastest way misinformation travels around the globe. Now it has come to light that misinformation on Facebook gets 6 times more attention than factual posts.

The study was carried out by New York University and Université Grenoble Alpes. The researchers looked at posts put out by 2500 Facebook pages between August 2020 to January 2021.

It was found in the study that posts from sources known for spreading misinformation got six times more likes, shares and interactions than the posts made by reputed news sources.

The study looked at misinformation from both ends of political spectrum. It found that misinformation at both ends, far-right and far-left, got more engagement than correct info. But interestingly, the study found that far-right put out more misinformation than far-left overall.

NYU researchers found that 40 per cent far-right sources and 10 per cent left-leaning sources promoted misinformation. They also said that misinformation accounted for 68 per cent of engagement with far-right sources while it was 36 per cent for far-left sources.

The study was first reported in Washington Post.

Social media is a handy tool to stay in touch with your loved ones, reading news and even acquiring new knowledge. But it is also the fastest way misinformation travels around the globe.

Social media is a handy tool to stay in touch with your loved ones, reading news and even acquiring new knowledge. But it is also the fastest way misinformation travels around the globe. Now it has come to light that misinformation on Facebook gets 6 times more attention than factual posts. The study was carried out by New York University and Université Grenoble Alpes. The researchers looked at posts put out by 2500 Facebook pages between August 2020 to January 2021. It was found in the study that posts from sources known for spreading misinformation got six times more likes, shares and interactions than the posts made by reputed news sources. The study looked at misinformation from both ends of political spectrum. It found that misinformation at both ends, far-right and far-left, got more engagement than correct info. But interestingly, the study found that far-right put out more misinformation than far-left overall. NYU researchers found that 40 per cent far-right sources and 10 per cent left-leaning sources promoted misinformation. They also said that misinformation accounted for 68 per cent of engagement with far-right sources while it was 36 per cent for far-left sources. The study was first reported in Washington Post.

Facebook misinformation gets six times more engagement than factual posts: Study

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's president on Monday demoted the&nbsp;health&nbsp;minister&nbsp;who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to battle&nbsp;COVID-19, as coronavirus infections and deaths hit record highs.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office said Pavithra Wanniarachchi's&nbsp;health&nbsp;portfolio had been given to Media&nbsp;Minister&nbsp;Keheliya Rambukwella who is also the government spokesman.

Wanniarachchi was in intensive care in January after contracting the virus despite publicly consuming and endorsing a "magic potion" against&nbsp;COVID-19 made by a sorcerer.

She also poured a pot of "blessed" water into a river in November after a self-styled god-man told her that it would end the pandemic in the island nation of 21 million people.

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's&nbsp;health&nbsp;ministry under Wanniarachchi came under intense criticism last week for understating coronavirus infections.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-kabul-descended-in-chaos-india-was-ready-for-unsc-meet-on-afghanistan-on-sunday-405889">Also read |&nbsp;As Kabul descended in chaos, India was ready for UNSC meet on Afghanistan on Sunday</a>

Despite the demotion, she will remain in the cabinet,&nbsp;the president gave her the less important transport ministry.

The number of daily virus deaths crossed 150 in the past week, overwhelming crematoriums.

Daily infections crossed 3,000, and with hospitals struggling to cope, even government&nbsp;health&nbsp;workers say the actual number of infections could be three times higher.

The government has so far rejected calls for a lockdown to contain the surge, but last week tightened restrictions.

Wedding and parties have been banned from Tuesday, while state ceremonies and public gatherings are also prohibited until September 1.

Shops, restaurants and officers will have to follow a night curfew from Monday.

In the cabinet reshuffle,&nbsp;Foreign Minister&nbsp;Dinesh Gunawardena and&nbsp;Education Minister&nbsp;Gamini Lakshman Peiris swapped their portfolios.

Sri Lanka's president on Monday demoted the health minister who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to battle COVID-19, as coronavirus infections and deaths hit record highs.

Sri Lanka's president on Monday demoted the health minister who publicly endorsed sorcery and magic potions to battle COVID-19, as coronavirus infections and deaths hit record highs. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office said Pavithra Wanniarachchi's health portfolio had been given to Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who is also the government spokesman. Wanniarachchi was in intensive care in January after contracting the virus despite publicly consuming and endorsing a "magic potion" against COVID-19 made by a sorcerer. She also poured a pot of "blessed" water into a river in November after a self-styled god-man told her that it would end the pandemic in the island nation of 21 million people. Sri Lanka's health ministry under Wanniarachchi came under intense criticism last week for understating coronavirus infections. Also read | As Kabul descended in chaos, India was ready for UNSC meet on Afghanistan on Sunday Despite the demotion, she will remain in the cabinet, the president gave her the less important transport ministry. The number of daily virus deaths crossed 150 in the past week, overwhelming crematoriums. Daily infections crossed 3,000, and with hospitals struggling to cope, even government health workers say the actual number of infections could be three times higher. The government has so far rejected calls for a lockdown to contain the surge, but last week tightened restrictions. Wedding and parties have been banned from Tuesday, while state ceremonies and public gatherings are also prohibited until September 1. Shops, restaurants and officers will have to follow a night curfew from Monday. In the cabinet reshuffle, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Education Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris swapped their portfolios.

Sri Lanka axes health minister over COVID-19 misinformation as outbreak grows

According to a YouTube spokesman, US Senator Rand Paul has been banned for seven days after releasing a video stating that masks are useless against COVID-19.&nbsp;

"This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can't upload content for a week, per our longstanding three-strikes policy," the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

"We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of the speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities."

Paul's tweet provided a link to a different site where the video could be seen.

According to YouTube, some of the problematic information in the video included the following line: "The majority of over-the-counter masks are ineffective. They don't keep you from being infected."&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican called the suspension a "badge of honour" and chastised YouTube for its decision.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A badge of honor . . . leftwing cretins at Youtube banning me for 7 days for a video that quotes 2 peer reviewed articles saying cloth masks don’t work. 
 
If you want to see the banned video go to Liberty Tree <a href="https://t.co/gsTUwuLZGL">https://t.co/gsTUwuLZGL</a>
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1425210718568202243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"This type of restriction is a dangerous, terribly anti-free expression," Paul warned in a statement on his official website.&nbsp; 
 
Hospitalisations are at an all-time high in the last six months:&nbsp;

COVID-19 is on the rise in the United States this summer, as the more infectious delta variant spreads.

According to real-time statistics gathered by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering, COVID-19 has killed over 618,000 Americans and 4.3 million people globally.&nbsp;

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 58.8% of Americans aged 12 and above are completely vaccinated against COVID-19.&nbsp;

Hospital admissions in the United States have reached their highest level in six months.

Each day, around 9,300 people are being hospitalised, the largest number of patients seeking care since April.

COVID-19-related paediatric admissions per capita are likewise at an all-time high for the epidemic.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to a YouTube spokesman, US Senator Rand Paul has been banned for seven days after releasing a video stating that masks are useless against COVID-19. "This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can't upload content for a week, per our longstanding three-strikes policy," the spokesperson said.

According to a YouTube spokesman, US Senator Rand Paul has been banned for seven days after releasing a video stating that masks are useless against COVID-19. "This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can't upload content for a week, per our longstanding three-strikes policy," the spokesperson said. "We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of the speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities." Paul's tweet provided a link to a different site where the video could be seen. According to YouTube, some of the problematic information in the video included the following line: "The majority of over-the-counter masks are ineffective. They don't keep you from being infected." On Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican called the suspension a "badge of honour" and chastised YouTube for its decision. A badge of honor . . . leftwing cretins at Youtube banning me for 7 days for a video that quotes 2 peer reviewed articles saying cloth masks don’t work. If you want to see the banned video go to Liberty Tree https://t.co/gsTUwuLZGL — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 10, 2021 × "This type of restriction is a dangerous, terribly anti-free expression," Paul warned in a statement on his official website. Hospitalisations are at an all-time high in the last six months: COVID-19 is on the rise in the United States this summer, as the more infectious delta variant spreads. According to real-time statistics gathered by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering, COVID-19 has killed over 618,000 Americans and 4.3 million people globally. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 58.8% of Americans aged 12 and above are completely vaccinated against COVID-19. Hospital admissions in the United States have reached their highest level in six months. Each day, around 9,300 people are being hospitalised, the largest number of patients seeking care since April. COVID-19-related paediatric admissions per capita are likewise at an all-time high for the epidemic. (With inputs from agencies)

YouTube suspends Republican Senator Rand Paul for 7 days over mask claims

Twitter&nbsp;Inc will partner with the Associated Press and&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;to more quickly provide credible information on the social networking&nbsp;site&nbsp;as part of an effort to fight the spread of&nbsp;misinformation, it said on Monday.

Like other social media companies, the San Francisco-based firm has been under pressure to remove misleading or false information on&nbsp;its&nbsp;site. Earlier this year&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;launched a program called Birdwatch, asking&nbsp;its&nbsp;users to help identify and fact-check misleading tweets.

Twitter&nbsp;said it will collaborate with the newswires during breaking news events to add accurate context, which could&nbsp;appear in various places on&nbsp;Twitter, such as a label attached to tweets about the event or as a "Moment," which curates information about trending topics on&nbsp;Twitter.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-is-working-on-a-three-tier-labelling-mechanism-to-fight-misinformation-heres-how-itll-work-388770">Also read |&nbsp;Twitter is working on a three-tier labelling mechanism to fight misinformation. Here's how it'll work</a>

The&nbsp;partnerships mark the first time&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;will formally collaborate with news organisations to elevate accurate information on&nbsp;its&nbsp;site, a&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;will work separately with both the&nbsp;AP&nbsp;and&nbsp;Reuters, a division of information services company Thomson&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;Corp, and the newswires will not interact with each other.

“Trust, accuracy and impartiality are at the heart of what&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;does every day ... those values also drive our commitment to stopping the spread of&nbsp;misinformation," Hazel Baker, global head of UGC (user-generated content) news gathering at&nbsp;Reuters, said in a statement.

Tom Januszewski, vice president of global business development at the&nbsp;AP, said: "We are particularly excited about leveraging&nbsp;AP’s scale and speed to add context to online conversations, which can benefit from easy access to the facts.”

Twitter Inc will partner with the Associated Press and Reuters to more quickly provide credible information on the social networking site as part of an effort to fight the spread of misinformation, it said on Monday.

Twitter Inc will partner with the Associated Press and Reuters to more quickly provide credible information on the social networking site as part of an effort to fight the spread of misinformation, it said on Monday. Like other social media companies, the San Francisco-based firm has been under pressure to remove misleading or false information on its site. Earlier this year Twitter launched a program called Birdwatch, asking its users to help identify and fact-check misleading tweets. Twitter said it will collaborate with the newswires during breaking news events to add accurate context, which could appear in various places on Twitter, such as a label attached to tweets about the event or as a "Moment," which curates information about trending topics on Twitter. Also read | Twitter is working on a three-tier labelling mechanism to fight misinformation. Here's how it'll work The partnerships mark the first time Twitter will formally collaborate with news organisations to elevate accurate information on its site, a Twitter spokesperson said. The spokesperson added Twitter will work separately with both the AP and Reuters, a division of information services company Thomson Reuters Corp, and the newswires will not interact with each other. “Trust, accuracy and impartiality are at the heart of what Reuters does every day ... those values also drive our commitment to stopping the spread of misinformation," Hazel Baker, global head of UGC (user-generated content) news gathering at Reuters, said in a statement. Tom Januszewski, vice president of global business development at the AP, said: "We are particularly excited about leveraging AP’s scale and speed to add context to online conversations, which can benefit from easy access to the facts.”

Twitter partners with AP, Reuters to battle misinformation on its site

Scientific&nbsp;studies with poor methodology and inaccurate findings are exacerbating a&nbsp;COVID-19 misinformation&nbsp;crisis that is discouraging vaccination and putting lives at risk.

The intense public interest in the pandemic and divisive debate in the United States over how to address it facilitates the spread of faulty research&nbsp;papers&nbsp;online, including by vaccine opponents. And even if a study is retracted, it is too late.

"Once the paper is published, the damage is irrevocable," said Emerson Brooking, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, which focuses on identifying and exposing disinformation.

Flawed&nbsp;papers&nbsp;"have been fuel to the fire for&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;skeptics and conspiracy theorists. They are frequently the subject of viral online activity. Their findings are further filtered through salacious and misleading articles from fringe websites," Brooking told AFP.

Inaccurate information about vaccines is especially dangerous at a time when uptake of the shots has slowed in the United States, where health officials say almost all recent&nbsp;COVID-19 deaths occurred among those who were not immunised.

&nbsp;'Shock your socks off'

Medical journal Vaccines published a peer-reviewed paper in late June titled "The Safety of&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccinations -- we should rethink the policy." It concluded that&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;shots were causing two people to die for every three they saved -- findings that quickly spread on social media.

A tweet from scientist and&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine critic Robert Malone summarising the paper garnered thousands of retweets. A video in which conservative pundit Liz Wheeler discussed the study -- which she said "will shock your socks off" -- has been viewed more than 250,000 times on Facebook.

But Vaccines then retracted the paper, saying it contained "several errors that fundamentally affect the interpretation of the findings."

At least four Vaccines board members resigned as a result of the study's publication, including Katie Ewer, an associate professor and senior immunologist at the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute.&nbsp;

"It should have been recognised that this paper would have a big impact," said Ewer, who was not involved in its publication. "That no one at the journal picked up on that... is very worrying, especially for a journal dedicated to vaccines."&nbsp;

Malone's tweet about the paper is no longer available, but Wheeler's video still appeared on Facebook weeks later.

The Gateway Pundit, a website that frequently publishes inaccurate claims, reported earlier in the year that a Stanford University study found mask wearing, which US health authorities recommended to help slow the spread of&nbsp;Covid-19, to be "ineffective" and harmful.&nbsp;

'Do a better job'

The study -- "Face masks in the COVID-19&nbsp;era: A health hypothesis" -- was subsequently retracted by the journal Medical Hypotheses, which said it selectively cited published&nbsp;papers&nbsp;and included "unverified" data.

The Gateway Pundit's article -- which has been shared tens of thousands of times as a link or screenshot on social media -- was updated to say the study's author was unaffiliated with Stanford, but it failed to mention the retraction.

Some of the biggest&nbsp;scientific&nbsp;journals, including The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, have retracted&nbsp;papers&nbsp;related to the coronavirus crisis, and even a limited number of faulty studies can cause extensive damage online.

Scientific&nbsp;papers&nbsp;have been drawn into the public eye in "an unprecedented way," so experts must "do a better job" of explaining their work to a lay audience that may lack the skills to assess them, said Maimuna Majumder, a computational epidemiologist at the Harvard Medical School.

"Not all of the studies that have been produced and widely shared during the pandemic have been scientifically robust," Majumder said.

"This is particularly troubling because poorly-executed studies have proven to be capable of influencing individual-level decision-making during the pandemic, including those pertaining to vaccination."

Scientific studies with poor methodology and inaccurate findings are exacerbating a COVID-19 misinformation crisis that is discouraging vaccination and putting lives at risk.

Scientific studies with poor methodology and inaccurate findings are exacerbating a COVID-19 misinformation crisis that is discouraging vaccination and putting lives at risk. The intense public interest in the pandemic and divisive debate in the United States over how to address it facilitates the spread of faulty research papers online, including by vaccine opponents. And even if a study is retracted, it is too late. "Once the paper is published, the damage is irrevocable," said Emerson Brooking, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, which focuses on identifying and exposing disinformation. Flawed papers "have been fuel to the fire for COVID-19 skeptics and conspiracy theorists. They are frequently the subject of viral online activity. Their findings are further filtered through salacious and misleading articles from fringe websites," Brooking told AFP. Inaccurate information about vaccines is especially dangerous at a time when uptake of the shots has slowed in the United States, where health officials say almost all recent COVID-19 deaths occurred among those who were not immunised. 'Shock your socks off' Medical journal Vaccines published a peer-reviewed paper in late June titled "The Safety of COVID-19 vaccinations -- we should rethink the policy." It concluded that Covid-19 shots were causing two people to die for every three they saved -- findings that quickly spread on social media. A tweet from scientist and Covid-19 vaccine critic Robert Malone summarising the paper garnered thousands of retweets. A video in which conservative pundit Liz Wheeler discussed the study -- which she said "will shock your socks off" -- has been viewed more than 250,000 times on Facebook. But Vaccines then retracted the paper, saying it contained "several errors that fundamentally affect the interpretation of the findings." At least four Vaccines board members resigned as a result of the study's publication, including Katie Ewer, an associate professor and senior immunologist at the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute. "It should have been recognised that this paper would have a big impact," said Ewer, who was not involved in its publication. "That no one at the journal picked up on that... is very worrying, especially for a journal dedicated to vaccines." Malone's tweet about the paper is no longer available, but Wheeler's video still appeared on Facebook weeks later. The Gateway Pundit, a website that frequently publishes inaccurate claims, reported earlier in the year that a Stanford University study found mask wearing, which US health authorities recommended to help slow the spread of Covid-19, to be "ineffective" and harmful. 'Do a better job' The study -- "Face masks in the COVID-19 era: A health hypothesis" -- was subsequently retracted by the journal Medical Hypotheses, which said it selectively cited published papers and included "unverified" data. The Gateway Pundit's article -- which has been shared tens of thousands of times as a link or screenshot on social media -- was updated to say the study's author was unaffiliated with Stanford, but it failed to mention the retraction. Some of the biggest scientific journals, including The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, have retracted papers related to the coronavirus crisis, and even a limited number of faulty studies can cause extensive damage online. Scientific papers have been drawn into the public eye in "an unprecedented way," so experts must "do a better job" of explaining their work to a lay audience that may lack the skills to assess them, said Maimuna Majumder, a computational epidemiologist at the Harvard Medical School. "Not all of the studies that have been produced and widely shared during the pandemic have been scientifically robust," Majumder said. "This is particularly troubling because poorly-executed studies have proven to be capable of influencing individual-level decision-making during the pandemic, including those pertaining to vaccination."

Flawed scientific papers fueling COVID-19 misinformation

YouTube said on Wednesday it had removed videos from Brazilian President Jair&nbsp;Bolsonaro's channel for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak, becoming the latest tech giant to pull his pandemic pronouncements.

YouTube said in a press release the decision was taken "after careful review" and without consideration for&nbsp;Bolsonaro's job or political ideology. The far-right former army captain, who has overseen the world's second deadliest outbreak, has won widespread criticism for railing against lockdowns, touting unproven miracle cures, sowing vaccine doubts and shunning masks.

"Our rules do not allow content that states that hydroxychloroquine and/or ivermectin are effective in treating or preventing COVID-19, that states there is a cure for the disease, or says that masks do not work to prevent the spread of the virus," it said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-president-jair-bolsonaro-discharged-from-hospital-after-successful-treatment-for-hiccups-398912">Also read |&nbsp;Brazil President, Jair Bolsonaro, discharged from hospital after successful treatment for hiccups</a>

The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last year, both Twitter and Facebook took down videos of&nbsp;Bolsonaro&nbsp;for breaching their terms of use after he made pronouncements that went against the recommendations of global public health experts.

Bolsonaro's YouTube channel plays host to his weekly national addresses, which are folksy, musical events in which he invites on ministers, takes questions from viewers and blasts his enemies.

During the chats, which also go out on his Facebook page, he regularly expounds on his doubts about the severity of the virus, the foolishness of stay-at-home measures and the wonders of unproven drugs like hydroxychloroquine.

YouTube said on Wednesday it had removed videos from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's channel for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak, becoming the latest tech giant to pull his pandemic pronouncements.

YouTube said on Wednesday it had removed videos from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's channel for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus outbreak, becoming the latest tech giant to pull his pandemic pronouncements. YouTube said in a press release the decision was taken "after careful review" and without consideration for Bolsonaro's job or political ideology. The far-right former army captain, who has overseen the world's second deadliest outbreak, has won widespread criticism for railing against lockdowns, touting unproven miracle cures, sowing vaccine doubts and shunning masks. "Our rules do not allow content that states that hydroxychloroquine and/or ivermectin are effective in treating or preventing COVID-19, that states there is a cure for the disease, or says that masks do not work to prevent the spread of the virus," it said in a statement. Also read | Brazil President, Jair Bolsonaro, discharged from hospital after successful treatment for hiccups The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last year, both Twitter and Facebook took down videos of Bolsonaro for breaching their terms of use after he made pronouncements that went against the recommendations of global public health experts. Bolsonaro's YouTube channel plays host to his weekly national addresses, which are folksy, musical events in which he invites on ministers, takes questions from viewers and blasts his enemies. During the chats, which also go out on his Facebook page, he regularly expounds on his doubts about the severity of the virus, the foolishness of stay-at-home measures and the wonders of unproven drugs like hydroxychloroquine.

YouTube says it pulled Bolsonaro videos for COVID-19 misinformation

According to a&nbsp;Twitter spokesperson, the company&nbsp;temporarily suspended Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene account at the microblogging site&nbsp;on Monday evening&nbsp;after she shared misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.&nbsp;The lawmaker&nbsp;has a track record of incendiary rhetoric.&nbsp;

The Republican from&nbsp;Georgia will not be able to tweet for around 12 hours due to Twitter's policy against people&nbsp;who repeatedly share misinformation,&nbsp;the&nbsp;spokesperson&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

Two tweets from Greene were&nbsp;labeled as 'misleading' by the&nbsp;social media platform in recent days.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Greene could also be suspended from the platform permanently if she&nbsp;again&nbsp;shares misinformation about COVID-19&nbsp;using the&nbsp;Twitter account.&nbsp;

This move comes after&nbsp;White House&nbsp;increased pressure over the big tech companies in the&nbsp;Silicon Valley&nbsp;to&nbsp;tackle&nbsp;vaccine misinformation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;White House had&nbsp;singled out 12 people, who were&nbsp;being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’&nbsp;as they seem to have been&nbsp;responsible for a great deal of misinformation&nbsp;being circulated&nbsp;about COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said,&nbsp;"There's about 12 people,&nbsp;who are producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;non-profit Centre&nbsp;for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) had also&nbsp;released the statistics&nbsp;in a report published in March, which said&nbsp;about a dozen people were super-spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation.&nbsp;At the time, the CCDH had&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Facebook and Twitter to shut down all pages run by these people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With&nbsp;inputs from agencies)&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to a Twitter spokesperson, the company temporarily suspended Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene account at the microblogging site on Monday evening after she shared misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.

According to a Twitter spokesperson, the company temporarily suspended Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene account at the microblogging site on Monday evening after she shared misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. The lawmaker has a track record of incendiary rhetoric. The Republican from Georgia will not be able to tweet for around 12 hours due to Twitter's policy against people who repeatedly share misinformation, the spokesperson said. Two tweets from Greene were labeled as 'misleading' by the social media platform in recent days. Greene could also be suspended from the platform permanently if she again shares misinformation about COVID-19 using the Twitter account. This move comes after White House increased pressure over the big tech companies in the Silicon Valley to tackle vaccine misinformation. The White House had singled out 12 people, who were being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’ as they seem to have been responsible for a great deal of misinformation being circulated about COVID-19. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said, "There's about 12 people, who are producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms." The non-profit Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) had also released the statistics in a report published in March, which said about a dozen people were super-spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation. At the time, the CCDH had asked Facebook and Twitter to shut down all pages run by these people. (With inputs from agencies)

US lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Twitter account temporarily suspended for vaccine misinformation  

With the aim to&nbsp;tackle&nbsp;vaccine misinformation,&nbsp;White House&nbsp;has increased pressure over the Big Tech companies in the&nbsp;Silicon Valley.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;White House has&nbsp;singled out 12 people, who are&nbsp;being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’&nbsp;as they seem to have been&nbsp;responsible for a great deal of misinformation&nbsp;being circulated&nbsp;about COVID-19.&nbsp;

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said,&nbsp;"There's about 12 people,&nbsp;who are producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms."&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;non-profit Centre&nbsp;for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has released the statistics&nbsp;in a report published in March, which said&nbsp;about a dozen people were super-spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation.&nbsp;At the time, the CCDH had&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Facebook and Twitter to shut down all pages run by these people.&nbsp;

Earlier, Twitter was looking to deploy human monitors to crack down on disinformation as COVID-19 shots were being rolled out across the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The microblogging platform&nbsp;was thinking of&nbsp;labelling&nbsp;tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines.&nbsp;

Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against Covid vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said.&nbsp;

It will be using a&nbsp;'strike system'&nbsp;to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules.&nbsp;

"Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday.&nbsp;

"We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules," the company said.&nbsp;

(With&nbsp;inputs from agencies)&nbsp;&nbsp;

With the aim to tackle vaccine misinformation, White House has increased pressure over the Big Tech companies in the Silicon Valley. The White House has singled out 12 people, who are being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’ as they seem to have been responsible for a great deal of misinformation being circulated about COVID-19.

With the aim to tackle vaccine misinformation, White House has increased pressure over the Big Tech companies in the Silicon Valley. The White House has singled out 12 people, who are being dubbed as the 'disinformation dozen’ as they seem to have been responsible for a great deal of misinformation being circulated about COVID-19. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "There's about 12 people, who are producing 65% of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms." The non-profit Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has released the statistics in a report published in March, which said about a dozen people were super-spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation. At the time, the CCDH had asked Facebook and Twitter to shut down all pages run by these people. Earlier, Twitter was looking to deploy human monitors to crack down on disinformation as COVID-19 shots were being rolled out across the world. The microblogging platform was thinking of labelling tweets that include misleading information about coronavirus vaccines. Twitter said it has started using human reviewers to assess whether tweets violate its policy against Covid vaccine misinformation. Eventually, the work will be done by a combination of humans and automation, it said. It will be using a 'strike system' to eventually remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules. "Through the use of the strike system, we hope to educate people on why certain content breaks our rules so they have the opportunity to further consider their behaviour and their impact on the public conversation," Twitter said in a blog post on Monday. "We believe the strike system will help to educate the public on our policies and further reduce the spread of potentially harmful and misleading information on Twitter, particularly for repeated moderate and high-severity violations of our rules," the company said. (With inputs from agencies)

White House increases pressure on Big Tech firms to act on vaccine misinformation 

The US&nbsp;Justice Department said on Tuesday it seized 36 Iranian-linked websites, many of them associated with either disinformation activities or violent organisations, taking them offline for violating US&nbsp;sanctions. 
 
Several of the sites were back online within hours with new domain addresses. 
 
"Today, pursuant to court orders, the United States seized 33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of US&nbsp;sanctions," the department said in a statement. 
 
Also spelled Kataib Hezbollah, KH is one of the main Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups and has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States. 
 
The sites seized included Press TV, the Iranian government`s main English-language satellite television channel, and Al Alam, its Arabic-language equivalent. Both came back online using Iranian domain addresses Alalam.ir and Presstv.ir. 
 
The Justice Department said the 33 domains used by IRTVU are owned by a United States company and that IRTVU did not obtain a license from Treasury`s Office of Foreign Assets Control prior to utilising the domain names. 
 
KH also did not obtain a license. 
 
Notices appeared earlier on Tuesday on a number of Iran-affiliated websites saying they had been seized by the United States government as part of law enforcement action. 
 
Iranian news agencies said the US&nbsp;government had seized several Iranian media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran such as Yemen`s Houthi movement. 
 
The notices appeared days after a prominent hardliner and fierce critic of the West, Ebrahim Raisi, was elected as Iran`s new president and after envoys for Iran and six world powers, including Washington, adjourned high-stakes talks on reviving their tattered 2015 nuclear accord and returned to capitals for consultations. 
 
The website of the Arabic-language Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, read: 
 
"The domain almasirah.net has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant ... as part of a law enforcement action by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation." 
 
The site quickly opened up a new, working website at www.almasirah.com. 
 
Iran`s Arabic language Alalam TV said on its Telegram channel: "US&nbsp;authorities shut down Al-Alam TV`s website." 
 
Notices also appeared on the website of Lualua TV, an Arabic-language Bahraini independent channel that broadcasts from Britain. 
 
US&nbsp;prosecutors in October seized a network of web domains they said were used in a campaign by Iran`s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread political disinformation around the world. 
 
The Justice Department said then it had taken control of 92 domains used by the IRGC to pose as independent media outlets targeting audiences in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia. 
 
The semi-official Iranian news agency YJC agency said on Tuesday the US&nbsp;move "demonstrates that calls for freedom of speech are lies."

The US Justice Department said on Tuesday it seized 36 Iranian-linked websites, many of them associated with either disinformation activities or violent organisations, taking them offline for violating US sanctions.

The US Justice Department said on Tuesday it seized 36 Iranian-linked websites, many of them associated with either disinformation activities or violent organisations, taking them offline for violating US sanctions. Several of the sites were back online within hours with new domain addresses. "Today, pursuant to court orders, the United States seized 33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of US sanctions," the department said in a statement. Also spelled Kataib Hezbollah, KH is one of the main Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups and has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States. The sites seized included Press TV, the Iranian government`s main English-language satellite television channel, and Al Alam, its Arabic-language equivalent. Both came back online using Iranian domain addresses Alalam.ir and Presstv.ir. The Justice Department said the 33 domains used by IRTVU are owned by a United States company and that IRTVU did not obtain a license from Treasury`s Office of Foreign Assets Control prior to utilising the domain names. KH also did not obtain a license. Notices appeared earlier on Tuesday on a number of Iran-affiliated websites saying they had been seized by the United States government as part of law enforcement action. Iranian news agencies said the US government had seized several Iranian media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran such as Yemen`s Houthi movement. The notices appeared days after a prominent hardliner and fierce critic of the West, Ebrahim Raisi, was elected as Iran`s new president and after envoys for Iran and six world powers, including Washington, adjourned high-stakes talks on reviving their tattered 2015 nuclear accord and returned to capitals for consultations. The website of the Arabic-language Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, read: "The domain almasirah.net has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant ... as part of a law enforcement action by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation." The site quickly opened up a new, working website at www.almasirah.com. Iran`s Arabic language Alalam TV said on its Telegram channel: "US authorities shut down Al-Alam TV`s website." Notices also appeared on the website of Lualua TV, an Arabic-language Bahraini independent channel that broadcasts from Britain. US prosecutors in October seized a network of web domains they said were used in a campaign by Iran`s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread political disinformation around the world. The Justice Department said then it had taken control of 92 domains used by the IRGC to pose as independent media outlets targeting audiences in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia. The semi-official Iranian news agency YJC agency said on Tuesday the US move "demonstrates that calls for freedom of speech are lies."

US seizes 36 Iranian-linked websites for alleged disinformation

In the post-truth era, misinformation dictates content on social media platforms. Mega-companies like Twitter and Facebook have largely been unable to keep up with the circulation of manipulated information. Now, Twitter will mark user tweets based on the accuracy of information it claims to represent.&nbsp;

Part of this initiative will include a three-tiered labelling mechanism whereby the veracity of one’s claims will reflect in those labels. The labels are not arbitrary and are expected to change essentially based on how wrong one is.

Application researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who is known for unveiling upcoming features before they go live recently shared a glimpse of how the labelling system will operate.

Based on Wong’s revelations, it appears that the three-tier system will have the following labels “Get the latest,” “Stay Informed,” and “Misleading”, with these subject to change as the information is updated.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Twitter is working on three levels of misinformation warning labels: 
 
“Get the latest”, “Stay Informed” and “Misleading” <a href="https://t.co/0RdmMsRAEk">pic.twitter.com/0RdmMsRAEk</a>
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) <a href="https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1399311420794105862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“Get the latest” will basically imply that the information in a particular Tweet appears to be correct and the link will direct the user to further information.&nbsp;“Stay informed” would suggest some sort of factual inconsistency, with a label redirecting people to verified sources or to Twitter’s own&nbsp;resources.

The third label “Misleading” will warn users against misinformation and factually incorrect claims on the website marred with rampant fake news.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/russia-fines-twitter-19-million-roubles-for-failing-to-delete-content-387876" hreflang="en">Russia fines Twitter 19 million roubles for failing to delete content</a>

Even then, this brings to fore the question of censorship and whether Twitter can accurately differentiate misinformation from factually correct information.&nbsp;

It is unclear when the feature will be rolled out and whether it will even see the light of day. But Wong's claims have proven to be right in the recent weeks, with the reintroduction of the verification programme and its Tip Jar feature to assist with content monetisation.

In the recent weeks, social media companies have been accused of stifling pro-Palestine voices amid the fatal conflict with Israel and the role played by social media companies in amplifying and stifling certain narratives is becoming increasingly questionable.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/india-slams-twitters-concerns-over-threat-to-free-speech-387864" hreflang="en">India slams Twitter's concerns over threat to free speech</a>

In the post-truth era, misinformation dictates content on social media platforms. Mega-companies like Twitter and Facebook have largely been unable to keep up with the circulation of manipulated information.

In the post-truth era, misinformation dictates content on social media platforms. Mega-companies like Twitter and Facebook have largely been unable to keep up with the circulation of manipulated information. Now, Twitter will mark user tweets based on the accuracy of information it claims to represent. Part of this initiative will include a three-tiered labelling mechanism whereby the veracity of one’s claims will reflect in those labels. The labels are not arbitrary and are expected to change essentially based on how wrong one is. Application researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who is known for unveiling upcoming features before they go live recently shared a glimpse of how the labelling system will operate. Based on Wong’s revelations, it appears that the three-tier system will have the following labels “Get the latest,” “Stay Informed,” and “Misleading”, with these subject to change as the information is updated. Twitter is working on three levels of misinformation warning labels: “Get the latest”, “Stay Informed” and “Misleading” pic.twitter.com/0RdmMsRAEk — Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) May 31, 2021 × “Get the latest” will basically imply that the information in a particular Tweet appears to be correct and the link will direct the user to further information. “Stay informed” would suggest some sort of factual inconsistency, with a label redirecting people to verified sources or to Twitter’s own resources. The third label “Misleading” will warn users against misinformation and factually incorrect claims on the website marred with rampant fake news. Also read: Russia fines Twitter 19 million roubles for failing to delete content Even then, this brings to fore the question of censorship and whether Twitter can accurately differentiate misinformation from factually correct information. It is unclear when the feature will be rolled out and whether it will even see the light of day. But Wong's claims have proven to be right in the recent weeks, with the reintroduction of the verification programme and its Tip Jar feature to assist with content monetisation. In the recent weeks, social media companies have been accused of stifling pro-Palestine voices amid the fatal conflict with Israel and the role played by social media companies in amplifying and stifling certain narratives is becoming increasingly questionable. Also read: India slams Twitter's concerns over threat to free speech

Twitter is working on a three-tier labelling mechanism to fight misinformation. Here's how it'll work

Qatar's public prosecution has charged a Kenyan man, who has written about migrant rights in the Gulf Arab state with receiving payment to spread disinformation, the government's communication office (GCO) said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Malcolm Bidali, who had been writing under a pseudonym, was arrested on May 5 for violating Qatar's security laws, according to a Qatari official. Rights groups have voiced concern that his detention may be in reprisal for human rights work.&nbsp;

"Mr Bidali has been formally charged with offences related to payments received by a foreign agent for the creation and distribution of disinformation within the State of Qatar," the GCO said in a statement, without elaborating.&nbsp;

It said his case was transferred to the Public Prosecution after a thorough investigation and that Bidali was 'receiving legal advice and representation ahead of the court date, which has not yet been set'.&nbsp;

Rights groups including Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday that Bidali, a security guard and blogger, told his mother in a May 20 phone call that he was being held in solitary confinement and had no access to a lawyer.&nbsp;

The GCO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

Bidali had a week before his arrest given a presentation to a large group of civil society organisations and trade unions about his experience working in Qatar, according to an earlier statement by Amnesty, Migrant-Rights.org, Human Rights Watch, FairSquare and the Business &amp; Human Rights Resource Centre.&nbsp;

Qatar's human rights record has been in the spotlight as it prepares to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, especially over migrants' living and working conditions.&nbsp;

Doha has introduced labour reforms that aimed to address some concerns.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Qatar's public prosecution has charged a Kenyan man, who has written about migrant rights in the Gulf Arab state with receiving payment to spread disinformation, the government's communication office (GCO) said on Saturday.

Qatar's public prosecution has charged a Kenyan man, who has written about migrant rights in the Gulf Arab state with receiving payment to spread disinformation, the government's communication office (GCO) said on Saturday. Malcolm Bidali, who had been writing under a pseudonym, was arrested on May 5 for violating Qatar's security laws, according to a Qatari official. Rights groups have voiced concern that his detention may be in reprisal for human rights work. "Mr Bidali has been formally charged with offences related to payments received by a foreign agent for the creation and distribution of disinformation within the State of Qatar," the GCO said in a statement, without elaborating. It said his case was transferred to the Public Prosecution after a thorough investigation and that Bidali was 'receiving legal advice and representation ahead of the court date, which has not yet been set'. Rights groups including Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday that Bidali, a security guard and blogger, told his mother in a May 20 phone call that he was being held in solitary confinement and had no access to a lawyer. The GCO did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bidali had a week before his arrest given a presentation to a large group of civil society organisations and trade unions about his experience working in Qatar, according to an earlier statement by Amnesty, Migrant-Rights.org, Human Rights Watch, FairSquare and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Qatar's human rights record has been in the spotlight as it prepares to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, especially over migrants' living and working conditions. Doha has introduced labour reforms that aimed to address some concerns. (With inputs from agencies)

Qatar charges migrant activist with taking payment to spread disinformation 

In the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the gap between truth and falsehoods is growing wider by the day. A lot of credit for this goes to social media where misinformation is flourishing with fake videos and images going viral.

A video showed a truck-based missile launcher moving down a civilian area. This video was first shared by a US-based pro-Israeli account and has since been shared repeatedly with the claim that it's from Gaza. It claims that Hamas is using humans as a shield against Israel. But the video is fake.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here you see a Hamas rocket launcher parking in a civilian area to use humans as shields. Let no one fool you as to the true intent of Hamas - they want death of Israelis even if it means their own die too.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IStandWithIsrael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IStandWithIsrael</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamasTerrorists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HamasTerrorists</a> <a href="https://t.co/LoF6USaBGM">pic.twitter.com/LoF6USaBGM</a>
— SZR (@SZR_London) <a href="https://twitter.com/SZR_London/status/1392509392130543621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

It's not even from Gaza, but finds origins in northern Israel and was shared in November 2018 by an Israeli news agency. These are Israeli trucks that got lost on their way and entered a village. The account that posted this video has taken it down saying “please accept my apology for the bad info”.

In another case, a video&nbsp;claims to show Israelis celebrating as a fire rages at the Al-Aqsa mosque. This video is being shared widely by pro-Palestinian accounts. They say Jews harmed their mosque and danced as it burned!

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hundreds of Jewish settlers cheered and danced as a tree inside Masjid Al Aqsa was set on fire by occupying Israeli forces’ stun grenades yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/nhJgHW3IpP">pic.twitter.com/nhJgHW3IpP</a>
— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/5Pillarsuk/status/1392070739277357064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The video is misleading for the mosque was never on fire, but a tree around it did due to fireworks during Jerusalem Day celebrations on May 10. Both the image and&nbsp;the video are still being widely shared on social media even in India. This misinformation and these lies could prove to be potentially deadly for both Israelis and Palestinians.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-fake-news-is-fueling-the-israel-palestine-conflict-385906/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Fatalities on the rise

The conflict is far from over and the skies are still burning on both sides with the death toll rising between May 10-17. A total of 12 people died in Israel - 10 were killed in missile attacks and two in civil unrest including a child.

In addition, 796 people have been injured. During the same period, at least 212 people have died in Palestine including 61 children and 34 women, three of whom were pregnant. Over 6,000 people have been injured in eight days of conflict. The timing for the conflict couldn’t be worse given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Gaza has only one lab to test virus cases. The health ministry says it has been destroyed in an airstrike.

In Israel, two foreign workers from Thailand have been killed in rockets fired from Gaza. Israel claims to have destroyed a rocket launching site used by Hamas in the Gaza strip. And Hamas claims to have struck Israel's Urim military base - vowing to strike more military facilities.

Amid this back and forth, both sides are failing to justify their actions. Last Saturday, Israel struck a building that housed two major media organisations - The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Both their offices were destroyed in an air strike. Israel claimed that Hamas was using the building for its operations and promised to provide evidence for this. The Associated Press, based out of the US, first said that Israel hasn't provided it with any such evidence.&nbsp;On Tuesday evening, the US State Secretary said that “we have received some information, but it's not something I&nbsp;can comment on”.

International actions and consequences

The US is blocking a UN statement on the conflict calling for a ceasefire. The Israeli media says it's because the statement failed to condemn Hamas. Washington says it's because a ceasefire ultimately depends on the two parties involved, with or without a statement.

Reports say that the ongoing clashes have also led to a rise in anti-semitism. The UK’s Community Security Trust, a charity which looks after the safety of Jews in England says that there has been a five-fold increase in reports of anti-semitic incidents in recent days.

According to the charity, at least 86 anti-semitic incidents were reported in the UK between May 8-17. A Pakistan-based freelance writer working for the CNN put out the following tweet on Sunday - “The world today needs a Hitler”, a brazen display of hatred towards Jews.

The company in question had cut all ties with this person. Meanwhile, the international leadership remains divided. The starkest division is being seen in the Arab world.

Many Arab nations are walking a diplomatic tightrope especially countries like Morocco, Sudan and Bahrain which had recently normalised ties with Israel. Now, they have condemned the clashes but said very little about the situation in Gaza.

On the other hand, countries like Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Iran have vociferously accused Israel of terrorising Palestinians. The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, along with the President of France Emmanuel Macron discussed mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. Reports say both countries also intend to seek the support of Jordan.

“For me, it is part of the process of achieving a ceasefire as quickly as possible, which is obviously what we want, and the construction of a possible path for discussions between the various parties involved. In this respect, we have decided to have a discussion in the next few days with president Sisi and the king of Jordan to try to see together how we can make concrete proposals on this path”, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

It may still take a while for the mediation process to begin. Until then, as we watch the developments, it's imperative that we don't feed the hostility with misinformation and provocative fake news.

In the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the gap between truth and falsehoods is growing wider by the day. A lot of credit for this goes to social media where misinformation is flourishing with fake videos and images going viral.

In the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the gap between truth and falsehoods is growing wider by the day. A lot of credit for this goes to social media where misinformation is flourishing with fake videos and images going viral. A video showed a truck-based missile launcher moving down a civilian area. This video was first shared by a US-based pro-Israeli account and has since been shared repeatedly with the claim that it's from Gaza. It claims that Hamas is using humans as a shield against Israel. But the video is fake. Here you see a Hamas rocket launcher parking in a civilian area to use humans as shields. Let no one fool you as to the true intent of Hamas - they want death of Israelis even if it means their own die too.#IStandWithIsrael #HamasTerrorists pic.twitter.com/LoF6USaBGM — SZR (@SZR_London) May 12, 2021 × It's not even from Gaza, but finds origins in northern Israel and was shared in November 2018 by an Israeli news agency. These are Israeli trucks that got lost on their way and entered a village. The account that posted this video has taken it down saying “please accept my apology for the bad info”. In another case, a video claims to show Israelis celebrating as a fire rages at the Al-Aqsa mosque. This video is being shared widely by pro-Palestinian accounts. They say Jews harmed their mosque and danced as it burned! Hundreds of Jewish settlers cheered and danced as a tree inside Masjid Al Aqsa was set on fire by occupying Israeli forces’ stun grenades yesterday. pic.twitter.com/nhJgHW3IpP — 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) May 11, 2021 × The video is misleading for the mosque was never on fire, but a tree around it did due to fireworks during Jerusalem Day celebrations on May 10. Both the image and the video are still being widely shared on social media even in India. This misinformation and these lies could prove to be potentially deadly for both Israelis and Palestinians. Fatalities on the rise The conflict is far from over and the skies are still burning on both sides with the death toll rising between May 10-17. A total of 12 people died in Israel - 10 were killed in missile attacks and two in civil unrest including a child. In addition, 796 people have been injured. During the same period, at least 212 people have died in Palestine including 61 children and 34 women, three of whom were pregnant. Over 6,000 people have been injured in eight days of conflict. The timing for the conflict couldn’t be worse given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Gaza has only one lab to test virus cases. The health ministry says it has been destroyed in an airstrike. In Israel, two foreign workers from Thailand have been killed in rockets fired from Gaza. Israel claims to have destroyed a rocket launching site used by Hamas in the Gaza strip. And Hamas claims to have struck Israel's Urim military base - vowing to strike more military facilities. Amid this back and forth, both sides are failing to justify their actions. Last Saturday, Israel struck a building that housed two major media organisations - The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Both their offices were destroyed in an air strike. Israel claimed that Hamas was using the building for its operations and promised to provide evidence for this. The Associated Press, based out of the US, first said that Israel hasn't provided it with any such evidence. On Tuesday evening, the US State Secretary said that “we have received some information, but it's not something I can comment on”. International actions and consequences The US is blocking a UN statement on the conflict calling for a ceasefire. The Israeli media says it's because the statement failed to condemn Hamas. Washington says it's because a ceasefire ultimately depends on the two parties involved, with or without a statement. Reports say that the ongoing clashes have also led to a rise in anti-semitism. The UK’s Community Security Trust, a charity which looks after the safety of Jews in England says that there has been a five-fold increase in reports of anti-semitic incidents in recent days. According to the charity, at least 86 anti-semitic incidents were reported in the UK between May 8-17. A Pakistan-based freelance writer working for the CNN put out the following tweet on Sunday - “The world today needs a Hitler”, a brazen display of hatred towards Jews. The company in question had cut all ties with this person. Meanwhile, the international leadership remains divided. The starkest division is being seen in the Arab world. Many Arab nations are walking a diplomatic tightrope especially countries like Morocco, Sudan and Bahrain which had recently normalised ties with Israel. Now, they have condemned the clashes but said very little about the situation in Gaza. On the other hand, countries like Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Iran have vociferously accused Israel of terrorising Palestinians. The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, along with the President of France Emmanuel Macron discussed mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. Reports say both countries also intend to seek the support of Jordan. “For me, it is part of the process of achieving a ceasefire as quickly as possible, which is obviously what we want, and the construction of a possible path for discussions between the various parties involved. In this respect, we have decided to have a discussion in the next few days with president Sisi and the king of Jordan to try to see together how we can make concrete proposals on this path”, French President Emmanuel Macron said. It may still take a while for the mediation process to begin. Until then, as we watch the developments, it's imperative that we don't feed the hostility with misinformation and provocative fake news.

How misinformation on social media is worsening Israel-Gaza conflict

False claims that Covid-19 vaccines can cause infertility are discouraging Americans from receiving the shots and leaving health professionals to persuade patients that scare stories they have read online are unfounded.&nbsp;

Among the worst examples of such misinformation spread on Facebook are that immunised men can render unvaccinated women sterile through sex, that 97 per cent of vaccine recipients will become infertile and that the jabs could be 'sterilising an entire generation'. &nbsp;

With vaccine uptake already slowing, the claims are a threat to the Biden administration's goal of achieving herd immunity in the United States.&nbsp;

Research published earlier this month showed about two-thirds of those who said they will 'definitely not' get a vaccine were worried about the impact on their fertility.&nbsp;

And about half of unvaccinated people say they are concerned "the Covid vaccine may negatively impact their fertility in the future," Ashley Kirzinger, associate director of public opinion and survey research at Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy nonprofit that conducted the study, said.&nbsp;

Some 50 per cent of women and 47 per cent of men aged 18 to 49, who had not yet been vaccinated say they have such fears. &nbsp;

The initial exclusion of pregnant women from Covid vaccine trials created space for falsehoods, and the latest effort by anti-vaccine groups coincides with fewer people stepping forward for inoculations.&nbsp;

"They are largely just recycling things that scare people about previous vaccines onto these new vaccines, whether or not it makes scientific sense," said Devon Greyson, health communications professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.&nbsp;

The messages are targeting women because "fertility is just one of those things that we react so strongly to, and it's so personal," Greyson added. "So, if you're looking for a bogeyman, 'It will make you infertile' is a really good one."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

False claims that Covid-19 vaccines can cause infertility are discouraging Americans from receiving the shots and leaving health professionals to persuade patients that scare stories they have read online are unfounded.

False claims that Covid-19 vaccines can cause infertility are discouraging Americans from receiving the shots and leaving health professionals to persuade patients that scare stories they have read online are unfounded. Among the worst examples of such misinformation spread on Facebook are that immunised men can render unvaccinated women sterile through sex, that 97 per cent of vaccine recipients will become infertile and that the jabs could be 'sterilising an entire generation'. With vaccine uptake already slowing, the claims are a threat to the Biden administration's goal of achieving herd immunity in the United States. Research published earlier this month showed about two-thirds of those who said they will 'definitely not' get a vaccine were worried about the impact on their fertility. And about half of unvaccinated people say they are concerned "the Covid vaccine may negatively impact their fertility in the future," Ashley Kirzinger, associate director of public opinion and survey research at Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy nonprofit that conducted the study, said. Some 50 per cent of women and 47 per cent of men aged 18 to 49, who had not yet been vaccinated say they have such fears. The initial exclusion of pregnant women from Covid vaccine trials created space for falsehoods, and the latest effort by anti-vaccine groups coincides with fewer people stepping forward for inoculations. "They are largely just recycling things that scare people about previous vaccines onto these new vaccines, whether or not it makes scientific sense," said Devon Greyson, health communications professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The messages are targeting women because "fertility is just one of those things that we react so strongly to, and it's so personal," Greyson added. "So, if you're looking for a bogeyman, 'It will make you infertile' is a really good one." (With inputs from agencies)

Fertility fears, fuelled by misinformation, harm US vaccine uptake 

A new report from The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has found that recommendations made by Instagram during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic was pushing people towards misinformation about the virus.

In addition, people were exposed to content sceptical of vaccinations, and material promoting anti-semitism.&nbsp; The watchdog claims that new accounts on the platform were exposed to misinformation through the app’s algorithms - the defining character of its “explore” section.

Most of the misleading information was shown to new users, many of whom followed leading faces of anti-vaccination movement.

The report by CCDH is titled “Malgorithm” which noted that volunteers in their study who followed 10 accounts with links to anti-vaccine sentiments were receiving recommendations for way more problematic content, like anti-semitic theories. The most common trope among these recommendations was about playing down the pandemic - urging people to stop wearing masks, and to not get tested.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/invite-only-photo-sharing-app-dispo-launched-as-instagrams-rival-367613" hreflang="en">Invite-only photo sharing app, Dispo, launched as Instagram's rival</a>

CCDH’s Chief Executive told The Guardian that it was “beyond belief” how Instagram exposed people to conspiracy theories during a pandemic.

Facebook, the parent company on Instagram has responded to the allegations, calling the CCDH’s findings outdated and misleading.&nbsp;

The company also claimed that they have removed 12 million posts with misleading information about COVID-19 and vaccines, while highlighting how the CCDH’s research uses a sample size of just 104 posts. “We share the goal of reducing misinformation”, the company said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/instagram-vows-strong-action-after-racist-abuse-of-premier-league-stars-362719" hreflang="en">Instagram vows strong action after racist abuse of Premier League stars</a>

Over the last few months, social media giants are facing increased scrutiny from governments around the world for the role companies play in limiting misinformation, which in turn affects how individuals behave and the choices they make in the real world - which have more far-reaching implications during a pandemic.

A new report from The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has found that recommendations made by Instagram during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic was pushing people towards misinformation about the virus.

A new report from The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has found that recommendations made by Instagram during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic was pushing people towards misinformation about the virus. In addition, people were exposed to content sceptical of vaccinations, and material promoting anti-semitism. The watchdog claims that new accounts on the platform were exposed to misinformation through the app’s algorithms - the defining character of its “explore” section. Most of the misleading information was shown to new users, many of whom followed leading faces of anti-vaccination movement. The report by CCDH is titled “Malgorithm” which noted that volunteers in their study who followed 10 accounts with links to anti-vaccine sentiments were receiving recommendations for way more problematic content, like anti-semitic theories. The most common trope among these recommendations was about playing down the pandemic - urging people to stop wearing masks, and to not get tested. Also read: Invite-only photo sharing app, Dispo, launched as Instagram's rival CCDH’s Chief Executive told The Guardian that it was “beyond belief” how Instagram exposed people to conspiracy theories during a pandemic. Facebook, the parent company on Instagram has responded to the allegations, calling the CCDH’s findings outdated and misleading. The company also claimed that they have removed 12 million posts with misleading information about COVID-19 and vaccines, while highlighting how the CCDH’s research uses a sample size of just 104 posts. “We share the goal of reducing misinformation”, the company said. Also read: Instagram vows strong action after racist abuse of Premier League stars Over the last few months, social media giants are facing increased scrutiny from governments around the world for the role companies play in limiting misinformation, which in turn affects how individuals behave and the choices they make in the real world - which have more far-reaching implications during a pandemic.

Instagram drove new users to fake news, conspiracy theories during peak of pandemic: Report

The United States on Monday called out Russia for its disinformation campaign against COVID-19 vaccines made in the US.&nbsp;

Recently, the Global Engagement Center, an extension of the State Department entrusted with the duty of monitoring foreign propaganda said that Russian intelligence was linked to four platforms running a campaign against vaccines. US said that Moscow is putting lives at risk.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-vladimir-putin-wants-the-internet-bound-by-moral-rules-368370/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The four platforms "included disinformation about two of the vaccines that have now been approved by the FDA in this country," State Department spokesman Ned Price said to reporters.

"It is very clear that Russia is up to its old tricks, and in doing so is potentially putting people at risk by spreading disinformation about vaccines that we know to be saving lives every day," Price said. 
 
The four online publications are Oriental Review, News Front, New Eastern Outlook, and Rebel Inside. The publications have focused on the side effects caused by Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, along with jabs made by other major Western companies.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/eu-regulator-urges-caution-on-sputnik-v-russias-coronavirus-vaccine-368720" hreflang="en">EU regulator urges caution on Sputnik V, Russia's coronavirus vaccine</a>

According to the report, the false information pertains to the efficacy of the vaccines, while highlighting how the vaccines had been rushed for approvals in the US.

Even though the sites do not have a large pool of audiences, officials claim that their stories are picked up by international media regularly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/russia-austria-agree-to-talks-on-sputnik-v-vaccine-366506" hreflang="en">Russia, Austria agree to talks on Sputnik V vaccine</a>

The websites lay bare side effects caused by the vaccines, which have remained consistently rare while failing to provide accurate information about how the vaccines continue to remain safe for most people.

An official for the State Department told the Wall Street Journal that Russian intelligence services bear "direct responsibility" for employing the four platforms to spread "propaganda and lies''.

The United States on Monday called out Russia for its disinformation campaign against COVID-19 vaccines made in the US. Recently, the Global Engagement Center, an extension of the State Department entrusted with the duty of monitoring foreign propaganda said that Russian intelligence was linked to four platforms running a campaign against vaccines.

The United States on Monday called out Russia for its disinformation campaign against COVID-19 vaccines made in the US. Recently, the Global Engagement Center, an extension of the State Department entrusted with the duty of monitoring foreign propaganda said that Russian intelligence was linked to four platforms running a campaign against vaccines. US said that Moscow is putting lives at risk. The four platforms "included disinformation about two of the vaccines that have now been approved by the FDA in this country," State Department spokesman Ned Price said to reporters. "It is very clear that Russia is up to its old tricks, and in doing so is potentially putting people at risk by spreading disinformation about vaccines that we know to be saving lives every day," Price said. The four online publications are Oriental Review, News Front, New Eastern Outlook, and Rebel Inside. The publications have focused on the side effects caused by Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, along with jabs made by other major Western companies. Also read: EU regulator urges caution on Sputnik V, Russia's coronavirus vaccine According to the report, the false information pertains to the efficacy of the vaccines, while highlighting how the vaccines had been rushed for approvals in the US. Even though the sites do not have a large pool of audiences, officials claim that their stories are picked up by international media regularly. Also read: Russia, Austria agree to talks on Sputnik V vaccine The websites lay bare side effects caused by the vaccines, which have remained consistently rare while failing to provide accurate information about how the vaccines continue to remain safe for most people. An official for the State Department told the Wall Street Journal that Russian intelligence services bear "direct responsibility" for employing the four platforms to spread "propaganda and lies''.

Russia risking lives by running disinformation campaign against vaccines: US

In another effort to curb misinformation about vaccines, the social media platform <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook</a> has decided to ban all kinds of misinformation about every vaccine.

The decision has been taken after several sorts of misinformation has been posted and shared on Facebook for many years.

"We will begin enforcing this policy immediately, with a particular focus on Pages, groups and accounts that violate these rules," said Guy Rose, who is responsible for content decisions. "We'll continue to expand our enforcement over the coming weeks."

This new set of community guidelines will be applied to all user-generated posts and paid advertisements — which were already banned from posting any misinformation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/social-media-giant-facebook-to-remove-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-content-362392">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/social-media-giant-facebook-to-remove-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-content-362392/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The same set of community guidelines have been brought in place for the popular media-sharing app Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg-owned platform has been updating its policies related to coronavirus content throughout the time phase of the pandemic.&nbsp;

In April 2020, a few months after the pandemic started, Facebook started posting facts and figures derived from the CDC, which focused on combating misinformation about the pandemic.&nbsp;

While the social media platform was actively limiting the content that was believed to be spreading misinformation, it was not removing any such content.&nbsp;

With these new community guidelines, Facebook will be banning and removing any content promoting misinformation about vaccines, especially the coronavirus vaccines. 
&nbsp;

In another effort to curb misinformation about vaccines, the social media platform Facebook has decided to ban all kinds of misinformation about every vaccine. The decision has been taken after several sorts of misinformation has been posted and shared on Facebook for many years.

In another effort to curb misinformation about vaccines, the social media platform Facebook has decided to ban all kinds of misinformation about every vaccine. The decision has been taken after several sorts of misinformation has been posted and shared on Facebook for many years. "We will begin enforcing this policy immediately, with a particular focus on Pages, groups and accounts that violate these rules," said Guy Rose, who is responsible for content decisions. "We'll continue to expand our enforcement over the coming weeks." This new set of community guidelines will be applied to all user-generated posts and paid advertisements — which were already banned from posting any misinformation. WATCH| The same set of community guidelines have been brought in place for the popular media-sharing app Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg-owned platform has been updating its policies related to coronavirus content throughout the time phase of the pandemic. In April 2020, a few months after the pandemic started, Facebook started posting facts and figures derived from the CDC, which focused on combating misinformation about the pandemic. While the social media platform was actively limiting the content that was believed to be spreading misinformation, it was not removing any such content. With these new community guidelines, Facebook will be banning and removing any content promoting misinformation about vaccines, especially the coronavirus vaccines.

Facebook to remove content promoting misinformation about vaccines

Social media giant Facebook said that it is stepping up efforts to stem the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. Facebook has said that it will expand a list of false claims it bans from the platform and the move includes banning groups, pages and accounts that repeatedly spread misinformation.

Social media giant Facebook to remove COVID-19 vaccine misinformation content

Wikipedia on Tuesday unveiled a "universal code of conduct" aimed at stemming abuse, misinformation and manipulation on the global online encyclopedia.

The new code was released by the &nbsp;Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, expanding on its existing policies to create a set of community standards to combat "negative behavior," according to a statement.

The new policy aims to thwart efforts to distort and manipulate content on Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia which is managed largely by volunteers using "crowdsourced" information.

“Our new universal code of conduct was developed for the new internet era, on the premise that we want our contributor communities to be positive, safe and healthy environments for everyone involved,” said Katherine Maher, chief executive of the foundation.

"This code will be a binding document for anyone that participates in our projects providing a consistent enforcement process for dealing with harassment, abuse of power and deliberate attempts to manipulate facts."

The 1,600-word code was developed with input from some 1,500 Wikipedia volunteers representing five continents and 30 languages, and includes clear definitions of harassment and unacceptable behavior.

The code includes language aimed at preventing the abuse of power and influence to intimidate others, and the deliberate introduction of false or inaccurate content.

The move comes after Wikipedia celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 15, having become among the world's top 15 websites with an estimated 1.7 billion visitors per month.

The move comes amid heightened pressure on internet platforms to stem manipulation and disinformation campaigns which may be used for political ends or to promote discord or violence.

Wikipedia on Tuesday unveiled a "universal code of conduct" aimed at stemming abuse, misinformation and manipulation on the global online encyclopedia. The new code was released by the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, expanding on its existing policies to create a set of community standards to combat "negative behavior," according to a statement.

Wikipedia on Tuesday unveiled a "universal code of conduct" aimed at stemming abuse, misinformation and manipulation on the global online encyclopedia. The new code was released by the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that administers Wikipedia, expanding on its existing policies to create a set of community standards to combat "negative behavior," according to a statement. The new policy aims to thwart efforts to distort and manipulate content on Wikipedia, the largest online encyclopedia which is managed largely by volunteers using "crowdsourced" information. “Our new universal code of conduct was developed for the new internet era, on the premise that we want our contributor communities to be positive, safe and healthy environments for everyone involved,” said Katherine Maher, chief executive of the foundation. "This code will be a binding document for anyone that participates in our projects providing a consistent enforcement process for dealing with harassment, abuse of power and deliberate attempts to manipulate facts." The 1,600-word code was developed with input from some 1,500 Wikipedia volunteers representing five continents and 30 languages, and includes clear definitions of harassment and unacceptable behavior. The code includes language aimed at preventing the abuse of power and influence to intimidate others, and the deliberate introduction of false or inaccurate content. The move comes after Wikipedia celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 15, having become among the world's top 15 websites with an estimated 1.7 billion visitors per month. The move comes amid heightened pressure on internet platforms to stem manipulation and disinformation campaigns which may be used for political ends or to promote discord or violence.

Wikipedia unveils 'code of conduct' to stem misinformation

Dr. Deborah Birx, the Trump administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday that crucial statements from the White House about the coronavirus pandemic were shaped by misinformation, denial about the severity of COVID-19 and the shadow of an upcoming election.

In an interview on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Birx said that from the outset, progress against the virus was impeded by inconsistent and inept public messaging that played down the gravity of the pandemic and the immediate need for safety precautions. In the White House, she said, “there were people who definitely believed that this was a hoax.”

That disbelief in turn was echoed in many pockets across the United States, she said, because at the beginning of the pandemic, public officials did not fully describe the spectrum of disease that the virus could cause.

“And so they saw people get COVID and be fine,” and that bred skepticism, she explained.

Incomplete messaging had devastating consequences, Birx said. While not specifically naming former President Donald Trump, who had initially labeled the pandemic a “hoax,” Birx noted: “Every time a statement was made by a political leader that wasn’t consistent with public health needs, that derailed our response. It is also why I went out on the road, because I wasn’t censored on the road.”

She traveled to several states in the summer and fall, speaking to governors and local officials.

Describing the flow of information to Trump about the virus as chaotic and uncoordinated, Birx said that to this day, she did not know the source of some of the data he was receiving.

“I saw the president presenting graphs that I never made,” she said.

Last spring, the White House was very focused on the pandemic. But as months passed and the economy continued to sag, she said, the administration routinely ignored her recommendations for “gating criteria” for activities like indoor restaurant dining. As a workaround, she said, she would speak regularly to state governors, repeating her advice.

Former Vice President Mike Pence was aware she was doing so, she said.

Birx came under intense criticism from public health experts for being a part of the Trump apparatus that was promoting misleading, and sometime completely erroneous, information and guidance. She was faulted for not countering Trump’s misinformation on the severity of the pandemic, or his promotion of certain bogus treatments, and for not adequately addressing the conflicting messages and approaches coming from the White House as the virus raged out of control.

“I was not able to do national press,” she said. “The other thing that was very important to me is, I was not going to go outside of the chain of command.”

Birx said that whenever she had a significant disagreement with coronavirus policy and practice announced by the White House, a negative report about that dispute would appear in the media within days.

But over the course of last year, Birx repeatedly declined repeated interview requests made by The New York Times as tensions developed between White House officials and Trump with the nation’s public health officials.

As the pandemic raged in the summer and the election approached, both Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke less frequently in public and were no longer appearing at White House briefings. Trump’s chief adviser in the fall instead became Dr. Scott Atlas, a Stanford radiologist who supported the benefits of pursuing herd immunity over imposing lockdowns, and who spoke disparagingly about the widespread use of masks.

Birx said that the only two people in the White House who regularly wore masks were herself and a person on her support staff, and she expressed frustration that the White House believed that the best way to protect the commander in chief from getting sick was to be tested regularly.

Birx, a career civil servant and an immunologist who worked extensively on international AIDS relief, is now a special adviser to the Center for Global Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said she planned to announce her retirement in four to six weeks.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the Trump administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday that crucial statements from the White House about the coronavirus pandemic were shaped by misinformation, denial about the severity of COVID-19 and the shadow of an upcoming election.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the Trump administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday that crucial statements from the White House about the coronavirus pandemic were shaped by misinformation, denial about the severity of COVID-19 and the shadow of an upcoming election. In an interview on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” Birx said that from the outset, progress against the virus was impeded by inconsistent and inept public messaging that played down the gravity of the pandemic and the immediate need for safety precautions. In the White House, she said, “there were people who definitely believed that this was a hoax.” That disbelief in turn was echoed in many pockets across the United States, she said, because at the beginning of the pandemic, public officials did not fully describe the spectrum of disease that the virus could cause. “And so they saw people get COVID and be fine,” and that bred skepticism, she explained. Incomplete messaging had devastating consequences, Birx said. While not specifically naming former President Donald Trump, who had initially labeled the pandemic a “hoax,” Birx noted: “Every time a statement was made by a political leader that wasn’t consistent with public health needs, that derailed our response. It is also why I went out on the road, because I wasn’t censored on the road.” She traveled to several states in the summer and fall, speaking to governors and local officials. Describing the flow of information to Trump about the virus as chaotic and uncoordinated, Birx said that to this day, she did not know the source of some of the data he was receiving. “I saw the president presenting graphs that I never made,” she said. Last spring, the White House was very focused on the pandemic. But as months passed and the economy continued to sag, she said, the administration routinely ignored her recommendations for “gating criteria” for activities like indoor restaurant dining. As a workaround, she said, she would speak regularly to state governors, repeating her advice. Former Vice President Mike Pence was aware she was doing so, she said. Birx came under intense criticism from public health experts for being a part of the Trump apparatus that was promoting misleading, and sometime completely erroneous, information and guidance. She was faulted for not countering Trump’s misinformation on the severity of the pandemic, or his promotion of certain bogus treatments, and for not adequately addressing the conflicting messages and approaches coming from the White House as the virus raged out of control. “I was not able to do national press,” she said. “The other thing that was very important to me is, I was not going to go outside of the chain of command.” Birx said that whenever she had a significant disagreement with coronavirus policy and practice announced by the White House, a negative report about that dispute would appear in the media within days. But over the course of last year, Birx repeatedly declined repeated interview requests made by The New York Times as tensions developed between White House officials and Trump with the nation’s public health officials. As the pandemic raged in the summer and the election approached, both Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke less frequently in public and were no longer appearing at White House briefings. Trump’s chief adviser in the fall instead became Dr. Scott Atlas, a Stanford radiologist who supported the benefits of pursuing herd immunity over imposing lockdowns, and who spoke disparagingly about the widespread use of masks. Birx said that the only two people in the White House who regularly wore masks were herself and a person on her support staff, and she expressed frustration that the White House believed that the best way to protect the commander in chief from getting sick was to be tested regularly. Birx, a career civil servant and an immunologist who worked extensively on international AIDS relief, is now a special adviser to the Center for Global Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said she planned to announce her retirement in four to six weeks.

Trump’s virus task force adviser describes misinformation and denial

After facing heavy criticism for not doing enough to stem misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election, YouTube announced last week it would remove videos that alleged fraud had changed the outcome of the contest.

But half a world away in Myanmar, which held a general election just five days after the U.S. vote and faced a tidal wave of online misinformation including unfounded claims of voter fraud, the new rules do not apply.

Social media researchers and civil society groups in Myanmar say the uneven standard is emblematic of YouTube`s comparatively hands-off approach to election misinformation globally at a time when rival Facebook is taking a more aggressive country-by-country measures.

"It looks like 2020 might be YouTube`s equivalent of Facebook`s 2016, holding on to hope that a universal approach might work, even when it`s clear that it`s not going to be the case," said Evelyn Douek, a Harvard Law School lecturer who researches online speech.

Experts, including Douek, warn that this issue will only escalate for Alphabet`s YouTube in other elections worldwide, until it creates policies that account for its role for potentially volatile situations.

"With other platforms, there`s at least starting to be a recognition that universal rules just aren`t going to cut it. For the U.S and Myanmar elections, Facebook tried to learn from the criticisms it received and roll out distinctive policies," she told Reuters.

YouTube did not respond to those criticisms but said it consistently enforced its guidelines and had deleted more than 1.8 million channels for policy violations in the third quarter of 2020, including more than 54,000 for hate speech.

Facebook, which faced accusations that it helped incite genocide in Myanmar in 2017, launched an unusual Myanmar-only civic misinformation policy ahead of the recent election, allowing it to remove false claims that could lead to voter suppression or otherwise damage the electoral process.

The temporary policy, a first for Facebook on election misinformation, followed previous Sri Lanka-specific measures on curbing misinformation that could lead to violence that was eventually expanded worldwide.

The company also built partnerships with civil society organisations in Myanmar, who say that the platform`s performance during the election, while imperfect, improved.

Alphabet`s YouTube, by contrast, chose a light-touch approach and only appeared to block false election claims that people complained about, or if the material otherwise violated its broader guidelines on hate speech and harassment, researchers said.

"When it comes to hate speech and disinformation in Myanmar, YouTube is the new frontier," said Victoire Rio, an adviser at the Myanmar Tech Accountability Network (MTAN), a consortium of civil society organisations that study risks on social media.

Rio told Reuters the video-sharing site was unprepared and didn`t make the investments needed to mitigate risk in Myanmar, calling for it to do a human rights impact assessment.

Rio and fact-checking organisations say purveyors of misinformation joined YouTube in large numbers in 2020, as video streaming usage skyrocketed thanks to cheaper data plans, with more than half of Myanmar`s population now online.

A review by Reuters found more than a dozen recently created YouTube channels that promoted Myanmar election-related misinformation while posing either as news outlets or political programmes. Myanmar fact-checking organisations say hundreds of such channels appeared in 2020.

The reach of those channels varied, with the popular ones accumulating millions of views, far more than most accredited media. A November video falsely stating the ruling party had already picked a new president had more than 350,000 views.

Half of the channels had their corresponding Facebook pages deleted by Facebook for content rules violations in the last two months. But YouTube links from the same banned creators were still widely shared on Facebook.

PROBLEMATIC CONTENT

YouTube states in its guidelines that it removes political misinformation only when it pertains specifically to false claims about a voting process, or if it violates other rules.

"Our Community Guidelines prohibit spam, scams, or other manipulated media, coordinated influence operations, and any content that seeks to incite violence," a YouTube spokeswoman told Reuters.

She said YouTube had "terminated" a number of channels for violating its hate speech and harassment policies, but did not comment on whether the platform had a Burmese-language team or a local “Trusted Flaggers” programme that allows recognised groups to flag problematic content.

YouTube has argued in blog posts that it also reduces the spread of misinformation by pushing people to authoritative sources.

But democracy advocates say that is not enough.

A recent YouTube search for the word "fraud" in the Burmese language revealed as the third result a channel full of videos that allege, without evidence, that the ruling party committed fraud in the Myanmar election.

Other searches for election related terms showed other channels containing political misinformation in top results.

Yatanar Htun, a director of the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), which monitors online hate speech, told Reuters that YouTube videos had been used in fake emails to voters that spoofed emails from Myanmar authorities to allege fraud and foreign interference.

Facebook deleted the original page sharing the videos, but YouTube was slow to act, Yatanar Htun said.

YouTube took down one of the videos linked in the emails after it was asked for comment by Reuters and removed a channel for harassment. But another channel used to allege fraud remains on the site.

After facing heavy criticism for not doing enough to stem misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election, YouTube announced last week it would remove videos that alleged fraud had changed the outcome of the contest.

After facing heavy criticism for not doing enough to stem misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election, YouTube announced last week it would remove videos that alleged fraud had changed the outcome of the contest. But half a world away in Myanmar, which held a general election just five days after the U.S. vote and faced a tidal wave of online misinformation including unfounded claims of voter fraud, the new rules do not apply. Social media researchers and civil society groups in Myanmar say the uneven standard is emblematic of YouTube`s comparatively hands-off approach to election misinformation globally at a time when rival Facebook is taking a more aggressive country-by-country measures. "It looks like 2020 might be YouTube`s equivalent of Facebook`s 2016, holding on to hope that a universal approach might work, even when it`s clear that it`s not going to be the case," said Evelyn Douek, a Harvard Law School lecturer who researches online speech. Experts, including Douek, warn that this issue will only escalate for Alphabet`s YouTube in other elections worldwide, until it creates policies that account for its role for potentially volatile situations. "With other platforms, there`s at least starting to be a recognition that universal rules just aren`t going to cut it. For the U.S and Myanmar elections, Facebook tried to learn from the criticisms it received and roll out distinctive policies," she told Reuters. YouTube did not respond to those criticisms but said it consistently enforced its guidelines and had deleted more than 1.8 million channels for policy violations in the third quarter of 2020, including more than 54,000 for hate speech. Facebook, which faced accusations that it helped incite genocide in Myanmar in 2017, launched an unusual Myanmar-only civic misinformation policy ahead of the recent election, allowing it to remove false claims that could lead to voter suppression or otherwise damage the electoral process. The temporary policy, a first for Facebook on election misinformation, followed previous Sri Lanka-specific measures on curbing misinformation that could lead to violence that was eventually expanded worldwide. The company also built partnerships with civil society organisations in Myanmar, who say that the platform`s performance during the election, while imperfect, improved. Alphabet`s YouTube, by contrast, chose a light-touch approach and only appeared to block false election claims that people complained about, or if the material otherwise violated its broader guidelines on hate speech and harassment, researchers said. "When it comes to hate speech and disinformation in Myanmar, YouTube is the new frontier," said Victoire Rio, an adviser at the Myanmar Tech Accountability Network (MTAN), a consortium of civil society organisations that study risks on social media. Rio told Reuters the video-sharing site was unprepared and didn`t make the investments needed to mitigate risk in Myanmar, calling for it to do a human rights impact assessment. Rio and fact-checking organisations say purveyors of misinformation joined YouTube in large numbers in 2020, as video streaming usage skyrocketed thanks to cheaper data plans, with more than half of Myanmar`s population now online. A review by Reuters found more than a dozen recently created YouTube channels that promoted Myanmar election-related misinformation while posing either as news outlets or political programmes. Myanmar fact-checking organisations say hundreds of such channels appeared in 2020. The reach of those channels varied, with the popular ones accumulating millions of views, far more than most accredited media. A November video falsely stating the ruling party had already picked a new president had more than 350,000 views. Half of the channels had their corresponding Facebook pages deleted by Facebook for content rules violations in the last two months. But YouTube links from the same banned creators were still widely shared on Facebook. PROBLEMATIC CONTENT YouTube states in its guidelines that it removes political misinformation only when it pertains specifically to false claims about a voting process, or if it violates other rules. "Our Community Guidelines prohibit spam, scams, or other manipulated media, coordinated influence operations, and any content that seeks to incite violence," a YouTube spokeswoman told Reuters. She said YouTube had "terminated" a number of channels for violating its hate speech and harassment policies, but did not comment on whether the platform had a Burmese-language team or a local “Trusted Flaggers” programme that allows recognised groups to flag problematic content. YouTube has argued in blog posts that it also reduces the spread of misinformation by pushing people to authoritative sources. But democracy advocates say that is not enough. A recent YouTube search for the word "fraud" in the Burmese language revealed as the third result a channel full of videos that allege, without evidence, that the ruling party committed fraud in the Myanmar election. Other searches for election related terms showed other channels containing political misinformation in top results. Yatanar Htun, a director of the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), which monitors online hate speech, told Reuters that YouTube videos had been used in fake emails to voters that spoofed emails from Myanmar authorities to allege fraud and foreign interference. Facebook deleted the original page sharing the videos, but YouTube was slow to act, Yatanar Htun said. YouTube took down one of the videos linked in the emails after it was asked for comment by Reuters and removed a channel for harassment. But another channel used to allege fraud remains on the site.

YouTube faces complaints of lax approach on overseas election misinformation

Do you believe everything you read on social media? Do you verify the content churned out to you across networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram? If your answer is yes for the former question, and no to&nbsp;the latter, you need to step up!

A recent documentary on Netflix brought to light again the secretive nature of how these social media giants operate, and how manipulation of users is the driving business model for most of these services. Titled “The Social Dilemma”, it referred to a 2018 study done by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.

Social media as a manipulation agent

The study, which was then published in Science magazine becomes pertinent again as the role of social media in influencing elections, and misinformation surrounding the ongoing pandemic comes to light.

When the study had come out, a co-author of the study, Sinan Aral told CNN that they were “very surprised by the results”. Who wouldn’t be surprised to find out that a majority of the news they absorb is actually fake!

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-election-2020-twitter-places-notice-on-trumps-tweets-of-double-voting-325197" hreflang="en">Twitter places notice on Trump's tweets of double voting</a>

The study found that fake news travels to Twitter users six times faster than real news. The study, which took two years to complete found that true news takes about six times longer to reach 1,500 people on Twitter when compared to false news.

The study claimed that false stories "diffused significantly farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth in all categories of information."

"I find it disturbing," Aral told CNN.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/exclusive-wion-investigates-chinas-network-of-fake-twitter-accounts-323526" hreflang="en">EXCLUSIVE | WION investigates China's network of fake Twitter accounts</a>

To ascertain this, researchers took into account stories and tweets circulating on Twitter between 2006 and 2017, and relied on six fact checking organisations to find out whether the story was true and false.

According to the study, false news about politics “travelled deeper and more broadly” when compared to other types of stores. These were also “more viral” than other content with false information. It reached 20,000 people thrice as fast as other types of information.

It also found how humans and bots spread false information at roughly the same rate. In fact, the study posits that humans are “more likely to spread it”.

Do you believe everything you read on social media? Do you verify the content churned out to you across networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram?

Do you believe everything you read on social media? Do you verify the content churned out to you across networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram? If your answer is yes for the former question, and no to the latter, you need to step up! A recent documentary on Netflix brought to light again the secretive nature of how these social media giants operate, and how manipulation of users is the driving business model for most of these services. Titled “The Social Dilemma”, it referred to a 2018 study done by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. Social media as a manipulation agent The study, which was then published in Science magazine becomes pertinent again as the role of social media in influencing elections, and misinformation surrounding the ongoing pandemic comes to light. When the study had come out, a co-author of the study, Sinan Aral told CNN that they were “very surprised by the results”. Who wouldn’t be surprised to find out that a majority of the news they absorb is actually fake! Also read: Twitter places notice on Trump's tweets of double voting The study found that fake news travels to Twitter users six times faster than real news. The study, which took two years to complete found that true news takes about six times longer to reach 1,500 people on Twitter when compared to false news. The study claimed that false stories "diffused significantly farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than the truth in all categories of information." "I find it disturbing," Aral told CNN. Also read: EXCLUSIVE | WION investigates China's network of fake Twitter accounts To ascertain this, researchers took into account stories and tweets circulating on Twitter between 2006 and 2017, and relied on six fact checking organisations to find out whether the story was true and false. According to the study, false news about politics “travelled deeper and more broadly” when compared to other types of stores. These were also “more viral” than other content with false information. It reached 20,000 people thrice as fast as other types of information. It also found how humans and bots spread false information at roughly the same rate. In fact, the study posits that humans are “more likely to spread it”.

Fake news travels six times faster on Twitter than real news: MIT study

Social Media giant Facebook has placed an informational disclaimer on a post from US president Donald Trump on Tuesday. The post by Trump claims mail-in voting would lead to a "corrupt" election.

This disclaimer comes as follow-through on Facebook's pledge to fight misinformation including from world leaders and shifting slightly from its hands-off policy on political speech.

Trump wrote on Facebook claiming that mail-in voting, unless changed by the courts, "will lead to the most CORRUPT ELECTION in our Nation's History!" and added the hashtag #RIGGEDELECTION.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/posts/10164935809995725" data-show-text="true" data-width="">
<blockquote cite="https://developers.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/posts/10164935809995725" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/">Donald J. Trump</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://developers.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/posts/10164935809995725">Monday, June 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The social media site added a tag on it saying: Get official voting info on how to vote in the 2020 US Election" with a link to the government-sponsored USA.gov page on how to cast ballots.

Facebook has always held firm on its policy not to fact check political leaders but has vowed to take down any post which could instigate violence and mislead people about the voting process.&nbsp;

Recently, it promised to add labels to posts which would normally be removed for violating platform rules, but which are left online as "newsworthy," following the example of Twitter.

Social Media giant Facebook has placed an informational disclaimer on a post from US president Donald Trump on Tuesday. The post by Trump claims mail-in voting would lead to a "corrupt" election.

Social Media giant Facebook has placed an informational disclaimer on a post from US president Donald Trump on Tuesday. The post by Trump claims mail-in voting would lead to a "corrupt" election. This disclaimer comes as follow-through on Facebook's pledge to fight misinformation including from world leaders and shifting slightly from its hands-off policy on political speech. Trump wrote on Facebook claiming that mail-in voting, unless changed by the courts, "will lead to the most CORRUPT ELECTION in our Nation's History!" and added the hashtag #RIGGEDELECTION. RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! Posted by Donald J. Trump on Monday, June 22, 2020 × The social media site added a tag on it saying: Get official voting info on how to vote in the 2020 US Election" with a link to the government-sponsored USA.gov page on how to cast ballots. Facebook has always held firm on its policy not to fact check political leaders but has vowed to take down any post which could instigate violence and mislead people about the voting process. Recently, it promised to add labels to posts which would normally be removed for violating platform rules, but which are left online as "newsworthy," following the example of Twitter.

Facebook tags disclaimer on Donald Trump's post on 'mail- in voting'

misinformation

Misinformation, News on Misinformation, stories on Misinformation, articles on Misinformation, Misinformation stories at Wion, Misinformation news, Misinformation latest news