Feb 28, 2020 12:40:00

Many bots disseminating erroneous information about new coronavirus on SNS are making a big leap

The new coronavirus is spreading not only in Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea where infection first spread, but also in Western countries such as Italy and the United States . Regarding such a new coronavirus, the foreign media Inverse reported, 'A bot that spreads misinformation about the new coronavirus on SNS has appeared and confused people.'

Bots are waging a coronavirus disinformation campaign on social media
https://www.inverse.com/innovation/bots-are-spreading-lies-about-the-coronavirus-on-social-media

As of February 27, 2020, the number of new coronavirus infections in the

United States has exceeded 60, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that it is necessary to prepare for the spread of the new coronavirus doing. With the impact on events that attract many people, Facebook has decided to cancel the annual developer conference 'F8' to be held in May 2020.

Facebook's annual developer conference `` F8 '' will be canceled due to concerns about the new coronavirus-gigazine

Many Americans are worried about becoming infected with the new coronavirus, and an increasing number of people are searching for and sharing information on the Internet in order to obtain information such as susceptibility to infection and lethality when the disease occurs. That it is. Meanwhile, healthcare professionals warn that the spread of misinformation about the new coronavirus is becoming a real threat.

Christopher Bouzy , founder of the bot- finding platform Bot Sentinel , analyzes tweets on Twitter and says, 'A bot operated by someone claims a lot of disinformation about the new coronavirus.' I discovered that

Bots discovered by Bouzy have alleged that the new coronavirus is a biological weapon that China has intentionally developed. Exaggerating. ' Although identifying the bot's operators is difficult, Inverse says many claims are convenient for those who support the Trump administration.

by

Mike Mozart

There are many claims that the hoax about the new coronavirus claims, 'The threat of the new coronavirus is exaggerated by the Democratic Party,' and that 'the new coronavirus is a foreign threat.' Bouzy points out that it is not uncommon for bots to prey on people's fears and easily spread misinformation. He is not surprised at the spread of misinformation while the fear of the new coronavirus is growing.

`` If people are actively searching for information related to major news events, fake and false information will be frequently shared and spread, '' Bouzy said on social media in school education etc. Argued that you should teach them how to spot false information and fake news.

Brooke Binkowski, editor-in-chief of the fact-checking website Truth or Fiction , warns Inverse that misinformation can cause massive panic. 'At the moment, I'm most concerned about the fact that misinformation is almost certainly used, especially to condemn people of color, which is the worst trick that has existed since ancient times. Whenever a species pandemic occurs, outsiders are blamed. '

Binkowski argues that social media has contributed to the spread of misinformation, and users themselves have to be sensitive to misinformation and have to check for truth when sharing information . 'We don't need to cause panic, we have to pay attention to the information on social media. We should trust the truth-checked information and not be subject to emotions. No, but don't hesitate, 'said Binkowski.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government has asserted that 'thousands of Russian social media accounts operated by Russia have spread misinformation about the new coronavirus and have hindered a concerted effort to combat global epidemics.'

Coronavirus: US says Russia behind disinformation campaign | World news | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/22/coronavirus-russia-disinformation-campaign-us-officials

`` Russia's intention is to invite and weaken the U.S. government and its allies from within, '' said Philip Leaker, assistant secretary of state for the European Eurasia Department of the United States Department of State. He warned about disseminating information and threatening public safety.