Epidemic of false claims in social media

But even after the changes, groups – for example a group with 197 members and more than 10 positions a day seeking to "discuss the dangers of vaccination" – were among the first results of a research on "l". safety of vaccines ". Meanwhile, a more generic search for "vaccines" highlights the verified profile of Dr. Christiane Northrup, a reputed physician who openly expresses her fears about vaccines – and sometimes their opposition. On Facebook, hashtags such as "vaccineskill" and accounts against child immunization are easy to find with a simple search for "vaccines".

In the battle of social media against misinformation, misrepresentations about the dangers of vaccines are the next target. While some dangerous childhood diseases are making their come back because of lower vaccination rates, Facebook, Pinterest and others are trying to put the genie back in the bottle, while reluctant to acknowledge their responsibility for spreading lies.

"There is some hesitation about vaccines as long as they exist," said Jeanine Guidry, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, who studies social media and vaccines. This sentiment, which dates back to the 1700s, was once reserved for cities and local communities. Online, it goes back well before Facebook and Twitter. A 2002 study of Google's search results revealed that 43% of the sites published after the search for "vaccination" and "immunization" were anti-vax.

Nevertheless, experts in online misinformation claim that the impact of social networks and their unfiltered diffusion, optimized by algorithms, of the most "interesting" messages – whether they are truthful or not – have fueled a much wider spread of anti-vaccination propaganda. Richard Carpiano, professor of public policy and sociology at the University of California, Riverside, who studies vaccine trends, said that there is a "disproportionate" number of websites on the subject containing misinformation, peddled by "anti-vax activists" and bloggers. Researchers have even discovered that Russia-related robots are trying to sow discord by amplifying both sides of the vaccine debate.

"It's quite understandable that parents are looking for that sort of thing," he said. The problem is that they spend a lot more online than in a doctor's office, where they are much more likely to receive accurate information.

The misconception that vaccines cause autism – launched by a now refuted 1998 study – has not emerged on social media, but it is certainly widespread. Health care officials and experts worry about the echoes generated by the misinformation on social media that has become widespread over the past decade and their role in pushing parents to the brink of hostility in the camp. anti-vax.

While the headlines of the last two years have largely focused on fake news politics proliferating on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, broad bands of people (as well as bots) also share their concerns and "fake research" about perceived dangers of vaccinating children.

Mr. Guidry said that social media amplifies these conversations and makes it easier for people with such conversations in echo chambers to reinforce misinformation. His research revealed that Pinterest – popular among women – was particularly susceptible to lies about vaccines. In his 2015 study, nearly 75% of the vaccine "pins" (the visuals on the service) were against vaccination, compared to about a quarter on Twitter (according to another study). Although Pinterest has been strengthening its systems against this type of message since, Guidry notes that things always go through the filters.

Disinformation on Facebook is harder to study because a lot of information is not public, especially when people are posting in secret or secret groups, where a lot of the hoaxes and misrepresentations are prevalent. In such groups, like-minded people come together to share their views and receive support from their peers. Facebook's new policies mean that fewer people will find these groups, but the company is not going to ban them altogether.

Carpiano said that it was difficult to study the real impact of social media on the adoption of the vaccine, but "we are seeing a decrease in coverage and an increase in coverage gaps" as well as a group of people reluctant with regard to a vaccine. This, he said, correlates with the rise of many different sources of information that people now have at their fingertips. Despite high-profile epidemics, vaccination rates remain high in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control. But the percentage of children under 2 years old who have not received any vaccinations increases

False news about health and medicine often follows a trajectory similar to that of false news about politics. Some are intended for financial gain, some are intended to wreak havoc in public discourse, others are spread by people who might actually believe it. InfoWars, the conspiracy site run by Alex Jones, regularly insists on the anti-vax agenda and the stories of "forced vaccinations", even as he peddles "Survival Shield" iodine bottles . Natural News, for its part, founded a company on the basis of unproven health claims and sold 29 pots of "organic apple peel powder".

Carpiano pointed out that while anti-vaccination activists hold wide public attention, parents who are hesitant or very concerned about immunization are much more common. Naturally, they seek information – and much of what they find is wrong.

"It's a misinformation campaign," he said. "We are often forced to make choices, understanding and education," he said. "But basically, it's not open to scientific debate."