People love cats and people love sharing pictures and videos of cats across the Internet. Because cats are so popular, they’ve become the secret tool for people who want to spread misinformation across the Internet as well.
Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician who researchers say is a chief spreader of coronavirus misinformation online, regularly posts about cute animals that generate tens or even hundreds of thousands of interactions on Facebook. The stories include “Kitten and Chick Nap So Sweetly Together” and “Why Orange Cats May Be Different From Other Cats,” written by Dr. Karen Becker, a veterinarian.
By getting people to look at cats, these spreaders of misinformation can get their lies and falsehoods in front of more people. So the next time you get fooled by someone spreading lies, you can thank a cat for doing it to you.
To learn more about how cats are used to spread misinformation across the Internet, click here.