Claire Wardle & Ariel Bogle (2020) | Misinformation is Infectious

Festival of Dangerous Ideas

As lockdowns and quarantines continue, some of us may feel like we're losing our grip on reality. Misinformation and conspiracy theories spread worldwide and algorithms continue to serve up our own custom-made versions of the internet. Are we just a few lines of code away from being a conspiracy theorist? Hear about technology’s role in the spread of COVID-19 related misinformation and how the most damaging culprits are simple voice notes and text messages. Conspiracy theories have gone mainstream. Can you spot them?

Claire Wardle is a leading expert on user generated content, verification and misinformation. She is co-founder and director of First Draft, the world’s foremost nonprofit focused on research and practice to address mis- and disinformation.

Ariel Bogle is an award-winning technology reporter at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).