Social media is a double-edged sword, especially during public emergencies. It can be a quick way to glean targeted and useful information from a bottom-up perspective. But, it can also enable the spreading of misinformation especially items that can spike emotions or validate people's pre-existing biases.

For example, during this coronavirus outbreak, there have been a number of useful posts from doctors, public officials, people impacted by the coronavirus about their experiences, and other informed users that give people more insight into the latest developments. There have also been a number of misleading posts that sought to downplay or exaggerate the threat.

Importance of Social Media

As this and the past election demonstrated, social media has become entwined with the public mood and consciousness. Companies like Facebook (FB  ), Twitter (TWTR  ), and Google (GOOG  ) have been under fire for not effectively monitoring users' posts to ensure accuracy or at least make sure that it's not the work of someone intentionally trying to sow chaos.

Last time, their decisions may have played a role in deciding a close election. This time, inaction or poor oversight may lead to even more disastrous outcomes. So far, the companies seem to be taking this responsibility seriously as they have been vigilant about removing false or misleading information.

Some examples include homemade remedies and potions that are supposed to cure the virus, supplements for sale that are advertised as preventative, and protective gear. Third-party marketplaces have also cracked down on selling products related to the coronavirus with misleading marketing. They have also gone after sellers who are taking advantage of the situation to charge extremely high prices for items like hand sanitizer and face masks.

Canceling Travel and Conferences

While these companies have a responsibility to police the digital world, they are also taking aggressive steps in the real world to curb the outbreak. So far in the U.S., corporations have been much more aggressive than the government in taking preventative measures like canceling non-essential travel, conferences, and allowing employees to work from home. Notably, nearly every major tech company pulled out of the SXSW conference in Austin, prior to its cancellation.

Following a positive test for a Google employee, the company temporarily ceased non-essential travel and encouraged managers to let employees work from home. Google canceled its I/O developer conference in May. Facebook took the preemptive step of canceling its developer conference, F8 in early May. It's expected that Microsoft (MSFT  ) and Apple (AAPL  ) will also cancel its developer conferences scheduled in May and June, respectively.