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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 3 OctOber 2020

Misinformation spikes as Trump confirms COVID-19 diagnosis

to parrot the same phrase internet is like outside the opens the door for people
over and over to inundate us- mainstream, but even among to unwittingly spread misin-
ers with messaging, and they regular users we are seeing formation, said Cirone, the
are sometimes signals of co- quite a lot of crazy thinking Cornell professor.
ordinated activity. The social pushed out there from peo-
media company said it was ple who should know better,” She predicted that internet
working to limit views on Creevy said. Other social users will share video clips
those tweets. media users were suggest- of politicians coughing or
But nearly 30,000 Twitter us- ing that Trump’s diagnosis appearing ill to prematurely
ers had retweeted a variety of is a hoax aimed at generating claim that they have tested
conspiracy theories about the sympathy among voters or positive for the virus.
news by Friday morning, ac- even getting out of the next In fact, social media us-
cording to an analysis by Vi- presidential debate against ers have already employed
neSight, a tech company that Democratic presidential a similar strategy when they
tracks online misinforma- nominee Joe Biden. shared video clips of Biden
tion. That speculation shows up in coughing during an event in
Facebook comments on news Pennsylvania on Wednesday
(AP) — News Friday that ing around this polarizing Roughly 10,000 of those stories about Trump. to suggest he was sick. The
President Donald Trump election. Trump himself has retweets touted the drug “It is a lie,” one Facebook video resurfaced again — get-
and first lady Melania Trump driven much of that confu- hydroxychloroquine, an un- user wrote on a TV news ting more than 160,000 views
had tested positive for CO- sion and distrust on the cam- proven treatment for COV- network’s post about Trump, on Twitter by Friday morn-
VID-19 sparked an explosion paign trail, from his presi- ID-19, as a treatment for the calling it a “Strategy to not ing — with social media us-
of rumors, misinformation dential podium and his Twit- president. Another 13,000 debate Biden anymore.” ers suggesting that Biden ei-
and conspiracy theories that ter account, where he's made retweets were related to a ther infected Trump or had
in a matter of hours littered wrong claims about wide- QAnon conspiracy theory Similar posts making the caught the virus from Trump
the social media feeds of spread voter fraud or hawked that the president is going groundless claim were shared during the debate. Biden and
many Americans. unproven cures for the coro- into quarantine while mass hundreds or thousands of his wife tested negative Fri-
navirus, such as hydroxy- arrests of high-profile poli- times online. day for the virus.
Tweets shared thousands of chloroquine. “This is both a ticians like Trump’s former “Is Trump faking COVID “Individual citizens shouldn’t
times claimed Democrats political crisis weeks before Democratic nominee Hill- to avoid narcissistic injury amplify any speculation,”
might have somehow inten- the election and also a health ary Clinton are carried out, of losing the election?” one Cirone said. “Nefarious ac-
tionally infected the presi- crisis; it's a perfect storm,” according to the company’s Twitter user asked in a post tors are banking on the (like-
dent with the coronavirus said Alexandra Cirone, an as- analysis. retweeted more than 4,000 lihood) that citizens will be
during the debates. Others sistant professor at Cornell Most of the conversation was times Friday morning. very concerned about this
speculated in Facebook posts University who studies the coming from unverified ac- Clint Watts, a disinformation and accidentally spread fake
that maybe the president effect of misinformation on counts on Twitter, said Gide- expert with the Foreign Policy news.”
was faking his illness. And government. “This is just one on Blocq, the CEO of Vine- Research Institute, published
the news also ignited con- more piece of fake news in an Sight. “A lot of them seem a report in July describing In perhaps a sign of what's to
stant conjecture among QA- election that’s already seen a very happy about what’s go- one or both of the candidates come, state-backed Russian
non followers, who peddle high level of fake news.” ing to happen because they contracting COVID-19 as television channel RT tweet-
a baseless belief that Trump think Hillary Clinton is go- a scenario for prompting an ed a story suggesting that
is a warrior against a secret Facebook said Friday that it ing to be arrested," Blocq said onslaught of disinformation Biden’s prolonged cough-
network of government of- immediately began monitor- of the QAnon accounts. in the campaign. ing from the debate raised
ficials and celebrities that ing misinformation around Misinformation was not “The biggest reason why this concerns for the former vice
they falsely claim is running the president’s diagnosis only promoted in the fringe is a disaster is because there president after Trump’s test.
a child trafficking ring. and had started applying fact spheres of the internet but by are no trusted information In the last presidential elec-
checks to some false posts. everyday social media users sources remaining that have tion, Russia launched an
In the final weeks of the pres- Twitter, meanwhile, was as well, said Shane Creevy, not been undermined by the online misinformation cam-
idential campaign, Trump’s monitoring an uptick in head of editorial at Kinzen, president,” he said. paign with bogus social me-
COVID-19 diagnosis was “copypasta” campaigns about an Ireland-based company The news is also ripe for for- dia accounts that aimed to
swept into an online vortex Trump's illness. “Copypasta” that works to monitor misin- eign and domestic internet sway U.S. voters' opinions in
of coronavirus misinforma- campaigns are attempts by formation online. instigators to exploit in a dis- the race, and there are signs
tion and the falsehoods swirl- numerous Twitter accounts “The conspiracy part of the information campaign, and that the Kremlin is at it again.

Actor Rick Moranis sucker punched while walking in NYC

(AP) — Actor Rick Mora- Moranis took himself to the because of privacy concerns. in the last 1990s to focus on made occasional appearances
nis was sucker punched by hospital and later went to a Police describe the incident raising his children, but has since.
an unknown assailant while police station to report the as a “random unprovoked as-
walking Thursday on a side- incident, according to the sault.”
walk near New York's Cen- official, who was not autho-
tral Park, a law enforcement rized to speak publicly about Moranis was attacked while
official told the Associated the incident and did so on walking south on Central
Press. condition of anonymity. Park West. The assailant fled
northbound. Moranis suf-
Surveillance video shows Moranis’ representative Troy fered back, hip, neck and
a man wearing a black “I Bailey said in a written state- head pain, though the full
(heart) NY” sweatshirt and a ment Friday: “Rick Mo- extent of his injuries was
backpack hitting the 67-year- ranis was assaulted on the not clear, the official said.
old “Ghostbusters” star and Upper West Side yesterday. Moranis shot to fame in the
knocking him to the ground He is fine but grateful for 1980s as a star of the sketch
around 7:24 a.m. Thursday. everyone’s thoughts and well comedy series “Second City
The attack happened just a wishes.” Police released sur- Television,” before landing
few blocks from the Central veillance video of the assault roles in blockbuster movies
Park West apartment build- in seeking the public's help to like “Ghostbusters,” “Space-
ing where Moranis' character find the attacker, but did not balls” and “Honey I Shrunk
lived in the movie. say Moranis was the victim the Kids.” He put acting aside