How can we filter the truth?

This special edition of Read to be SURE presents multiple viewpoints on current events and issues to broaden perspectives and mindsets.

Photo by Sima Ghaffarzadeh from Pexels

TECH GIANTS SHOULD DO MORE TO TACKLE DISINFORMATION	NETIZENS SHOULD BE MORE DISCERNING AND SELF-RELIANT
Since most of the fake images and videos are shared in popular social media platforms, tech giants should exercise responsibility by adjusting their recommendation algorithms, demonetising accounts, prohibiting ads or labelling dubious content. In fact, the Prime Ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia urged the CEOs of Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to proactively suspend accounts denying, glorifying or justifying wars of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity.	There is a limit to what social media companies can or will do as they may be pressured by governments to censor content or to allow propaganda to run unchecked. And opposing sides in this conflict may also be involved in online disinformation, based on the claims fact-checked by the media. By liking or sharing fake videos and images indiscriminately, netizens may unwittingly spread false information.
Read more at EuroNews	Read more at USA Today

To know more about what tech giants have done about fake news:	To know more about fact-checking misleading information:
Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts targeting Ukrainians	Ukraine and beyond: How to fact check misleading videos
Twitter, Facebook clamp down on Russia state-linked news	Fact-checking fake videos of Ukraine conflict
Facebook takes down Ukraine disinformation network and bans Russian-backed media	Fact check roundup: What’s true and what’s false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Big Tech’s Russia problem	The Sift (28 Feb 2022): Ukraine news tips
Bytedance-owned Douyin takes down more than 3,500 videos about war in Ukraine	Fact check: Ukraine’s ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ fighter pilot
	The Information War Isn’t Over Yet

How can we filter the truth about the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Take our poll now!

Some views shared by our readers:

“Platform owners have a greater responsibility to stem out fake news.”
“Tech giants will have their own interests and have misused their power in the past and present to mislead the public into taking decisions that are in the favour of large corporations. The responsibility of the media is to ensure that all perspectives, regardless of whether they are in support or against the commonly accepted beliefs, are brought to the attention of the public. The public are the ones who need to develop the skill of distinguishing true information from false ones.”
“Do not circulate what’s being sent on WhatsApp or telegram without doing due diligent checks and cause unnecessary panic or alarm”
“What’s posted online stays there forever - always verify if it’s current or dated , after checking the first two.”
“If it’s a blog , it’s an opinion of an individual or group - and why would we decide what’s true or false based on another person’s opinion?”
“Always check the root source of information and always go with official and mainstream media.”
“We all must take personal responsibility and exercise self-care in this situation and in the reading of all news regardless of source. Always ascertain and verify the source. Always double check with at least 2 other credible sources. Always discern what we read.”