Abstract
The increasing circulation of misinformation and disinformation poses a significant threat to the credibility of public institutions and their ability to enact policies that promote the well-being of society. Despite the urgency of addressing misinformation on a global scale, there has been limited research into effective solutions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. One context where widespread misinformation proliferates is in the domain of smoking and tobacco. To tackle this issue, we conducted an experimental study in schools to assess the effectiveness of a unique intervention using a chatbot game on messaging services (e.g., WhatsApp, Viber) to prubunk misinformation by teaching commonly used misinformation tactics. Our goal was to enhance individuals' ability to identify deceptive misinformation techniques used in misleading headlines and reduce the intention to share such misinformation content with others. Essentially, we sought to inoculate and immunize individuals against misinformation through this intervention.