How to recognise and 'deal' with conspiracy theories?

Last updated on Friday, 08/07/2022

Nowadays, new technologies, social media and smartphone applications allow for modifying facts and news and spreading misinformation or “fake news” on the Internet in a speedy way. In this article we will tell you what they are and what you can do to spot them, we will also talk to an expert on the subject, Thomas Huchon, who points out that the best tool to combat the spread of fake news is time: we must take our time and think about what we are doing before we share any information.

What are conspiracy theories?

Conspiracy theories provide misleading explanations to events or situations, usually intentionally. They may include facts or information that are real but which are presented in a distorted way. They often refer to a powerful group or network which has orchestrated in secret for their own interest or to create a negative impact on some actions (for example, the artificial creation and intentional spread of Covid-19 for the pharmaceutics to make profits).  

Conspiracy theories all have common characteristics. In addition to those mentioned above, here is a list of other characteristics they usually display and that will help you identifying them easily:

• Rejection of traditional or mainstream explanations of events or situations
• Claim to be silenced by official accounts (i.e. governments, international institutions)
• Disregard scientific evidence that proves their theories are wrong
• Highlight a detail as the absolute truth of their theories or use coincidences, which lack scientific explanation, as a proof to support their point of view
• Use of scandalous titles, images, etc. 

Not all of them necessarily include all these elements, but if you spot most of them in a piece of news (e.g. video, text on social media) you are quite likely in front of a fake news or disinformation attempt.

Although fake news, conspiracy theories and disinformation attempts have long existed, it is with the expansion of new technologies and wide access to social media that they have increased their capacity to deform and muddle the public debate. On top of that, mobile apps, AI and technology make it easier to manipulate information and facts to make it seem real when they are not, or even create people who don’t exist by using deep fakes.

Why are they a danger?

Lies quickly spread over the Internet and they can do much harm to people and to the social cohesion as they tend to be polarising and encourage extreme views or opinions. That’s why it is important to stay alert and take action whenever possible.

People who believe in conspiracy theories become more vulnerable and can be more exposed to feelings of anxiety, fear, isolation and vulnerability. They may also lose the notion of veracity and feel lost when navigating actual news. Such is the case as they tend to feel helpless after believing that everything is under the control of external forces. In addition, they can truly endanger people’s lives when they refer to pseudo medical treatments which have no scientific base.

What can you do?

First, check before sharing any information! Check the author, source and authenticity of the information presented, if necessary. You can follow this diagram with useful steps to guide and help you discover whether the information is real or not. Some search engine extensions can also help you assess if the website you visit is known to share fake news.

Probably all of us have contributed to spreading misinformation or fake news at some point. Whether sharing an article that caught our attention without much scrutiny, liking posts regardless of the suspicion they could be inaccurate or using statistics and figures in our claims from a dubious source. That’s why it is so important to learn to spot them. 

There are also ways to check images and videos, their source, the context in which they were taken and whether they were falsified. To check the date of a picture for example, you can look it up in Google Images or TinEye. Amnesty International has also implemented a tool to check videos. The idea is being vigilant before sharing/liking content.

As part of the global effort, the UN has also joined the battle against misinformation and launched the campaign #Pledgetopause. It invites us to reflect on the information we receive before believing its veracity or sharing it with others. Don’t rush into spreading the word of everything you receive or come across, there is no race towards staying well informed and up to date with the issues that matter.

Be aware these publications and attempts to create confusion around the truth exist and can reach anyone - yes, young people too -, especially through social media or messaging apps. 

And don’t forget to be patient with older generations who may not be so tech-savvy and able to quickly identify fake news or reliable sources of information. Improving digital literacy (both your own and that of older people) is something you can surely help with, which in turn will help them feel more confident in their use of technology. 

What is the EU doing?

Access to reliable and trustworthy information is certainly a priority as stated in the 11 EU Youth Goals. In particular, Goal number 4 is devoted to ensuring that young people can recognise the veracity of the information they encounter online and can become responsible users and producers of information. 

This commitment is complementary to the support of independent media, the launch of new programmes named after late European Parliament President Sassoli, to provide training to young journalists; and the creation of a Pool of Young Journalists in the context of the European Year of Youth. 

The fight against disinformation is a joint effort involving all European institutions, especially in the fight against COVID-19 related fake news or disinformation promoted by Russia. The EU is working in close cooperation with online platforms to encourage them to promote authoritative sources, demote content that is fact-checked as false or misleading, and take down illegal content or content that could cause physical harm. 

You are best positioned to make use of your digital skills and ease to navigate the Internet in order to verify information online, challenge fake narratives and shed light on true events and explanations that can inform citizens in a reliable manner. We count on you!