Misinformation and Conspiracies in COVID Times

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic the World Health Organization raised concerns about the growing “infodemic”: an overabundance of information, both accurate and inaccurate, that can make finding trustworthy sources incredibly difficult. Indeed, misinformation and conspiracies abounded during the pandemic, covering everything from masking, the origins of the virus, rationales for interventions, and other rumors. While the level of harm has varied by topic and population, collectively misinformation and conspiracy beliefs contribute to the growing mistrust of official government response agencies.

The purpose of this chapter is to understand how social networking sites (SNSs) contributed to the infodemic during the pandemic and provide paths forward for combating online disaster-related disinformation and misinformation. Online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Instagram that people use to build social networks are critical sites of information sharing, including the sharing of misinformation. Today over 70 percent of Americans use social media, with most users visiting at least one SNS each day. Globally, over 50 percent of the population use SNSs.