COVID-19 increased censorship circumvention and access to sensitive topics in China.

Crisis motivates people to track news closely, and this increased engagement can expose individuals to politically sensitive information unrelated to the initial crisis. We use the case of the COVID-19 outbreak in China to examine how crisis affects information seeking in countries that normally exert significant control over access to media. The crisis spurred censorship circumvention and access to international news and political content on websites blocked in China. Once individuals circumvented censorship, they not only received more information about the crisis itself but also accessed unrelated information that the regime has long censored. Using comparisons to democratic and other authoritarian countries also affected by early outbreaks, the findings suggest that people blocked from accessing information most of the time might disproportionately and collectively access that long-hidden information during a crisis. Evaluations resulting from this access, negative or positive for a government, might draw on both current events and censored history.

International transfers of personal data for health research following Schrems II: a problem in need of a solution.

On 16 July 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued their decision in the Schrems II case concerning Facebook's transfers of personal data from the EU to the US. The decision may have significant effects on the legitimate transfer of personal data for health research purposes from the EU. This article aims: (i) to outline the consequences of the Schrems II decision for the sharing of personal data for health research between the EU and third countries, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; and, (ii) to consider certain options available to address the consequences of the decision and to facilitate international data exchange for health research moving forward.

Is YouTube promoting the exotic pet trade? Analysis of the global public perception of popular YouTube videos featuring threatened exotic animals.

The exploitation of threatened exotic species via social media challenges efforts to regulate the exotic pet trade and consequently threatens species conservation. To investigate how such content is perceived by the global community, mixed model sentiment analysis techniques were employed to explore variations in attitudes expressed through text and emoji usage in public comments associated with 346 popular YouTube® videos starring exotic wild cats or primates in 'free handling' situations. Negative interactions between wild cats and primates with other species were found to be associated with both text and emoji median sentiment reduction, however were still accompanied by a median emoji sentiment above zero. Additionally, although a negative trend in median text sentiment was observed in 2015 for primates, an otherwise consistent positive median text and emoji sentiment score through time across all IUCN Red List categories was revealed in response to both exotic wild cat and primate videos, further implying the societal normalisation and acceptance of exotic pets. These findings highlight the urgency for effective YouTube® policy changes and content management to promote public education and conservation awareness, whilst extinguishing false legitimisation and demand for the exotic pet trade.

The Real Threat of Deepfake Pornography: A Review of Canadian Policy.

Deepfakes may refer to algorithmically synthesized material wherein the face of a person is superimposed onto another body. To date, most deepfakes found online are pornographic, with the people depicted in them rarely consenting to their creation and publicization. Deepfakes leave anyone with an online presence vulnerable to victimization. As a testament to policy often being reactionary to antisocial behavior, current Canadian legislation offers no clear recourse to those who are victimized by deepfake pornography. We aim to provide a critical review of the legal mechanisms and remedies in place, including criminal charges, defamation, copyright infringement laws, and injunctive relief that could be applied in deepfake pornography cases. To combat deepfake pornography, we suggest current laws to be expanded to include language specific to falsely created pornography without the explicit consent of all depicted persons. We also discuss the extent to which host websites are responsible for vetting the uploaded content on their platforms. Finally, we present a call for action on a societal and research level to deal with deepfakes and better support victims of deepfake pornography.

Fake News em tempos de COVID-19 e seu tratamento jurídico no ordenamento brasileiro / Fake News in times of COVID-19 and its legal treatment in Brazilian law / Fake News en tiempos de COVID-19 y su tratamiento legal en la legislación brasileña

Objetivo: refletir sobre o tratamento jurídico dispensado aos casos das Fake News relacionados à COVID-19 no campo do Direito brasileiro. Método: estudo de reflexão tendo como referencial as consequências da aplicação do arcabouço jurídico brasileiro aos casos de Fake News sobre COVID-19. As fontes são oriundas de outro estudo com lacunas deixadas no sentido das aplicações pelo ordenamento jurídico. Para discussão, balizou-se o enquadramento das Fake News ao ordenamento jurídico. Resultados: são oriundos de estudo anterior que identificou e agrupou as Fake News encontradas no banco de dados do Ministério da Saúde por temas, a saber: discursos de autoridades na saúde, terapêutica, medidas de prevenção, prognósticos da doença e vacinação. Considerações finais e implicações para prática: foi possível depreender que a prática de compartilhamento de mensagens, imagens, áudios e/ou vídeos realizadas por diversos indivíduos nas redes sociais, sem a preocupação de se verificar se são verídicas, é um ato que pode ser configurado como crime

Objective: to reflect on the legal treatment given to the Fake News cases related to COVID-19 in the field of Brazilian law. Method: Reflection study based on the consequences of applying the Brazilian legal framework to the Fake News cases on COVID-19. The sources come from another study with gaps left in the sense of applications by the legal system. For discussion, the framing of false news to the legal system was marked out. Results: They come from a previous study that identified and grouped as False News found in the Ministry of Health database by themes, a saber: speeches by health authorities, therapeutics, preventive measures, prognosis of the disease and vaccination. Final considerations and conclusion for practice: It was possible to conclude that the practice of sharing messages, images, audios and / or videos performed by several members of social networks, without the concern of verifying whether they are true, is an act that can be configured as a crime

Objetivo: reflexionar sobre el tratamiento legal dado a los casos de Fake News relacionados con COVID-19 en el ámbito del derecho brasileño. Método: Estudio de reflexión basado en las consecuencias de la aplicación del marco legal brasileño a los casos de Fake News sobre COVID-19. Las fuentes provienen de otro estudio con lagunas dejadas en el sentido de aplicaciones por parte del sistema legal. Para la discusión, se marcó el encuadre de noticias falsas al sistema judicial. Resultados: Provienen de un estudio previo que identificó y agruparon como Noticias Falsas encontradas en la base de datos del Ministerio de Salud por temas, un sable: discursos de las autoridades sanitarias, terapéuticas, medidas preventivas, pronóstico de la enfermedad y vacunación. Consideraciones finales y conclusión para la práctica: Se pudo concluir que la práctica de compartir mensajes, imágenes, audios y / o videos realizada por varios miembros de las redes sociales, sin la preocupación de verificar si son verdaderos, es un acto que puede ser configurado como delito

Guidelines for the use of WhatsApp groups in clinical settings in South Africa.

In everyday clinical practice, healthcare professionals (HCPs) are exposed to large quantities of confidential patient information, and many use WhatsApp groups to share this information. WhatsApp groups provide efficient mechanisms for clinical management advice, decision-making support and peer review. However, most HCPs do not fully understand the legal and ethical implications of sharing content in a WhatsApp group setting, which is often thought to be hosted on a secure platform and therefore removed from public scrutiny. In our paper, we unpack the legal and ethical issues that arise when information is shared in WhatsApp groups. We demonstrate that sharing content in this forum is tantamount to the publication of content; in other words, those who share content are subject to the same legal ramifications as a journalist would be. We also examine the role of the WhatsApp group administrator, who bears an additional legal burden by default, often unknowingly so. We consider the recommendations made by the Health Professions Council of South Africa in their guidelines for the use of social media, and highlight some areas where we feel the guidelines may not adequately protect HCPs from the legal repercussions of sharing content in a WhatsApp group. Finally, we provide a set of guidelines for WhatsApp group users that should be regularly posted onto the group by the relevant group administrator to mitigate some of the legal liabilities that may arise. We also provide guidelines for group administrators.

How behavioural sciences can promote truth, autonomy and democratic discourse online.

Public opinion is shaped in significant part by online content, spread via social media and curated algorithmically. The current online ecosystem has been designed predominantly to capture user attention rather than to promote deliberate cognition and autonomous choice; information overload, finely tuned personalization and distorted social cues, in turn, pave the way for manipulation and the spread of false information. How can transparency and autonomy be promoted instead, thus fostering the positive potential of the web? Effective web governance informed by behavioural research is critically needed to empower individuals online. We identify technologically available yet largely untapped cues that can be harnessed to indicate the epistemic quality of online content, the factors underlying algorithmic decisions and the degree of consensus in online debates. We then map out two classes of behavioural interventions-nudging and boosting- that enlist these cues to redesign online environments for informed and autonomous choice.

What popular bars post on social media platforms: a case for improved alcohol advertising regulation. / Publications non conformes des bars populaires sur les plateformes de médias sociaux : une invitation à améliorer la réglementation de la publicité sur l'alcool.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to document the scope of violations of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) "Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages" (CRTC Code) by drinking venues posting alcohol-related content on social media platforms, and to assess whether CRTC Code violations by drinking venues relate to their popularity among university students and to students' drinking behaviours. METHODS: In phase 1 of the study, a probability sample of 477 students from four Canadian university responded to a questionnaire about their drinking and preferred drinking venues. In phase 2, a probability sample of 78 students assessed the compliance of drinking venues' social media posts with the 17 CRTC Code guidelines. We pooled both datasets and linked them by drinking venues. RESULTS: Popular drinking venues were overwhelming posting alcohol-related content that contravenes the CRTC Code. Adjusted effect estimates show that a decrease in the mean level of compliance with the CRTC Code was significantly associated with a 1% increase in popularity score of drinking venues (t-test, p < .001). With regard to drinking behaviours, a 1% increase in the overall mean level of compliance with the CRTC Code was associated with 0.458 fewer drinking days per week during a semester (t-test, p = .01), 0.294 fewer drinks per occasion (t-test, p = .048) and a lesser likelihood of consuming alcohol when attending a drinking venue (t-test, p = .001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study serve as a reminder to territorial and provincial regulatory agencies to review their practices to ensure that alcohol advertising guidelines are applied and enforced consistently. More importantly, these results call for the adoption of federal legislation with a public health mandate that would apply to all media, including print, television and radio, digital and social.

Information Disorder Syndrome and Its Management.

Many of us may be unknowingly suffering from information disorder syndrome. It is more prevalent due to the digitized world where the information flows to every individual's phone, tablet and computer in no time. Information disorder syndrome is the sharing or developing of false information with or without the intent of harming and they are categorized as misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. The severity of the syndrome is categorized into three grades. Grade 1 is a milder form in which the individual shares false information without the intent of harming others. Grade 2 is a moderate form in which the individual develops and shares false information with the intent of making money and political gain, but not with the intent of harming people. Grade 3 is a severe form in which the individual develops and shares false information with the intent of harming others. The management of this disorder requires the management of false information, which is rumor surveillance, targeted messaging and community engagement. Repeated sufferers at the Grade 1 level, all sufferers from grade 2 and 3 levels need psycho-social counseling and sometimes require strong regulations and enforcement to control such information disorder. The most critical intervention is to be mindful of the fact that not all posts in social media and news are real, and need to be interpreted carefully.

[The responsibilities arising from the use of information and communication technologies in health professional practice]. / Las responsabilidades derivadas del uso de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación en el ejercicio de las profesiones sanitarias.

The increasing use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the health setting has given rise to the current phenomenon of eHealth or eMedicine, terms equivalent to the cyberspace concept, but refer exclusively to health. Due to the appearance of Web 2.0 it can be stated that we are dealing with a phenomenon much greater than just using the technologies: we are facing a real social change, giving rise to that called Health 2.0. The legal regulation of this cyberspace requires two different types of rules. Some that regulate cyberspace itself, and others, the actions performed with its use and to those that appear applicable to conventional law. In this latter case, we are referring to the applying of already existing laws to actions performed using ICT, as is the case of medical actions. Within these latter situations, two clearly different ones have to be distinguished: the professional responsibilities arising from medical actions carried out within health organisation settings when the use of ICT is introduced, and those other actions carried out voluntarily, individually and privately, using personal media and devices. It is in these types of actions where the legality, as regards data protection and privacy of the patient, appears to be violated, and at the same time the professional may be held responsible.

Social Media Guidelines for Anatomists.

Social Media has changed the way that individuals interact with each other - it has brought considerable benefits, yet also some challenges. Social media in anatomy has enabled anatomists all over the world to engage, interact and form new collaborations that otherwise would not have been possible. In a relatively small discipline where individuals may be working as the only anatomist in an institution, having such a virtual community can be important. Social media is also being used as a means for anatomists to communicate with the current generation of students as well as members of the public. Posting appropriate content is one of the challenges raised by social media use in anatomy. Human cadaveric material is frequently shared on social media and there is divided opinion among anatomists on whether or not such content is appropriate. This article explores the uses and challenges of social media use in the field of anatomy and outlines guidelines on how social media can be used by anatomists globally, while maintaining professional and ethical standards. Creating global guidelines has shown to be difficult due to the differences in international law for the use of human tissue and also the irregularities in acquiring informed consent for capturing and sharing cadaveric images. These nuances may explain why cadaveric images are frequently shared on social media. This article proposes that as standard practice, anatomists obtain informed consent from donors before sharing images of cadaveric material on social media and ensure posts include a statement stating the same.

Exposure and reach of the US court-mandated corrective statements advertising campaign on broadcast and social media.

OBJECTIVE: As a remedy to committing fraud and violating civil racketeering laws, in November 2017, four major tobacco companies were court-ordered to develop and disseminate corrective statements regarding smoking health risks using mass media channels. We aimed to describe the nature, timing, reach of and exposure to the court-mandated tobacco industry corrective advertising campaign on social, broadcast and print media. METHODS: Data from social, print and broadcast media were used to measure potential exposure to corrective messages. Keyword rules were used to collect campaign-related posts from the Twitter Firehose between November 2017 and January 2018. Data were analysed using a combination of machine learning, keyword algorithms and human coding. Posts were categorised by source (commercial/institutional, organic) and content type (eg, sentiment). Analysis of social media data was triangulated with ratings data for television advertising and print advertising expenditure data. RESULTS: Keyword filters retrieved 13 846 tweets posted by 9232 unique users. The majority of tweets were posted by institutional/commercial sources including news organisations, bots and tobacco control-related accounts and contained links to news and public health-related websites. Approximately 60% of campaign-related tweets were posted during the first week of campaign launch. Household exposure to the televised corrective advertisements averaged 0.56 ads per month. DISCUSSION: The corrective campaign failed to generate social media engagement. The size and timing of the advertising buys were not consistent with strategies effective in generating high sustained impact and audience reach, particularly among youth.

Physician Social Media Abuse: What Would You Do?

Over the past decade, physician social media use has been made popular and evolved from simple Facebook pages to rapid, instant media sharing. New social media applications, such as Snapchat and Instagram, are finding welcome homes in personal cell phones of physicians. The purpose of this article is to determine patients' views of not only physician use of these apps but also how they would react if their physician abused this technology. As outlined in the article below, physician abuse of social media is growing-and not strictly confined to one demographic group of physicians. The results of this study show patient concern over physician use of social media and the potential for patient to take legal action against physicians over social media abuse. Future policy directions should aim to increase transparency of physician social media use with the goal of eliminating social media abuse.

[Communication through electronic media in pediatrics. Use recommendations]. / Comunicación a través de medios electrónicos en pediatría. Recomendaciones de uso.

New information and communication technologies have had an impact on our lives in general, as well as in our health care and pediatric practice. Given this fact, it is essential to establish an initial framework for this type of interactions between physicians and patients in order to provide the necessary security tools to all the involved parties. The existing legislative gap to date has not been an impediment to the use of these technologies in medical communication, but it is necessary to establish what the responsibilities, obligations and rights of each party are, arising from their use. This document briefly describes the available electronic communication channels, with their advantages and disadvantages, and suggests recommendations for the responsible and safe use. Our aim is to frame this new modality of interaction between doctors and their patients, in order to highlight its value and evaluate its limitations.

Las nuevas tecnologías de información y comunicación, como parte de la revolución digital, han impactado en nuestras vidas en general y han atravesado la práctica pediátrica. Consideramos esencial establecer un primer encuadre para este tipo de interacciones entre médicos y pacientes a los fines de brindar la seguridad necesaria a todas las partes involucradas. El vacío legislativo, hasta la fecha, no es un impedimento para la utilización de estas tecnologías en la comunicación médica, pero es necesario establecer cuáles son las responsabilidades, obligaciones y derechos de cada parte, emergentes de su utilización. Este documento describe brevemente los distintos canales de comunicación electrónica disponibles con sus respectivas ventajas y desventajas, y se generan recomendaciones para el uso responsable y seguro de cada herramienta. Su objetivo es enmarcar esta nueva modalidad de interacción médico-paciente, resaltar su valor y, a su vez, reconocer sus limitaciones.

Professional Use of Digital and Social Media: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 791.

Digital and social media quickly are becoming universal in modern medical practice. Data sharing, online reviews and ratings, and digital privacy concerns likely will become a part of most every physician's practice, regardless of his or her use of social media. The widespread use of social media in the United States brings unprecedented connectivity that opens new horizons for physicians, ranging from interactions with patients, to communication with peers and the public, to novel approaches to research.

"I Snapchat and Drive!" A mixed methods approach examining snapchat use while driving and deterrent perceptions among young adults.

This research utilised a qualitative and quantitative study to examine a sample of young drivers' perceptions of deterrent forces, both legal and non-legal, for the behaviour of phone use while driving. First, focus groups were conducted with 60 drivers between the ages of 17 and 25 years who resided in Queensland, Australia. This qualitative study utilised an inductive approach to elicit participants' perceptions without omitting important ideas. Legal sanctions were associated with low perceptions of enforcement certainty. Meanwhile, the only non-legal sanction to emerge was the concept of "safety"; many participants were deterred from using their phone while driving for fear of injury or death to themselves or others. The types of social media most likely to be engaged in were explored and sending videos or photos via the application Snapchat emerged as the most common social media application used among the sample. Consequently, the subsequent quantitative study focused on deterrent forces associated with Snapchat use while driving. A survey was utilised with a separate sample of young drivers aged 17-25 years (n = 503). The impact of the threat of legal sanctions on Snapchat use while driving was examined through classical deterrence theory and Stafford and Warr's (1993) reconceptualised deterrence theory. The non-legal factor of perceived safety was also included in the quantitative study. None of the classical deterrence variables (e.g., certainty, severity and swiftness) reached significance while all the reconceptualised deterrence variables (e.g., direct and indirect punishment and punishment avoidance), as well as perceived safety, were significant predictors of Snapchat use while driving. It is suggested that perceptions of certainty of apprehension need to be increased for phone use while driving. The findings show the current impact of deterrent initiatives for phone use while driving as well as provide the first examination of deterrents for the specific mobile phone behaviour of Snapchat use while driving.

Ethical and Regulatory Considerations for Using Social Media Platforms to Locate and Track Research Participants.

As social media becomes increasingly popular, human subjects researchers are able to use these platforms to locate, track, and communicate with study participants, thereby increasing participant retention and the generalizability and validity of research. The use of social media; however, raises novel ethical and regulatory issues that have received limited attention in the literature and federal regulations. We review research ethics and regulations and outline the implications for maintaining participant privacy, respecting participant autonomy, and promoting researcher transparency when using social media to locate and track participants. We offer a rubric that can be used in future studies to determine ethical and regulation-consistent use of social media platforms and illustrate the rubric using our study team's experience with Facebook. We also offer recommendations for both researchers and institutional review boards that emphasize the importance of well-described procedures for social media use as part of informed consent.