Journal
JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Volume 38, Issue 4, Pages 1011-1038Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/07421222.2021.1990615
Keywords
Fake news; online identity verification; badges; online status disclosure; online anonymity; online misinformation
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The requirement for identity verification and verification badge on social media platforms can reduce users' propensity to post fake news. Despite criticism on identity verification policies, the verification badge can effectively mitigate the negative impact of identity verification on users' posting of fake news.
The proliferation of fake news on social media has become a major societal and political problem. Meanwhile, social media platforms have started to require identity verification from users and label the verified users with a verification badge, making users more responsible for their online behavior. In this study, we empirically investigate two research questions: 1) What is the impact of identity verification on users' propensity to post fake news? and 2) How does a verification badge moderate the impact of identity verification? Results suggest that while identity verification without a verification badge has a negative impact on users' posting of fake news, this impact is significantly weakened when users are granted a verification badge after identity verification. Given the criticisms on identity verification policies, these findings underscore both the potential upsides and risks for social media platforms seeking to combat fake news through identity verification techniques.
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