When disaster strikes, disinformation spreads
Published April 10, 2020
Nexus Media News quotes Jun Zhuang, professor of industrial and systems engineering, in a story on how authorities need to be wary of disinformation and malicious claims in times of crisis.
During Hurricane Harvey, for example, some people claimed authorities were checking the immigration status of people who went to shelters, a claim that may have been intended to dissuade undocumented immigrants from seeking aid. “People who were vulnerable were panicking, getting angry and mad, and not willing to go to shelters because of the fear,” Zhuang said.
MSN Australia republished the story.
