Not another idiotic comment!
Disinformation on comment threads may be doing more damage than we think
News publishers need to do more on Facebook comment threads (aside from never reading them), suggests a case study by First Draft News that found them littered with misinformation and hate speech.
Although Facebook has expanded its policy on removing posts with false claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic, First Draft found that—at least for now—these controls are not as strict in the comment threads, where "misinformation is hiding in plain sight" and "moderation by news outlets and public health organizations often isn’t effective at keeping misinformation out of comment sections."
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In a quick look at posts related to COVID-19 vaccines on the Facebook pages of Australian news outlets 9News and Sky News Australia, First Draft found that about one in every five comments on the posts analyzed had misinformation on vaccines or on the pandemic.
The comments included skepticism over the vaccines and potentially harmful false claims and conspiracy theories, First Draft said.
"A space where people can freely comment could well encourage practical, constructive discussions, but First Draft’s research, specifically on Pages run by news organizations, has found that comment sections can act as an echo chamber for those skeptical about vaccines, and prove to be fertile ground for the spread of misinformation."
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The comment thread on a post by Sky News Australia on the vaccine rollout there had 22 out of 37 comments "[containing] false or misleading claims or conspiracy theories about the vaccine," with many saying the vaccines are poison.
First Draft notes that vaccine misinformation in the comments section has been seen in similar posts by news outlets in India, Papua New Guinea, and the rest of the Asia Pacific region.
Another comment thread in the case study had "a high number of derogatory comments about Qantas CEO Alan Joyce’s sexuality and Irish nationality" despite comments of that sort being in violation of Facebook's community standards.
These comments are a problem for news outlets and those working to fight mis- and disinformation because the threads can become a main source of information, First Draft said. Users focused on the comments might also miss warning labels on posts or even the context provided by legitimate news posts.
"Studies have also shown that Facebook users tend to interact with posts that contain links without reading the linked article, much less finishing it," First Draft said.
Comments spewing and supporting conspiracy theories or that cast doubt on the accuracy of the original post could also influence social media readers even if they do read the article it links to.
"In order to combat misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines, audiences are often told to seek out reputable sources, such as official medical advice or mainstream media outlets. While these outlets' reporting may be accurate, unmoderated comment sections may nonetheless expose readers to misinformation, even those actively seeking verified information," First Draft said.
Facebook says it has been using AI systems to flag misinformation related to COVID-19 and to vaccines, and users can report content that might violate the social networking site's community standards, but solving the issue will require effort from newsrooms too.
READ: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube still open for abuse in PH polls
First Draft said newsrooms should moderate their comments sections and hide or delete those that may contain disinformation and misinformation (and abuse) but acknowledges that the sheer number of comments could overwhelm community managers.
"The idea of free speech and the responsibilities of social media and news companies are difficult areas to navigate. Yet in the midst of a pandemic, it is critical for platforms and publishers to assess how discussions taking place in comment sections might shape attitudes and behaviors, and to make timely, rigorous decisions to stop the spread of harmful information."
ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERNET
Bad news for the bardagulan crowd. A study suggests correcting wrong information and 'hot takes' on Twitter doesn't work because it can make the user defensive and "being corrected by another user for posting false political news increases subsequent sharing of low quality, partisan, and toxic content." (VICE)
Mythical golden ages and historical distortion are not unique to the Philippines and we are not alone in having leaders rewrite the past for propaganda. “It is depressing to see how few countries encourage or even permit their citizens freely to chronicle and discuss their pasts, and how many instead forge fictional histories to support modern political purposes.” (Bloomberg)
Myanmar's military had telcos and internet service providers there install software that would allow it to monitor and track communications, Reuters reports.
"'They presented it as coming from the civilian government, but we knew the army would have control and were told you could not refuse,' the executive with direct knowledge said, adding that officials from the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs also sat in on the meetings."Further in the government's passive-aggressive and low-key vilification of community pantries, a spokesperson of the anti-communist task force tells a House panel that community pantry organizer Ana Patricia Non is suspect because of a photo of her from college with a fist raised (presumably in protest).
"Sa totoo lang, meron tayong mga nakita tayong pictures sa social media na nakataas kamao pa ‘yung si Patricia Non (To be honest, we've seen pictures on social media of Patricia Non raising her fist)," the head of the Presidential Human Rights Committee, said.
This week also saw the debunking of an amateurish photo edit attempting to link Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto (and possibly Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants) to communist rebels. The bad Photoshop also includes Rappler and ABS-CBN, the other ‘enemies of the state’.
Finally, an ambitious little show we’ve been working on at Philstar to help clarify issues and clear up misinformation. This week’s episode is on ivermectin.