On Facebook, health-misinformation 'superspreaders' rack up billions of views: report | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Sunday
May 28, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2023
On Facebook, health-misinformation 'superspreaders' rack up billions of views: report

World+Biz

Reuters
19 August, 2020, 07:35 pm
Last modified: 19 August, 2020, 07:38 pm

Related News

  • Major causes of death in Bangladesh
  • Facebook owner Meta slashes business teams in final round of layoffs
  • 'I faked my death': Maradona's social media account flooded with cryptic messages after hack
  • Meta fined record €1.2 billion in EU over US data transfers
  • Facebook fixes auto friend request glitch

On Facebook, health-misinformation 'superspreaders' rack up billions of views: report

The social media giant, which has been under pressure to curb misinformation on its platform, has made amplifying credible health information a key element of its response. It also started removing misinformation about the novel coronavirus outbreak that it said could cause imminent harm

Reuters
19 August, 2020, 07:35 pm
Last modified: 19 August, 2020, 07:38 pm
A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD
A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD

Misleading health content has racked up an estimated 3.8 billion views on Facebook Inc over the past year, peaking during the Covid-19 pandemic, advocacy group Avaaz said in a new report on Wednesday.

The report found that content from 10 "superspreader" sites sharing health misinformation had almost four times as many Facebook views in April 2020 as equivalent content from the sites of 10 leading health institutions, such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The social media giant, which has been under pressure to curb misinformation on its platform, has made amplifying credible health information a key element of its response. It also started removing misinformation about the novel coronavirus outbreak that it said could cause imminent harm.

"Facebook's algorithm is a major threat to public health. Mark Zuckerberg promised to provide reliable information during the pandemic, but his algorithm is sabotaging those efforts by driving many of Facebook's 2.7 billion users to health misinformation-spreading networks," said Fadi Quran, campaign director at Avaaz.

"We share Avaaz's goal of limiting misinformation, but their findings don't reflect the steps we've taken to keep it from spreading on our services," said a Facebook company spokeswoman.

"Thanks to our global network of fact-checkers, from April to June, we applied warning labels to 98 million pieces of Covid-19 misinformation and removed 7 million pieces of content that could lead to imminent harm. We've directed over 2 billion people to resources from health authorities and when someone tries to share a link about Covid-19, we show them a pop-up to connect them with credible health information," she said.

Avaaz's report also said that warning labels from fact-checkers were applied inconsistently even when misinformation had been found to be false.

The report tracked how content from a sample of misinformation-sharing websites was shared on Facebook by interpreting available Facebook data between May 2019 and May 2020.

Facebook / Misinformation / health

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. TBS Sketch.
    PM Hasina credits peaceful democratic atmosphere for country's massive progress
  • Photo: Collected
    DSE turnover hits 134-day high on Sunday
  • Photo: PID
    President asks police to be more people-friendly

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Collected
    South Korean arrested for opening plane emergency exit door, faces up to 10 years in prison
  • Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attends a news conference following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, November 8, 2022. Maxim Shipenkov/Pool via REUTERS
    'India facing complicated challenges from China', says Jaishankar
  • Photo: Collected
    Indian official who drained reservoir to retrieve phone suspended
  • Earthquake tremors felt in parts of India and Pakistan
    Earthquake tremors felt in parts of India and Pakistan
  • A person holds a ballot at a polling station in Ankara, Turkey May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman
    Voting starts in Turkey presidential election runoff
  • Photo: Collected
    Modi inaugurates new parliament building as part of New Delhi's makeover

Related News

  • Major causes of death in Bangladesh
  • Facebook owner Meta slashes business teams in final round of layoffs
  • 'I faked my death': Maradona's social media account flooded with cryptic messages after hack
  • Meta fined record €1.2 billion in EU over US data transfers
  • Facebook fixes auto friend request glitch

Features

Unwinding poolside, she revels in self-care, her flawless complexion glowing under the gentle sun. Photo: Rony Rezaul. Model: Tangia Zaman Methila

Dive into Summer Style: Get Ready to Sizzle by the Pool

4h | Mode
Illustration: TBS

'Cybercriminals are creating new ways of hacking'

5h | Panorama
Under SmartMek’s package, farmers can have access to large agricultural machines such as combined harvesters.
Photo: TBS

SmartMek: Providing digitised services to the farmers through smart cards

6h | Panorama
Illustration: Bloomberg

AI will supercharge productivity. Will workers benefit?

5h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Temperature will surpass 1.5 degree by 2027

Temperature will surpass 1.5 degree by 2027

5h | TBS World
Dubai’s gigantic moon shaped mega resort

Dubai’s gigantic moon shaped mega resort

23h | TBS World
In an interview given to TBS Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury

In an interview given to TBS Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury

2d | TBS Stories
New US visa policy introduced to promote free and fair elections in Bangladesh

New US visa policy introduced to promote free and fair elections in Bangladesh

2d | TBS Today

Most Read

1
End of zero tax!
NBR

End of zero tax!

2
Photo: TBS
Energy

Wind power feeds national grid for first time Friday

3
Photo: TBS
Bangladesh

Private helicopter service launched in Ctg

4
Malaysian ship docks at Mongla port with 926 luxurious cars
Bangladesh

Malaysian ship docks at Mongla port with 926 luxurious cars

5
Nagad builds hope on Tk510cr bond, incurs Tk625cr loss
Economy

Nagad builds hope on Tk510cr bond, incurs Tk625cr loss

6
Cenbank prints Tk70,000cr new money in 11 months to support nat'l budget
Budget

Cenbank prints Tk70,000cr new money in 11 months to support nat'l budget

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]