THE DANGER OF FAKE NEWS

By Tom D. Müller-Broich

In the era of the internet, information is spreading faster than ever before.

However, not all information is reliable, and fake news is becoming a growing problem.

Fake news is designed to mislead people into believing things that are not true In this article, I will discuss the dangers of fake news and how to identify it when browsing online

Fake news can not only lead to confusion and uncertainty but even serious concerns like false information on healthcare can result from fake news

This proved to be a problem when during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people in the United States had to be medically treated after drinking bleach in order to cure the virus, resulting from fake news they´ve read online

How to identify fake news

Has the story been reported anywhere else?

Is it on the radio, TV or in the newspapers?

Have you heard of the organisation that published the story?

Does the website where you found the story look genuine?

Does the website address at the very top of the page look real?

Does the photo or video look normal?

Does the story sound believable?

Fake news can also be used to influence a voter's opinion, which can make a serious difference when executed on a large scale This could pose a serious threat to democracy in the future, with technology getting easier to access every day

This was evident during the Nigerian election in early 2023 when there were multiple false claims about key politicians floating around the internet, which have been reported as being intended to heat up the situation