From Virality to Veracity: Examining False Information on Telegram vs. Twitter

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to various false information including that Ivermectin is effective against COVID-19 disease, which spread on social media. Because Telegram's structure poses a high risk for radicalization, it is imperative to understand the underlying spreading processes. Therefore, we gathered a network of German-speaking channels that spread false information about Ivermectin to analyze the network structure and the spread of false information. By comparing results from Telegram to Twitter network, important insights are gained for research and practice. Results revealed that opinion leaders play a significant role in the spreading process of false information. This is evident because false information on Telegram can reach more users and requires fewer distributors compared to Twitter. The study outlines avenues for future research regarding false information on Telegram.