A new report highlights the scale of disinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine
- The scale of the misinformation campaign to spread distrust in a Covid-19 vaccine has been revealed in a new report
- The Center for Countering Digital Hate gained access to a private anti-vaxxers’ conference, finding groups were intent on recruiting new members and undermining facts about the jab
- The claims made by anti-vaccination groups are unfounded, with any potential Covid-19 vaccine undergoing rigorous testing before getting approval from regulators
- leading figures in the anti-vaccination movement – based on unfounded claims – have outlined three objectives to spread to the public: that Covid “is not dangerous”, that vaccines “are dangerous” and that experts cannot be trusted
- Access to the conference found anti-vax groups have seized the Covid pandemic as “a historic opportunity” to further their cause and create long-lasting distrust in vaccinations
- To learn more about the spread of misinformation, read our recent article here
Shopify stores riddled with fakes and fraudsters
- Nearly 21% of Shopify stores pose a risk to their customers, according to analysis by e-commerce authentication service Fakespot
- Shopify provides the technology backbone for businesses to set up a store and sell their products online
- The company has become valuable to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic because its services are not expensive and easy to set up
- Shopify said that it routinely monitors for fraud and other violations
Among Us is the most popular game ever
- With roughly half a billion people reportedly playing it in November, Among Us has had the most monthly players for a mobile game ever, beating giants like Pokémon GO and Candy Crush Saga
- According to Nielsen’s SuperData, the game is “by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players”
- The success is even more remarkable because InnerSloth — the company that makes Among Us — only has four employees
- Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez livestreamed herself playing it to try to encourage people to vote, with an audience on Twitch that peaked at over 400 thousand viewers
- If you would like to learn more about the game Among Us, read our recent article here
Coronavirus: impact of new strain on children being investigated
- Scientists are urgently investigating claims that the new variant of coronavirus spreads more easily in children
- If proven, this could account for “a significant proportion” of the increase in transmission, they say
- The claim comes from members of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats advisory group (Nervtag)
- On Monday, Boris Johnson said he wanted to open schools in January “if we possibly can”
- There are no suggestions for the new form of the virus is a greater threat to children’s health