– It is a shock to see everything we get up. Early today, for example, I got a video of a severely injured child, says Lara Prohic. She and her classmate Johanna Nøvik Becke notice to a large extent how war content has exploded on social media after Israel declared war on Hamas. But not all the war content that abounds on the internet is real, something the two high school students are clear about. – If I see something that, for example, is published by American media, I don’t usually believe the content until I have done more research, says Prohic. High school students Johanna Nøvik Becke and Lara Prohic are aware of the fake videos that abound in their feed. Photo: Astrid Johanne Sørnes / news See the experts’ best tips for distinguishing between fake and real news at the bottom of the article. The EU warns X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook There is great reason to worry about the large amounts of videos linked to the Israel/Palestine conflict, the EU believes. In the last week, several of the world’s largest social media platforms have received warnings and complaints from the EU due to large amounts of disinformation being spread. These are the warnings from the EU: Large amounts of fake videos have abounded, and still abound, on social media a week after the Israeli attack. The EU has sent complaints and warnings in the form of letters to the managers of TikTok, X/Twitter and Meta that their platforms spread disinformation. In the letter, the EU demanded an action plan and gave the companies a deadline of 24 hours to address the problem. Meta should also have been given a similar deadline, but according to the BBC, Zuckerberg’s company was given 24 hours to inform the EU of what effective measures they have taken, or will take, against disinformation on their platforms. X/Twitter: On Tuesday evening, X/Twitter owner Elon Musk received a formal complaint from the EU. X has received the most severe complaint because they also show the least willingness to intervene, according to the EU. Meta and TikTok: On Wednesday, the EU asked Facebook and Instagram owner Meta to crack down on fake content. On Thursday, it was announced that TikTok will also receive the same warning. In the letter to TikTok, the EU writes that “TikTok has a special responsibility in protecting children and young people from violent content and terrorist propaganda”. Why does the EU warn about disinformation on social media? The EU has adopted some of the strictest internet laws in the world and requires, among other things, that platforms combat fake news. Source: NTB-Reuters Calls for labeling of editorial content One of the many fake videos that have been spread on Musk’s platform is supposed to show Hamas attacking an Israeli helicopter. But the video is actually taken from the computer game Arma 3, which is a war simulator, and the video was seen by over half a million users. Old, fake and misleading videos are shared in connection with the ongoing escalation. The picture on the left is a screenshot of the video on X which is supposed to show the shooting down of an Israeli military helicopter, but which was taken from a computer game. Screenshot from X and TikTok. The Norwegian Editors’ Association wants owners of social media to take action. – Most people must immediately be able to recognize that all editorial content is on these platforms, says Solveig Husøy, assistant general secretary of the association. She believes that companies like X must make it easier for people to distinguish between information from editor-controlled media and individuals. – Whether it is a form of labeling or whether it is done in other ways, it must in any case be made more visible what has gone through an editorial process and what has not. Assistant Secretary General of the Norwegian Editors’ Association, Silje Husøy. Photo: NTB This is the measure for X and Meta Now it may be that the Norwegian Editors’ Association will have its say, because X has taken several measures after the EU deadline expired. Among other things, they are said to have removed hundreds of accounts linked to Hamas, as well as started marking content linked to the Israel/Palestine conflict. According to the BBC, Meta must have set up a working group with Hebrew- and Arabic-speaking experts to control the misinformation and limit its spread. It is unknown whether the video platform TikTok has taken action. Elon Musk (left) received criticism earlier this week for promoting false content related to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Now he, together with Mark Zuckerberg (right), is taking action to limit disinformation on their respective platforms. Photo: JUSTIN SULLIVAN][ALAIN JOCARD / AFP Lara and Johanna’s tips: – Watch your language – Is it factual language? In fake news, the language is not usually so factual but more offensive, says Lara. – Is it done matter-of-factly or is it made more “trendy” with hashtags? The latter can often mean that it is not real, says Johanna. Johanna and Lara hope more young people will pay attention to whether the war content you get in the feed is fake. Photo: Astrid Johanne Sørnes How do you distinguish fake news from the real thing? Magnus Hoem Iversen, media critic: Follow established and credible news channels as much as possible. If you are unsure whether a video is correct or not, check the major news sites to see if they report on the same. Daniel Schofield, media educator at NTNU, his best advice against fake news for children and young people: Talk to children and young people about what is happening. Help them understand. Watch the news together with the children. Faktisk.no: Use editor-controlled media, they are trained to verify content before they publish. Check basements you trust. You can read more about verifying content yourself here.
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