Internet Hoaxes Literally Killed 20 People In The Last Two Months
By Robin Andrews
24 Jul 2018, 18:02
Social media networks and messaging apps, for all their plus points, are the catalysts for fake news – the real kind of fake news, not the Trumpian kind. Some vague efforts have been made to tackle an admittedly monstrous and unprecedented problem, but as a grim tale about WhatsApp has highlighted, the war on viral lies can lead to casualties.
The New York Times recently explained that, in India, false rumors regarding child abductions spread both easily and quickly. This has led to multiple murders – many conducted by mobs – in recent times, and many of the original fake news stories that trigger them are being sent over WhatsApp.
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/internet-hoaxes-literally-killed-20-people-in-the-last-two-months/
