With how rapid technology is evolving, we are now living in an era where it is no longer possible to easily take anything we see online at face value. Anything can be manipulated to create a certain agenda and if one isn’t careful enough, they too will fall prey to these malicious attacks.
Back before the internet became what it is today, people never had the tools at hand to create false statements, agendas, propganda & false articles to fit their own agenda. These past couple of years however have seen a significant rise in these types of affairs.
From the Russians creating fake Facebook pages to influence the 2016 elections to the total lose of our privacy, these are examples how, without proper checks in place could be catastrophic in the future. And we know how easy it is to manipulate people who are none the wiser. Here’s an example of how easy it is to impersonate someone online to create a narrative that fits their agenda.
You won't believe what Obama says in this video 😉 pic.twitter.com/n2KloCdF2G
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) April 17, 2018
Buzzfeed released a video in collaboration with Jordan Peele to show how easy it is to make the 44th President say things we all know he wouldn’t say at a public level. A person that’s naive to this type of tech would easily believe it if it was present to them. That’s why it is crucial that you don’t take anything as face value, especially if it seems out of place. We also need to play our part to expose it when we see it.
We have another case of the The NRA is being accused of circulating a fake photograph and video of Emma González, Parkland shooting survivor and vocal #NeverAgain advocate, ripping up a copy of the constitution.
We’ve advanced so fast that we haven’t stopped to asked about the consequences that will from creating a particular tech. I’ve always been an advocate for the advancement of technology but I’m not so naive to believe that we as a human race have advanced so far that we’re impervious to mistakes and errors. Mistakes and errors that can come in any form.
