Fake news. Conspiracy theories. Dis-Misinformation. Phishing
93% of EU population uses internet |
70% of Europeans regularly encounter fake news |
The belief that certain events or situations are secretly manipulated behind the scenes by powerful forces with negative intent.
How to recognise them?
Why do they flourish?
- for some people appear as a logical explanation of events or situations which are difficult to understand and bring a false sense of control and agency. This need for clarity is heightened in times of uncertainty like the COVID-19 pandemic and wars.
How do they take root?
- start as a suspicion - who is benefiting from the event or situation and thus identify the conspirators. Any ‘evidence’ is then forced to fit the theory.
- Once they have taken root, conspiracy theories can grow quickly: any person who tries to refute is seen as being part of the conspiracy or uniformed
Why are they spread:
- Most believe they are true.
- some want to provoke, manipulate or target people for political or financial reasons.
How to recognise them?
- They provide misleading explanations to events or situations, usually intentionally.
- They include facts or information that are real, presented in a distorted way.
- They often refer to a powerful group or network which has orchestrated in secret for their own interest or to create a negative impact on some actions
- Rejection of traditional or mainstream explanations of events or situations
- Disregard scientific evidence that proves their theories are wrong
- Claim to be silenced by official accounts (i.e. governments, international institutions)
- Proof to support their point of view:
- Highlight a detail as the absolute truth of their theories
- Use coincidences, which lack scientific explanation
- Use of scandalous titles, images, etc.
Why do they flourish?
- for some people appear as a logical explanation of events or situations which are difficult to understand and bring a false sense of control and agency. This need for clarity is heightened in times of uncertainty like the COVID-19 pandemic and wars.
How do they take root?
- start as a suspicion - who is benefiting from the event or situation and thus identify the conspirators. Any ‘evidence’ is then forced to fit the theory.
- Once they have taken root, conspiracy theories can grow quickly: any person who tries to refute is seen as being part of the conspiracy or uniformed
Why are they spread:
- Most believe they are true.
- some want to provoke, manipulate or target people for political or financial reasons.
WHY fake news is a danger?
- quickly spread
- polarising and encourage extreme views or opinions
- fuel violent extremism, discrimination, justify hate crimes and can be exploited by violent extremist groups
- people become more vulnerable and exposed to feelings of anxiety, fear, isolation and vulnerability
WHAT to check |
TRUE |
FAKE |
The Author / The Speaker's authority in the matter |
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The Source Is it reliable and reputable? |
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The tone and style Is it balanced and fair or sensationalist and one-dimensional? |
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- Stopping the spread of conspiracy theories is challenging. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on the level of exposure. People who firmly believe in conspiracy theories are extremely difficult to reach.
Level 1: Low exposure to conspiracy theories - PREBUNKING – Empowered people are more resilient- Warn people early on that conspiracy theories exist.
- Encourage rational thinking, questioning and fact-checking.
- Alert people about the arguments behind the most common COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the key traits of conspiratorial thinking – suspicion of official accounts, immunity to contrary evidence, reinterpreting random events as part of a broader pattern.
DOs:- Focus on the facts you want to communicate, not the myth you want to debunk.
- Choose your target – the author, source or logic behind the conspiracy theory.
- Always state clearly that the information is wrong, before quoting a conspiracy theory.
- Provide a fact-based alternative explanation.
- If possible, use visual aids to back your argument.
Don't focus on the conspiracy theory first.
Don't reinforce it.
Don't overwhelm with information.
Know how to take action. Stop the spread.
Check your own beliefs
We all have biases and fears, which could open the door to believing in a conspiracy theory.
Many conspiracy theorists are deeply convinced of their beliefs. Their whole life and worldview are centred around them.
When talking to somebody who firmly believes in a conspiracy theory be aware that:
If you are certain you have identified a conspiracy theory, react rather than ignore
DO NOT share the post
DO NOT share the website or blog post
Contact your local/national press council or press ombudsperson
DO NOT share the material
We all have biases and fears, which could open the door to believing in a conspiracy theory.
- Where do my fears, beliefs and values come from?
- Interview yourself: Why do I believe what I believe?
- What are my fears, beliefs and values? How do they affect my decisions and how I interact with people?
- Do I have prejudices and believe in stereotypes? Why?
- Do I feel disadvantaged? In what way?
- Do I feel the need to blame somebody else? Why?
- How do I choose my sources of information?
- Has this changed since the COVID-19 outbreak?
Many conspiracy theorists are deeply convinced of their beliefs. Their whole life and worldview are centred around them.
When talking to somebody who firmly believes in a conspiracy theory be aware that:
- Any argument challenging the conspiracy theory may be taken as proof that you are part of the conspiracy and reinforce the belief.
- They probably believe in more than one conspiracy theory.
- They will probably argue hard to defend their beliefs
- The first step to prevent conspiracy theories is to know that they exist. Be aware. Stop the spread.
- Encourage open debate and questions.
- Ask detailed questions about their theory in order to trigger self-reflection.
- Enlist trusted former conspiracy theorists who once believed the same thing.
- Be cautious and use a variety of sources around the theme.
- Don't ridicule. Try to understand why they believe what they believe.
- Show empathy. Often the person may be truly fearful and distressed.
- Go step by step. Focus on simple facts and logic instead of covering every detail.
- Don't push. Too much pressure might backfire. Leave them time to process and try again.
If you are certain you have identified a conspiracy theory, react rather than ignore
- On social media:
DO NOT share the post
- On websites and blogs:
DO NOT share the website or blog post
- On media outlets:
Contact your local/national press council or press ombudsperson
DO NOT share the material
Sources:
- Michael Butter, co-author of the COMPACT Guide to Conspiracy Theories
- John Cook and Stephan Lewandowsky, authors of The Debunking Handbook and The Conspiracy Theory Handbook
- https://www.disinfo.eu/
Misinformation and Disinformation
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead. Examples include rumors, insults and pranks.
Disinformation is deliberate and includes malicious content such as hoaxes, spear phishing and propaganda. It spreads fear and suspicion among the population.
Fake news is purposefully crafted, sensational, emotionally charged, misleading or totally fabricated information that mimics the form of mainstream news.
Sources:
- Misinformation and Disinformation, UNHCR - here
Misinformation and Disinformation are not new. The most used types are:
1. Fabricated Content: Completely false content
2. Manipulated Content: Genuine information or imagery that has been distorted, E.g. a sensational headline or populist ‘click bait’
3. Imposter Content: Impersonation of genuine sources, E.g. using the branding of an established agency;
4. Misleading Content: Misleading information, e.g. comment presented as fact;
5. False Context: Factually accurate content combined with false contextual information, e.g. when the headline of an article does not reflect the content;
6. Satire and Parody: Humorous but false stores passed off as true. There is no intention to harm but readers may be fooled;
7. False Connections: When headlines, visuals or captions do not support the content;
8. Sponsored Content: Advertising or PR disguised as editorial content;
9. Propaganda: Content used to manage attitudes, values and knowledge;
10. Error: A mistake made by established new agencies in their reporting.
In addtion, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has given birth to new forms of misinformation and disinformation.
We call this Synthetic Media to indicate the artificial production, manipulation and modification of data and multimedia by automated means, especially AI algorithms, to mislead or change original meaning. There are fears that synthetic media could supercharge fake news, spread misinformation and distrust of reality and automate creative jobs.
“Deep Fakes” are one type of synthetic media where a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness. While the act of faking content is not new, deep fakes use powerful techniques from machine learning and AI to manipulate or generate visual and audio content with a high potential to deceive.
Deep Fakes have garnered widespread attention for their use in revenge porn, fake news, hoaxes and financial fraud. Industry and governments are concerned to detect and limit their use. Some countries already have a national response or national institutions are working on it.
“Speech Synthesis” is another branch of synthetic media that can artificially produce human speech. A computer used for this purpose is called a “speech computer” or “speech synthesizer”. Synthesized speech concatenates pieces of recorded speech or it incorporates a model of the vocal tract and other human voice characteristics to create a completely "synthetic" voice.
1. Fabricated Content: Completely false content
2. Manipulated Content: Genuine information or imagery that has been distorted, E.g. a sensational headline or populist ‘click bait’
3. Imposter Content: Impersonation of genuine sources, E.g. using the branding of an established agency;
4. Misleading Content: Misleading information, e.g. comment presented as fact;
5. False Context: Factually accurate content combined with false contextual information, e.g. when the headline of an article does not reflect the content;
6. Satire and Parody: Humorous but false stores passed off as true. There is no intention to harm but readers may be fooled;
7. False Connections: When headlines, visuals or captions do not support the content;
8. Sponsored Content: Advertising or PR disguised as editorial content;
9. Propaganda: Content used to manage attitudes, values and knowledge;
10. Error: A mistake made by established new agencies in their reporting.
In addtion, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has given birth to new forms of misinformation and disinformation.
We call this Synthetic Media to indicate the artificial production, manipulation and modification of data and multimedia by automated means, especially AI algorithms, to mislead or change original meaning. There are fears that synthetic media could supercharge fake news, spread misinformation and distrust of reality and automate creative jobs.
“Deep Fakes” are one type of synthetic media where a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness. While the act of faking content is not new, deep fakes use powerful techniques from machine learning and AI to manipulate or generate visual and audio content with a high potential to deceive.
Deep Fakes have garnered widespread attention for their use in revenge porn, fake news, hoaxes and financial fraud. Industry and governments are concerned to detect and limit their use. Some countries already have a national response or national institutions are working on it.
“Speech Synthesis” is another branch of synthetic media that can artificially produce human speech. A computer used for this purpose is called a “speech computer” or “speech synthesizer”. Synthesized speech concatenates pieces of recorded speech or it incorporates a model of the vocal tract and other human voice characteristics to create a completely "synthetic" voice.
A Sockpuppet is an online identity used to deceive. The term now extends to misleading uses of online identities to praise, defend or support a person or organization; to manipulate public opinion; or to circumvent restrictions, suspension or an outright ban from a website. The difference between a pseudonym and a sockpuppet is that the sockpuppet poses as an independent third party, unaffiliated with the main account holder. Sockpuppets are unwelcome in many online communities
and forums;
• Sealioning is a type of trolling or harassment where people are pursued with persistent requests for evidence or repeated questions. A pretense of civility and sincerity is maintained with these incessant, bad-faith invitations to debate;
• Astroturfing masks the sponsors of a message (e.g. political, religious, advertising or PR organizations) to make it appear as though it comes from grassroots participants. The practice aims to give organizations credibility by withholding information about their motives or financial connections;
• Catfishing is a form of fraud where a person creates a sockpuppet or fake identity to target a particular victim on Social Media. It is common for romance scams on dating websites. It may be done for financial gain, to compromise a victim or as a form of trolling or wish fulfillment.
and forums;
• Sealioning is a type of trolling or harassment where people are pursued with persistent requests for evidence or repeated questions. A pretense of civility and sincerity is maintained with these incessant, bad-faith invitations to debate;
• Astroturfing masks the sponsors of a message (e.g. political, religious, advertising or PR organizations) to make it appear as though it comes from grassroots participants. The practice aims to give organizations credibility by withholding information about their motives or financial connections;
• Catfishing is a form of fraud where a person creates a sockpuppet or fake identity to target a particular victim on Social Media. It is common for romance scams on dating websites. It may be done for financial gain, to compromise a victim or as a form of trolling or wish fulfillment.
Source : UNESCO
https://webarchive.unesco.org/20181207154048/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/media-development/media-literacy/five-laws-of-mil/
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Resources:
- UNESCO Media and information literate citizens: think critically, click wisely! E- book - here
- U.N. -How to Spot and Counter Misinformation - free online course by United Nations Verified - here
- Detecting Bias in the News, University of Washington - here
- UW Center for an Informed Public, University of Washington
- Council of Europe - resources on topic here
- UNESCO - Media literacy resources - here
- OECD - MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION. An international effort using behavioural science to tackle the spread of misinformation -Public Governance Policy Paper. OECD, OPSI, IIU, MTFP, DITP, 2022 - here
- UK - Counter disinformation toolkit: Strategic communications to reduce the impact of mis- and disinformation - here
- Finland - Media literacy education system in finnish schools- here
- Good practice principles for public communication responses to mis- and disinformation
- See European Commission's Report on Media literacy in Europe
- Media Literacy Now - here
Internet Literacy for children:
- FAKE OFF: app developed by an Erasmusplus project, creating awareness of intentional misinformation and at enabling young people to identify “fake news” and to avoid them.
Code of Practice on Disinformation
- Representatives of online platforms, leading social networks, advertisers and advertising industry agreed on a self-regulatory Code of Practice to address the spread of online disinformation and fake news
- it was signed by the online platforms Facebook, Google, Youtube,Twitter, Mozilla, Microsoft, TikTok as well as by advertisers and advertising industry
- Annex - Best practices
- Representatives of online platforms, leading social networks, advertisers and advertising industry agreed on a self-regulatory Code of Practice to address the spread of online disinformation and fake news
- it was signed by the online platforms Facebook, Google, Youtube,Twitter, Mozilla, Microsoft, TikTok as well as by advertisers and advertising industry
- Annex - Best practices
Phishing
Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into:
Common Features of Phishing Emails:
- providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, usernames & passwords OR
- click a malicious link
- open a malicious attachment.
Common Features of Phishing Emails:
- Too Good To Be True - Lucrative offers and eye-catching or attention-grabbing statements are designed to attract people’s attention immediately. For instance, many claim that you have won an iPhone, a lottery, or some other lavish prize. Just don't click on any suspicious emails. Remember that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is!
- Sense of Urgency - A favorite tactic amongst cybercriminals is to ask you to act fast because the super deals are only for a limited time. Some of them will even tell you that you have only a few minutes to respond. When you come across these kinds of emails, it's best to just ignore them. Sometimes, they will tell you that your account will be suspended unless you update your personal details immediately. Most reliable organizations give ample time before they terminate an account and they never ask patrons to update personal details over the Internet. When in doubt, visit the source directly rather than clicking a link in an email.
- Hyperlinks - A link may not be all it appears to be. Hovering over a link shows you the actual URL where you will be directed upon clicking on it. It could be completely different or it could be a popular website with a misspelling, for instance www.bankofarnerica.com - the 'm' is actually an 'r' and an 'n', so look carefully.
- Attachments - If you see an attachment in an email you weren't expecting or that doesn't make sense, don't open it! They often contain payloads like ransomware or other viruses. The only file type that is always safe to click on is a .txt file.
- Unusual Sender - Whether it looks like it's from someone you don't know or someone you do know, if anything seems out of the ordinary, unexpected, out of character or just suspicious in general don't click on it!
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See also: 'We need professional journalism back' - here
