Detection

“The practices and policies of internet companies problematize responses to the disinfodemic. Without clear and accessible insight into the processes that deter- mine the spread of false and misleading content online, it is difficult for the public, as well as policymakers, to make informed decisions on how they use and regulate such platforms” (Canela et al., 2023, p. 124).

Resistance

The United Nations suggests that any simple response to combat disinformation is likely to make the problem even worse. It calls, rather, for a response rooted in human rights, encouraging individuals’ information literacy in conjunction with media companies, not just fighting against the worst forms of disinformation by trying to prevent them but by also building societal resilience (see https://www.un.org/en/countering-disinformation).

See one of their suggestions (building a citizen-based digital-army): https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1139682

The government of Canada has produced this resource (focusing mostly on malevolent cyber-attacks and scams): https://busrides-trajetsenbus.csps-efpc.gc.ca/en/ep-84-en

Notably, though, in its brief on the disinfodemic, UNESCO pointed out how “education is a partial remedy for misinformation, while stopping money-making from scams is one of the ways to reduce the supply of disinformation” (2020, p. 2).

References

Detection

“It’s hard to properly account for the surge in fake news. The general public has very little understanding of how social media work, and sometimes takes falsely sourced or openly conspiracy-themed publications at face value. Acquiring easily implemented methodological tools would undoubtedly help to avoid these pitfalls”. (Admin, 2023)

Resistance

Starting at an early age, everyone may learn the fundamentals of OSINT (Open-Source Information), which include recognizing AI-generated texts or images and analyzing sources of information. This knowledge can help safeguard the human mind from manipulation! Preparing educators to engage with and make effective use of emerging technology in the classroom so that they may instill in their students the ability to think critically about online platforms and publicly available AI tools for content creation (ChatGPT, Midjourney, etc.)

Reference

Admin. (2023, August 11). Education and critical thinking as tools in the battle against fake news – World Education Blog. World Education Blog. https://world-education-blog.org/2023/08/11/education-and-critical-thinking-as-tools-in-the-battle-against-fake-news/

VB