Feb 25 Watch 5:17 How vaccine hesitancy is contributing to rising rates of measles and COVID By John Yang, Laura Santhanam, Harry Zahn Vaccines have been proven to be an effective weapon against many diseases. Measles, for instance, was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, and more recently, vaccines helped curb the spread of COVID. But both of those diseases are on… Continue watching
Feb 23 Measles cases are rising in the U.S. Here's why misinformation about the vaccine persists today By Laura Santhanam Disrupted by the COVID pandemic and misinformation, measles vaccination among schoolchildren has declined dangerously, data show, resulting in a growing number of outbreaks. Continue reading
Feb 10 Watch 6:18 Can social media companies safeguard the 2024 election against misinformation? By John Yang, Harry Zahn As 2024 election campaigns pick up steam, Meta announced this week that it would start labeling AI-generated images posted on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. In December, an advocacy group said Meta, YouTube and X have rolled back 17 policies intended… Continue watching
Feb 07 Watch 7:26 Meta's Nick Clegg on the challenges of AI content and misinformation By Amna Nawaz, Courtney Norris Meta’s policy for dealing with deepfakes and AI is under fire after it allowed an altered video of President Biden to remain online. Meta’s oversight board called the company’s manipulated media policies “incoherent” and “confusing.” Meta now says it will… Continue watching
Feb 05 Oversight board urges Meta to rethink its policy on manipulated media in high-stakes election year By Ali Swenson, Associated Press The quasi-independent board said on Monday that an altered video of Joe Biden on Facebook exposed gaps in the policy. Continue reading
Jan 31 Why experts worry more pet owners may skip rabies shots over vaccine hesitancy By Laura Santhanam Public health experts and veterinarians are concerned about the potential for an increase in cases of rabies, a vaccine-preventable illness, for both companion animals and humans. Continue reading
Jan 22 AI robocalls impersonate President Biden in an apparent attempt to suppress votes in New Hampshire By Ali Swenson, Will Weissert, Associated Press The apparent attempt at voter suppression using generative AI is one example of what experts warn will make 2024 a year of unprecedented election disinformation around the world. Continue reading
Dec 28 Election officials prepare for a range of threats in 2024, from hostile countries to conspiracy theorists By Christina A. Cassidy, Associated Press The list of security challenges keeps growing for election officials preparing for the 2024 presidential election. Many of the concerns from four years ago persist. Continue reading
Oct 11 Watch 6:57 Social media companies criticized as Israel-Hamas war misinformation spreads rampantly By Laura Barrón-López, Courtney Norris The world is watching much of the violence between Israel and Hamas through traditional media and broadcasts. But millions also are getting their information through social media. Many posts are spreading misinformation or outright lies and criticism is being directed… Continue watching
Sep 26 Musk's X is the largest source of disinformation, EU official says By Kelvin Chan, Associated Press European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova also said Tuesday that Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Meta have more to do to tackle disinformation. Continue reading