researching computational propaganda & disinfo w/ @newknowledgeAI. Mozilla Fellow. prev founder at @havenmx
, VC @OATV, trader @ Jane Street.
You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
What happens when popularity decides what gets top billing on search and social algorithms? When it comes to health information, the results can be tragic. I wrote about keyword voids, recommendations, and paid promotion of misinformation in @Wired.https://www.wired.com/story/the-complexity-of-simply-searching-for-medical-advice …
I picked the routine newborn vitamin k shot as the example for this article because of a recent tragedy that went viral on FB, but there are many more. Cancer quackery is another area where conspiracists and charlatans prey on the newly diagnosed who are searching for informationpic.twitter.com/EMqH7JRE8d
It was just brought to my attention that my link to @datasociety’s primer on data voids in search was omitted from my Wired article - I’d linked to their work bc they defined “data void” in search; their paper is a must-read.https://datasociety.net/output/data-voids-where-missing-data-can-easily-be-exploited/ …
Thank God someone is writing about data search algorithm tweaking and how this can also lead to search weaponization before political elections etc. The keyword paid promotion is found on major search engines and social media platforms and disturbingly it aids misinfo agents.
This is a great article. The algorithms are all broken and don't account for authorties or actual expertise. Amazon similar - search for a type of product (not a brand)- like a mini fridge or phone charging cable. You can't distinguish the well made from the cheap knockoffs.
Really good article! I think this is even more prevalent in countries like Mexico, where there are no good medical authorities and people still rely heavily on friends (fb) recommendations
Ohh I love this
What about Wikipedia? What's your rating here? And I would expect most people would use bona-fied sites like http://nhs.uk when researching medical information.
Have you ever before done an experiment? Have you fermented anything? Have you made your own vinegar just to see how the process works? Have you composted your waste & seen food turn into mud? Have you built anything mechanical?
Yet another person who overvalues formal “education” succumbing to “expert” disease bc she knows 2 doctors who swear their 10 years of medical studying corporate-funded “science” is valid. Ur next article should be on understanding confirmation bias. It’ll be a self diagnosis.
You mean some people STILL believe what they read on the Interwebs? I will stick with waiting for the Town Crier to turn up in the Market Square.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
