Spotify says it will add a message to content about Covid-19 posted on its platform, directing users to accurate information about the pandemic and vaccines, and will also post its rules and "highlight" them for users. The company’s announcement Sunday came as the platform faces intense pressure from content creators and users for hosting vaccine misinformation, particularly by podcast host Joe Rogan.
But simply adding labels to content and posting rules is a pretty underwhelming response.
While the company hasn't done enough, the celebrities and users who have called the company out have shown us how we can effectively fight vaccine misinformation.
After all, Facebook and Twitter have been attaching such messages with links to accurate vaccine information on posts on their sites since March. But belief in vaccine misinformation is still widespread. Almost 80 percent of Americans said they believe at least one vaccine myth or aren't sure whether it's true in a poll conducted in October by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
While social networks aren't solely responsible, they certainly bear a fair share of the blame. After all, almost half of Americans say they "sometimes" or "often" get their news from social media, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey. So labels and links to accurate information alone aren't going to solve this problem.
And, sorry to break this to you, Spotify, but posting rules on your website isn't going to fix this, either. Facebook and Twitter...
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