Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Oct 10:03

Support the truth

DEBBIE JACOB EVERYTHING from fake musical tributes from entertainers to feel-good posts about athletes contributing their entire bonuses to open up dog shelters floods the internet. Fake news is out of control, and many people share these posts without thinking or verifying the content's veracity. It is most alarming that no one seems bothered by fake news if the posts are positive or uplifting. Those posts get shared without concern for the truth. All fake posts are unconscionable – even if they make you feel good. No one should be supporting lies, misrepresenting people’s creativity, violating copyright laws or entertaining these heartless intellectual property thieves who create fake news. We have gone beyond the point where we can assume any social media post is real or truthful. Each post requires fact-checking. Begin by examining the source of the posts. If it doesn't come from a reputable, sanctioned news source, be suspicious of fake news. Then, search the subject of the social media post to verify its accuracy. Artificial intelligence (AI) will pull up summaries of posts out there in cyberspace and tell you whether they are true or not. Remember, an AI summary is not foolproof. If there are limited posts with incorrect information, AI will provide you with that information. Such was the case when misinformation led to a summary naming the late US writer Caleb Carr’s three cats as his wives. The author of My Beloved Monster: Masha the Half-Wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me had never married. AI eventually self-corrected. The point is don’t just trust AI summaries either. If you see posts sent by an unfamiliar name or a questionable site you’ve never heard of, don’t trust it. Don’t read it. Don’t pass them on. Call people out on social media who are innocently sharing these pictures, posts or music. They need to be more aware and sensitive to what’s fake. Delete and block fake news sites that bombard you with misinformation. Beware of sites that mix fake news posts with real news posts. They’re a trap. Don’t get caught up in sites that get it right just some of the time. I don’t want to see anything on the site Threads. If you look up its reliability, AI will tell you its reputation as a good site is “complicated” and “depends on how you define reputable.” Threads has been flagged as a source that “has significant issues regarding user privacy, data collection, and potential exposure to harmful content, similar to other platforms owned by Meta” (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram). AI says, “Many cybersecurity and privacy experts consider Threads one of the worst social media platforms for user privacy. It collects a huge amount of user data for advertising, including sensitive information about a user's location, health, and finances.” This means when you click on sites like this, you are unknowingly offering your personal information to them. Fake news sites are up to no good. They’re trying to hack your account, steal your personal information or just mislead you. AI-generated photos present a big problem too. They put indelible images in your mind that aren’t real or true. Some are easy to spot, while others appear genuine. Assume bad intent if someone is posting or sharing messages about famous people making negative statements about an issue or another person. After US right-wing activist Charlie Cook’s assassination, many negative posts popped up about Kirk from people he had criticised. The Times of India called out one such story, reportedly from US gymnast's Simone Biles’s blog. It was fake, and the story used two still pictures, one of Biles and one of Kirk. Let famous people have their own voice. They usually post videos when commenting on a subject, and even then you have to fact-check to determine authenticity. The truth matters. You need to realise this and not support false information by passing it on. You are now the keeper of the truth. A questionable source spreads bias, propaganda and false information. Fake news spreads lies, hoaxes and deliberately misleads. If you’re relying on social media for your news, be sceptical. I suggest corroborating every story with at least two reputable sources. There are independent fact-checkers available online. Use them and develop your own research skills to “Google” information about the subject of a post. Learn to spot reliable sources. Google a list of trustworthy ones. Life in the social media age requires all of us to be detectives. Seek the truth. Check your sources before sharing information. We all deserve the truth. The post Support the truth appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.