All Information Must Be Verified
By Maxim Behar
An interview where I discuss the topics of misinformation and fake news during the election campaign in the “Bulgaria Morning” studio on Bulgaria ON AIR TV, hosted by Maria Konstantinova and Viktor Dremsizov.
Host (Maria Konstantinova): We are overwhelmed with fake news and misinformation during the election campaign. There is also the risk of being flooded with content generated by artificial intelligence.
Host (Viktor Dremsizov): How can we deal with the spread of misinformation and distinguish true from false? We will discuss this today with cybersecurity expert Hristiyan Daskalov and PR expert Maxim Behar.
Maxim Behar: Good morning!
Host: Immediately, we will bring you into the conversation about misinformation. Mr. Behar, are we critical enough of what we read and see on social media, especially during an election campaign? Do we verify the information we receive, or do we tend to trust it?
Maxim: I think we are quite careless, but this has been going on for years. The emergence of social media about fifteen years ago and their increasing influence suddenly gave them an identification similar to what newspapers once had. Back then, it was: “It’s written in the newspaper,” meaning that if it’s in the newspaper, it’s the final word. Then it was: “They said it on TV.” And now, people say: “We saw it written on social media.” Of course, the fact that we have 4 billion media owners worldwide, and these media are interactive — they allow 2- way communication, puts their credibility in great doubt. Secondly, it places them in an unusual situation as media platforms, which has never happened before — anyone can share and potentially mislead and falsify. Therefore, we should always take information with a pinch of salt and double-check it from at least 2–3 sources. With the emergence of artificial intelligence, we are entering a territory where everything must be verified. You use artificial intelligence, and we do it daily in our company. Out of 10 pieces of information provided, at least 7–8 need double-checking. This is the world we live in. I would compare it to driving a car: you drive your car, there are traffic lights and signs, you have to be careful, and there are also pedestrian crossings. You can’t get in a car and drive however you want.
Host: We discussed with Mr. Daskalov what is written in the constitution — everyone can write and freely express their opinion. Still, a condition is clearly stated if it does not harm the dignity of others. In PR strategies, is it a sign of political weakness to use and try to discredit your opponent to make yourself stand out? And we did not see many significant debates between politicians, but more attacks.
Maxim: This tactic was used even when there was no social media, only newspapers. It is becoming stronger now, of course. I don’t know if it’s a weakness in communication or PR. I didn’t see any brilliant ideas during the current or past election campaigns. Political marketing is in a gigantic crisis, at least in Bulgaria. It seems to me that all these people who suddenly became publishers — because the characteristic of a publisher is media ownership, do not realize they are publishers. And after a drink in the evening, they think their social media is their territory. Do you know how often someone asks why someone has written on their wall, but it’s not just theirs? Social media is public, and everyone can comment on it. Or they ask why we write in English when we are in Bulgaria. But we are not just in Bulgaria; we are in social media, a global platform that can quickly translate any language and allows writing in your chosen language.
Host: But where are the boundaries and the signs? Where is the “stop” sign if we use traffic terminology?
Maxim: The “stop” sign is solely in the publicity and verification of the people who write. There is no other way. I believe that creating fake news should be criminalized. I have shared this in many world and international forums. I have supporters from Scandinavia because they are very strict in this regard. However, I don’t have supporters among my colleagues in the United States or the United Kingdom. When creating fake news is criminalized and all profiles are public, then everything will be fine. Just like driving a car, there are road signs; it is known who is driving that car, and they are subject to the appropriate sanctions.
Host: Mr. Behar, how can voters trust politicians and the information they receive?
Maxim Behar: These are two completely different areas we’re talking about. Phishing attacks, by definition, are addressed by the law. This is theft — a criminal activity that the law can prosecute. The other area is regular lies. The law can also prosecute them when false information is published against someone, harming their reputation. Usually, this information aims to harm you in some way. I won’t speak about this concerning politicians because it’s a matter of winning elections for them. They promise things before the elections, and then there’s no control over their actions and fulfillment of these promises.
Host: But are these “good” lies? Politicians say they will do something and then don’t. In the end, we are deceived. But is there a good lie in politics?
Maxim: No, there is no good lie. A lie is always a lie. I believe that those who lie can also steal and are stealing. Politics is a very separate topic. Politicians are not yet entering our computers, stealing our data, passwords, or credit card information. But these are indeed different areas. I am more concerned about when someone shares false information to harm someone. Even if they do not intend to harm others, they play with the computer like a toy. For example, you are driving your car and hitting a curb — you didn’t do it intentionally. You lost control for a moment and hit it. But you need to be careful not to do it.
Host: During the campaign, didn’t we see something exactly like this with recordings that were manipulated, cut, and edited as needed to discredit an opponent?
Maxim: Yes, that’s discreditation. I believe that if we focus on the campaign, attention should be directed toward whether the information is accurate rather than whether it is published. Politicians are public figures, and what they discuss concerns millions — their voters, thoughts, approaches, and desires. We should be focused on whether what is being said is true. Some services and experts can check it in a day or two if it is false. It is not a big philosophy at all. Whoever it is and their political party should have given this recording for checking and explaining what they were talking about.
Host: It has become a practice for such conversations to be recorded, then these recordings to be released in the public domain, starting a series of explanations, insults, or accusations between political forces.
Maxim: I think these recordings should be publicly available. What politicians discuss among themselves concerns the whole society and their voters. It concerns us, the Bulgarians, how we will develop. Suppose politicians are talking nonsense about money or whatever, and it does not suit us, the voters. In that case, it is better to say it publicly. Politicians cannot have hidden messages and public messages.
Host: Thank you very much! We hope people make their own informed choice and always do the necessary verification. This summarizes our conversation- verifying information is always good to avoid being deceived.
Watch the full interview here.
Originally published at https://www.maximbehar.com.
