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First Evidence that Social Bots Play a Major Role in Spreading Fake News

posted by cmn32480 on Thursday August 10 2017, @01:57AM   
from the automating-the-lies dept.

Fnord666 writes:

Fake news and the way it spreads on social media is emerging as one of the great threats to modern society. In recent times, fake news has been used to manipulate stock markets, make people choose dangerous health-care options, and manipulate elections, including last year's presidential election in the U.S.

Clearly, there is an urgent need for a way to limit the diffusion of fake news. And that raises an important question: how does fake news spread in the first place?

Today we get an answer of sorts thanks to the work of Chengcheng Shao and pals at Indiana University in Bloomington. For the first time, these guys have systematically studied how fake news spreads on Twitter and provide a unique window into this murky world. Their work suggests clear strategies for controlling this epidemic.

Source:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608561/first-evidence-that-social-bots-play-a-major-role-in-spreading-fake-news/

Journal Reference:
arxiv.org/abs/1707.07592: The Spread of Fake News by Social Bots

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Original Submission

• Re:Bah, that is minor (Score: 4, Informative) by MostCynical on Thursday August 10 2017, @03:28AM

  by MostCynical (2589) on Thursday August 10 2017, @03:28AM (#551431) Journal

  In other news, jmorris dismisses science, and refuses to RTFA, especially when he disagrees with the findings.

  --
  "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+2
  Troll=1, Insightful=1, Informative=2, Total=4
  Extra 'Informative' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		4