How Do You Solve a Problem Like Disinfo?
There has been a lot of buzz around the concept of disinformation lately. All over social media and beyond, it is talked about only at the surface level. But disinformation in its many forms involves much more than meets the eye.
In this series, we will demystify disinformation– from the problem, to the anatomy, to the solution.
The problem of disinformation up until this point may feel a bit intimidating to take on. After all, you’re just one person–what are you supposed to do about a disinformation campaign that’s thousands of bots strong? That’s why we’re here to provide you with a few ways you can help slow the spread.
What can you do about it?
While bots and trolls are the first dominos to fall in any disinformation campaign, disinformation cannot serve its purpose without us there to receive, believe, and share.
So, one of the best ways you can combat disinformation is to learn how to spot it yourself.
Fact Check
- Always check if a post or article is from a trusted source before you share–if not, search online for trusted sources corroborating the information.
- Follow some good fact-checkers! We recommend PolitiFact, AP Fact Check, and Snopes, but there are plenty of others that will keep you up-to-date and informed!
How to Spot a Bot
Bots are good at mimicking human behavior, but they’re not perfect at it–if you know where to look. Check for suspicious (read: bot-like) activity from the account:
- Look for regular posting at all hours of the day and night–textbook bot behavior.
- Check how recently the account was created–very recent accounts dedicated to particular current events are more likely to be bots.
- Reverse image search the profile photo; If it is a stock photo or photo of a famous person, have some healthy skepticism–anonymous pages are more likely to be bots or trolls (same rule applies to bio-less accounts).
- Look closely at the username–a username consisting of a generic name followed by a sequence of numbers or containing another random sequence of characters is more likely to be a bot.
- Check for unusually frequent posting–bots tend to post much more frequently than the average human.
Spread the Word
- If someone you know is sharing misinformation (which may have began its life as disinformation), let them know! Refer them to some good fact-checkers (and maybe even this article) to help them better navigate the information landscape online.
- If you come across a post that you believe to contain disinformation or an account that you believe to be a bot, report it!
If you’re looking for another way to combat the spread of disinformation, support humanID! Our mission is to create an internet where we can block out bots and trolls, stop the spread of disinformation, and make the internet accountable and human again.
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What’s humanID?
humanID is a new anonymous online identity that blocks bots and social media manipulation. If you care about privacy and protecting free speech, consider supporting humanID at www.human-id.org, and follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn.
