The Rising Tide Of Disinformation: Safeguarding Communities Through Communication Integrity
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Forbes
In the digital age, the proliferation of disinformation has emerged as a formidable threat, infiltrating online spaces and perpetuating hate while posing grave risks to our population, especially certain groups. The spread of false narratives and deliberate misinformation has become a breeding ground for division and hostility, amplifying societal tensions and endangering the fabric of cohesive communities.
What are the risks of disinformation?
The unchecked dissemination of disinformation online poses a severe risk, especially when it becomes a tool to target and malign specific groups. From political agendas to social biases, disinformation capitalizes on people's vulnerabilities, leveraging emotions to manipulate opinions and actions.
The impact of disinformation isn't confined to sowing discord; it has the potential to incite violence and discrimination and even fuel terrorist financing. This happens because bad actors use online platforms and payment methods to spread hate and raise money.
In a recent article published by the company I work for, EverC, one of our payments risk experts, Maya Shabi, has reinforced this concept and how it works online and offline. According to Shabi: "Extremist groups will continue to use online platforms to spread hate and harm in real life. They will, at times, succeed. But we can use the weapons at our disposal to disrupt their attempts.”
Throughout my career in the payments industry, I’ve seen how we can use our knowledge of payment systems and risk intelligence to combat and play a pivotal role in protecting global security. Payments, risk and communications professionals have a responsibility to work in tandem to stem the tide of hate and harmful speech. Communications professionals, in particular, can impact the problem of disinformation.
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