Misinformation on Twitter could be cut in half if the social network implemented a handful of stricter measures, a new study finds.
Misinformation has become a threat to public health, but it's unclear if social networks will take the steps needed to slow the spread on their platforms.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are rife with misinformation that can easily go viral. One study looked at millions of tweets and found that a handful of steps could be taken to slow the spread of false information on Twitter.
Researchers with the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public found that combining multiple measures -- including deplatforming repeat misinformation offenders, removing false claims and warning people about posts with false information -- could reduce the volume of misinformation on Twitter by 53.4%. The study's findings were published in the journal Nature last week.
Just using one of those measures can slow down misinformation, but there are diminishing returns if just taking one step, said Jevin West, one of the co-authors of the paper and an associate professor at the University of Washington Information School. By combining multiple measures, there can be a significant improvement on the results, the study found.
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