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A suspected video introducing the corona virus is viewed millions of times on YouTube, and then removed. The case shows how important the fight against the infodemic is. Therefore, social media platforms increasingly use fact checkers.
In times of crisis, people spread false news. However, you should not believe everything that goes viral.
The crown pandemic is accompanied by a troubling “infodemic”: fake news and disinformation are on the rise, conspiracy theories are flourishing. This is currently shown in the pseudo-documentary example “Plandemic”. The film is slated to premiere in the summer, but already appears in a 26-minute video. This was also posted on the YouTube video platform and has been viewed millions of times.
The protagonist Dr. Judy Mikovits, a controversial American researcher who worked at the National Cancer Institute. In an interview with filmmaker Mikki Willis, the molecular biologist claims that leading American experts, such as immunologist Anthony Fauci, are covering up the truth about the new coronavirus to gain power and money. The pandemic is a conspiracy of people trying to benefit from vaccines. In addition to a number of unprovable claims, she also explains that vaccines help people get Covid-19 because they weaken the immune system.
In addition, the short film assumes that protective masks transmit the virus. However, since it can take up to 14 days for someone to show symptoms, the masks are said to prevent the transmission of drops. The interviewee believes that beaches should reopen quickly because people are protected by “healing microbes in salt water.” Fact-checking portal Politifact has compiled the false and unverifiable claims made in the document.
Hurting pride due to a professional break
Right at the beginning of the interview, Mikovits presents himself as a victim whose career has been deliberately destroyed. Specifically, this is a 2009 paper. At the time, the researcher co-wrote an article presenting the theory that a retrovirus discovered in mice played an important role in the development of chronic fatigue syndrome. Since several laboratory tests could not confirm the thesis, the investigation was withdrawn due to technical deficiencies.
After more controversy, Mikovits initially lost her job and was even briefly arrested after a house search. The researcher continues to blame Fauci, the adviser to the US President, for the failure of her academic career. USA, currently considered the most important expert in the crown crisis in the United States. The allegations date back decades: She claims Fauci threatened her and benefited from her work on the HI virus. “Everyone is listening to him right now,” the interviewer stated in the video. “How do we know he’s telling the truth?” He asks his counterpart. “What he says is pure propaganda,” responds Mikovits, who also claims that Fauci has been complicit in millions of deaths since 1984.
During the course of the interview, the interviewee mentioned other names of known people who were part of a great conspiracy. However, due to the one-sided perspective and dramatized presentation, the audience quickly gets the impression that it is primarily the offended pride of a woman who uses the current pandemic as an occasion to rehabilitate her career and battered reputation. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that Mikovits recently published an Amazon bestselling book dealing with corruption in science.
Dr. When asked by various media, Fauci said that he had never worked with Judy Mikovits and dismissed the allegations.
QAnon, anti-vaccine and right-wing extremists celebrate their new heroine
The original video, which generated at least eight million views on YouTube, has been removed from several major platforms. However, this does not prevent conspiracy theorists from uploading a dozen copies of the video. They found a new “whistleblower” in Mikovits. The pseudoscientific video is particularly well received by anti-vaccination groups, far-right news portals, and the QAnon movement, which a secret government in the United States claims to have recognized behind all evil.
This “deep state theory” is also becoming increasingly popular in Europe. In Germany, conspiracy theorists like Ken Jebsen try to hijack the public debate with their crude theories. His fans are happy to describe the so-called “New World Order”, a deeply anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. The narrative that Bill Gates benefits from a crown shot is also very popular and is also mentioned in the Plandemic video.
Doctors use YouTube to discredit videos
Doctors, doctors and scientists are doing educational work on YouTube. If you search for “Plandemic” on the platform, you will be shown fact-check videos with links attached to trusted sources like WHO. Some of these reaction videos have already been viewed millions of times.
In the expert videos, Judy Mikovits’ claims are exposed as false or misleading, and false news and myths are contrasted with facts (what’s known as debunking). “I am shaken,” says Dr. Zubin Damania in a video, “That Americans are stupid enough to believe for a second what is said in the conspiracy video.” And another doctor named Dr. Todd Grande says, “You should always wonder if there is evidence to support the claims and what sources are mentioned.”
46 percent of all fake news comes from YouTube
According to a recent study by the scientific magazine “BMJ”, YouTube has a big problem with disinformation and fake news. According to this, more than a quarter of the most viewed videos on the platform show misleading content. There are a total of 62 million visits worldwide. In contrast, videos from trusted sources are underrepresented during the current pandemic. Therefore, researchers are calling on health organizations to act even more aggressively against disinformation.
According to research portal Correctiv.org, 46 percent of all fake news originated from YouTube. From there, they are distributed on Facebook, Instagram and Co., where they reach a high reach. Whatsapp is the most common distribution channel, explains the portal, which specializes in fact checking. Correctiv founder David Schraven told NZZ that the Telegram messaging service was also very dangerous. It plays an increasing role in spreading fake news, because unlike Whatsapp, you can set up bigger groups and exchange information there.
Twitter and Facebook are cracking down
Now that YouTube also wants to work more closely with data verifiers in the US. In the US, other platforms have also stepped up their measures. As announced by Twitter, tweets with content that experts believe are misleading or incorrect that could harm people will be removed. Therefore, controversial information should be provided with a reference to reliable sources. Prominent politicians like the President of the United States, Donald Trump, could also comply with this regulation. “These labels apply to anyone who shares misleading information that meets the requirements of our guidelines,” a spokesperson told DPA.
Facebook has already taken steps to curb the spread of disinformation. In April alone, the platform provided 50 million posts with false or dubious posts about the coronavirus with warnings. The measure shows success: In 95 percent of cases, users didn’t click on the link when they saw the warning, according to Facebook. The information base would have delivered 7,500 fact-check articles. In addition, 2.5 million posts, referring to the sale of Covid-19 masks, disinfectants, or tests, were removed. Facebook will also be working with fact checkers in Switzerland in the future.
Opponents of vaccination are in the minority, but influence users more with neutral views
A new study published this week in the scientific journal “Nature” examines the attitudes of nearly 100 million Facebook users regarding vaccines. The bottom line: Although the number of opponents of vaccination is a minority in terms of numbers, they rank centrally on the Facebook group network. Furthermore, opponents of vaccination have a greater influence online on users with neutral views (or Facebook pages that are neither for nor against vaccines). In contrast, pro-vaccination views tend to play a peripheral role in the network. Using a theoretical approach, the researchers predict that opponents’ views could dominate in a decade.
