Social media allows both misinformation and disinformation to be disseminated much more rapidly and broadly than ever before. “Disinformation” describes a “coordinated or deliberate” effort to spread misinformation in order to gain “money, power, or reputation”.
“Misinformation” is that which conflicts with the best scientific evidence available at the time. These judgments are influenced by their level of health and digital literacy, prior knowledge, personal situations, and personal beliefs. Consequentially, consumers must make their own judgments about how much trust to place in a source and the quality of the information it shares. However, both high- and low-quality health information can be found online, and few social media platforms (SMPs) differentiate between credible and non-credible sources of information. Increasing numbers of Americans have turned to internet sources for health and medical information in recent years, with approximately three out of four searching for health information online today, and similar rates among Europeans. People seek, share, and receive health information from a wide variety of sources, such as health care professionals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, family and friends, media, educational materials, advertisements, and the internet-including social media.