Being on alert against fake news
When it comes to evaluating information on social media, even the educated are easily duped
01/09/2019 , A. Amalraj
The Internet gives access to a vast trove of data, both necessary and unnecessary. A surfer gets information posted by anonymous people who, uninhibited by the fear of law, post anything and escape the consequences.
As Web pages are susceptible to accidental or deliberate alteration, there is little possibility of finding if the information is valid, doctored, morphed or just a figment of the imagination of the hidden author.
Free services that allow encrypted messages, which are easy to access and forward, are the order of the day. Not a day passes without some text, photo or video, often modified to suit the taste of the creator, landing on our mobile phones. This unchecked way of information-sharing often tends to create scandals of mind-boggling proportions. Luckily, most of these scandals have a short shelf life. The importance of the message withers0 away when new information takes its place in quick succession.
Fake news is now a mounting problem as fraudsters and anti-social elements use social media platforms to target people. Factual news is increasingly getting buried in an avalanche of incorrect information with potential to create rifts between communities, castes and religions. An incident of little significance taking place in an isolated area can easily be showcased as sensational news.
Fact checking
Testing the accuracy of the received information is a hard task. Factual information should reveal details of the author and those responsible for the truthfulness of the content. These should be available for verification by independent questioning. The credibility of information depends on evidence. When there is insufficient material to verify the legitimacy of information, doubts arise about its veracity. The origin and the time of delivery of information received in cyberspace cannot be ascertained easily to make proper conclusions.
Combating the information overflow is a daunting task for ordinary citizens. What and what not to trust are never-ending questions that defy easy answers. Faced with a shower of information, the audience at best, ignores it and at worst, believes it all.
Safeguarding information from falling into the wrong hands is becoming increasingly difficult, making it susceptible to modifications. When it comes to evaluating information on social media channels, even the educated are easily duped.
Our education system should be attuned to preventing young minds from falling prey to this deluge. Regular practice of reading, analysing and evaluating information may be the best defence against sinking into misinformation bogs. It is not unusual to see young minds taking extreme decisions and falling prey to the social media circus.
Students in schools and colleges should be given regular opportunities to think about, and evaluate, information harvested from a variety of sources, to learn to recognise their own vulnerabilities to disinformation, and to look beyond sources that reinforce their beliefs.
Unlike in the case of conventional crimes, the criminal characteristics of those who use communication tools to spread false news are not readily definable. The creators and victims of false news could be from any strata of society. Agonising for a prolonged period of time over doctored news and images will take one nowhere, except succeeding in the author’s intention of causing harm.
The personal information available in different social media and Web platforms are a treasure trove waiting to be harvested for nefarious activities. Children get a rap for sharing too much information online, but adults are no better when it comes to online privacy. When in doubt, share less.
Persons and groups authoring malicious news are not restricted by State or national boundaries. The culprit, concealing his identity, may live in any part of the planet. This makes combating the information deluge a challenging task, both for the police and the public.
amalraj8575@yahoo.co.in
ILLUSTRATION: SATWIK GADE
When it comes to evaluating information on social media, even the educated are easily duped
01/09/2019 , A. Amalraj
The Internet gives access to a vast trove of data, both necessary and unnecessary. A surfer gets information posted by anonymous people who, uninhibited by the fear of law, post anything and escape the consequences.
As Web pages are susceptible to accidental or deliberate alteration, there is little possibility of finding if the information is valid, doctored, morphed or just a figment of the imagination of the hidden author.
Free services that allow encrypted messages, which are easy to access and forward, are the order of the day. Not a day passes without some text, photo or video, often modified to suit the taste of the creator, landing on our mobile phones. This unchecked way of information-sharing often tends to create scandals of mind-boggling proportions. Luckily, most of these scandals have a short shelf life. The importance of the message withers0 away when new information takes its place in quick succession.
Fake news is now a mounting problem as fraudsters and anti-social elements use social media platforms to target people. Factual news is increasingly getting buried in an avalanche of incorrect information with potential to create rifts between communities, castes and religions. An incident of little significance taking place in an isolated area can easily be showcased as sensational news.
Fact checking
Testing the accuracy of the received information is a hard task. Factual information should reveal details of the author and those responsible for the truthfulness of the content. These should be available for verification by independent questioning. The credibility of information depends on evidence. When there is insufficient material to verify the legitimacy of information, doubts arise about its veracity. The origin and the time of delivery of information received in cyberspace cannot be ascertained easily to make proper conclusions.
Combating the information overflow is a daunting task for ordinary citizens. What and what not to trust are never-ending questions that defy easy answers. Faced with a shower of information, the audience at best, ignores it and at worst, believes it all.
Safeguarding information from falling into the wrong hands is becoming increasingly difficult, making it susceptible to modifications. When it comes to evaluating information on social media channels, even the educated are easily duped.
Our education system should be attuned to preventing young minds from falling prey to this deluge. Regular practice of reading, analysing and evaluating information may be the best defence against sinking into misinformation bogs. It is not unusual to see young minds taking extreme decisions and falling prey to the social media circus.
Students in schools and colleges should be given regular opportunities to think about, and evaluate, information harvested from a variety of sources, to learn to recognise their own vulnerabilities to disinformation, and to look beyond sources that reinforce their beliefs.
Unlike in the case of conventional crimes, the criminal characteristics of those who use communication tools to spread false news are not readily definable. The creators and victims of false news could be from any strata of society. Agonising for a prolonged period of time over doctored news and images will take one nowhere, except succeeding in the author’s intention of causing harm.
The personal information available in different social media and Web platforms are a treasure trove waiting to be harvested for nefarious activities. Children get a rap for sharing too much information online, but adults are no better when it comes to online privacy. When in doubt, share less.
Persons and groups authoring malicious news are not restricted by State or national boundaries. The culprit, concealing his identity, may live in any part of the planet. This makes combating the information deluge a challenging task, both for the police and the public.
amalraj8575@yahoo.co.in
ILLUSTRATION: SATWIK GADE
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