RICK REA: Helping You Grow Through Online Marketing
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Social Media News
    • SEO Marketing News
    • Digital Trends News
    • Photography News
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Business News
    • Gadget News
    • Printing News
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe


Coronavirus conspiracy theories spread panic and dangerous misinformation

1/30/2020

0 Comments

 
https://ift.tt/2SacjLs

Coronavirus conspiracy theories spread panic and dangerous misinformation

https://ift.tt/38XquKf

The deadly coronavirus has spawned dangerous, baffling conspiracy theories online as officials across the globe work to stop the virus' spread. 

As of Thursday afternoon, there had been more than 7,700 confirmed cases of the virus — which originated in Wuhan, China — and at least 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries, including the U.S., have confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization.

But as bad as the virus is, conspiracy theories and misinformation are making the situation worse. The internet is rife with misinformation — some if it dangerous, some strange, some downright racist — seemingly designed to piggyback off the intense interest in the virus. There has been so much bad information out there that Twitter has started tweaking search results to filter out non-credible coronavirus content and Google has launched "SOS Alert" to provide reliable resources for people searching for information about the virus.

Here are some of the most prominent hoaxes currently being spread across social media and resources debunking them.   

The Bill Gates theory 

The thrust of this theory is that the coronavirus is somehow owned by Bill Gates and was unleashed for nefarious purposes. One Twitter post, for instance, racked up 1,000 retweets by linking out to a strange website running a headline claiming the coronavirus was "a patented virus" and that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was "one of the primary owners." The tweet then pivoted to wondering if the "deep state" spread the virus "to create chaos since nothing [is] stopping Trump."

A similar conspiracy theory floated around TikTok last week, according to Forbes. But the Gates Foundation did not, of course, create a virus that the so-called deep state then used to infect an unsuspecting population. 

As is often the case, there is a kernel of truth somewhere that was distorted well past the realm of reality. In this instance, the Gates Foundation helped fund the UK's Pirbright Institute, which holds a patent related to the development of a weakened strain of the coronavirus that could be used to vaccinate birds or other animals from respiratory diseases.

"Pirbright does not currently work with human coronaviruses," the institute said in a statement. 

Additionally, The Gates Foundation foundation announced on Sunday that it would donate $10 million to fight the outbreak. 

QAnon tells people to drink bleach 

As the Daily Beast reported, QAnon folks — a wholly false, yet incredibly popular conspiracy theory that claims President Donald Trump is dismantling a secret, vast deep-state cabal — have been promoting the use of "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS) to protect yourself against the coronavirus. 

“I’m going to have to get home, and MMS the whole state,” QAnon promoter Jordan Sather said in a recent video, according to the Daily Beast. “MMS the whole shit out of everything.” 

The thing is, MMS is basically bleach. 

"Miracle Mineral Solution and similar products are not FDA-approved, and ingesting these products is the same as drinking bleach," the FDA said in an August statement. 

China expanded its lockdown against the deadly new virus to an unprecedented 36 million people. New followers protect yourself with the 20-20-20 spray. Watch this video It will kill the deadly virus. https://t.co/cWfMQZHoY5

— chiefpolice (@chiefpolice2) January 25, 2020


Misinformation for charity

One U.S. nonprofit has apparently raised a fair bit of money for charity, in part, by posting sensationalistic Instagram posts about the coronavirus. NBC News reported the two most popular coronavirus Instagram posts were both from Karmagawa, a nonprofit that says it donates proceeds of its merchandise to charity. 

"Both posts feature a carousel of videos, some of which show people eating animals like bats and mice and put the blame for the outbreak on the eating habits of Asian people — claims that have been debunked," wrote NBC News. 

Experts have warned these sorts of posts could help spread racist and xenophobic fears tied to the illness. The popular posts from Karmagawa, which has 1 million followers, have racked up tens of millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes. 

Viral racism 

As Mashable's Caitlin Welsh reported, there's an error-riddled social media post going viral that espouses racist conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. The misspelling-filled post falsely connects some Asian foods to the spread of the disease and has been particularly popular in Australia, even after it's been repeatedly debunked.

1/2 @NSWHealth has been made aware of a social media post that is being widely circulated warning people to not consume certain foods or visit certain locations in Sydney.

This post has not originated from NSW Health or any related entity... pic.twitter.com/GcvM4aG4ga

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 28, 2020

The Canadian lab theory 

Another popular (but debunked) theory involves a Winnipeg microbiology lab that handles dangerous pathogens. 

Sans evidence, the theory posits that a Chinese scientist who was escorted out of the lab last summer sent the coronavirus back to China. 

“This is misinformation and there is no factual basis for claims being made on social media,” The Public Health Agency of Canada told the National Post. 

THREAD: Some of my stories about Canada’s National Microbiology Lab (NML) have been distorted to create a #coronavirus conspiracy theory. One of the 1st mentions was Saturday on Twitter. Businessman Kyle Bass claimed this involved “a husband and wife Chinese spy team”: (1/11) pic.twitter.com/GfcnlBJ9Fp

— Karen Pauls (@karenpaulscbc) January 28, 2020

The coronavirus isn't warfare 

A common thread for a number of conspiracy theories out there is that the Chinese government developed the virus as a weapon. As Poynter Institute fact-checking site Politifact noted, one such theory floated the idea that the aforementioned scientist in the Canadian lab took the coronavirus to a maximum security lab in Wuhan, where it eventually hit the public. 

Prepare now I believe the coronavirus was bioengineered and accidentally released from the lab in Wuhan #coronavirus

— Nick Ricci (@NickRicci5) January 30, 2020

But Politifact said there just wasn't proof to back that up, "Officials are still trying to determine the exact cause of the outbreak, but there’s no evidence of it being created for use as a bioweapon." 

Debunked theories like these are a reminder that while the outbreak is concerning, you should still be careful about what you share and what you accept as fact. The coronavirus has the attention of the world, which all but guarantees people peddling disinformation will ride that wave. 

This is a developing story...





Social Media

via Mashable https://ift.tt/2DCFv97

January 30, 2020 at 07:57PM

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Amazing WeightLoss

    Click Here!

    Categories

    All
    Analyze Top Competitors
    Anti-Abuse
    Apple
    Apple Watch
    Blog Posts
    Brainstorm
    Brand Awareness
    Communications
    Content Marketing
    Conversion Rates
    Editorial Calendar Tips
    Engagement
    Facebook
    Google Analytics
    How To Marketing Tips
    Influencer
    Instagram
    Instagram Live
    Keyword Search
    Marketing
    Marketing Automation
    Picture Quotes
    Podcasts
    Recording Videos
    Repurpose Blogs
    Research Trends
    Sales Funnel
    SEO Marketing
    Sharing Posts
    Slide Shows
    Smartwatch
    Social Media Marketing
    Social Media News
    Social Media Tools
    Social Selling
    Target Marketing
    Twitter
    Twitter Notifications
    User Interaction
    Video
    Video Marketing

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Social Media News
    • SEO Marketing News
    • Digital Trends News
    • Photography News
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Business News
    • Gadget News
    • Printing News
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe