• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Google sets impossible task: Detecting Fake news

Today Google has announced a new initiative to rid the internet of fake news. Fifty thousand pounds of seed capital has been offered to the group that can find claims online and determine whether or not they are true. But for such a pitiful amount of start-up cash you’d be better throwing the money down […]

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2017-01-23 10:42
in Opinion
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Today Google has announced a new initiative to rid the internet of fake news. Fifty thousand pounds of seed capital has been offered to the group that can find claims online and determine whether or not they are true. But for such a pitiful amount of start-up cash you’d be better throwing the money down the drain.

The problem is that it’s near impossible to fit fake news into an algorithmic solution. It is often more a manipulation of facts rather than outright falsehood, and even if the distinction can be made one then has to question how to separate that from opinion and satirical pieces, which are key to both our democracy and our sanity. Moreover, in a social media-led news environment, fake news is rarely delivered in text form.

Mevan Babakar, Full Fact’s digital products manager, one of the groups looking to design the widget, has been quick to confirm that such a spec is impossible to deliver, saying they would be looking to free up fact checkers to work on “more nuanced claims” rather than “all-knowing, all-seeing artificial intelligence”. But “nuanced claims” aren’t really the problem are they?

The problem lies with the fake spin that catapulted Theresa May and Donald Trump into power and capitulated our relationship with Europe, and Google ain’t got shit on those sort of issues. For a start, these are the sort of issues that have been kicking around for longer than the search beast has existed. They are the sort of issues that sent us to war against Iraq, that get painted on the side of busses and get denied repeatedly by our own Prime Minister on breakfast shows – TRIDENT ahem.

So how can we stop fake claims that exiting Europe will leave £350 million a week for the NHS when that only becomes a falsehood when one applies a degree of critical, human analysis? As Homer Simpson once said, people can come up with statistics to prove anything. Forfty percent of all people know that. And our politicians have been in bed with spin for some time now.

Well, the answer is the much-maligned world of journalism. It is in a properly functioning fourth estate that holds politicians to account for overstating statistics, distorting their opponents’ position or, in some cases, telling outright lies. A study from Reuters showed two-thirds of global media chiefs believed fake news would help ‘strengthen’ the position of quality publishers, and I personally believe them.

Google can’t stop fake news, nor can social media outlets and certainly not politicians. This is the time for quality journalism to shine, and we’re up for the fight.

RelatedPosts

Elevenses: Let Bray Play

Elevenses: A Very Public Lynching

Elevenses: The day that Labour lost my vote

Watch this ‘and tell me you don’t think PM & Attorney General should both be thrown from office immediately’

Tags: featuredGoogle

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Hundreds of hard-up Brits queuing at pawnbrokers to cash in £150 council tax rebates

Beer of the Week: People’s Captain Short & Stout

Europe: In vs Out is Politics vs Economics

Brexit: Up to 200 lorries a day turned back from EU crossings

Teen says he was saved by iPhone Siri – after it phoned for help when he fainted

Two female students suing Warwick University over WhatsApp rape threat scandal

Film Review: Mary Magdalene

Amateur cyclist pedalled up toughest Tour De France stage without sitting down – because he didn’t have a SEAT

Failures are ‘politicising a generation’ of students who don’t think Government acting in their best interests

The British Government has ruined my life

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.