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Coronavirus Misinformation Presents Problems for Tech Companies

美国社交媒体删除新冠阴谋论言论

Companies in Silicon Valley, California, America's technology capital, recently hurried to remove a misleading video from their websites. The video was of a discredited researcher sharing several questionable or false theories about the new coronavirus, including that it was part of a plot by powerful people.

最近，美国科技之都 -- 加州硅谷的公司纷纷将各自网站上一段误导性视频删除。该视频是一位不足信的研究人员分享的关于新冠病毒的数条不可信或错误的理论，包括称其为权势人物策划的阴谋的一部分。

However, internet companies could not take the video down quickly enough. Millions of people watched and reposted the 26-minute video called Plandemic, over several days. And it gained a huge following in Facebook groups that oppose vaccines or are protesting state leaders' stay-at-home orders.

然而，互联网公司无法迅速撤下视频。短短数日有数万人观看并转发了这条长达26分钟，名为《Plandemic》的视频。这条视频在反疫苗或抗议州领导人发布的居家令的脸书网群组中获得了大量支持者。

The spread of Plandemic demonstrates how easy it is to use social media to quickly share possibly problematic material to lots of people. It also shows how difficult it is for platforms to stop that spread.

《Plandemic》的传播表明，利用社交媒体向大批网友分享可能存在问题的内容是多么容易。同样也揭露了社交平台要阻止这类信息传播有多困难。

Anti-vaccine activist Judy Mikovits created the video, in which she makes several unsupported claims. She tells her audience that the virus was manufactured in a laboratory, and that medical workers inject it into people through influenza vaccinations. She also claimed that wearing face protection could lead to a coronavirus infection. These ideas helped strengthen and grow a social media army distrustful of the virus's threat.

反疫苗活动家朱迪·米科维茨（Judy Mikovits）制作了这段视频，并在视频中提出了一些毫无根据的主张。她告诉网友，该病毒是实验室制造出来的，医院人员通过流感疫苗将其注射到人体内。她还声称，戴口罩可能会导致新冠病毒感染。这些观点帮助增强或壮大了一支不相信病毒威胁的社交媒体大军。

There are still many unanswered questions about the virus, which has changed everyone's lives. This has led many to distrust officials dealing with the crisis. People shared the video again and again on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The video continues to spread even after the companies removed it from their sites.

关于这种改变了每个人生活的病毒仍然有很多未解之谜。这导致很多人不信任应对这次危机的官员。人们在YouTube、脸书和Instagram网站上不断转发这段视频。即使这些公司删除了网站上的视频，却仍然阻止不了其传播。

One poster on a private Facebook group called Reopen California wrote, "The other video has already been deleted by YouTube. ... Let's get it to another million! Modern day book burning at its finest."

一个名为“解封加州”的脸书网私人群组的用户写道：“另一段视频已经被YouTube删除。咱们再转发个100万次。让这本现代书以最旺的火势燃烧起来。”

Ari Lightman is a professor of digital media at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He spoke to The Associated Press about the video.

阿里·莱特曼（Ari Lightman）是宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡市卡内基·梅隆大学的一名数字媒体学教授。他对美联社谈到了这段视频。

"Once it is available, it has an infinite lifespan," he said.

他说：“一旦这个视频出现，它就不会消失。”

In just a few days, two of Mikovits' books became best-sellers on Amazon. Conservative radio talk shows and podcasts began playing the audio from Plandemic. She also appeared on politically extreme, internet shows to talk about the video.

短短数日，米科维茨的两本书就成为了亚马逊网站上的畅销书。保守电台脱口秀以及播客开始播放《Plandemic》的音频。她还在政治极端的互联网节目中现身谈论这段视频。

Mikovits did not answer The Associated Press' request for comment.

对于美联社的置评请求，米科维茨并未回复。

Ten years ago, Mikovits tried to spread a false theory that a virus known as XMRV in mice causes the condition called chronic fatigue syndrome.

10年前，米科维茨试图传播一种错误的理论，即老鼠身上一种名为XMRV的病毒会引发慢性疲劳综合征的疾病。

Efforts by social media platforms to delete and ban Plandemic have led to the spread of other questionable claims, including that tech companies try to hide truths about the coronavirus.

社交媒体平台删除和禁播《Plandemic》的努力导致了其它有争议的说法的传播，其中包括科技公司试图隐瞒有关新冠病毒的真相。

Facebook said it is removing full copies of the video that include Mikovits' suggestion that face masks can make a person sick. The company said that claim could "lead to imminent harm." YouTube and Vimeo both said the video violated their rules on harmful misinformation. Twitter said it had limited the spread of the video on its platform.

脸书网表示，将删除这段视频的完整副本，其中包括米科维茨声称口罩会致人患病。该公司表示，这种说法可能会“导致迫在眉睫的伤害。” YouTube和Vimeo网站都表示该视频违反了其关于有害错误信息的规定。推特方面称，已经限制该视频在其平台上传播。

I'm Pete Musto.

皮特·穆斯托为您播报。