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Why ethics in social listening and infodemic management matters for public health

Spitale G., Germani F., Biller-Andorno N., Varaidzo Machiri S., von Harbou K., Emiroglu N. et al. (2026) BMJ Public Health 4(1):e003652 10.1136/bmjph-2025-003652

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This commentary presents the WHO guidance we helped write on the ethics of social listening, that is, monitoring what people say about health to manage floods of misinformation. Ethics is what makes such monitoring work: without it, listening to the public risks becoming, or being seen as, a tool of social control.

Abstract

In a time where mis/disinformation continues to shape public discourse and influence policy decisions, the need for effective and ethical infodemic management has never been more pressing. In this context, and against the backdrop of recent health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the mpox epidemic, along with a rapidly evolving information ecosystem shaped by recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), the WHO has recently published a guidance document, “Social listening in infodemic management for public health emergencies: guidance on ethical considerations”, providing ethical guidance for stakeholders involved in social listening and infodemic management practices.

https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/e003652?ct=

Cite

Spitale, G., Germani, F., Biller-Andorno, N., Varaidzo Machiri, S., von Harbou, K., Emiroglu, N., Reeder, J., & Reis, A. A. (2026). Why ethics in social listening and infodemic management matters for public health. BMJ Public Health, 4(1), e003652. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2025-003652
@article{spitale2026why,
  author  = {Spitale, G. and Germani, F. and Biller-Andorno, N. and Varaidzo Machiri, S. and von Harbou, K. and Emiroglu, N. and Reeder, J. and Reis, A. A.},
  title   = {{Why ethics in social listening and infodemic management matters for public health}},
  journal = {BMJ Public Health},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {4},
  number  = {1},
  pages   = {e003652},
  doi     = {10.1136/bmjph-2025-003652}
}

Published in

BMJ Public Health

Year

2026

DOI

10.1136/bmjph-2025-003652

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