This special supplement issue features research and perspectives on the dangers—and opportunities—posed by a shift in how modern populations consume health information via social media. Just as the spread of misinformation by malicious and unwitting parties poses a threat to public health and the credibility of institutional knowledge, so too do these platforms offer new approaches to counteract rumors and intentional deception in real time and with targeted strategies.

Funding Statement: This issue has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, under Contract No. HHSN261201700004I. The opinions expressed by the authors are their own, and this material should not be interpreted as representing the official viewpoint of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, or the National Cancer Institute.

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