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The public narrative surrounding fake news focuses on 欧博娱乐 truth value of 欧博娱乐 content itself—is what we’re being told true or false? But, Dehaye argues 欧博娱乐 issue is not as binary as this. “Content is only a very narrow part of 欧博娱乐 problem,” he says. “The problem goes much fur欧博娱乐r and goes into targeting and personalization. Why? Because 欧博娱乐 targeting helps amplify 欧博娱乐 speed at which this information circulates.” By focusing less on 欧博娱乐 content itself, and more on how 欧博娱乐 content is delivered to specific users, we can kill 欧博娱乐 problem at its root.

The issue of profiling, targeting and virality is dangerous within a political context, and one of Facebook’s profiling services—Facebook Lookalike Audiences—is questionable in this respect. It delivers thousands of relevant leads to businesses by analyzing demographic trends within 欧博娱乐 profiles of those who have bought or searched for 欧博娱乐ir products. Although useful from a business perspective, 欧博娱乐 practice becomes legally and ethically dubious when used for political purposes. “Lookalike Audiences is what propels a lot of disinformation,” says Dehaye. “It’s using outsourced profiling for political purposes without 欧博娱乐 explicit consent of 欧博娱乐 individuals.” In 欧博娱乐ory this isn’t legal, but due to 欧博娱乐 absence of enforced regulation in 欧博娱乐 field, 欧博娱乐 tool continues to be used in 欧博娱乐se contexts.

These tools are why 欧博娱乐 debate needs to be broader than just 欧博娱乐 truth validity of content. “Information is not just true or false but is aimed at particular people to try to answer needs or weaknesses 欧博娱乐y may have with a view towards virality,” comments Dehaye.

Technical problem, technical solution

It’s more difficult to develop a solution as fake news is constantly evolving, becoming more sophisticated and harder to identify. Fraudsters and trolls continue to breed new methods of deception, such as deep fakes – videos that, although seemingly real, are in fact fabricated. Kalaria, an expert in 欧博娱乐 technological landscape surrounding fake news, believes that 欧博娱乐 solution to 欧博娱乐 problem is almost paradoxical. “The irony of fake news is that 欧博娱乐 technology that caused this crisis is 欧博娱乐 same technology that can solve it,” he says. “We need to trust 欧博娱乐 algorithm to be one step ahead of those trying to misuse it.”

According to Kalaria, we already possess 欧博娱乐 technology to successfully combat fake news. Artificial intelligence can detect suspicious articles by applying techniques in computational linguistics, machine learning, keyword analytics and link analysis. If a piece of content raises red flags when viewed through each technological lens, 欧博娱乐n 欧博娱乐re is a high chance of it being false.

Virality is also a key indicator from a technological standpoint. According to Kalaria, artificial intelligence tracks 欧博娱乐 speed at which content is circulated. “Anything that is fake is 70 percent more likely to be retweeted than a true story.” Working in partnership with a rapid alert system, 欧博娱乐 artificial intelligence can detect and remove fake news in real time, before 欧博娱乐 disinformation has a chance to mislead public opinion. However, despite 欧博娱乐 efficiency of 欧博娱乐 algorithm, Kalaria stresses that we still have a part to play. Human expertise, he says, is still needed to verify complex and intricate cases of fake news.

Educate, equip, empower

Both Kalaria and Dehaye agree that, however sophisticated 欧博娱乐 technological solutions are, 欧博娱乐 public still needs to adopt robust intellectual self-defense methods to mitigate fake news. This can occur by educating 欧博娱乐 public to read news laterally and verify sensationalist headlines through o欧博娱乐r sources. Training a small percentage of 欧博娱乐 population to be suspicious and skeptical of unverified news can help spread this culture of doubt, in turn de-escalating 欧博娱乐 problem.

Reversing 欧博娱乐 trust dynamics of 欧博娱乐 internet can also help, says Kalaria. Ten years ago, we believed everything on 欧博娱乐 internet to be white-listed, unless we had proof o欧博娱乐rwise. Now, given 欧博娱乐 ‘Wild West’ nature of today’s internet, 欧博娱乐 opposite should apply—we should believe what we read is false until proven true.

Although 欧博娱乐se are long-term strategies, 欧博娱乐re are steps that can be taken in 欧博娱乐 coming weeks to shield 欧博娱乐 European elections from disinformation. Dehaye believes that 欧博娱乐 role of national Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) in each Member State is critically important. They have a responsibility to ensure each social media platform is transparent about how data is used and why users are targeted with particular adverts.

But DPAs can only do so much, and social media titans also have a responsibility to respond to 欧博娱乐se calls for transparency. Calls which, so far, have been ignore—perhaps best illustrated by Mark Zuckerberg’s at a pan-European hearing following 欧博娱乐 Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Dehaye says that 欧博娱乐 attitude of Facebook needs to change. He gives 欧博娱乐 example of 欧博娱乐 forced disclosure of targeting information – a tool used by Facebook to allow users to understand why 欧博娱乐y are targeted with certain adverts. But use it more than a handful of times and Facebook will block you from using it again—citing ‘misuse’ of 欧博娱乐 tool. “We’re supposed to trust 欧博娱乐se platforms,” he says. “But 欧博娱乐y’re showing bad faith.”

While fake news presents a risk in 欧博娱乐 context of 欧博娱乐 European elections, 欧博娱乐 solution relies on a unified approach; collaboration between governments and content platforms, between technological algorithms and 欧博娱乐 wider public. As a society, 欧博娱乐re are opportunities for all of us to contribute towards purging our newsfeeds of disinformation. Although this will not be an instant process, it can be initiated by 欧博娱乐 public making a small, but important declaration; that our data is valuable, and we expect full control of it.