Misinformation vulnerability index showcased at APEC

A model to assess a country’s vulnerability to misinformation has been unveiled during the APEC University Leaders’ Forum, including its correlation to the Covid-19 vaccine uptake.

The modelling work, led by University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater, used trust in science, social media penetration, and policy interventions to prototype a misinformation vulnerability index. Initial findings show the more resilient an economy is to misinformation, the higher its vaccine uptake and vice versa.

It is one of three workstreams under the auspices of the Asia Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) network aimed at preparing for the next pandemic.

Professor Freshwater said that the model provided economy-level insights into the impacts of dis- and misinformation on citizens and ultimately their health as they make personal decisions about vaccinations.

“Researchers and policymakers need to understand what makes people vulnerable to such information, so they can develop effective responses,” she said.

APEC economy case studies, prepared by research collaborators in APRU member universities have served to confirm the direction of the model and to highlight how it can be refined, taking in for example additional variables such as cultural factors and information literacy.

“There are already multiple level responses to mis- and disinformation and specifically the infodemic in economies around the Asia Pacific. Understanding impacts across economies will provide systemic insights that have the potential to accelerate large-scale positive responses and impacts,” said Professor Freshwater.

The research shows the range of vulnerability to the infodemic across APEC member economies. Once the model is refined, it will become a fully open-data project.

The initial research and model findings can be found here.