#FakeHunter Challenge: Poland takes on Covid-19 ‘sauce’ misreprescation

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False information circulates on the Internet and is at the origin of distortions and misinformation, especially during COVID-19. Fake news that spread like dust on the internet, and in homes. In order to combat this, the PAP, a Polish news agency, with the support of Gov Tech Polska, is organising a competition between 13 and 15 November 2020. An international challenge called the #FakeHunter Challenge, whose aim is to prevent false information circulating online.

The #FakeHunter Challenge, an opportunity to neutralize false information

Through this competition, the PAP aims to detect and expose false information circulating on the Web. False information that is widely known and shared, especially through social networks. The pandemic and the crisis that the world has been going through since the beginning of 2020 are good ways to verify the amount of rumors, and conspiracy theories that are exploding on the Internet. If some say that wearing a mask is dangerous to health… Others explain that COVID-19 is the result of the arrival of 5G, which causes all these health problems. So much misinformation that many want to believe. Thus, the goal of the #FakeHunter Challenge is to be able to prevent, diagnose and neutralize all false information that may turn.

Through this competition, the PAP wants to show how much online manipulation and lying are present. This allows for the building of a civic network to combat “fake news”. These kinds of rumors can affect everyone, and this on many subjects. The competition is thus open to the greatest number, the only conditions being to speak English or Polish, without any age limit. It breaks down into four “sub-competitions.”

The first is a hunt for fake news, to detect as many intox as possible. The second is a fact-checking challenge, with verdicts and the preparation of audit reports. The third, “Improve FakeHunter”, allows participants to check the reports already published on the #FakeHunter service since the beginning of its existence. They can then present verdicts and alternative sources. Finally, the last one is a challenge to find the sources of this false information. This is to find out who is making these rumours online.

The manipulation of information, a global phenomenon

In all countries of the world, the manipulation of information can take over the truthful information. This false information is emerging in greater numbers, especially during the presidential elections. Information obviously oriented on the candidates. In France, the law against the manipulation of information protects democracy from the various forms of intentional dissemination of false news. Adopted by Parliament on 20 November and promulgated on 22 December 2018, it allows these fake news to be framed. The French initiative, and the adoption of this law is subsequently followed by Germany and Singapore, with a similar law also supports the effort to combat misinformation. This law allows information to be described as false and to proceed with its deletion following a legal action in reference.

Social networks are one of the main channels for conveying false information.

The current period,full of questions and uncertainties, does not allow for real concrete and reliable answers. A door open to false information and distortion of certain words. On social networks, many fake news circulate, driven by sharing and transmission. A spread of this information, similar to that of the virus in different countries of the world…

Sources:

Press release – PAP and GOVTech Polska – October 28, 2020 – FakeHunter Challenge

French Government – 10 September 2020 – Fight against information manipulation

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