Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by chromas on Friday August 24 2018, @09:59PM   Printer-friendly
from the antipro dept.

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)


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by suburbanitemediocrity on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:40AM

    by suburbanitemediocrity (6844) on Saturday August 25 2018, @06:40AM (#726160)

    When I was in Russia, they only played classical music on all radio stations. And yes, r&r and jazz were seen as highly degenerate.

    After the fall of communism, all the people I knew bemoaned the loss of morality in society. Clothes, hairstyles, music, art, leisure activities like going out to clubs...

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2