Hurricane Katrina, the Maui wildfires, and Hurricane Helene revealed significant flaws in how platforms like Meta, YouTube, X, and TikTok handle emergencies. During the Lahaina fire the government and media were slow to react. By the time emergency management finally engaged, disinformation is already rampant. Algorithms were prioritizing scammers, conspiracy theorists, and foreign actors. What began as an effort to deliver vital communication turned into a battle against waves of disinformation & conspiracies that blocked victims from receiving essential help. During Lahaina, security experts, first responders, and insurance investigators reached out to warn us, by then, it was already too late. We are once again asking platforms to prioritize content relevant to the affected area. California is already dealing with bot farms, disaster profiteers, foreign actors, and conspiracy theorists spreading fear and confusion. The same misinformation and fraudulent campaigns continue to social feeds during other wildfires, hurricanes, and disasters. We even debunked the “laser conspiracy” circulating in Maui because it was the same narrative that has been pushed before. Disinformation make people suspicious of legitimate aid and unsure whether to trust the very people trying to help them. 😢
#california #californiawildfire #hawaiitiktok #lahaina #katrina #hurricanehelene #associatedpress #disinformation #disasterprofiteers #conspirecytheories #conspiracy