Meta Ditches Fact Checks That Had Helped Curb Health Misinformation
One of the reasons the industry had doubled down on policing speech was because of falsehoods about covid, The Washington Post noted. Meanwhile, mis- and disinformation shows no sign of slowing on the internet, and doctors are often targets.
The Washington Post:
Meta Ends Fact Checks, Will Adopt X-Style ‘Community Notes’ In Trump Era
Meta will dismantle its extensive fact-checking program in the United States, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday, ending a practice that has sought to limit the spread of falsehoods on its platforms but has been assailed as censorship in conservative circles. The company said it would allow its users to add context or debunk claims in notes that appear next to specific posts, a process pioneered by Elon Musk’s X. Meta will also lift restrictions on hot-button topics, such as immigration and gender identity, to focus on illegal or high-severity violations. (Nix, Oremus and Gregg, 1/7)
The New York Times:
Meet the Next Fact-Checker, Debunker and Moderator: You
The announcement signals the end of an era in content moderation and an embrace of looser guidelines that even Mr. Zuckerberg acknowledged would increase the amount of false and misleading content on the world’s largest social network. (Thompson and Conger, 1/7)
Politico:
Is Zuckerberg Kneeling To Trump? It's Not So Simple.
While moderation decisions make for high-profile congressional hearings and effective fodder for culture-war debates, what actually gets seen on social media platforms is still ultimately decided at the algorithm level, mostly outside the realm of political debate. (Robertson, 1/7)
In related news about deepfakes and health misinformation —
MedPage Today:
Doctor Targeted By Deepfake Ad Scam
A well-known endocrinologist in New Zealand was recently the victim of a deepfake scam, according to reporting from the New Zealand Herald. The likeness of Sir Jim Mann, DM, PhD, MA, of the University of Otago, was used in a deepfake news video that circulated on social media after being posted to a Facebook page for a company that sells hemp gummies. ... In November, Los Angeles-based podiatrist and social media personality Dana Brems, DPM, said in an Instagram post that a company used AI to make a fake recording of her voice. The post showed Brems reacting, mouth covered in dismay, to what she said was an advertisement that "used an AI clone of my voice to pretend I recommended their product." Social media posts from Brems about the ad -- which appeared to be for an ear-cleaning device -- racked up views, with many commenters pointing to the potential harms of fake health-related recommendations tied to medical professionals. (Henderson, 1/7)
MedPage Today:
Headlines About Doc Who 'Catches' Patient's Cancer Are Popping Up Again
A unique case report of accidental cancer transplantation from a patient to their surgeon has resurfaced decades years after being published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The report was originally published in 1996. Nicholas Hornstein, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist at the Northwell Cancer Institute at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital in New York City and the R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center in North New Hyde Park, New York, told MedPage Today that the case taps into fears that people have about contagion. (Robertson, 1/7)
