New publication in BMJ Public Health: Why ethics in social listening and infodemic management matters for public health
Giovanni Spitale, Federico Germani, and Nikola Biller-Andorno (Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich) have co-authored a new commentary in BMJ Public Health together with colleagues from the World Health Organization: Sandra Varaidzo Machiri, Kai von Harbou, Nedret Emiroglu, John Reeder, and Andreas A. Reis.
The article, “Why ethics in social listening and infodemic management matters for public health,” accompanies the WHO’s recent guidance on ethical considerations in social listening during public health emergencies.
Public health institutions increasingly rely on “social listening” — the systematic monitoring and analysis of public discourse — to detect concerns, misinformation, and emerging risks. While these tools can improve crisis response, they also raise ethical questions related to privacy, surveillance, bias, equity, and public trust.
The authors argue that ethical safeguards are not obstacles but prerequisites for effectiveness. Without transparency, accountability, and community engagement, social listening risks being perceived as surveillance, potentially undermining trust and compliance.
Key principles highlighted in alignment with WHO guidance include:
- Transparency about data collection and use
- Inclusion of affected communities in decision-making
- Equity-sensitive approaches recognizing differential vulnerability
- Human oversight of AI-based analytics
- Long-term resilience through education and information literacy
The commentary emphasizes that while restrictive measures such as content moderation may be necessary in acute crises, trust-building approaches are essential for sustainable public health governance. By embedding ethics “by design” into infodemic management, the authors argue that public health systems can move beyond reactive crisis response toward more legitimate and effective long-term strategies.