Nowadays, surfing the Internet is like entering an information jungle where fake news, or rather, LIES, lurk around every corner. We are bombarded with information, often distorted or outright invented (they call it Fake News), and distinguishing truth from falsehood becomes a titanic task.
Experts estimate that more than half of the information circulating online is, at the very least, half-truths, and in many cases, outright lies. What is worrying is the ease with which these falsehoods spread, retransmitted by users who, without prior critical filtering, share them with the world.
Let's not fool ourselves: most of these "Fake News" are not the result of chance. Behind them lurk organizations and individuals with vested interests who use freedom of expression as a shield to manipulate, misinform and achieve their goals, often to the detriment of the common good.
Given this scenario, the question is: how can we defend ourselves? Detecting these lies is complex, but not impossible. Technology, once again, comes to our aid. Researchers at Keele's School of Computer Science and Mathematics have developed a promising system capable of identifying Fake News with 99% accuracy.
This method is based on an "ensemble voting" technique, combining the predictions of several machine learning models to generate an overall score on the veracity of a news story. Imagine a jury of algorithms analyzing each piece of information, comparing it with various sources and evaluating its credibility. The accuracy of this system is astonishing and, with a little refinement, it could approach 100%.
If we have such an effective tool, why don't we implement it on a large scale? Why don't we integrate this algorithm into social networks so that it analyzes the information circulating and issues alerts about the veracity of the news? The answer, unfortunately, is not technological, but political.
There is a clear reluctance to address the problem of Fake News with the force it deserves. Too many interests benefit from disinformation and manipulation. As long as lies are allowed to spread without consequences, the situation will continue to worsen.
The tool developed by Keele's School of Computer Science and Mathematics is just one example. If there was real political will to combat disinformation, we could develop and implement many more solutions.
Just as an example, we could:
. Create independent fact-checking agencies: Organizations dedicated to analyzing the veracity of information and debunking hoaxes quickly and effectively.
. Establish action protocols for social networks: Force platforms to take measures against the spread of fake news, including the elimination of accounts that systematically spread it.
. Promote media education: Provide citizens with the necessary tools to identify Fake News and develop critical thinking.
. Sanction those who generate and spread disinformation: Apply existing laws against defamation and slander and, if necessary, create new specific laws to combat Fake News.
It is not about censoring freedom of expression, but about protecting society from manipulation and disinformation. Our democratic values are at stake. Freedom of expression is not an absolute right, and it cannot be used to spread lies that harm others.
Disinformation is very powerful, not because it changes people's minds, but because it allows people to maintain their beliefs despite growing evidence to the contrary. And so the Internet does not work as a brainwashing machine, but above all as a machine for justifying one's preconceived ideas, without any relation to the truth.
Conspiracy theories are a deeply rooted phenomenon in many people, and they are instantly transmitted over the Internet because there are powerful groups (generally extreme-right) interested in it.
I believe that the fight against Fake News is a battle that we must fight on all fronts: technological, educational, political and legal. Technology offers us powerful tools, but their effectiveness depends on our willingness to use them. Will we continue to allow lies to spread unchecked, or will we take the necessary measures to protect the truth and the integrity of our society?
The answer is partly in our hands. I am convinced that a future with fewer online lies is possible, but only if we commit to building it.
Do you think that one day we will see a decrease on online LIES?
What do you think?
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