During #Covid19, @Facebook’s algorithm has become a major threat to public health. Our new report shows how, in the last year, it has helped networks spreading health misinformation get an estimated 3.8 billion views. (thread)
#StopTheInfodemic
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/facebook_threat_health/

2/ Content from the 10 biggest websites spreading health misinformation had almost 4 times as many views on Facebook as equivalent posts linking to the websites from leading health authorities like @WHO and @CDCgov

3/ The views of sites sharing health misinformation peaked at an estimated 460 MILLION views in April -- just as the #Covid19 pandemic was peaking in many places, and reliable info was a matter of life and death.

4/ And that’s not all. Only 16% of all health misinformation we analysed had a warning label from Facebook. Despite content being fact-checked and found to be false, the other 84% remains online without any warnings. #StopTheInfodemic

5/ Health misinformation lives on Facebook, but the real-world impacts are terrifying: Researchers have now directly linked one single piece of false information to 800 coronavirus deaths.
#StopTheInfodemic
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/journals/10.4269/ajtmh.20-0812;jsessionid=-ETrfB53Hw7IIHnlp2BbSu4i.ip-10-241-1-122

6/ The good news? There's a cure!

Step 1:
#CorrectTheRecord: Provide all Facebook users who've seen misinformation with fact-checked corrections. This can cut belief in misinfo by 50%

7/ Step 2:
#DetoxTheAlgorithm: Misinformation posts, and those who repeatedly post misinformation, should be downgraded. This can decreases the reach of misinfo by up to 80%

The question is: will Mark Zuckerberg step up, and move from bandages to the real, systematic changes that can actually cure misinformation?
It's time to #DetoxTheAlgorithm and #CorrectTheRecord!
@guyro @nick_clegg @ngleicher @Facebook