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Russian trolls 'spreading discord' over vaccine safety online
Bots and Russian trolls spread misinformation about vaccines on Twitter to sow division and distribute malicious content before and during the American presidential election, according to a new study.
Scientists at George Washington University, in Washington DC, made the discovery while trying to improve social media communications for public health workers, researchers said. Instead, they found trolls and bots skewing online debate and upending consensus about vaccine safety.
The study discovered several accounts, now known to belong to the same Russian trolls who interfered in the US election, as well as marketing and malware bots, tweeting about vaccines.
Russian trolls played both sides, the researchers said, tweeting pro- and anti-vaccine content in a politically charged context. "These trolls seem to be using vaccination as a wedge issue, promoting discord in American society," Mark Dredze, a team member and professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins, which was also involved in the study, said. "By playing both sides, they erode public trust in vaccination, exposing us all to the risk of infectious diseases. Viruses don't respect national boundaries."
Also at NYT.
Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate (DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304567) (DX)
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 24 2018, @10:32PM (5 children)
Both the RNC and DNC have been known to support kookery on the opposite side to debase their apponents. And frankly if this was done as a PAC, I've not seen any law that actually makes it a crime. It can't reasonably be a conflict with the emoluments clause, because if it were so, then any political advertisement on behalf of a multinational fiduciary interest would be a crime. And that would include all of the fortune 500.
Either all foreign sourced capital in U.S. politics is a crime, or all aren't. IMHO, all are. But if that is so, you'd have to arrest all of congress, and all of the respective CEO's of multinational conglomerates.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 24 2018, @11:08PM
I'm ok with this
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Saturday August 25 2018, @02:08AM (3 children)
"But if that is so, you'd have to arrest all of congress, and all of the respective CEO's of multinational conglomerates."
Sounds like a damn good idea to me.
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 25 2018, @03:57AM (2 children)
Where's the gofundme?
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday August 25 2018, @05:34AM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:03AM
Actually, I have need for any funds, thank you!
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--