Fake news is a problem that has potentially disastrous consequences, where these days spreading misinformation is just a click away that doesn’t require much thought or effort. This is why we’re seeing various tech giants like Facebook and Google attempt to cut down on this through a variety of techniques and tools.While these tech companies who “control” the majority of the internet no doubt have a responsibility to do what they can to combat this problem, local governments can also lend a hand which is what is happening in the UK. In a confirmation by a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May, it looks like the UK government has plans to set up a new unit that is designed to tackle the problem of fake news.
Just like what has happened in the US, the UK is also reported to have been somewhat affected by Russia’s alleged meddling in their elections, something that May had accused the country of. Unsurprisingly Russia has denied these allegations, despite there being reports that there is evidence of such tamperings.
While May’s spokesman did not provide further information about how this fake news unit will operate, he did say, “We are living in an era of fake news and competing narratives. The government will respond with more and better use of national security communications to tackle these interconnected complex challenges.”
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