Experts in misinformation and science communication fear Twitter’s decision to no longer enforce its COVID-19 misleading-information policy will further silo users and create an environment rife with the content the policy aimed to curtail. The tool, brought on during the pandemic to help people find reliable information, has been quietly shelved. “The world has changed dramatically since this pandemic was first declared a public-health emergency,” reads a section on Twitter’s transparency website. According to Twitter, the policy is no longer in effect as of Nov. 23. “It sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not,” said Caulfield referring to the spread of health misinformation on these sites, like unfounded claims saying ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine are cures for COVID, or the idea COVID-19 vaccinations implant microchips into recipients.

Source: thestar November 30, 2022 01:07 UTC