Disinformation and Misinformation Policy

Misinformation is false, inaccurate or out-of-context Content that is presented as fact and is shared without harmful intent although the effects may cause harm to public health and safety. Disinformation is false, inaccurate or out-of-context Content that is misleading and malicious and is shared with a deliberate intention to deceive or to secure economic or […]

Misinformation is false, inaccurate or out-of-context Content that is presented as fact and is shared without harmful intent although the effects may cause harm to public health and safety.

Disinformation is false, inaccurate or out-of-context Content that is misleading and malicious and is shared with a deliberate intention to deceive or to secure economic or political gain, and which may cause harm to public health and safety.

While misinformation happens “accidentally”, i.e. the person sharing is unaware that is sharing incorrect information, disinformation is deliberate, i.e. the person sharing knows the information is incorrect but shares it regardless. Examples of misinformation and disinformation include rumours, hoaxes and propaganda, where Content is used to manage attitudes, values and knowledge.

In this era of global communication, misinformation and disinformation can spread widely and instantly, creating confusion, fear, conflict and suspicion among the population which can cause distrust in world-reference institutions and public health guidelines as well as erode relationships between patients and health care professionals. This in turn can lead to potentially harmful health self-interventions or delay in seeking evidence-based care which can severely impact quality of care.

1. Content Not Allowed

We do not allow Content to be published on the ZeroDegrees Platform that national or international public health authorities conclude to be:

• False, fabricated, manipulated, inaccurate or out-of-context,
• likely to directly contribute to the risk of physical harm, including serious injury or death,
• likely to directly contribute to the risk of getting or spreading a harmful disease or refusing an associated vaccine,
• promoting or advocating miracle cures for conditions or diseases, where the recommended treatment has not been approved by public health authorities.

At ZeroDegrees we believe that facts matter and that fact-checking is crucial to stop the spread of misinformation and disinformation, especially when it concerns medicine and public health, as it can have extraordinarily dangerous and harmful consequences, putting the health and safety of our Members at risk. Before publishing or sharing Content on the ZeroDegrees Platform, our Members must:

• Fact-check: have proof/evidence that the information they are publishing corresponds to the facts
• Ensure that the information is coming from a reliable and reputable source, i.e. from a peer-reviewed scientific study published in a high-impact scientific journal.

Sensationalist Content or saying whatever comes to mind without proof is not welcome on our platform. The Author of the Content is responsible for checking the veracity of the content they publish.

2. Disinformation and Misinformation Policy Violation

If you find content on the ZeroDegrees Platform that violates this policy, please report it by clicking the report button. Our team will investigate reports of Content violation and consult with leading health organisations to identify health misinformation likely to cause harm to public health and safety.

If content is found to violate this policy, we will remove the content and suspend the account for a period of time. When determining the length of the suspension period for violating this policy, we consider a number of factors including the severity of the violation and the Member’s previous record of violations across all our Terms and Policies. We will send the Member an email to inform of our decision. Subsequent violations will lead to longer suspension periods and may eventually result in termination of the account, pursuant to section 17 of our Terms of Service.