Fake News

A. Lotufo

From 2022 to 2023, there was a 3x increase in video deep fakes and an 8x increase in voice deep fakes. Likewise, misinformation is becoming a threat to the credibility of online information. So, what really is fake news and what is its dangers? 

False information, more commonly referred to as fake news, are news, stories, hoaxes, or others which are created to intentionally misinform people. These not only include news articles and websites, but also images, audios, videos, and more. These can be used to damage reputations, mock people or simply for entertainment. But the effects are certainly not entertaining. With the constant rise of fake news, it’s becoming hard to find which websites and sources can be fully trustable. Fake news can also cause people to utilize inaccurate information, damaging endless things, like grades, articles, and more. 

With AI growing as it is, deep fakes are also becoming more common. Deep fakes are fake content generated with AI. These are utilized to make people look like they are saying something or doing something which they haven’t done. Deep fakes are all over social media, and it is affecting people immensely. 
So, with the rise of fake news, how can you protect yourself? 

• Pay close attention to the platform you are trusting – anyone can post whatever they want on social media, meaning fake news is always spreading on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and more. 
  

• Read more than the headline – headlines are often used to captivate readers, so make sure you read beyond it to make sure what you are learning about. 
  

• Check your information – if you aren’t using a completely credible site and you want to check information, go to other websites and check if this is trustable. ​
  

Overall, fake news impacts the world majorly today, so always make sure to protect yourself – and ultimately, don’t trust everything you see online.