Abu Dhabi: On the last day of the Global Media Congress, where the theme of the day was Digital Disruption, a stimulating panel discussion on one of the most pressing issues of the digital age, disinformation, took place. Is It Fake? Combatting Misinformation and Fake News on Social Media brought together industry professionals to investigate the psychological, technological, and social issues that contribute to the spread of incorrect information online. Together, the panel studied the functions of algorithms, echo chambers, and content moderation, emphasizing the critical importance of better media literacy in navigating today’s complex digital ecosystem.
According to Emirates News Agency, Jawaher Abdelhamid, Head of Public Policy, MEA, Snap Inc., stressed that SnapChat was designed specifically to emulate a realistic environment, namely that of ‘in the moment’, which removes the virality potential of its content. This aspect of misinformation is seen as the most dangerous, as information is amplified thro
ugh being spread regardless of recipient. ‘The app does not take you to a live feed, it takes you directly to your camera – it is safety by design (with these features) embedded in the product itself,’ she emphasized.
The aspect of safety online was a recurring theme throughout the Congress, and it once again became a focus of this panel discussion and again, AI came under scrutiny. She stated that the average GCC user uses the app 45 times each day! This includes monitoring new advancements and rectifying incorrect information generated by AI systems. This has entailed developing Snapchat’s eligibility suggestion policy, which tells users about which content would be prohibited, ranging from false information about political events to sensationalistic entertainment gossip, and everything in between. With 300 million users on Snapchat, measures such as watermarking their collateral is vital.
Mark Albert, Founder and CEO of Media Advisory Experts, praised companies that use the watermarks technology to ident
ify their products in an effort to prevent AI-generated disinformation. However, he emphasized that not all companies have invested in this expertise and urged the public to be careful and use any available methods to fact-check any and all content they come across before accepting it as true. He observed that there is a clear supply and demand for disinformation, owing to factors such as ‘clickbait’ and people’s desire for affirmation of their opinion. The greatest challenge is the erosion of trust in the media.
‘At stake is the reality of our society; a truthful society,’ he went on. Disinformation is destroying the traditional pillars of trust, so there is a need to address media literacy and mitigate the impact of Deep Fake. As the Global Media Congress finished, the talk served as a poignant reminder of the media industry’s important role in preserving truth in the digital age.