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• 1 2020-01-23T16:44:09+00:00 Can we prevent fake news from going viral? 9 plain 2020-04-29T16:38:55+00:00 Together, the tactics used by those invested in debates over vaccination are not dissimilar to techniques used to spread disinformation today.
  
  The World Health Organization declared the global eradication of smallpox in 1979. This would not have been possible without compulsory vaccination.
  
  Can this history tell us anything about the role of the government in reigning in disinformation? In a landmark 1905 ruling in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the Supreme Court upheld the right of states to enforce compulsory vaccination, arguing it was akin to requiring compulsory service in the case of a foreign invasion. However, the ruling required states to regulate vaccines so that these defenses didn’t pose a threat themselves.
  
  Questions for Further Thought: 
  • Can you find any similarities between the spread of mis/disinformation about smallpox vaccination and news about COVID-19? 
  • How does this exhibit relate to current conversations about the role of the government in regulating social media platforms that spread disinformation?
  • Do social media companies have an obligation to regulate expression on their platforms even if it infringes on individual rights?
  • It is possible to inoculate people against disinformation?
  
  A recent game called Bad News explores just that idea. It exposes players to small doses of disinformation in order to “inoculate” them against it. By inviting players to spread disinformation, it argues, it can raise awareness of common tactics used to help “fake news” go viral.