This is a serious problem, which is directly related to the core of ethics, freedom of expression and new technologies, three factors that are at stake within a context that has the new era of citizen journalism in check.
In this particular section, the benefits of the new communication realities show their darker side, returning relevance to the classic communication media, which are not free from this problem either, but are certainly affected to a lesser extent.
The lack of ethics that abounds in the dark corners of the internet and the almost null regulation of personal communication media, in part due to the protections of freedom of expression, have created the perfect context for the proliferation of fake news, which many Sometimes they have no other purpose than to vandalize without any other purpose, more than mere enthusiasm, as the famous case of the “Chain messages” that are only for the purpose of spreading.
In any case, and for multiple reasons, fake news has flooded the networks, promoting a general discrediting of blogs and personal media. This strange situation has revalued the credibility of the traditional media, which, due to its structure, knowledge and experience, tends to develop a better news validation system.
While we also have to accept that the latter are also affected, they are more stable and reliable than the one-person media that abound on the internet.
As a desperate measure, an attempt has been made to find a solution through the blocking of accounts, civil complaints and complex artificial intelligence algorithms to lower the visibility of news marked as false.
This new almost exclusive barrier of social networks has once again opened the controversy: Is it a violation of freedom of expression? Prior censorship?
The discussion was revived internationally, when on January 6 of this year (2021), within a context of riots that took place in the Capitol, Twitter blocked the account of the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, a political figure famous for his controversial statements on the social network.
fake news
Pixabay
The positions on this type of locks They are diverse, but in objective terms nothing seems to indicate that we are in the presence of violations of the rights of expression, however, the most benign response with international treaties and laws aim to regulate a different and key element, mass dissemination.
In this sense, the use of suitable algorithms could detect a false news, and limit its arrival, to the point that it remains available, for those who wish to see it and at the same time containing a growing wave of false news.
One way or another, tirelessly Different solutions are being proposed around the world and it would not be surprising that under this concept we have the odd surprise that once again puts the magnifying glass on the controversy.
Writer, advisor in Political Communication.
