Using fake news to misinform the public has become a major concern for people around the world. We see "panic" information spreading on the internet that causes panic and sometimes we even help spread this false news, we do not bother to check the authenticity and veracity of the information before clicking on the "share" button.
When you surf the net you sometimes need all kinds of free software or games. Some are also verified and official. Others are pirated, fake or contain viruses. Remember that the internet is free. No one automatically controls what you post. When you break the rules, you can be blocked or suspended by the company that owns the platform you use only if someone claims you. So follow the rules, as you promised to do when you installed your application on your phone or computer and ticked the box that you read the rules and conditions of use.
An eloquent example is the letter from Nigeria!
You receive an e-mail announcement from a person who claims to be ill, has no heirs and has thought of leaving you an incredibly large amount. He convinces you that he is a good man at heart, that he does this with several people on the internet and asks you to answer him urgently. If you do, a dialogue will start in which you will be persuaded to send a sum of money as taxes in order to make the transfer from him to you. Obviously, you give the money, but the "inheritance" does not come. Wondering where your email address came from? There are robots that surf the internet and collect such addresses from websites or blogs, or from social networks where you have not hidden your private data.
False news is:
- a weapon in the information fight;
- a cynical way of taking advantage of the public;
- a catalyst for "alt-right" currents around the world;
- a partisan struggle aimed at establishing a liberal "Ministry of Truth";
- an unwanted by-product of online platforms;
- a subtle signal announcing the death of traditional knowledge-making institutions (mainly media organizations) and announcing a “post-truth” era in political and public life.
Here are some European platforms and institutions that fight against false news and misinformation:
When you share an article, the technology behind the app will choose the key information in the text. You can then select the information that causes suspicion and if the application can verify it with its algorithm, it will immediately tell you if the statements are correct or false, writes eu-startups.com. Otherwise, the Logically algorithm will start searching for that information.
The London-based platform was founded in 2017 and now has a large number of employees in the UK and India.
It is a data analysis platform that combats misinformation and deepfake technology, to protect a brand's reputation and to provide commercial information and online / offline analysis.
The Madrid-based PLATFORM was founded in 2012 and has the ability to analyze in real time public data sources in 53 languages and 125 countries.
It's an artificial intelligence platform that provides content verification solutions for advertisers, publishers, and ad distributors.
The Amsterdam-based platform was founded in 2017. AdVerif.ai is part of the "EU Versus Disinformation" campaign.
The most interesting part about fake news is that misinformation and propaganda do not always look the same as legitimate sources of information. with the usual combination of titles, images and text, which we find on the BBC, CNN and other trusted sites, but they are much more widespread than them.
