The unwitting are the target of Covid-19 falsehoods online


Rockwell, who was targeted by vaccine opponents after she posted about her miscarriage online, looks at her Instagram page with her hijacked post marked as fake news during an interview at her home in Jenks, Oklahoma. Individuals across the country, like Rockwell, have found themselves swept into the misinformation maelstrom, their online posts or their very identities hijacked by anti-vaccine activists and others peddling lies about the Covid-19 outbreak. — AP

Dr Michelle Rockwell lost a pregnancy in December and shared her heartache with her 30,000 Instagram followers. Weeks later, she received the Covid-19 vaccine and posted about that, too.

By February, Rockwell was getting past the grief and finally starting to experience moments of joy. But then, to her horror, social media users began using her posts to spread the false claim that she miscarried as a result of the shot.

Get 30% off with our ads free Premium Plan!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM9.73 only

Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month
RM8.63/month

Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters.

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Misinformation , fake news , hijacked posts

   

Next In Tech News

What is (or was) 'perks culture’?
South Korean team develops ‘Iron Man’ robot that helps paraplegics walk
TikTok's rise from fun app to US security concern
Jeff Bezos says most people should take more risks. Here’s the science that proves he’s right
Musk, president? Trump says 'not happening'
Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains – and bots
How tech created a ‘recipe for loneliness’
How data shared in the cloud is aiding snow removal
Trump appoints Bo Hines to presidential council on digital assets
Do you have a friend in AI?

Others Also Read