FAKE NEWS
In the information era, the proliferation of fake news is becoming common in our daily lives.
Pope Francis wearing a white puffer coat, Donald Trump being detained by police in dramatic fashion,
etc. None of these have really taken place, in fact, there were AI generated images which seem to be
real and went viral in the past weeks. These are only a few examples to show that fake information is
being disseminated around the society up to a point that 80% of the adults in the US have come across
fake news and consumed it.
First of all, it should be distinguished between the terms fake news, misinformation and disinformation.
The first of them refers to the manipulation of information through the production of false information
or the distortion of true information. Regarding misinformation, it is the spread of false or inaccurate
information, getting the facts wrong. While disinformation is deliberately intended to mislead, intentionally
changing the facts. These concepts will be explained in detail later.
Taking this into account, this research will go over everything related with the topic of fake news. Starting
with a brief introduction that will set the context and purpose of the research study. Continuing with the most
relevant part, the main content, which will include the following information. A detailed overview of the topic,
including a description of it. Followed by the different technologies that are employed in its execution. Moreover,
it will incorporate an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages, and an evaluation of the viability of the topic.
Ending this main content with an ethical analysis that covers the most human part of fake news and a section in which
laws and regulations will be discussed. To finish, we will add a conclusion to summarize the key concepts and express
our final opinions. And, of course, the references employed during the research.
The future of technology
Due to technology, any of us at present is exposed to receive different fake news. Indeed, some companies did some
çstudies and forecasted in 2017 that at the end of 2022 the society would see more fake news than real news because
of nowadays technology and services. These platforms have generated a huge quantity of fake trending news in order
to go viral. And this is because digital sophistication makes it possible to give fake content a greater appearance
of veracity. For instance by manipulating images, videos, audios..
Especially in times of crisis and uncertainty, fake news become one of the major issues for the population. Misinformation
affects citizens on issues of public interest, such as climate change, among others.
Hoaxes have always existed, and it will be probably impossible to stop the creation of them. Nevertheless, there are actions
that can be taken to reduce the damage they cause. For example, by developing tools that can detect falsehoods and generate
a better trust between the producers of truthful information and their consumers.
Fake news is not only a problem for consumers, but also for journalists. The Spanish startup, AyGLOO, together with the news
agency Europa Press is working on a project to detect fake news with the use of Explainable Artificial Intelligence, XAI. The
main objective of the project is to design a simple and effective tool to verify information circulating on the internet, social
networks and forums.
Examples
Most of the examples that are going to be shown are related with internet and newspapers. However, lots of cases are seen every
day, even some of them had a real impact on conflicts and wars, so we have to be extremely careful, mainly because sometimes it
is so believable that it seems to be real.
Papa Francisco endorses Trumps candidacy
During the 2016 presidential election, WTOE 5, which is a fantasy news website, where most articles are satire or fantasy, published
that Papa Francisco had broken with tradition and unequivocally endorsed Donald Trump for President of the United States. The statement
published was: “I have been hesitant to offer any kind of support for either candidate in the US presidential election but I now feel
that to not voice my concern would be a dereliction of my duty as the Holy See”. Furthermore, several local TV medias claimed that these
news were real and had to retract its words.
Trump offers flights to Mexico and Africa for everyone who wants to get out of EEUU.
During the presidential campaign of EEUU, TMZhiphop, a famous newspaper related to famous people, declared that Donald Trump was offering
free flights to Mexico and Africa for those who wanted to get out of the country. This news had over 800.000 visualizations on Facebook.
In essence, almost 7.000 people thought it was real and went to their respective airports to receive their ticket. The fake news was detected
when these people realized they didn't have the ticket for their flights.
Sport fake news
In terms of sports, we can see plenty of fake news each transfer window, specially on football terms. Firstly, fake-signings are the most
common way. A perfect example is Spursito, a well-known influencer who is related with football. Last summer, he invented the signing of
Marcelo to Leicester City. He affirmed that the player was even in England, ready to complete medical tests. Immediately, different
international media started to publish the report. Here you can see an example from Transfermarkt.uk, probably the best website in terms
of football signings and rumors.
