Are companies that claim to fight misinformation about coronavirus actually capitalising on it?&nbsp;

A new report reveals that major conglomerates like Google and Amazon will funnel $25 million in 2020 to websites that spread misinformation about COVID-19.&nbsp;For every fake news website that gets ad revenue, Google will $3 out of every $4. In total, this is expected to amount to over $19 million.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-net-worth-zooms-to-1716-billion-amid-pandemic-ex-wife-mackenzie-becomes-second-richest-woman-310132" hreflang="en">Amazon founder Jeff Bezos net worth zooms to $171.6 billion amid pandemic; ex-wife Mackenzie becomes second richest woman</a>

Amazon will contribute almost $2 million to the fake news industry, which accounts for 7 per cent of the marketing spending that these sites receive.&nbsp;This report was recently released by the Global Disinformation Index.

According to its analysis between January and June in 2020, the GDI flagged 480 websites as publishers of misleading information, or very simply - fake news. Many of these ads were for mega companies like L’Oreal SA, and Canon Inc.

In conversation with Bloomberg, Google claimed that this report was “flawed”, for its “revenue calculations” were neither “transparent” nor “realistic”. Additionally, Google claimed to have strict policies to prevent harmful monetisation of content.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/technology/ceos-of-apple-amazon-facebook-and-google-to-testify-in-congress-over-antitrust-issues-310090" hreflang="en">CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google to testify in Congress over antitrust issues</a>

The virus, which has killed over 544,000 around the globe and infected over 11.8 million is still being studied by experts. Just today, on July 8, many scientists claimed that the virus causes long-term brain damage even in the mildest of cases. However, this lack of information may have spurred misinformation surrounding the virus.

Google claims that it has removed advertisements from its sites that violate its policies.

Are companies that claim to fight misinformation about coronavirus actually capitalising on it? A new report reveals that major conglomerates like Google and Amazon will funnel $25 million in 2020 to websites that spread misinformation about COVID-19.

Are companies that claim to fight misinformation about coronavirus actually capitalising on it? A new report reveals that major conglomerates like Google and Amazon will funnel $25 million in 2020 to websites that spread misinformation about COVID-19. For every fake news website that gets ad revenue, Google will $3 out of every $4. In total, this is expected to amount to over $19 million. Also read: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos net worth zooms to $171.6 billion amid pandemic; ex-wife Mackenzie becomes second richest woman Amazon will contribute almost $2 million to the fake news industry, which accounts for 7 per cent of the marketing spending that these sites receive. This report was recently released by the Global Disinformation Index. According to its analysis between January and June in 2020, the GDI flagged 480 websites as publishers of misleading information, or very simply - fake news. Many of these ads were for mega companies like L’Oreal SA, and Canon Inc. In conversation with Bloomberg, Google claimed that this report was “flawed”, for its “revenue calculations” were neither “transparent” nor “realistic”. Additionally, Google claimed to have strict policies to prevent harmful monetisation of content. Also read: CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google to testify in Congress over antitrust issues The virus, which has killed over 544,000 around the globe and infected over 11.8 million is still being studied by experts. Just today, on July 8, many scientists claimed that the virus causes long-term brain damage even in the mildest of cases. However, this lack of information may have spurred misinformation surrounding the virus. Google claims that it has removed advertisements from its sites that violate its policies.

Survey says Amazon, Google pump millions into websites spreading misinformation about COVID-19

The world is currently reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the US is witnessing mass protests, and a Chinese state-backed media outlet is teaching journalism to WION.

The Global Times recently ran an article asking WION, and other India media outlets to “think independently”.

Ironically, the Global Times is owned by the People's Daily which is the official newspaper of the central committee of the Communist Party of China.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-truth-behind-global-times-a-chinese-state-backed-media-outlet-303025" hreflang="en">The truth behind Global Times: A Chinese state-backed media outlet</a>

The publication is perceived as the lifeline of Beijing’s propaganda machinery, and is now asking “India media to shake off west’s [sic] influence”.

This is what the state mouthpiece had to say about WION:

“One column in WION, published on May 19, calls on India to back Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), in line with a number of countries led by the US, regardless of the internationally recognized "one China" principle”.

For starters, there is no such “internationally recognised principle”. In fact, many countries like Canada, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia did not endorse this so-called principle.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-reveals-collective-negligence-by-china-and-who-in-dealing-with-the-coronavirus-pandemic-302695" hreflang="en">Report reveals collective negligence by China and WHO in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic</a>

Countries as far as Swaziland and Nicaragua&nbsp;have expressed support for Taiwan's independence.

The Global Times further accused India of blaming China for the outbreak, “As the world continues the arduous fight against the coronavirus, some Indian observers have gone so far as to blame china for the outbreak”.

However, there is no mention of the missing whistleblowers, or China’s collusion with the World Health Organization (WHO).

'Anxiety of Indians'?

The publication goes on to say “The overemphasis on or even resentment toward China reflects the anxiety of Indians”.

The Global Times while asking Indian media to “think independently” routinely issues open threats on behalf of the Chinese regime.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-xi-jinping-consolidating-power-in-the-name-of-fighting-corruption-303017" hreflang="en">Is Xi Jinping consolidating power in the name of fighting corruption?</a>

For instance, on May 13, the publication did a story on the Chinese army's upcoming drills in August. This is how they pitched it - “military exercises can turn into action any time”, while quoting an expert, but selling it as their own message.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The same Global Times calls China's expansionism in the South China Sea a bid for “better management”.&nbsp;The media outlet also labelled Australia as a “paper cat”&nbsp;in 2016 saying "&nbsp;“paper cat” Australia will learn its lesson".

The Global Times has also accused&nbsp;other major international publications like The New York Times and Washington Post for spreading misinformation about China.

The world is currently reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the US is witnessing mass protests, and a Chinese state-backed media outlet is teaching journalism to WION.

The world is currently reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the US is witnessing mass protests, and a Chinese state-backed media outlet is teaching journalism to WION. The Global Times recently ran an article asking WION, and other India media outlets to “think independently”. Ironically, the Global Times is owned by the People's Daily which is the official newspaper of the central committee of the Communist Party of China. Also read: The truth behind Global Times: A Chinese state-backed media outlet The publication is perceived as the lifeline of Beijing’s propaganda machinery, and is now asking “India media to shake off west’s [sic] influence”. This is what the state mouthpiece had to say about WION: “One column in WION, published on May 19, calls on India to back Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), in line with a number of countries led by the US, regardless of the internationally recognized "one China" principle”. For starters, there is no such “internationally recognised principle”. In fact, many countries like Canada, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia did not endorse this so-called principle. Also read: Report reveals collective negligence by China and WHO in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic Countries as far as Swaziland and Nicaragua have expressed support for Taiwan's independence. The Global Times further accused India of blaming China for the outbreak, “As the world continues the arduous fight against the coronavirus, some Indian observers have gone so far as to blame china for the outbreak”. However, there is no mention of the missing whistleblowers, or China’s collusion with the World Health Organization (WHO). 'Anxiety of Indians'? The publication goes on to say “The overemphasis on or even resentment toward China reflects the anxiety of Indians”. The Global Times while asking Indian media to “think independently” routinely issues open threats on behalf of the Chinese regime. Also read: Is Xi Jinping consolidating power in the name of fighting corruption? For instance, on May 13, the publication did a story on the Chinese army's upcoming drills in August. This is how they pitched it - “military exercises can turn into action any time”, while quoting an expert, but selling it as their own message. The same Global Times calls China's expansionism in the South China Sea a bid for “better management”. The media outlet also labelled Australia as a “paper cat” in 2016 saying " “paper cat” Australia will learn its lesson". The Global Times has also accused other major international publications like The New York Times and Washington Post for spreading misinformation about China.

Chinese state-backed Global Times calls on WION to 'think independently'; We respond!

In a bid to curb misinformation spread on social media, Twitter has decided to take down "unverified claims" on a conspiracy theory that falsely linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

"We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in a harmful activity, could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder," the Twitter safety team said on Wednesday.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/conspiracy-theorists-continue-burning-5g-towers-claiming-link-to-coronavirus-293796">Conspiracy theorists continue burning 5G towers claiming link to coronavirus</a>

The latest move is part of efforts to curb the spread of misinformation on social media. Earlier this month, several incidents of arson and vandalism of 5G&nbsp;towers were reported in European countries after several conspiracy theories linked coronavirus to the cells towers made rounds on social media.

In the UK, some 50 fires targetting cell towers and other equipment were reported this month. Meanwhile, telecom engineers have been abused on the job 80 times, making the UK the nucleus of the attacks.

Some 16 towers have been torched in the Netherlands, with attacks also reported in Ireland, Cyprus, and Belgium.

The current wave of 5G theories dates back to January, when a Belgian doctor suggested a link to COVID-19. The theories gained momentum in 2019 from Russian state media outlets, which helped push them into US Domestic conversation, disinformation experts say. But there's no evidence that wireless communications - whether 5G or earlier versions - harm the immune system.

 
&nbsp;

In a bid to curb misinformation spread on social media, Twitter has decided to take down "unverified claims" on a conspiracy theory that falsely linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a bid to curb misinformation spread on social media, Twitter has decided to take down "unverified claims" on a conspiracy theory that falsely linked the cell towers to the coronavirus pandemic. "We have broadened our guidance on unverified claims that incite people to engage in a harmful activity, could lead to the destruction or damage of critical 5G infrastructure or could lead to widespread panic, social unrest, or large-scale disorder," the Twitter safety team said on Wednesday. Also read: Conspiracy theorists continue burning 5G towers claiming link to coronavirus The latest move is part of efforts to curb the spread of misinformation on social media. Earlier this month, several incidents of arson and vandalism of 5G towers were reported in European countries after several conspiracy theories linked coronavirus to the cells towers made rounds on social media. In the UK, some 50 fires targetting cell towers and other equipment were reported this month. Meanwhile, telecom engineers have been abused on the job 80 times, making the UK the nucleus of the attacks. Some 16 towers have been torched in the Netherlands, with attacks also reported in Ireland, Cyprus, and Belgium. The current wave of 5G theories dates back to January, when a Belgian doctor suggested a link to COVID-19. The theories gained momentum in 2019 from Russian state media outlets, which helped push them into US Domestic conversation, disinformation experts say. But there's no evidence that wireless communications - whether 5G or earlier versions - harm the immune system.

Twitter to block tweets on conspiracy theory linking COVID-19 spread to 5G towers

Google's Political Ad Policy: Company rules prevent the spread of misinformation

Google Tightens Policy on Political Ads

Facebook Inc quickly rejected a call from co-founder Chris Hughes on Thursday to split the world's largest social media company in three, while lawmakers urged the US Justice Department to launch an antitrust investigation.

Facebook has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over data sharing practices as well as hate speech and misinformation on its networks. Some US&nbsp;lawmakers have pushed for action to break up big tech companies as well as federal privacy regulation.

"We are a nation with a tradition of reining in monopolies, no matter how well-intentioned the leaders of these companies may be. Mark's power is unprecedented and un-American," Hughes, a former college roommate of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-rejects-co-founder-chris-hughes-call-for-breakup-senator-urges-us-antitrust-probe-217370">Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg</a>, wrote in a lengthy New York Times opinion piece&nbsp;

Facebook's social network has more than 2 billion users. It also owns WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, each used by more than 1 billion people. Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014.

Facebook rejected Hughes' call for WhatsApp and Instagram to be made into separate companies and said the focus should instead be on regulating the internet. Zuckerberg will be in Paris on Friday to discuss internet regulation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Facebook accepts that with success comes accountability. But you don't enforce accountability by calling for the break up of a successful American company," Facebook spokesman Nick Clegg said in a statement.

"Accountability of tech companies can only be achieved through the painstaking introduction of new rules for the internet. That is exactly what Mark Zuckerberg has called for."

Late on Thursday, Senator Mike Crapo, the Republican who chairs the banking committee and Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat, asked Facebook to answer questions about a potential cryptocurrency-based payments system using its social network and its data collection.

The letter also asked questions about consumer privacy protections and if it had information about users' creditworthiness.

The US&nbsp;Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, told CNBC he thinks Facebook should be broken up and that the Justice Department's antitrust division needs to begin an investigation.

Antitrust law makes such a proposal tough to execute because the government would have to take the company to court and win. It is rare to break up a company but not unheard of, with Standard Oil and AT&amp;T being the two biggest examples.

Sense of responsibility

Hughes co-founded Facebook in 2004 at Harvard with Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz. He left Facebook in 2007, and has said in a LinkedIn post he made half a billion dollars for his three years of work.

"It's been 15 years since I co-founded Facebook at Harvard, and I haven't worked at the company in a decade. But I feel a sense of anger and responsibility," Hughes said.

Facebook lost several executives after a bruising series of privacy and disinformation scandals since 2016. The founders of Instagram and WhatsApp have left, as has the executive who took over WhatsApp last year.

Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, who had been at the company for 13 years and was one of Zuckerberg's closest lieutenants, stepped down in March around the same time Facebook announced a pivot towards more private messaging.

He later cited "artistic differences" with Zuckerberg as his reason for leaving, without elaborating.

Critics say the company's pivot to privacy, which will introduce more encrypted communications, will restrict Facebook's ability to police propaganda, hate speech and another abusive behaviour. Cox focused on improving tools to catch banned content in recent years.

Despite its scandals, the company's core business has proven resilient. Facebook has blown past earnings estimates in the past two quarters and it's stock price barely budged in response to Hughes' opinion piece.

Hughes suggested Zuckerberg should be held responsible for the privacy and other lapses at the company, echoing a call earlier this month by Democratic US&nbsp;Senator Ron Wyden to hold the CEO individually liable for "repeated violations" of privacy.

"The government must hold Mark accountable. For too long, lawmakers have marvelled at Facebook's explosive growth and overlooked their responsibility to ensure that Americans are protected and markets are competitive," Hughes said.

Lawmaker pressure

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election, has vowed to break up Facebook, Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google if elected.

"Today's big tech companies have too much power—over our economy, our society, &amp; our democracy. They've bulldozed competition, used our private info for profit, hurt small businesses &amp; stifled innovation. It's time to #BreakUpBigTech," Warren said on Twitter on Thursday.

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said in a statement he agreed in retrospect that US&nbsp;regulators should not have approved Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.

"The way forward is to heavily scrutinize future mergers and to ensure no company has anti-competitive platform privileges," Khanna said.

In one of a number of scandals to hit the company, Facebook is accused of inappropriately sharing information belonging to 87 million users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook has been in advanced talks with the US&nbsp;Federal Trade Commission to settle a year-old investigation and said last month it expected to spend between $3 billion and $5 billion.

On Monday, Republican and Democratic US&nbsp;senators criticized reported plans for the settlement, calling on the FTC to impose harsher penalties and more restrictions on Facebook's business practices.

Hughes said he last met with Zuckerberg in the summer of 2017, several months before the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke.

"Mark is a good, kind person. But I'm angry that his focus on growth led him to sacrifice security and civility for clicks," Hughes said.

Adam Mosseri, Facebook's previous head of news feed who recently took over Instagram, responded to Hughes on Twitter.

"Regulation is important and necessary, but I'm not convinced breaking us up is the right path. Would love to chat about it if you're open," Mosseri said.

Facebook Inc quickly rejected a call from co-founder Chris Hughes on Thursday to split the world's largest social media company in three, while lawmakers urged the US Justice Department to launch an antitrust investigation.

Facebook Inc quickly rejected a call from co-founder Chris Hughes on Thursday to split the world's largest social media company in three, while lawmakers urged the US Justice Department to launch an antitrust investigation. Facebook has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over data sharing practices as well as hate speech and misinformation on its networks. Some US lawmakers have pushed for action to break up big tech companies as well as federal privacy regulation. "We are a nation with a tradition of reining in monopolies, no matter how well-intentioned the leaders of these companies may be. Mark's power is unprecedented and un-American," Hughes, a former college roommate of Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, wrote in a lengthy New York Times opinion piece Facebook's social network has more than 2 billion users. It also owns WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, each used by more than 1 billion people. Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. Facebook rejected Hughes' call for WhatsApp and Instagram to be made into separate companies and said the focus should instead be on regulating the internet. Zuckerberg will be in Paris on Friday to discuss internet regulation with French President Emmanuel Macron. "Facebook accepts that with success comes accountability. But you don't enforce accountability by calling for the break up of a successful American company," Facebook spokesman Nick Clegg said in a statement. "Accountability of tech companies can only be achieved through the painstaking introduction of new rules for the internet. That is exactly what Mark Zuckerberg has called for." Late on Thursday, Senator Mike Crapo, the Republican who chairs the banking committee and Sherrod Brown, the top Democrat, asked Facebook to answer questions about a potential cryptocurrency-based payments system using its social network and its data collection. The letter also asked questions about consumer privacy protections and if it had information about users' creditworthiness. The US Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, told CNBC he thinks Facebook should be broken up and that the Justice Department's antitrust division needs to begin an investigation. Antitrust law makes such a proposal tough to execute because the government would have to take the company to court and win. It is rare to break up a company but not unheard of, with Standard Oil and AT&T being the two biggest examples. Sense of responsibility Hughes co-founded Facebook in 2004 at Harvard with Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz. He left Facebook in 2007, and has said in a LinkedIn post he made half a billion dollars for his three years of work. "It's been 15 years since I co-founded Facebook at Harvard, and I haven't worked at the company in a decade. But I feel a sense of anger and responsibility," Hughes said. Facebook lost several executives after a bruising series of privacy and disinformation scandals since 2016. The founders of Instagram and WhatsApp have left, as has the executive who took over WhatsApp last year. Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, who had been at the company for 13 years and was one of Zuckerberg's closest lieutenants, stepped down in March around the same time Facebook announced a pivot towards more private messaging. He later cited "artistic differences" with Zuckerberg as his reason for leaving, without elaborating. Critics say the company's pivot to privacy, which will introduce more encrypted communications, will restrict Facebook's ability to police propaganda, hate speech and another abusive behaviour. Cox focused on improving tools to catch banned content in recent years. Despite its scandals, the company's core business has proven resilient. Facebook has blown past earnings estimates in the past two quarters and it's stock price barely budged in response to Hughes' opinion piece. Hughes suggested Zuckerberg should be held responsible for the privacy and other lapses at the company, echoing a call earlier this month by Democratic US Senator Ron Wyden to hold the CEO individually liable for "repeated violations" of privacy. "The government must hold Mark accountable. For too long, lawmakers have marvelled at Facebook's explosive growth and overlooked their responsibility to ensure that Americans are protected and markets are competitive," Hughes said. Lawmaker pressure Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election, has vowed to break up Facebook, Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google if elected. "Today's big tech companies have too much power—over our economy, our society, & our democracy. They've bulldozed competition, used our private info for profit, hurt small businesses & stifled innovation. It's time to #BreakUpBigTech," Warren said on Twitter on Thursday. Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said in a statement he agreed in retrospect that US regulators should not have approved Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp. "The way forward is to heavily scrutinize future mergers and to ensure no company has anti-competitive platform privileges," Khanna said. In one of a number of scandals to hit the company, Facebook is accused of inappropriately sharing information belonging to 87 million users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. Facebook has been in advanced talks with the US Federal Trade Commission to settle a year-old investigation and said last month it expected to spend between $3 billion and $5 billion. On Monday, Republican and Democratic US senators criticized reported plans for the settlement, calling on the FTC to impose harsher penalties and more restrictions on Facebook's business practices. Hughes said he last met with Zuckerberg in the summer of 2017, several months before the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke. "Mark is a good, kind person. But I'm angry that his focus on growth led him to sacrifice security and civility for clicks," Hughes said. Adam Mosseri, Facebook's previous head of news feed who recently took over Instagram, responded to Hughes on Twitter. "Regulation is important and necessary, but I'm not convinced breaking us up is the right path. Would love to chat about it if you're open," Mosseri said.

Facebook rejects co-founder call for breakup, senator urges US antitrust probe

Indian tech ministry officials met with senior WhatsApp executives this week to ask the Facebook Inc unit to start tracing the origins of misinformation spread through its messaging platform, a senior government official said on Friday.

WhatsApp has been working to curb the circulation of what technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed "sinister" content in India, the firm's biggest market where it boasts over 220 million users.

Such misinformation has led to the lynching of over 30 people since January last year, according to data portal IndiaSpend, prompting Prasad to call on WhatsApp to trace its origins.

WhatsApp has previously declined to trace the origin of messages, citing security issues.

"We have been asking them for traceability," said the official at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, declining to be identified as the meeting was private. "They (WhatsApp) are non-committal on it but we are forcing this issue."

WhatsApp was represented by Director &amp; Associate General Counsel Brian Hennessy and one other executive and said it was working on measures to prevent the spread of misinformation, according to the official.

"WhatsApp regularly engages with the Government of India to discuss our commitment to maintaining a private and safe platform for people to communicate with one another," the firm said in a statement. "We look forward to continued discussions on how we can work together towards these common goals."

WhatsApp maintains that building traceability into its messaging service would undermine its private nature and end-to-end encryption, creating the potential for misuse. It has also said it will not weaken the privacy protection it provides.

The firm has since launched print, radio and television advertising campaigns to educate users on the dangers of misinformation. It is also conducted roadshows in partnership with mobile phone network provider Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd.

WhatsApp has held digital literacy training for community leaders and law enforcement as well as introduced features on its app such as limits on message forwarding and labels for forwarded messages.

Indian tech ministry officials met with senior WhatsApp executives this week to ask the Facebook Inc unit to start tracing the origins of misinformation spread through its messaging platform, a senior government official said on Friday.

Indian tech ministry officials met with senior WhatsApp executives this week to ask the Facebook Inc unit to start tracing the origins of misinformation spread through its messaging platform, a senior government official said on Friday. WhatsApp has been working to curb the circulation of what technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad termed "sinister" content in India, the firm's biggest market where it boasts over 220 million users. Such misinformation has led to the lynching of over 30 people since January last year, according to data portal IndiaSpend, prompting Prasad to call on WhatsApp to trace its origins. WhatsApp has previously declined to trace the origin of messages, citing security issues. "We have been asking them for traceability," said the official at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, declining to be identified as the meeting was private. "They (WhatsApp) are non-committal on it but we are forcing this issue." WhatsApp was represented by Director & Associate General Counsel Brian Hennessy and one other executive and said it was working on measures to prevent the spread of misinformation, according to the official. "WhatsApp regularly engages with the Government of India to discuss our commitment to maintaining a private and safe platform for people to communicate with one another," the firm said in a statement. "We look forward to continued discussions on how we can work together towards these common goals." WhatsApp maintains that building traceability into its messaging service would undermine its private nature and end-to-end encryption, creating the potential for misuse. It has also said it will not weaken the privacy protection it provides. The firm has since launched print, radio and television advertising campaigns to educate users on the dangers of misinformation. It is also conducted roadshows in partnership with mobile phone network provider Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. WhatsApp has held digital literacy training for community leaders and law enforcement as well as introduced features on its app such as limits on message forwarding and labels for forwarded messages.

Government meets with WhatsApp over tracing of fake news - source

By&nbsp;Jon Roozenbeek* and Sander van der Linden**

The term &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; is everywhere these days. After gaining steam during the 2016 US election, it&rsquo;s become a catch-all phrase used by people from across the political spectrum. Yet &ldquo;fake&rdquo; stories &ndash; or stories that have been entirely made up &ndash; have been around since the dawn of man. And on top of that, stories don&rsquo;t have to be completely fake to be misleading. Terms such as &ldquo;propaganda&rdquo;, &ldquo;disinformation&rdquo;, &ldquo;misinformation&rdquo; and &ldquo;post-truth&rdquo; are used by many people, as though they mean the same thing.

In practice, most people are concerned about &ldquo;disinformation&rdquo;: that is, misinformation coupled with the intent to deceive. Today, it&rsquo;s easier than ever to mislead people. In the online world, posing as a credible news producer requires a bit of money and dedication &ndash; but it&rsquo;s not hard.

Meanwhile, people&rsquo;s trust in the media is declining, and a majority of Americans say that fake news has left them confused about basic facts. Add to that the growing problem of computational propaganda &ndash; where Twitter bots or other social media tools amplify certain hashtags or messages to influence what&rsquo;s trending &ndash; and the current landscape becomes very difficult for people to navigate.

Fighting back

There are many ways companies and governments are trying to combat this growing threat. Google and Facebook are tweaking their algorithms to stop promoting &ldquo;fake news&rdquo;. France is in the process of passing a controversial &ldquo;fake news law&rdquo;, which limits media activity during election time. And the UK government has announced it&rsquo;s setting up an &ldquo;anti-fake news&rdquo; unit. Yet each of these efforts comes with its own problems.

From our perspective, as researchers studying the fake news phenomenon, we think the best way to fight the bad effects is at the individual level. So, we&rsquo;re experimenting by combining psychology with technology in a new area of research, which some scholars are calling &ldquo;technocognition&rdquo;.

So far, one of us found that it&rsquo;s possible to &ldquo;inoculate&rdquo; people against misinformation by warning and exposing them to a weakened version of the &ldquo;real&rdquo; misleading argument, and then revealing to them why it&rsquo;s misleading. In other words, a small dose of fake news can inoculate you against it &ndash; just like a real vaccination would protect you against a disease.

Tricks of the trade

There are many reasons why people produce disinformation: they can be financial, political, personal and even &ldquo;just for fun&rdquo;. But the techniques that are being used to mislead people are remarkably similar across the board.

One of the simplest is impersonation: imitating a public figure or organisation with the intent of misleading the public. They might also create &ldquo;emotional content&rdquo;, which deliberately plays on people&rsquo;s basic emotions &ndash; such as fear or anger &ndash; to get a response. Next, there&rsquo;s &ldquo;polarisation&rdquo; &ndash; when fake news merchants stir up existing political tensions, to drive people further apart.&nbsp;

Then there are conspiracies: misleading theories, which often hold a large organisation responsible for some kind of covert agenda &ndash; like saying NASA faked the moon landing to win the space race. Then, people whose credibility is under attack will often try to discredit their opponents by engaging in &ldquo;whataboutism&rdquo; or personal attacks. And lastly we have trolling, which involves disrupting discussions and provoking reactions from people, combining all of the techniques mentioned above.

Good news, bad news

When people use these techniques themselves, it really improves their ability to recognise them in other contexts. So, together with DROG (a Dutch organisation working against the spread of disinformation), we developed an online game called Bad News (click here to play it), where players use misleading tactics to build their own fake news empire.

The game is free to play in any browser and on any device and takes about 15 minutes to complete. You start as an anonymous Twitter user who goes professional by starting their own news site, and gradually becomes a fake news tycoon. On the way, you earn badges and learn how the techniques mentioned earlier can be used to suit your purposes.

We figured that once you know how the magic trick works, you won&rsquo;t be fooled by it again. So we put our ideas to the test by doing a pilot study in a high school in the Netherlands. Some classes were assigned to the treatment group and played our game. Others were assigned to the control group, and didn&rsquo;t play the game.

Although our study was only a starting point, the results so far have been positive: students who played the game thought the fake news articles they read afterwards were less reliable. We hope that our game will play a role in stopping the spread of misleading information: just as misinformation replicates, vaccines can spread, too. The more people that play the game, the further the vaccine spreads &ndash; until one day, we may achieve societal resistance against fake news.

*Jon Roozenbeek is a PhD Candidate in Slavonic Studies, University of Cambridge

**Sander van der Linden is the Director of Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, University of Cambridge

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Researchers have developed a game to 'vaccinate' people against fake news – by showing them how to become a fake news mogul.

By Jon Roozenbeek* and Sander van der Linden** The term “fake news” is everywhere these days. After gaining steam during the 2016 US election, it’s become a catch-all phrase used by people from across the political spectrum. Yet “fake” stories – or stories that have been entirely made up – have been around since the dawn of man. And on top of that, stories don’t have to be completely fake to be misleading. Terms such as “propaganda”, “disinformation”, “misinformation” and “post-truth” are used by many people, as though they mean the same thing. In practice, most people are concerned about “disinformation”: that is, misinformation coupled with the intent to deceive. Today, it’s easier than ever to mislead people. In the online world, posing as a credible news producer requires a bit of money and dedication – but it’s not hard. Meanwhile, people’s trust in the media is declining, and a majority of Americans say that fake news has left them confused about basic facts. Add to that the growing problem of computational propaganda – where Twitter bots or other social media tools amplify certain hashtags or messages to influence what’s trending – and the current landscape becomes very difficult for people to navigate. Fighting back There are many ways companies and governments are trying to combat this growing threat. Google and Facebook are tweaking their algorithms to stop promoting “fake news”. France is in the process of passing a controversial “fake news law”, which limits media activity during election time. And the UK government has announced it’s setting up an “anti-fake news” unit. Yet each of these efforts comes with its own problems. From our perspective, as researchers studying the fake news phenomenon, we think the best way to fight the bad effects is at the individual level. So, we’re experimenting by combining psychology with technology in a new area of research, which some scholars are calling “technocognition”. So far, one of us found that it’s possible to “inoculate” people against misinformation by warning and exposing them to a weakened version of the “real” misleading argument, and then revealing to them why it’s misleading. In other words, a small dose of fake news can inoculate you against it – just like a real vaccination would protect you against a disease. Tricks of the trade There are many reasons why people produce disinformation: they can be financial, political, personal and even “just for fun”. But the techniques that are being used to mislead people are remarkably similar across the board. One of the simplest is impersonation: imitating a public figure or organisation with the intent of misleading the public. They might also create “emotional content”, which deliberately plays on people’s basic emotions – such as fear or anger – to get a response. Next, there’s “polarisation” – when fake news merchants stir up existing political tensions, to drive people further apart. Then there are conspiracies: misleading theories, which often hold a large organisation responsible for some kind of covert agenda – like saying NASA faked the moon landing to win the space race. Then, people whose credibility is under attack will often try to discredit their opponents by engaging in “whataboutism” or personal attacks. And lastly we have trolling, which involves disrupting discussions and provoking reactions from people, combining all of the techniques mentioned above. Good news, bad news When people use these techniques themselves, it really improves their ability to recognise them in other contexts. So, together with DROG (a Dutch organisation working against the spread of disinformation), we developed an online game called Bad News (click here to play it), where players use misleading tactics to build their own fake news empire. The game is free to play in any browser and on any device and takes about 15 minutes to complete. You start as an anonymous Twitter user who goes professional by starting their own news site, and gradually becomes a fake news tycoon. On the way, you earn badges and learn how the techniques mentioned earlier can be used to suit your purposes. We figured that once you know how the magic trick works, you won’t be fooled by it again. So we put our ideas to the test by doing a pilot study in a high school in the Netherlands. Some classes were assigned to the treatment group and played our game. Others were assigned to the control group, and didn’t play the game. Although our study was only a starting point, the results so far have been positive: students who played the game thought the fake news articles they read afterwards were less reliable. We hope that our game will play a role in stopping the spread of misleading information: just as misinformation replicates, vaccines can spread, too. The more people that play the game, the further the vaccine spreads – until one day, we may achieve societal resistance against fake news. *Jon Roozenbeek is a PhD Candidate in Slavonic Studies, University of Cambridge **Sander van der Linden is the Director of Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, University of Cambridge (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Here is a game to protect you from fake news

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