The U.S. has been rocked over the last two years by claims that the Russian government directly attempted to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.
Thomas Holt argues the current campaign being waged against the U.S. is serious. He says it merits a response from a trusted source. Although there are fact-checking websites in the U.S. like Snopes, a threat of this magnitude requires more than just citizen-run or private organization-operated programs.
"A government effort to combat fake news would provide citizens with information about the scope of information warfare. It would also create a clearinghouse about fake news that can inform not only the public, but also government agencies and policy-makers. There is no current effort of this sort in the United States."
"It may seem odd to propose that the government run its own campaign to clarify what is real and fake online. But I believe it is necessary in an era where individuals may not be able to fully separate fact from fiction, and legitimate news sources from the disreputable. An effort like this is not government censorship of the news – or even of fake news. It is government fighting false information by providing context, analysis and facts."
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Tom Holt Professor of Criminal Justice
Thomas J. Holt is an expert in Cybercrime, Cyberterror, and Information Warfare Researcher