New York (AFP)

Facebook and other social networks knew that 2020, with the US presidential election, was going to be a year at risk in terms of disinformation. But the coronavirus pandemic has opened another front with life-threatening consequences.

Coming from abroad or from within, the threat hovering over the November polls had been identified a long time ago and the platforms seemed, to a certain extent, ready to face it.

Nothing could, however, let them predict the deluge of false information, conspiracy theories and false miracle cures that are falling online as the Covid-19 spreads around the world.

But today they are called upon to do more to end it.

"There is always a disparity between what people think is true and what they are inclined to share," David Rand, brain and cognitive science specialist at the prestigious MIT University, told AFP.

In other words: users of social networks often prefer to highlight content likely to be widely "liked" and shared, regardless of their degree of accuracy.

Messages encouraging them to ask themselves beforehand about the veracity of this content are therefore necessary, believes David Rand, co-author of a study, published in early March, on disinformation around the Covid-19.

Platforms may be reluctant to set up such reminder messages, says the expert, for fear of "degrading the user experience".

- False miracle cures -

While scientists are hard at work around the world finding vaccines and treatments, false information spreading online can have dramatic consequences.

In Iran, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, more than 200 people have died of methanol poisoning after rumors that drinking alcohol could help cure or protect themselves from Covid-19, according to l official agency Irna.

Volcanic ash, UV lamps or bleach ... The list goes on of fake remedies that can be dangerous.

"I have seen publications on" treatments "or prevention methods whose effectiveness has not been proven and / or full of misleading information, calls to the population to stock up on equipment and food "notes Dr. Jason McKnight, a professor of medicine at A&M University in Texas.

Misinformation about the virus poses two main dangers, he said, "causing fear or panic" and "potentially pushing people to do harmful things in the hopes of curing or preventing the disease".

- Preventive messages -

Facebook announced on March 18 that "authoritative" content would now appear as a priority on users' threads: messages and videos from the World Health Organization (WHO), experts and celebrities.

The first social network in the world also recalls its commitment to fight against disinformation by means of a program of external auditors ("fact-checkers"), including AFP, which has already labeled as "false" nearly 200 myths and rumors about the coronavirus.

This spurious content is then demoted to the news feed, in order to be less visible, and an article explaining what it is about disinformation appears when a user tries to share it.

A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment on the possibility for the platform to set up messages encouraging people to think twice before relaying a publication.

"We want to ensure that everyone on our network has access to credible and authoritative information in the field of health," replied a spokesman for Twitter, without expressing either on the relevance of such messages. preventive.

However, these would be relatively easy to set up for platforms, concludes the study conducted by David Rand of MIT, "and could have an immediate positive effect on the wave of disinformation on the Covid-19 epidemic" .

© 2020 AFP