The Real Reason Fake News Always Wins Online
To understand why false information
spreads so easily, we first need to look at how social media platforms work.
Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and others are built to keep our attention. They
do this through something called filtering. In simple terms, these platforms
show us posts they think we will like, share, or react to. The more we engage,
the longer we stay online.
There are two main ways this filtering
happens. The first is based on similarity. If I am similar to you—maybe we live
in the same place, have the same job, or like the same pages—then the platform
assumes we will like the same content. So if you like a post, there is a good
chance I will see it too, especially if we are connected as friends.
The second way is based on behavior.
If I like one thing, the platform looks at what other people who like that same
thing also enjoy. For example, if I like a certain brand or topic, and many
others who like it also like something else, the platform will recommend that
to me as well. This is how our news feeds are built.
All of this is not just for fun. It
is for advertising. On social media, we are not really the users. We are the
product. Our attention, habits, and emotions are what get sold to advertisers.
The more we scroll and react, the more valuable we become.
Now here is where the problem gets
worse. Research has shown that false and sensational content spreads faster
than the truth. This is not new. Even before the internet, people loved gossip
and shocking stories. We are drawn to things that surprise us, make us angry,
or make us laugh. Online, this effect is even stronger.
We also love jokes, satire, and
sarcasm. Many false stories are shared “just for fun,” but once they are out
there, they can be taken seriously by others. The platforms do not care if
something is true or false. They care if it gets attention. So when people keep
clicking and sharing, the system rewards that content by showing it to more
people.
This creates the perfect environment
for disinformation to grow. Lies spread faster than facts, and the platforms
help them do it.
When we talk about fighting
disinformation, we often focus on people. We ask, “Who is spreading this?” or
“Why didn’t they check the facts?” These questions matter. Fact-checking is
important. Education is important. But there is something we often ignore.
We are not just fighting humans. We
are fighting machines.
A large part of disinformation today
is automated. Algorithms and automated accounts help push content at a speed no
human group can match. If you take away the platforms themselves, the problem
becomes much smaller. Without these systems, fake news would not travel as far
or as fast.
This is why I worry about relying
only on fact-checkers. There are only a few official fact-checking groups. Even
if regular citizens help, fact-checking is still mostly centralized.
Disinformation, on the other hand, is decentralized and partly automated. It
comes from many places at once. How do a few groups keep up with that?
That is the biggest question for me.
I do not think we have solved it yet.
If we really want to address
disinformation, we need to look beyond individual behavior. We need to talk
seriously about how platforms are designed and what they are allowed to
promote. Until we do that, we will always be one step behind, trying to catch
up to lies that were built to run faster than the truth.
About Me:
Dominic “Doc” Ligot is
one of the leading voices in AI in the Philippines. Doc has been extensively
cited in local and global media outlets including The Economist, South China
Morning Post, Washington Post, and Agence France Presse. His award-winning work
has been recognized and published by prestigious organizations such as NASA,
Data.org, Digital Public Goods Alliance, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization
(WHO), and UNICEF.
If you need guidance
or training in maximizing AI for your career or business, reach out to Doc via https://docligot.com.
Follow Doc Ligot on
Facebook: https://facebook.com/docligotAI
