Everyone - ordinary citizens, schools, businesses - needs to help curb rise of fake news

THE 2016 US elections brought to light how "fake news" can possibly impact human behaviour - in this case, how Americans cast their votes for their president. The manufacture and spread of fake news, made easy by social media platforms, have even impelled Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, to publish a 6,000-word manifesto promising to address the spread of misinformation. In Singapore, Minister of Law K Shanmugam has also signalled that the government is "seriously considering" how to address the issue of fake news.

Why should ordinary citizens worry about the phenomenon of fake news? Firstly, in the very short term, fake news has the potential to cause widespread panic. Recently, an image of the roof of Punggol Waterway Terraces collapsing made its way onto popular social media platforms, captured by a news website as proof of low-quality workmanship in Singapore. Citizens demanded an explanation from the relevant authorities, and Channel NewsAsia hurried to the site to bring updates to its viewers. Singapore Civil Defence Force officers even set up a cordon for fear of public safety. It was all a hoax. The episode not only wasted resources but also caused faith in public institutions to waver.

Secondly, in the long term, not being able to discern between fake and real news has an impact on the future workforce. In an increasingly complex world, any new idea or insight easily gains traction as long as it is persuasive and simple to understand.