A study co-authored by UC Riverside public policy and political science scholars published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, June 5, found that the crackdown by Twitter also significantly reduced the number of misinformation posts by users who stayed on the platform but had been following those who were kicked off.
Additionally, the study found that many of the misinformation traffickers, including those who posted Q-Anon conspiracy theories, left Twitter on their own accord after the massive de-platforming, which included the banning of then-President Donald Trump.
The study’s title is “Twitter’s post-January 6 de-platforming reduced the reach of misinformation.” In addition to Esterling, Ferrari, and Lazer, its co-authors are Jon Green of Duke University and Stefan McCabe of the Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics at the George Washington University.
You can read the full article in UC Riverside News