What are the methods to protect users from fake news and can we build up immunity against it in the age of information? To answer these questions a discussion on the topic of "Do facts matter? Disinformation as Election Tool”, has taken place in Sofia.

Journalist Svetoslav Ivanov was the host of the event and views on the topic were presented by an expert from the European External Action Service and several young entrepreneurs from Spain, the UK and Ireland. The young entrepreneurs presented their ideas to fight fake news and misinformation. One of them, Sam Jeffers from Britain is the creator of software that was born after the Brexit referendum. It is called "Who targets me?" and its purpose is to help users stop targeted advertising and messages during election campaigns. By downloading this program, users have the opportunity to get much more informed about candidates, who use aggressive advertising to win their vote on election day. Irishman Craig Dwyer, co-founder of the Transparent Referendum Initiative, drew attention to the abortion referendum held in the country in May last year when the Irish voted for liberalization of the law. Craig said that unlike an existing regulatory framework covering radio and television campaigns, studies shows that social networks are out of control and are the ‘Wild West of the Campaigns’. It is a problem, he says, that the question of their impact on election results is always asked after the end of elections.

Spanish Marije Arentze presented in an interesting way a special game . She asked the audience to act as a web troll for a few minutes. According to her, if users learn to think according to the patterns used by paid forum writers, it would be much easier for them to identify fake news.

In an interview with Radio Bulgaria, the head of the European Parliament office in Bulgaria, Theodor Stoichev, said that effective methods of fighting fake news should become part of our habits in order to stay informed. In the digital age we live in, it is much easier to find and compare different points of view about everything we care about. This would allow everyone to find their way to the truth. Here is what Mr. Stoychev told us about the main sources of fake news:

“The Internet enables individuals to create or spread fake news. That is why we are trying to talk about these issues and give a variety of examples to help users distinguish the truth from the lies in media and stop distributing such information. Naturally, there are countries that use such methods. It is therefore important to improve our media and internet culture.”

The number of examples of good practices and achievements in the fight against fake information will be rising, but a solution to this acute global problem is still missing. However, prevention will continue to depend on our own efforts, as European and international regulations in the sphere have a short-lived effect.

English: Alexander Markov