Governing Online Rumor: An Uncertain Intervention Timing Model for Online Rumor Propagation from the Perspective of Government

Abstract

In view of different types of online rumors, when the governance institutions (government departments) intervene to achieve the least cost and the best effect is a core issue of rumor governance. Based on the perspective of the government, under the premise of limited human, material and financial resources, and considering the different impacts of government intervention opportunities on the spread of different types of rumors, this paper establishes an uncertain multi-objective network rumor transmission intervention timing model, so as to achieve the optimal allocation of government intervention opportunities for different types of online rumors, minimize the total cost and maximize the inhibition effect of rumor spreading. Then, the equivalent form of the model is given, and the model is solved. In addition, numerical experiments are conducted on three types of rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experimental results show that when the types of online rumors and the focus of government departments on cost and governance effect are different, the optimal time for intervention will change. Finally, combined with the experimental results, corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward for the supervision of online rumors by government departments.