Information overload fuels ‘fake news’
‘FAKE news” has become a troubling phenomenon, allegedly used to manipulate voters and fuel a rise in global populism.
In one case, it inspired a man to shoot up a Washington pizzeria.
Scientists have revealed some of the reasons for the explosion of hoaxes and lies on social media — an information overload has left consumers unable to discern the good from the bad.
“Our results show for the fist time that low- and high-quality information have the same chances to succeed,” study co-author Diego Oliveira of Indiana University’s School of Informatics and Computing told AFP.
“And such a lack of discrimination is a result of our limited attention and the amount of information (to which) we are exposed.” Hoaxes and fake news, the team found, are just as likely to go viral as wellsourced, accurate information.
The way it is constructed, the “social media market rarely allows the best information to win the popularity contest,” said Oliveira.
In 2013, the World Economic Forum listed the threat of digital misinformation “wildfires” as a top risk for our society.
One form is “fake news” — a term used for falsehoods, presented as truth, that are spread via traditional news channels or online social media to influence people or attract clients.
Such misinformation is suspected of having been used to try and influence the 2016 US presidential elections.
“Fake news” reports of a child-smuggling ring with connections to Hillary Clinton operating out of a Washington pizzeria, saw a man storm the eatery last December firing an assault rifle.