Category: Rumors and Misinformation

Prominent Leaders Amplify Disinformation About Brown University Shooting

Prominent business and government figures spread rumors about the attack on Brown University’s campus this month, reigniting questions about accountability in online discourse.
The Class Where ‘Screenagers’ Train to Navigate Social Media and A.I.

New technologies are complicating efforts to teach the scrolling generation to think critically and defensively online.
U.S. Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers

The Trump administration, citing “foreign censorship,” imposed travel bans on experts involved in monitoring major tech platforms.
FDA Expands Covid Vaccine Inquiry to Adult Deaths

The agency claimed that 10 children’s deaths were linked to the shots, although it did not release evidence to support the assertions.
A.I. Videos Have Flooded Social Media. No One Was Ready.

Apps like OpenAI’s Sora are fooling millions of users into thinking A.I. videos are real, even when they include warning labels.
F.D.A. Attributes 10 Children’s Deaths to Covid Vaccines

The agency’s top vaccine regulator said that a review had found that the children were likely to have died “because of” the shots. But public health experts want to examine the data.
Right-Wing Chatbots Turbocharge America’s Political and Cultural Wars

Once pitched as dispassionate tools to answer your questions, A.I. chatbots are now programmed to reflect the biases of their creators.
A.I. Is Making Death Threats Way More Realistic

Online harassers are generating images and sounds that simulate their victims in violent situations.
Trump Rattles Vaccine Experts Over Aluminum

The president’s call for removal of the metal from childhood inoculations set off alarms. About half of shots for polio, whooping cough and other diseases would be affected.
The W.N.B.A Gets More Attention Now. That’s Not Always a Good Thing.

The league’s popularity has given rise to online sexism and racism — and misinformation that traffics in both.
Dolly Parton Addresses Health Fears After Sister’s Plea for Prayers

In a video post on social media, the country music superstar, who is 79, played down the recent health challenges that prompted her to delay her Las Vegas residency.
Kennedy’s Ties to Ally Leading Vaccine Lawsuits Raise Ethical Concerns

Aaron Siri is leading legal efforts on policies that dovetail with parts of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s government agenda.