Viral video sparks concerns over WA water supply, but experts call it unfounded
Social media post sparks parasite concerns in WA
A viral Instagram video has some Washingtonians concerned about the state of their water supply.
A viral video shared on Instagram has raised alarms among Washingtonians about the safety of their water supply.
The video, posted by content creator Scott Whitehead, features what he calls "parasites" allegedly coming out of taps. The footage, described as "scary breaking news," has been shared over 130,000 times and received more than 4,300 comments.
Some viewers questioned the authenticity of the post, asking if it was satire, while others seemed genuinely concerned. One user commented, "My friend from Washington told me about these," while another said, "Someone’s meemaw is sending this in the family group chat right now."
via @nunchakusdragon on Instagram
Looking to help cut back on the confusion, FOX 13 reached out to Whitehead asking where the information came from. Whitehead replied saying he got it from his "cousin who works at PetSmart in the fish section."
To get to the bottom of the situation, FOX 13 forwarded the video to the Washington State Department of Health. The department responded, saying there are no reports of parasites in the water supply. In a statement, health officials said their water quality teams had not encountered such issues and emphasized that federal, state and local drinking water regulations make such occurrences "extremely unlikely."
Whether it is a joke or Whitehead is just misinformed, this incident highlights a growing trend of misinformation spreading through social media platforms. According to a UNESCO report, more than 60% of content creators admitted they do not fact-check their posts before sharing, and four out of 10 users decide the credibility of information based on a creator's popularity.
This issue is of particular concern, as a Pew Research Center study revealed that one in five Americans now get their news from social media influencers.
In related news, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced the end of its fact-checking program. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the decision was part of an effort to "restore free expression" across the platforms, acknowledging that current content moderation practices have gone too far.
Meta announces changes to censorship policy
Meta is ending its fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram and Threads.
The Source: Information for this article came from a viral social media post by Instagram user @nunchakusdragon, the Washington State Department of Health, a UNESCO study and a Pew Research Center study.
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