Countries have more than 100 laws on the books to combat misinformation. How well do they work?. (4th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yadav, Kamya; Erdoğdu, Ulaş; Siwakoti, Samikshya; Shapiro, Jacob N.; Wanless, Alicia
• Is Part Of: Bulletin of the atomic scientists. Volume 77:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 128
• Publication Date: 2021-05-04
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- misinformation -- laws -- freedom of speech -- fake news; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; Nuclear energy -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Nuclear energy -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Nuclear weapons -- Periodicals; Nuclear weapons -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Nuclear arms control -- Periodicals; 363.1799
• DOI: 10.1080/00963402.2021.1912111
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0096-3402

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Since 2015, there has been a huge increase in laws that ostensibly seek to counter misinformation. Since the pandemic began, this trend has only accelerated. Both authoritarian and democratic governments have introduced more new policies to fight misinformation in 2019 and in 2020. In authoritarian states pandemic-related misinformation provided a new justification for repressive policies. Questions of political motivations aside, as the continuing problem of pandemic misinformation illustrates, it's unclear how effective these laws are.