Fake news is a dangerous problem with a relatively simple solution, according to Ryan Holmes, chief executive of social media management platform Hootsuite.
According to Mr Holmes, Google’s search algorithms, which ensure that fake websites don’t clog up search results, are an example of how the problem can be tackled.
The issue, however, is the lack of any incentive for Facebook to combat fake news, he said.
“Google has been dealing with fake websites for years and has effectively solved that problem. It’s not in Google’s commercial interest to have fake websites at the top of their searches, and to that end I think it’s an important issue for Facebook to solve,” he said.
Mr Holmes said the company would act either voluntarily, because it’s the “right thing to do”, or involuntarily through economic motivation.
“At the end of the day it’s the best thing for their customers … and I also believe that if they choose not to solve it voluntarily, if you look to Germany you can see legislation that will fine them for fake news.”
Facebook Germany has introduced tools to combat fake news, in the form of a report feature that alerts a board of independent journalists for scrutiny. If news is deemed fake, pieces will be de-prioritised in user newsfeeds, similar to Google’s approach, while sidestepping perceptions of censorship.
Mr Holmes said President Donald Trump’s Twitter presence throughout last year’s campaign had redefined digital political discourse and that social campaigning would serve as a new baseline for future campaigns.
“Competition is an amazing way through which we sharpen our skills and political process. Ultimately, the people that figure out new technology, how to adopt and use them to their advantage, teach others and raise the bar”, he said. In a week after senator Pauline Hanson catapulted herself to the centre of Australian political conversation through nothing more than a video shared on Facebook, it’s clear that the lessons of the 2016 campaign have crossed the Pacific. Savvy politicians are jumping to new channels to spruik their messages, both to speak to their base and ignite nationwide discussion.
Senator Hanson’s #pray4muslimban video immediately drove news agendas, generated rebuke from the Prime Minister and a cascade of criticism through social media, without a single interview with a journalist or gaff-prone public appearance.
Labor senator Sam Dastyari has been even more successful in communicating directly with his base, generating a massive 521,000 views on his “Oddest One Out” video lampooning Hanson and her West Australian One Nation candidates.
Using Facebook as a personal branding tool, Senator Dastyari has sidestepped conversation about his 2016 Chinese donations scandal; instead embracing memetic conversations, championing base-Labor issues and challenging political rivals.
For politicians, the best part of this social reach is sidestepping the media, allowing it to distribute their messages unfiltered and uncontested. But a lack of accountability should be a concern for Australians.
Like the fake news phenomenon, if politicians choose to present falsehoods to an unquestioning audience it presents challenges to the fabric of our democracy. Mr Holmes says new legislation is inevitable, noting that every technology can be used for good and bad.
“This medium is so instantaneous, it cuts down convoluted channels and allows people to move more quickly and take action more quickly.”
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