Fake News Spreads Faster and Deeper Than Verified Stories

''Fake news spreads faster and deeper'', said software expert Dr. Preslav Nakov.

''Disinformation, together with demographic knowledge is very dangerous because it can influence people's choices. Especially in social networks there must be a balance between fake news and freedom of speech'', he said.

''The effect of fake news on society can lead to doubts about truth and democracy, may be concrete manipulation to influence certain elections. There are aspects related to people's health. Fake news can have financial dimensions. Syrian hackers, for example, release news that they are shooting against Obama, which leads to billions of losses on the stock exchange.
Especially dangerous are the fake news on a health theme'', he also added.

''Disinformation can be dismantled by checking the news and information, Nakov said. For example, it is important to analyze the media, what is its political focus, everyone should be aware of what they are  reading to avoid being misled'', he commented.

Based on the study's findings, it appears that people are more willing to share fake news than accurate news. A false story was 70 percent more likely to earn a retweet than verified news.  While fake news was found in every category, from business to sports and science, false political stories, not surprisingly, were the most likely to be retweeted.