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Two recent events are the example of the real and serious scope on which false information can be viralized via WhatsApp or social networks.
The first was produced on Saturday, October 27 in Ciudad. Bolivar, in Bogotá, when police arrested three men for alleged theft of property. However, the community reacted angrily in accusing him of kidnapping children, after Whatsapp bequeathed to the audio false information about an alleged group dedicated to theft of children. children, according to the Secretary of Security of Bogotá, Jairo García.
The crowd, enraged, opposed the detainees and, although the police requested reinforcements, they were attacked and one of the men, Maikel Eduardo Mabell, died. Marbell was a Cartagena who had emigrated to Venzuela years ago, but recently returned because of the difficult economic and social situation in that country.
The next day, the same false chain, but with information adapted to Medellín, was the reason why a man had been lynched in the neighborhood on 12 October. At this moment, the man is in intensive care with a reserved prognosis.
The authorities of Bogota, as well as those of Medellin and even other cities of the country, have repeatedly reiterated that the information that circulated in the application It is false that the WhatsApp messaging on the disappearances of minors is false.
"Between seven and ten news on social networks related to abductions or disappearances of children, none has been confirmed.Jairo Garcia, Secretary of Security of Bogotá, said Secretary of Security
But this is not only happening in Colombia, but in India the situation has gone too far: Between May and September of this year, at least 16 lynchings killed 29 people in that country. following a widespread misinformation shared in WhatsApp (most cases were related to the theft of children), according to the Indian authorities.
for its part, reacted by making specific changes to the flat in India, such as reducing the number of recipients of a message, and an awareness campaign in the newspapers of different states, inviting netizens to:
"I share it among the flies "
One of the factors facilitating the viralization of misinformation is that messages reach people. your cell phones and one of your contacts, that is, a person known to you sends it. And if the same message comes from different contacts, it is more likely that the message is true.
As Claire Wardle, a researcher at the Shorenstein Center for Media, Policy and Public Policy at Harvard University, explains: "When we see multiple messages On the same subject, our brain uses it as a shortcut to credibility.This must be true, let's say – I've seen this same statement a few times today – "
And although the authorities and media have tiredly repeated the 39 importance of checking the information received, the thought of a large majority of users of the messaging platforms is that it is better to "prevent" by transmitting the message, without bothering to investigate its veracity.
What you can believe is that there are people who invent situations or "information" solely for the purpose of
Potential Damages
You Can Believe That by "transmitting" to the picture or audio transmitted to your phone, nothing happens, but it's not that easy. According to the report "The Address Information in a Open Society" published this year by Full Fact in the UK, devoted to data verification, the harm that misinformation can cause is of four types:
• Dissociation of Democracy [19659004] Abuse of power, disconnection and mistrust.
• Interference with Democracy
Electoral interference, effect on beliefs and attitudes.
• Economic damage.
systems.
• Danger of death
Due to public health problems and radicalization
In Colombia and in the world, there are many proofs of this type of damage: apathy of the public, prefabricated messages to influence elections of leaders, people with destroyed reputation, actions of the affected companies, paranoia drugs or vaccines, hatreds and even murders.
Therefore, the next time you receive a message, Whatsapp with the word "transmitted", do not hesitate, break the chain if you are not sure if this information is false or true. Because the reality is that damage is caused by people, not by the technology itself.
Share this news, which is not false, with your WhatsApp contacts. Together, we can help educate.
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