The term ‘fake news’ is not exactly new as many people claim. Indeed, it has only been recently perceived as a major threat to democracy, free expression, and the general Western construct. Two years ago, the term was branded ‘word of the year.’ Additionally, it generated misinformation that sabotaged trust between states hence increasing friction between states. While the phenomenon of propaganda is not particularly new-there have been numerous instances of propaganda historically- the presidential elections of 2016 placed the topic onto international scrutiny and debate. More importantly, innovations of communication technologies have paved ways to generate, manipulate, disseminate, and consume fake news, which makes it challenging to determine what information to trust. In this regard, this discussion explores the misuse of communication technologies through the generation and distribution of fake news or propaganda.
The concerns about fake news and the socio-political repercussions are plentiful Indeed, new communication innovations have not only made it possible but also easy to manipulate information, therefore, undermining the credibility of news media (Kalsnes, 2018). Every communication innovation provides new channels to not only generate but also to manipulate and distribute misinformation to individuals and the overall society. Misguiding information often disguised as news has aroused serious concerns in numerous states (Kalsnes, 2018). Of common concern is the reality that misinformation is damaging the overall public sphere and consequently sabotaging democracy (Kalsnes, 2018). The manipulation of media may lead to decreased trust and confidence in mainstream media, radicalization, and further misinformation. Even though misguided information is identified and debunked, it has the potential to shape the mass’ attitudes.
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An exemplary event illustrating fake news and its repercussions is that involving the current president of the U.S. during the 2016 elections. Websites with fabricated information attracted massive following and attention. Particular fake news that gained attention, suggested that the Pope had endorsed Donald Trump as the Republican Party candidate (Kalsnes, 2018). Following that event, Donald Trump politicized the term ‘fake news’ and has been applying it to criticize media channels.
F ake news as a concept may appear new, but the only new thing about it is the platform used. Propaganda as a concept has been in existence for many centuries, only that the internet is the latest channel of communication used to distribute false and misguided information. The tools for manipulation and distribution of misinformation across various social networks are readily available online across the world varying from basic followers to paid likes. In any case, technology has made the services and tools for the generation and distribution of information readily available and accessible, thus making fake news and propaganda more prevalent in modern society than in the historic times.
Response
Internet fraud generally refers to the use of software applications or internet services to defraud individuals or rather take advantage of victims ("Internet Fraud | Federal Bureau of Investigation," 2019). More importantly, there are various forms of internet fraud, an area which the piece adequately explored. Other additional examples include phishing, data breach, and ransom-ware, among others. The most common types of internet fraud range from credit card fraud, business fraud, investment schemes, among others.
However, the most significant concern with technology goes beyond internet fraud. The key concern of technology entails privacy and security issues. The privacy, as well as the security information that we allow technological devices to access, are essential. Hence, this implies the urgency of regulations to acknowledge and address these issues, which may ultimately, to some extent, contribute to countering forms of misuse of technology such as internet fraud.
References
Kalsnes, B. (2018). Fake News. Oxford Research Encyclopedias . https://oxfordre.com/communication/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-809
"Internet Fraud | Federal Bureau of Investigation." Federal Bureau Of Investigation , 2019, https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/internet-fraud.
