Fake news

Unchecked technology, democracies in danger: Beyond fake news

European Association for Digital Transition Democratic quality , , ,
beyond-fake-news

Since the U.S. presidential election and the Brexit referendum, both in 2016, the risk to Western democracies from fake news has been part of the global political debate. But in the twenty-first century, five years of technology is a long time. And the dangers have grown, becoming more sophisticated. While platforms and the authorities barely manage to lessen the spread of fake news on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, new risks are starting to be tangible within the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In 2021, we should no longer trust a video with inflammatory statements from a political leader: it might have been created with AI. And these deep fakes are just one of the manifestations of the phenomenon we find ourselves in. 

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Democracy and social networks: Pluralism without debate

European Association for Digital Transition Democratic quality , ,
democracy-and-social-networks

Polarisation, discord, lies, distrust… Words that describe the current situation in our democracies, a time of “pluralism without debate” in Bernard Manin’s apt expression. The paradox of our time is that we continue to legitimise liberal democracy on the basis of a moral ideal that is increasingly remote from reality.

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Hate on social networks: great power, great responsibility

European Association for Digital Transition Democratic quality , ,
hate-on-social-networks

Massive anti-racist protests, nearly 150,000 deaths from coronavirus, and an ever-growing social divide, stirred up from the political arena. It is a turbulent time in the United States, and in many of the debates where the country looks itself in the mirror and wonders what is happening, Facebook appears, probably the company that best exemplifies the dynamics of social and commercial communication in the twenty-first century. 

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