“Disinformation” is once again in the news.
On one side are people who say that if something sounds like a fake news story and smells like a fake news story, then it is indeed a fake news story.
On the other side are people who say that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably already been eaten by a Haitian immigrant.
Whom to believe?
In any normal period, it would be fairly easy to work out what is going on.
In a story like the one from Springfield, Ohio, people make claims, the media investigate them and then everyone decides whom they believe.
But whom can you believe today?
In recent days, a lot of effort has once again gone into highlighting the problem of online “misinformation.”
This week the Australian government threatened to fine social media companies that “enable misinformation.”
Under proposed new laws, the Australian government could fine internet platforms up to 5% of their global revenues if the companies fail to stop the spread of such material.
They would particularly chase after platforms that failed to crack down on stories that hurt election integrity or public health.
The decisions over who is guilty of this would be made by an Australian regulator, which would set its own standards and fine companies for non-cooperation.
Personally, I’m not certain that the Australian government has thought this through. And not just because it’s unclear how it expects to collect the loot from social media companies over which it has stood as judge, jury and executioner.
Will it ask them to send a wire transfer? Or would it like the money to be handed over by check?
Perhaps it didn´t notice the mess caused when other governments tried to tread into this area.
In 2022, the Biden administration set up its “Disinformation Governance Board.” It was launched by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ Department of Homeland Security and was led by one Nina Jankowicz.
Remember her? She was famous for about 15 minutes after being appointed, when embarrassing videos of her singing surfaced online.
Surprisingly, for several months, Mary Poppins was technically the person tasked with deciding what was true or untrue in the whole of the United States and cyberspace.
Unsurprisingly, she couldn’t perform the job and the “Disinformation Governance Board” was disbanded after a few months.
To be fair to Jankowicz, it wasn’t her fault. Because it wasn’t just that she wasn’t up to the job. The point is that nobody could be.
