“Is COVID-19 a hoax?”: auditing the quality of COVID-19 conspiracy-related information and misinformation in Google search results in four languages
ISSN: 1066-2243
Article publication date: 12 July 2023
Issue publication date: 20 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Accurate information is the basis for well-informed decision-making, which is particularly challenging in the dynamic reality of a pandemic. Search engines are a major gateway for obtaining information, yet little is known about the quality and scientific accuracy of information answering conspiracy-related queries about COVID-19, especially outside of English-speaking countries and languages.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an algorithmic audit of Google Search, emulating search queries about COVID-19 conspiracy theories in 10 different locations and four languages (English, Arabic, Russian, and Hebrew) and used content analysis by native language speakers to examine the quality of the available information.
Findings
Searching the same conspiracies in different languages led to fundamentally different results. English had the largest share of 52% high-quality scientific information. The average quality score of the English-language results was significantly higher than in Russian and Arabic. Non-English languages had a considerably higher percentage of conspiracy-supporting content. In Russian, nearly 40% of the results supported conspiracies compared to 18% in English.
Originality/value
This study’s findings highlight structural differences that significantly limit access to high-quality, balanced, and accurate information about the pandemic, despite its existence on the Internet in another language. Addressing these gaps has the potential to improve individual decision-making collective outcomes for non-English societies.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Earlier versions of these findings were presented at the PCST Conference: Creating Common Ground in April 2023. The presentation was titled “The disparity in access to reliable online information regarding COVID-19 conspiracies across four languages.” Additionally, the findings were presented at the ECREA Online Pre-Conference: Science and Environment Communication Section in October 2022. The presentation was titled “‘Is COVID-19 a Hoax?’: auditing the veracity, quality, and accessibility of Google search results for COVID-19 conspiracies in four languages”.
Citation
Dabran-Zivan, S., Baram-Tsabari, A., Shapira, R., Yitshaki, M., Dvorzhitskaia, D. and Grinberg, N. (2023), "“Is COVID-19 a hoax?”: auditing the quality of COVID-19 conspiracy-related information and misinformation in Google search results in four languages", Internet Research, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 1774-1801. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-07-2022-0560
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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