Social media companies have all banned misinformation about the coronavirus and the vaccine, citing the potential for such material to cause “imminent harm.” But enforcement has been spotty. Groups opposed to vaccines have long used social media to get out their message. ADAD“Linking misinformation to religion can be difficult to combat because a person may feel like they are being attacked for their religious beliefs,” said Kolina Koltai, a vaccine misinformation researcher with the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public. Along with misinformation, social media platforms are hosting spirited religious debates about these topics. ADConversations within communities are sometimes more effective at combating misinformation than labeling or other measures from social media companies, said Renee DiResta, research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory.

Source: Washington Post February 16, 2021 11:03 UTC