Facebook's Free Basics program allows people to access the Internet for free on their cell phone. This means they don't have to use up data costs accessing WhatsApp and Facebook, which is where most of us get our information. But many news sites in these countries are behind paywalls so users share screenshots rather than looking at real content.
How can tech companies help flatten the curve? First and foremost, they must address the lethal misinformation and disinformation circulating on their platforms. The problem goes much deeper than fake news, according to Claire Wardle, co-founder and executive director of First Draft. She studies the gray zones of information warfare, where bad actors mix facts with falsehoods, news with gossip, and sincerity with satire. “Most of this stuff isn't fake and most of this stuff isn't news,” Claire argues. If these subtler forms of misinformation go unaddressed, tech companies may not only fail to flatten the curve — they could raise it higher.