Lawmakers, tech companies struggle to curb coronavirus disinformation

While public health and government officials scramble to contain the spread of COVID-19 around the United States, some lawmakers are seeking to address another scourge: online disinformation about the virus that could pose health risks and sow division among Americans.

False information about the virus has spread quickly across the internet in recent months, taking the form of misinformation — inaccurate information spread unwittingly by social media users, such as those about supposed vaccines for the virus — and more malicious disinformation, which can be spread by “bots” deployed by...