CHICAGO – Potentially dangerous coronavirus misinformation has spread from continent to continent like the pandemic itself, forcing the world’s largest tech companies to take unprecedented action to protect public health.
Facebook, Google and others have begun using algorithms, new rules and obtrusive facts to knock down harmful coronavirus conspiracy theories, questionable ads and unproven remedies that crop up continually on their services — and which could jeopardize lives.
Health officials, critics and others who have long implored the tech companies to step up their response to viral falsehoods have welcomed the new effort, saying the platforms are now working faster than ever to scrub their sites of coronavirus misinformation. “It