Elaine Ford
Director and founder of Democracy and Development (D&D) International / eford@ddint.org
Master in International Studies, postgraduate studies in international law and human rights, journalist and specialist for innovation in government and collaborative solutions. Director and founder of Democracy and Development (D&D) International; creator of the Digital Democracy Program and President of the Internet Society of Peru (ISOC).
Disinformation, Fake News and the Global Pandemic
Almudena, my seven-year-old daughter, recorded a beautiful song to remind everyone how important it is to stay home and respect quarantine in these times of coronavirus. Within a few days this short music video went viral, not only in WhatsApp chats, social networks and the reports of popular influencers, but also across borders. Her soft and melodic voice even inspired the city council of the capital of a neighboring country to share the video to encourage people to stay home.
But just as Almudena's video contained harmless material with a responsible and assertive message, we also see content circulating in the digital space, threatening public health and people's good faith. COVID-19 is a pandemic that has exposed the world to a reality that goes beyond fiction. Isolation, the omnipresence of death and feelings of fear and anguish make us feel vulnerable. No one could have imagined that our lives would take such a sudden and extreme turn within a few days. Moreover, the virus does not distinguish between race, nationality, gender, age or social status, although the most vulnerable people are also the most frequently affected. We all feel this climate of uncertainty, and unfortunately it is the most favourable environment for the dissemination of news and fake news that appeal to our emotional side rather than our intellect, tempting us to adopt their ways of thinking or acting in a certain way.
The purpose of fake or false news is to disseminate information that may not be genuine, but is at least plausible and credible. Their intention is to manipulate the actions and thoughts of individuals and to create an atmosphere of fear and panic that blocks reason and our critical judgement. The cases are numerous and are becoming more and more frequent in the digital age. Especially in times of elections, when this type of news tends to spread in order to disqualify the opponent, convince people and manipulate the election. Fake news can therefore even destabilise a government and endanger democracy.
Unlike COVID-19, disinformation and fake news imply other types of risks that undermine the integrity of the individual and social cohesion and affect public health policies. When information arrives that is not true, the following usually happens: a) the individual's ability to make good decisions is blocked, b) mistrust arises about the actions taken by the authorities, c) the government, the media and official bodies are questioned, d) a contradiction arises in the population because they do not know who to believe, e) panic is created and, what is worse, f) the health and safety of the individual is put at risk. Although disinformation is mainly motivated by political or commercial interests, in the current situation it also exacerbates the current health crisis.
Italy and Spain are the European countries most affected by COVID-19. Disinformation and fake news have spread on the continent to such an extent that the European Commission decided to create a web platform to contain the harmful effects and clarify the untruths spread about the coronavirus. Similarly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chatbot is an excellent online channel to find out what false reports are circulating.
The International Fact-Finding Network (IFCN) had identified more than 1,500 cases of online deception and misrepresentation from 61 nations by the end of March, doubling the number in just one week. The trend is rising, which seems to be in direct proportion to the rapid increase in infection cases around the globe.
Recently, 300 people in Iran died as a result of methanol poisoning caused by a counterfeit remedy distributed through social networks. In the same context, there are various home or natural remedies that are viralized in the networks, although their effectiveness is not supported by any medical studies. The same happens with information about vaccines, masks or the origin of the virus. Conspiracy theories and information are spread in various forms and with false data, so that the cause of COVID-19 is sometimes linked to 5G technology, sometimes to migrants. In this way, alarm, aggression and panic are triggered in the population.
The dramatic thing about all this is that a recent study by Kaspersky shows that in Latin America, 70% of the population does not know when a message is wrong, and even worse: 16% do not know what it even means. It is very worrying for our region because of the harmful effects that disinformation and its viralisation can have on individuals and their environment; this demonstrates the need to raise awareness of these issues.
There is no doubt that the Internet has saved humanity in the face of the crisis. Without this powerful tool, we would have been completely unable to exercise our rights and freedoms online and to continue our daily lives offline. It is therefore very important that citizens act responsibly in the digital environment.
Faced with disinformation and fake news, it is the duty of individuals to check the author, source, website, date and to compare the facts with media reports and the statements of official bodies in order to determine the truth and quality of the information. Fake news, as I have always said, must be combated by various means, but the responsible action of the digital citizen is crucial to stop the spiral of dissemination and disinformation.
In recent weeks there have also been concrete actions on the part of the technology companies. WhatsApp has introduced limited redirects, allowing only one chat at a time; Facebook will notify those who comment on or respond to fake news; and YouTube has announced that it will use information posters to combat this type of information, in addition to a significant donation of $1 million to IFCN for this purpose. Of course, there will still be much more to do, given the importance and time spent on social media today.
On the part of governments, it is essential in this crisis to be a constant official source of information, not only through press conferences, as is often the case in some countries, but by enabling online information channels with up-to-date, timely, impartial and truthful data. We also need to warn against the deceptions and untruths that circulate on the Internet. A collective and coordinated effort is therefore needed to deal with this global pandemic as efficiently as possible.
