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The BBC launches an international initiative to fight the spread of "false information" and misinformation around the world.
The project starts today with the Beyond Fake News conference in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where the broadcaster shares research findings based on an in-depth analysis of messaging applications in India, Kenya, and Nigeria.
India, in particular, seems to be plagued by a false information crisis. The BBC study found that many Indian social media users "made little effort to find the original source of what they shared," Quartz reports.
The consequences were serious, even fatal.
How does the false news spread in India?
The BBC research used several methods to understand the flow of false information, including interviews and analysis of 16,000 Twitter profiles and 3,200 Facebook pages, as well as WhatsApp messages shared by 40 volunteers.
WhatsApp seemed to be the main driver of spreading false information in India. Fueled by mistrust of mainstream media, Indians broadcast information from alternative sources without verifying it. In doing so, they believe they are promoting the "real story," says Quartz.
Based on the responses to an investigation, the BBC found that many Indians "rely on markers such as the type of images contained in a message or on the one who sent them" in order to decide "It was worth sharing them".
As a result, it was often assumed that messages from close friends and family members were trustworthy, whether or not they were.
Why is it widespread?
The messages "centered on the ideas of nationalism and nation-building" were the most commonly shared false news, reports the Hindustan Times.
The BBC claims that false information is a central element of a "rising tide of nationalism" in which "the facts were less important to some than the emotional desire to strengthen national identity".
The research revealed that there was also an "overlapping" of false sources of information on Twitter and support networks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The results showed a strong and consistent promotion of right-wing messages, while the fake left-wing information networks were poorly organized, if at all, and less effective.Adds the broadcaster.
Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service Group, said: "While most media discussions have focused on" false information "in the West, this research clearly shows that a set of serious issues are emerging in the rest of the world. the world where the idea of building the nation goes beyond the truth when it comes to sharing stories on social media. "
What are the consequences?
According to another analysis by the BBC, "at least 32 people were killed in the past year in incidents involving rumors on social networks or messaging applications."
In July, five men were lynched by a crowd in a rural Indian village following false kidnapping charges, broadcast via WhatsApp. More than 20 people have been arrested for these murders.
Quartz reports that in response, the Indian government has "sent severe warnings to Facebook's messaging service," which has "limited the number of times that a message can be transmitted in the country."
But with the national elections scheduled for April or May, the political consequences of misinformation could be significant – and for "Blame social media and WhatsApp would be to pulls on the messenger, "says The Indian Express.
