Watch out for fake news sites
Some tips and tricks on how to spot fake news sites - and why you should avoid them
IN the ever increasing hunt for clicks and page views, the hustle and bustle of delivering masses of information to the palm of our hands through the Internet, expose us to those who seek only to profit from our ignorance.
Social apps and smartphones are getting smarter by the day, delivering unparalleled levels of information to our greedy brains to gobble up.
Some very clever chaps have recognised that social media users, Facebookers especially, are often easy to trick into believing a link shared to an ‘article’ was generated by that of a legitimate news service.
But not all of them are.
You’ve seen the stories – ‘ARVs fell out of Malema’s pocket’ or my personal favourite ‘DSTV CEO cancels subscription payments’ – or the more recent one, ‘Bananas injected with HIV’.
These links make you want to click on them and share them.
The more the story is viewed and the more it is shared, the more advertising can be sold on a website.
There’s a rule of thumb here – if it seems too silly to be true, it usually is.
Even South African politics, which can range from the bizarre and infuriating to the downright laughable, aren’t ever that ridiculous.
We have put together a handy list of social media do’s and don’ts to help you through the intricacies of staying legal online.
Most people don’t realise how serious spreading false information can be – and 95% of people most likely don’t realise that in some cases it is also illegal.
Social media law experts make some interesting points, so here’s a handy link to some ‘need to know’ stuff about posting.
Despite all the dire warnings, it seems the evil vices of the viral post are just too irresistible not to share.
So, here’s a quick look at how to spot the obvious fake sites and even a few tips on how to spot the better disguised ones.
Keep an eye on that URL
Some fake sites are going to great lengths to mimic legitimate and popular news sites in their URLs.
The home page of the fake site even has some stories on there that seem to be proper reporting efforts.
But take a closer look.
Browse before sharing
Before sharing anything, open the website and have a gander at some of the other content on the page.
But be warned, never do this if you do not have an updated anti-virus running (you get these for your phone and tablet too).
When in doubt, leave out
In a hurry? Running around doing the boss’ bidding and not enough time to check out that funny looking link while grabbing a ‘skelm’ smoke?
If you have a strange feeling about a link, tap on the small drop down arrow at the top and add it to your ‘Saved’ links for a proper read at your leisure before sharing.
Remember that all your Facebook friends are reading your posts.
You could have just shared something from a site that promotes hate speech and gender-based violence, or promotes propaganda or contains slander.
Stick to what you know
In South Africa there is a large variety of legit news sites to choose from.
Follow the ones you know and like on Facebook and set up your timeline to filter them first.
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