Did fake news kill the Mobile World Congress?
By Julie Noce
Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But a distrust of factual information, and fear, definitely played a role.
The companies that pulled out of the event all sighted concerns over COVID-19. They could afford to lose the money and afford to change their product launch dates, so why risk it? The CEO´s and executives of those companies presumably took what they thought were well informed decisions about not showing up. But did they know the facts?
Similar to the lightning fast speed with which COVID-19 is traveling around the world, misinformation about that virus is traveling just as fast. From incorrect information on how to wear face masks, to lists of supposedly dangerous goods and products from China. Authorities in Malaysia and Singapore have described the spread of misinformation as a pressing an issue. Steps are being taken to taper the spread of false information. The WHO says the spread of fake news about COVID-19 is an even bigger threat than the virus itself.
Why do people spread false news, or why do people believe it? Fear, racism, bigotry and ignorance are all reasons. You may or may not have heard of the rash of killings in India from 2017–2018 due to the spread of misinformation on WhatsApp. It has been and still is a big problem. The damage caused due to fake news on social media has increased in India due to the growth of the internet penetration there, which has risen from 137 million internet users in 2012 to over 600 million in 2019. Racial, cultural and economic tensions are nothing new. But when the spread of rumors, lies and misinformation are facilitated with a social media tool like WhatsApp, lives can be at risk.
The problems of disinformation in India or Southeast Asia are different to those in the West. In the U.S., the term “fake news” has been successfully hijacked by politicians (Trump) to rally support and stir up emotions. His fear fueled list of media targets deemed as “fake news” has no limits. In fact, the Trumpian definition of “fake news” has reached such a fevered pitch, crazy things are happening that leave the perception of reality as we know it up for grabs.
Its getting more and more difficult to distinguish what´s real, what´s fake and who to trust when it comes to the media you consume. Making smart, informed choices online is more important than ever, and individually, we are all responsible for doing so.
In Barcelona the cancelation of the Mobile World Congress will be a huge hit to local business. “The impact on small companies who have invested a disproportionate amount of their budgets and time on this event should not be under-estimated. MWC is an anchor event for many and now they face the challenge of having to figure out what the best way to salvage something from this difficult situation.”
We know the GSMA canceled the event because major companies were pulling-out, not because of COVID-19. But did executives at LG, Amazon, Ericsson, Facebook, Nokia or Sony base their decisions to pull-out on fact or something else? Did they listen to science and local authorities? The WHO? Facebook´s Sheryl Sandberg once asked: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” Go to the MWC, I guess. But never mind. Life´s Good when you can afford not to show up.
