How could fake news in social networking sites affect the security of a country? How can we curtail it?
IAS Parliament 8 years
KEY POINTS
· Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and is a great resource to stay in touch, share articles and put out your views.
· Fake news is a type of yellow journalism comprises deliberate misinformation spread via traditional print and broadcast media or online social media.
Categories of fake news
· Political/ideological.
· Money-based schemes (infect your system with malware).
· Maligning person’s or organisation’s reputation.
Menace of Fake news
· Incite violence among people.
· Influence elections.
· Enhance casteism, regionalism.
· Lowering peoples’ confidence on government’s credible activities.
· Illiterate the literates’ by misinformation.
· Degrade one’s self-dignity by maligning.
· Gain financially by selling any product through fake advertisement.
· Loss of personal data by clicking an eye-catchy picture.
Solution
· Common sense of not accepting everything, written online as a truth is the immediate necessity.
· Awareness campaign should be conducted to convey the menace of fake news in National security and Society unrest.
· A positive approach of posting the real information about the fake news would curtail the spread of such news in future.
· Integration of scientific community with the government to find innovative ways to identify and curtail fake news and its spread.
Manav 8 years
IAS Parliament 8 years
