Major social networks are dashing to take down a brand new coronavirus conspiracy theory video, which has quickly spread throughout the internet.
Plandemic
The so-called "Plandemic" video is edited in the form of a documentary, with much higher production standards than many conspiracy videos relating to COVID-19.
The video is packed with scientific misinformation about how the virus came from and how it is transmitted.
Despite efforts to cast off it, netizens are continually re-importing the clip.
Since the 26-minute video first seen earlier this week, it has exploded throughout YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other websites, prompting an attempt to take it down.
Among the claims are that: using masks and gloves truly makes humans sicker; the virus is released from a laboratory, and that closing beach is "insanity" because of "healing microbes" in the water.
The video also shows that a wide variety of deaths is intentionally falsified, which allows you to control the population.
A massively popular fitness and nutrition influencer with 1.2 million followers is sharing COVID-19 conspiracy videos calling the virus a “plandemic,” saying it was orchestrated by secretive groups and that we’ve been “lied to” abt it. https://t.co/PXnaO3IEp0 pic.twitter.com/AQ6JunT2gb — Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) May 7, 2020
How it spread
Anti-vaccine activists have drawn hundreds of thousands of perspectives on social media by promoting COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Activists are seeking larger audiences in the middle of the pandemic by using the same techniques that YouTube creators and influencers use to get perspectives.
Renee DiResta, a researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory, said if conspiracy theorists "[could] create content people will find if they search for a specific term," they'll invest the time.
When copies of "Plandemic" started out to disappear from YouTube, supporters bombarded Twitter with claims that they had been unfairly censored. The documentary eventually became a trending hashtag on Thursday, using even more attention, outrage, and media coverage to it.
Potential harm
Conspiracy-oriented movies, contain numerous erroneous claims that would lead people to search ineffective, dangerous remedies for COVID-19, or encourage people to ignore guidelines for staying safe.
Judy Mikovits, the anti-vaccine character featured in "Plandemic," said that a flu vaccine from the mid-2010s is "driving the pandemic," that wearing a mask will "activate" the virus in the body, and that Anthony Fauci should be charged with "treason." The claims were repeated in the clip, which itself was presupposed to be a teaser for an extended documentary.
David Gorski, a surgical oncologist at Wayne State University School of Medicine who's a known professional on scientific misinformation, has a thorough rundown debunking the claims here.
ALSO READ: Truth About 5G Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory: Here's What Experts Say
How to stop
Experts said that platforms are trying to sell information and extreme perspectives, raising reliable facts in recommendations and search. But websites like YouTube and Facebook have struggled to put in force those misinformation guidelines quickly enough to prevent videos like "Plandemic" from being extensively shared and regarded anyway.
There's any other challenge, too: misinformation, mainly health misinformation prospers while reliable data is scant or unavailable. This is a particular trouble in the current pandemic, as medical workers and scientists are racing to understand an ailment that didn't exist six months ago.
If conspiracy theorists are behind most of the content regarding specific ideas or search terms, then people Googling the words out of interest will find themselves in a tunnel of unreliable sources.
Some medical doctors have labored to fill these voids by debunking prevalent misinformation to their massive followings on the social media platforms in which those ideas are spreading. Zubin Damania, a doctor and online personality, posted "A Doctor Reacts To 'Plandemic'" to his YouTube channel earlier this week.
He encouraged his followers not to waste time watching Plandemic. "I can't believe I'm wasting my time doing this. But I just want to stop getting messages about it," he said. The video has more than 1.3 million views.
