Fighting disinformation gets harder, just when it matters most
Researchers and governments need to co-ordinate; tech companies need to open up
In February 2024 America’s State Department revealed that it had uncovered a Russian operation designed to discredit Western-run health programmes in Africa. The operation included spreading rumours that dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness, was created by an American NGO, and that Africans who received treatment were being used as test subjects by American military researchers. The campaign, based around a Russian-funded news site, was intended to sow division and harm America’s reputation. Discouraging Africans from seeking health care was collateral damage along the way.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “A steep, steep hill”
From the May 4th 2024 edition
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