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Fake News on the Internet
The ease of posting information online has paved the way for many fraudulent blogs and other websites to spread fake news and propaganda. Internet hoaxes have gone as far as announcing the fake death of famous celebrities to spreading falsehoods that destroy the reputation of influential people.
There are different kinds of fake news. There are internationally deceptive news like false information spread about the candidates of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. There are also jokes and humorous stories that can be taken out of context by readers and exaggerated stories or those that only feature selected parts of stories that do not give the entire picture of an issue. The most common type of fake news is the large-scale hoaxes that are refuted in good faith by reputable sources.
The spread of fake news on the Internet has become a very serious problem, and it has caught the attention of those in power like information technology experts and government officials. It is now considered an act of psychological warfare that needs immediate attention.
Websites that spread fake news do not always spread hoaxes to destroy the reputation of some or to deceive Internet users. Fake news can also be used to generate earnings through online advertising. Fake or sensationalized headlines, also sometimes called “clickbait,” entice Internet users to visit certain websites. The more clicks a website gets, the more money it gets from advertisers. Fake news can also be used by website owners to increase user traffic. Giving them juicy information, despite being untrue or twisted, makes them come back for more.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is an English computer scientist who is best known for being the inventor of the World Wide Web. In his message for the 28th anniversary of the web, he said the spread of fake news and inaccurate information is one of the complex problems that humanity faces today. He said that the spread of fake news creates a chilling effect on free speech and stops the web from being used as a space to explore important topics, such as sensitive health issues, sexuality, or religion. To deal with the issue, he calls for better protective laws for Internet use and he urges Internet gatekeepers like Google and Facebook to increase their efforts in controlling the spread of fake news.