A machine-learning approach could help counter disinformation

Disinformation has become a central feature of the COVID-19 crisis. According to a recent poll, false or misleading information about the pandemic reaches close to half of all online news consumers in the U.K. As this type of malign information and high-tech "deepfake" imagery can spread so fast online, it poses a risk to democratic societies worldwide by increasing public mistrust in governments and public authorities -- a phenomenon referred to as "truth decay." New research, however, highlights new ways to detect and dispel disinformation online. There are several factors that may account for the rapid spread of disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the global nature of the pandemic, more groups are using disinformation to further their agendas.