Social media sites overwhelmed by misinformation about Trump's condition

Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of WIRED, shares his perspective on technology news in Tech In 60 Seconds:

With Trump testing positive for corona, how are social media sites combating the mountains of misinformation?

Well, the same way they always do, demoting some content, labeling some false content, but mostly getting overwhelmed. And the reason they'll get particularly overwhelmed now is that there could be no topic more ripe for misinformation than this one. The White House will be opaque. People will spread every rumor imaginable. And just the nature of the Internet combining coronavirus and Trump, you can get a misinformation orgy.

New York City released a contact tracing app. How does it work and will other cities adopt it?

Well, it's a new app you download it onto your phone. What it does is it will alert you if you have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for corona. Or if you test positive, you enter into the app and it will alert people whose phones have been near yours receiving Bluetooth signals anonymously. That's a very good thing. I've installed it. I hope everybody does, keep everybody safe. See you next week.

More from GZERO Media

- YouTube

As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu embraces a “super-Sparta” vision for Israel, Ian Bremmer breaks down what rising global isolation could cost the country—economically, diplomatically, and militarily.

Last week, Microsoft released the 2025 TechSpark Impact Report, which highlights how the company is assisting regions across the US in achieving these goals. Since its launch, TechSpark has obtained over $700 million in community funding, supported more than 65,000 people in developing digital skills, and, thanks to the work of TechSpark Fellows, catalyzed $249M+ in funding and upskilled 34,600 individuals across 46 communities — highlighting the ripple effect of local leadership and innovation. Learn more about this progress in the 2025 report here.

Members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold a flag in the divided city of Deir al-Zor, Syria December 7, 2024.
REUTERS

¼: The new Syrian government has signed a ceasefire with US-backed Kurdish fighters who control roughly a quarter of Syria’s territory, in a pact that could smooth the re-integration of Kurdish areas into the Syrian state.