Social-media Companies Must Flatten the Curve of Misinformation

The pandemic lays bare the failure to quarantine online scams, hoaxes and lies amid political battles. At Harvard Kennedy’s Shorenstein Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we track misinformation online. Social media is tooled to distribute financial scams, miracle-promising products and fear-mongering conspiracies alongside medical advice, school closures, news and family updates. It’s no surprise that damaging guff overwhelms valid recommendations and crucial health information. Correcting the record is impossible.