A Digital Communication Twin for Addressing Misinformation: Vision, Challenges, Opportunities

Abstract

In this article, we propose a novel approach to address the major ethical and societal problem of misinformation on social media. Specifically, how can we identify misinformation, understand how it spreads, and produce effective interventions? Our envisioned solution is sociotechnical in that it relies upon people (specifically community leaders) to push back against the ravages of misinformation but incorporates novel computational support for doing so. Specifically, we envision a digital communication twin platform for misinformation flow in social networks. We present the motivation, components, challenges, and opportunities in the development of this platform. We illustrate the potential for this approach via misinformation about healthcare, which has flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic.