The Infodemic Issue: Numerical Modelling

In today’s digital age, the propagation of fake news has become a significant societal challenge. This article explores the application of epidemiological models to understand and model the spread of misinformation. Specifically, we present a case study involving a real incident of fake news, related to an earthquake, on the social media platform X (former twitter). The epidemic-like spread of this fake news was analyzed using the SIR model (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered). By fitting the SIR model to real data, optimal parameters governing the spread of the fake news were identified. Additionally, a control measure was simulated to evaluate its impact on mitigating the dissemination of the misinformation. This study underscores the utility of epidemiological frameworks in comprehending and fighting the viral propagation of fake news in an increasingly digital era.