The Credibility Conundrum: Can Social Media Companies Define Credibility for Users?

Abstract

Ideas and Opinions7 March 2023The Credibility Conundrum: Can Social Media Companies Define Credibility for Users?Hussain S. Lalani, MD, MPH and Christine Laine, MD, MPHHussain S. Lalani, MD, MPHProgram on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (H.S.L.)Search for more papers by this author and Christine Laine, MD, MPHEditor in Chief, Annals of Internal Medicine, Senior Vice President, American College of Physicians, and Professor of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (C.L.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M23-0490 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail When one of us (C.L.) asked a 70-year-old woman why she declined COVID-19 vaccination, the woman responded, “Fertility.” She lived with her daughter and wanted grandchildren. A “friend who reads a lot” told her that vaccinated people emanate particles that affect the fertility of those around them. This woman fell victim to misinformation (false information spread without harmful intent) shared by her friend, whom she viewed as a more credible source than clinicians who urged vaccination. In contrast, others are exposed to disinformation (false information spread with ill intent).Whom people trust depends on many factors, including life experience, education, ...