The 'infodemic' spotlights the platforms' misinformation problem

The spread of false and misleading information during the pandemic, dubbed an infodemic, spotlighted the misinformation problem on the social media platforms this year, intensifying scrutiny of their role in public discourse and their responsibility for the harmful content circulating through their systems.

As the pandemic unfolded, false claims, conspiracy theories and misleading information about the virus, its origins, treatments and vaccines spread widely on social media, with potentially serious consequences for public health and the response to the crisis.

The phenomenon drew attention to the ways in which the platforms' systems could amplify misinformation, as algorithms designed to maximise engagement sometimes promoted sensational or false content, and as bad actors exploited the platforms to spread harmful claims.

The platforms responded with various measures, including labelling or removing false content, promoting authoritative information, and adjusting their systems, but their efforts drew criticism from multiple directions, seen by some as insufficient and by others as overreaching.

The infodemic intensified the broader debate about the responsibility of the platforms for the content they hosted and amplified, about the tension between addressing harmful misinformation and protecting free expression, and about the appropriate role of the companies and of regulation.

The misinformation problem highlighted by the pandemic underscored the profound challenges posed by the platforms' role in the information ecosystem, and the difficulty of addressing the spread of harmful content at the scale and speed of social media. It intensified the pressure on the platforms and the debate about their responsibilities and governance, a defining and consequential issue in the relationship between the technology platforms and society, with implications extending well beyond the pandemic.