Doctors, scientists and patient advocates regularly post messages on Twitter to warn of the dangers of the disease. But users have been unpleasantly surprised to see their account suspended from the social network. In question, some of his tweets were reported to contain false information.
“We recognize the mistakes made”
Still, the Washington Post reports that a dozen tweets labeled by the platform as false turned out to be true. Contacted by the American newspaper, Twitter acknowledged the problem. The company also clarified that mentions of false information were removed and account suspensions were canceled following the complaints.
Some users even received an apology message. This is the case of Johanna Po, a stomatologist and graduate of a doctorate in molecular biology. She notes a multiplication of moderation errors by Twitter and possible negative impacts. “In terms of public perception, this calls into question our credibility as a scientist,” she laments.
A risk of total mistrust in the system to combat disinformation
A sentiment confirmed by Emily Vraga, associate professor at the University of Minnesota. “We know that when information is labeled false, people are less likely to believe it to be true, even when it is proven to be accurate,” says Emily Vraga. She adds that, in the long run, misinformation from Twitter could lead to complete mistrust of the anti-disinformation system.
In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Twitter has enabled an alert system to inform users of messages with false information. However, a study by the University of Oxford had shown in 2020 that about 60% of erroneous or inaccurate messages about the disease remained on the network without receiving the report established by the company.
Source: BFM TV
Emily Miller is a voice to be reckoned with in the world of opinion journalism. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a unique and thought-provoking perspective to current events and political issues, delivering insightful and engaging commentary.