Federal agencies working to provide critical disaster relief resources to Hurricane Helene survivors are struggling to manage a high volume of online misinformation and disinformation. 

Rumors circulating on social media are creating confusion and muddling important response and recovery efforts. University of Michigan School of Information professor Cliff Lampe, an expert on social media, says Hurricane Helene is a “strong example of how powerful the effects” of misinformation and disinformation campaigns have become. 

“Over the last weeks we've seen death threats against meteorologists and now first responders in emergency situations," Lampe says. "We saw that a small group of people acting on misinformation can disrupt services of the majority of people with a need. This shows the rapid evolution of misinformation”

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Read “‘Armed Militias’ Claims In N.C. Driven By Social Media Misinformation’” on Forbes.

Learn more about Cliff Lampe by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.