Euro News - By the time many woke up Monday to news of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, social media sites were already scrambling to delete misinformation and hoaxes that were spreading quickly. Despite the efforts, fake news about the shooter's political leanings and his religion gained traction online.
The problem of erroneous information being posted on social media platforms is often worsened as well-intentioned people press the share or retweet buttons, helping to spread a piece of fake news, Allison Matherly, coordinator of digital engagement at Texas Tech University said.
"It's not just people purposely spreading misinformation," Matherly said. "People also accidentally spread information wanting to inform those around them, and they don't vet the social media post and spread that misinformation further."
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