Unironically, 2020’s global COVID-19 pandemic spawned a global “infodemic.” As described by the World Health Organization (WHO), the profusion of information both accurate and not during the 2020 infodemic has made it difficult for people to find trustworthy information and reliable guidance relating to the pandemic.

Social media was quickly determined to be the primary source of this infodemic and was blamed for allowing disinformation to spread and flourish at unprecedented speeds. In response, many social media platforms have been working with public health organizations to restrict pandemic disinformation spread and ensure the smooth flow of reliable information.

With such speed and power in the dissemination of information and disinformation, social media and governments need to determine a balance between censorship and free speech in reversing the current infodemic and to prevent future ones.