Twitter testing misinformation labels and internet shutdowns in Algeria and Sudan
The last few days have been busy for fact-checkers, journalists and people working to improve the quality of online information. In the U.S. misinformation spiked after President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19. In India, misinformation and conspiracy theories are doing the rounds around the recent incident of alleged rape and murder of a young woman in Hathras, a district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. As Myanmar prepares for elections in November, the country is dealing with multiple crises. There is a stricter lockdown with COVID-19 cases rising in the Yangon Region and with elections in a month's time, the Union Election Commission launched a new mobile election app which quickly drew fire for including information on each candidate's "race" and "religion", as well as that of their parents.
As we continue to bring you updates on all these issues and regions, we hope you're staying safe and watching out for suspicious and unverified information online. If you have any questions or concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, send them our way. Our in-house experts will respond to your queries. Happy reading, and don't forget to share the Checklist with your friends and family!
Your COVID-19 questions
Journalist and medical doctor, Dr. Seema Yasmin shares weekly highlights from Meedan's public health journalism tool, learnaboutcovid19.org.
What do we know about people who are pregnant and have Covid-19?
Dr. Seema says: "Pregnancy causes changes in the body, including to the immune system, that can increase a person’s risk of severe disease from respiratory infections. This has been well documented with flu, and pregnant patients are known to suffer higher rates of flu complications compared to flu patients who are not pregnant. Three CDC studies published in June and September found pregnant patients with Covid-19 have higher hospitalization rates, a higher risk of ICU admission, and increased likelihood of mechanical ventilation, compared to Covid-19 patients who were not pregnant. But the risk of death was similar in both groups. The studies also reveal racial disparities including higher rates of hospitalization and ICU admission among women of color. In one study, the highest rate of ICU admission was in pregnant Covid-19 patients who identified as Asian.
One of the studies found that Covid-19 can cause birth complications. (Although the virus can cross the placenta, this has not been documented in many cases.) This study found preterm delivery, pregnancy loss and stillbirths occurred at higher rates in pregnant patients with Covid-19. All of these studies highlight the need for strict infection control measures for people who are pregnant or trying to conceive, screening and monitoring throughout pregnancy. Covid-19 does not cause birth defects and it has not been suggested that people delay pregnancy because of the pandemic." (Read more on what our experts say here)
Are teachers more likely to be infected in the general community, or in schools?
Dr. Seema says: "Around 1.5 million teachers in the U.S. is at risk of severe disease if they contract Covid-19, because of their age or underlying health problems. That’s 1 in 4 teachers. While the risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death is much lower for children compared to adults (especially older adults), children can act as vectors for the virus, passing it on to people who are more vulnerable. But it’s difficult to calculate the precise likelihood for infection for a teacher in school versus in the community. The risk depends on a few factors including the infection rate in their community; their baseline health; age; and infection prevention measures in their school such as pod systems that minimize interactions, mask wearing and frequent hand-washing, Covid-19 testing, and rapid isolation of anyone who is found to be infected." (Read more on what our experts say here)
Top stories
Twitter is testing how its misinformation labels can be more obvious, direct (Reuters)
Twitter’s Head of Site Integrity, Yoel Roth said the company is exploring changes to the small blue notices that it attaches to certain false or misleading tweets, to make these signals more ‘overt’ and be more ‘direct’ in giving users information. But he did not say whether any new versions would be ready before the U.S. election in the next four weeks, a period that experts say could be rife with false and misleading online content.
Roth said research undermining the idea that corrections can strengthen people’s beliefs in misinformation - known as the ‘backfire effect’ - had contributed to Twitter rethinking how its labels could be more obvious. The risk is that label “becomes a badge of honor” that users actively pursue for attention, said Roth. Though Twitter’s labels have been praised by some misinformation experts as a long-overdue intervention, their execution has triggered criticisms from researchers as too slow.
"Mostly things take off so fast that if you wait 20 or 30 minutes... most of the spread for someone with a big audience has already happened.”— Kate Starbird, an associate professor at the University of Washington who has been analyzing Twitter’s labeling responses
Internet shutdowns in Algeria and Sudan: damaging practices during exceptional circumstances (Access Now)
The Algerian and Sudanese governments have both shut down the internet during the general high school diploma examination as a measure to stop exam cheating. This included blocking of social media services, such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other services, to prevent questions from being leaked on these platforms.
This is not the first time that Sudan and Algeria have shut down the internet during examination periods, as this practice has been systematically carried out for many years.
"We must end internet shutdowns and blocking in any shape or form, as this constitutes a blatant violation of the U.N. resolution condemning internet shutdowns and an encroachment upon people’s fundamental human rights, including the right to access information and the right to enjoy the freedom of opinion and expression online. Internet users are at risk when they are blocked from accessing online platforms and websites, which prevents them from getting the latest news updates. This is especially critical right now in the global health crisis, as the most recent developments are found online and on social media." — Access Now
What’s new at Meedan
U.S. President Donald Trump has COVID-19. Here are some public health explainers that can help you with your breaking news reporting
On Thursday, Oct. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump reported positive diagnoses of COVID-19. Meedan’s team of in-house public health experts at learnaboutcovid19.org have explainers that can help support your reporting on this news event.
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