Fighting the Misinformation Virus

Like any other mobile-savvy person, chances are you might have unintentionally forwarded, retweeted, or shared “fake news” or misinformation online. We are more connected and have more access to information than ever before, which naturally results in more of us sharing misinformation when we fail to check the authenticity of the source. On account of the big events of 2020 – you know which! – our eyes remain glued to the news in an effort to arm ourselves with knowledge, but misinformation avalanches are common (remember those popular narratives claiming COVID ‘cures’?) Fake stories and misinformation have become part of the endless feeds we consume daily, contributing to the new global crisis that The World Health Organization (WHO) terms as the “infodemic” of misinformation.

Digital misinformation is increasingly becoming a major threat to our society. The ease of creating and distributing online content, however inaccurate, coupled with the speed with which it can be consumed, results in a rapid and organic spread of the misinformation virus. With just a few clicks and forwards, dangerous misinformation can go viral, resulting in us trusting or distrusting a government or brand, misdiagnosing ourselves or failing to seek proper treatment, and panic buying certain items for fear of shortages – thereby creating a shortage. And the rise of AI-generated synthetic videos, known as deepfakes, are opening up an entirely new realm of deception.

56% of consumers are concerned about what is or isn’t real online. It isn’t always easy to spot a fake story – how can we tell if we are being influenced by misleading content? And how do we ensure we are not unintentionally promoting misleading content and influencing others? Major tech vendors are beginning to doing their part to minimize the spread of the misinformation virus. WhatsApp has created a fact-checking tool that lets users research frequently-forwarded messages on Google. Twitter launched Birdwatch in January 2021, a crowdsourcing tool enabling users to append informative context or factual corrections to misleading tweets. The supplementary information appears as notes which other Birdwatch users rate according to helpfulness.

Efforts from tech vendors alone won’t be sufficient to stop the spread of the misinformation virus, which we predict will soon create headlines across industries as consumers’ increasing suspicion extends beyond the news, media, or elections. Consumers expect brands to gear up to join the fight. What’s alarming is that brands are already behind in the fight due to lack of consumer trust. Our earlier research revealed that consumers are more likely to trust recommendation engines, e-commerce sites, mobile apps, wearables, smart speakers and other AI-powered systems than information directly provided by businesses via their websites.

Brands will have to take radical measures to safeguard their customers and, ultimately, their brand from the misinformation virus. One simple approach is to observe  how other brands across industries are taking action:

• Finland-based healthcare service company Terveystalo launched the ‘Essential Influencers’ campaign, calling on social media platforms to create a ‘verified’ badge to highlight scientists, doctors, and public health officials providing accurate, unbiased, and relevant information about coronavirus.
• Canon Europe launched TruthMark to address the issue of doctored images by allowing photographers to tell the story behind an image. Photographers can upload photos to a public database along with documentation, information, and context, which then stays attached to the photos as they’re shared.

The unintentional promotion of "fake news" and misinformation happens mainly due to lack of awareness. Companies possess a wealth of industry information they can leverage to limit the dangerous consequences of misinformation that affect us all. How? By becoming an indispensable consumer resource full of trusted facts. Companies should get their experts out of the lab and have them lead ordinary, online conversations to tackle false information. Think about how and where misinformation might seep into your industry. Will it be due to cumbersome processes, or a perceived lack of transparency? Is there a specific set of customers more vulnerable to false or incorrect information? A study from MIT found that people who were more likely to think critically, or who had more knowledge, were less likely to share misinformation. And when asked directly about the accuracy, most people did reasonably well at telling true news headlines from false ones.

Companies have a tremendous opportunity to take the brand-to-consumer relationship to the next level by safeguarding customers against misinformation. Follow the example set by peer-to-peer platforms like Medley and think about creating your own community, somewhere to exchange information and let customers and employees verify news and information related to your industry. Successful brands will move beyond merely providing traditional products and services, redefining their role by developing tools and platforms to help customers and employees spot misinformation and tackle the virus.

The misinformation virus is already spreading through our communities, and just like its covid cousin, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes unstoppable. Masks, lockdowns, and hand sanitizer won’t help us this time, and the vaccine for this particular virus won’t take the form of a quick injection. Instead, a concerted, collective effort from tech companies, brands, governments, and individuals is required to immunize the population. Is your brand up for the challenge?