ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Twitter’s moderation of authoritative sources and their audience’s claims concerning COVID-19 treatments, transmission and prevention techniques. It examines how they diverge over time, and how Twitter intervenes in resulting debates via content moderation guidelines and techniques. It argues that as public health organizations and heads of state struggle to maintain consensus among themselves and with their Twitter audiences on these issues Twitter exceptionally steps in as an authority in its own right. It does so by flagging, suspending and deleting contents, including those of authoritative sources that threaten to disrupt a common understanding of the virus and vital health information.
