People have unwittingly had their online posts or pictures exploited to spread misinformation about COVID-19 in recent months. They include a movie prop master whose video about retractable stunt needles was used to spread false claims about injections, a doctor whose miscarriage was incorrectly blamed on the vaccine, and a professor whose identity was manipulated to push the conspiracy theory that the coronavirus is a hoax. Sharing other people’s posts or photos out of context is a common tactic in the disinformation playbook, but experts say that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can mean the difference between someone taking precautions or not.
The unwitting are the target of COVID-19 falsehoods online
