Here’s How Fake News Works (and How the Internet Can Stop It) | WIRED

Summary

In 2016, a high school student from Veles, Macedonia, named Boris, discovered he could make significant money by creating fake news websites. He profited from articles about the U.S. election, particularly pro-Trump content, which gained immense traffic on Facebook. With the help of ad services like Google Adsense, Boris earned thousands of dollars, far surpassing the average salary in Macedonia. While tech giants like Facebook and Google later took steps to curb fake news, its impact on the 2016 election was still debated, showing the complex relationship between fake news and online advertising.

Takeaways

• 😀 An 18-year-old student from Veles, Macedonia, named Boris, discovered he could make more money than his parents by building fake news websites.
• 😀 Boris and other publishers earned significant amounts by spreading fake news articles about the US election, particularly pro-Trump content.
• 😀 In just a few months, Boris' most popular website earned him $16,000, far exceeding the average monthly salary of $371 in Macedonia.
• 😀 Boris dropped out of high school as a result of his success with fake news sites, and he wasn't alone—more than 100 political websites registered in Veles during the election period.
• 😀 The articles published by Boris and others were shared extensively on Facebook, driving massive traffic to their sites and increasing ad revenue.
• 😀 Pro-Trump fake news stories were more likely to be shared because Trump supporters were more prone to spreading such content, according to research.
• 😀 The ads displayed on fake news websites were typically placed through intermediaries like Google Adsense and AppNexus, which linked advertisers to small publishers like Boris.
• 😀 The ad networks followed users across the web based on their browsing behavior, allowing ads to target individuals with tailored content and generating revenue even for fake news sites.
• 😀 Despite the widespread presence of fake news, studies suggested that these stories had a limited impact on the election outcome, with one fake story requiring the persuasive power of 36 TV commercials to sway a voter.
• 😀 The spread of fake news during the election led tech companies like Facebook and Google to take action, partnering with fact-checkers and introducing measures to reduce the spread of misleading content.
• 😀 Facebook and Google have since implemented systems to flag fake news, with Facebook collaborating with Snopes and PolitiFact, and Google cutting off ad revenue for spoof websites to combat fake news before it spreads.

Q & A

Who is Boris and what did he do in 2016?

Boris is an 18-year-old high school student from a small town called Veles in Macedonia. In 2016, he created fake news websites, focusing mainly on false articles about the U.S. election, which earned him significant money, more than his parents' combined income.

How did Boris make money from fake news?

Boris made money by publishing sensational, false articles about the U.S. election, which were widely shared on Facebook, generating large amounts of traffic. His most successful website earned him $16,000 in just a few months, far more than the average monthly salary in Macedonia.

Why did Boris drop out of high school?

Boris dropped out of high school because the money he was earning from his fake news websites far exceeded the average salary in his country, making it financially more rewarding than completing his education.

What role did Facebook play in the spread of fake news during the 2016 election?

Facebook played a major role by enabling the rapid sharing of fake news articles, especially ones with salacious or sensational headlines. These articles garnered massive attention, leading to increased traffic and revenue for fake news publishers like Boris.

How did fake news websites monetize their content?

Fake news websites monetized their content through ad networks like Google Adsense and AppNexus, which placed ads on the sites. These networks acted as intermediaries between advertisers and publishers, enabling fake news sites to generate revenue from the ads shown on their pages.

Why were advertisers placing ads on fake news websites?

Advertisers were placing ads on fake news websites because ad networks like Google Adsense and AppNexus automatically placed ads based on algorithms. These networks often had difficulty distinguishing between legitimate and fake news sites, leading ads to appear on many deceptive platforms.

How did ad networks like Google Adsense contribute to the spread of fake news?

Ad networks like Google Adsense contributed to the spread of fake news by placing ads on sites without thoroughly vetting their credibility. These networks used algorithms to match ads to websites, making it easy for fake news sites to earn revenue even though their content was misleading or false.

What impact did fake news have on the 2016 U.S. elections?

While fake news was a major scandal during the 2016 elections, research suggests it may not have significantly influenced the outcome. A study by NYU and Stanford found that one fake news story would need to be as persuasive as 36 TV commercials to swing a single voter.

How did tech companies like Facebook and Google respond to the rise of fake news?

In response to the rise of fake news, Facebook partnered with fact-checking organizations like Snopes and PolitiFact to flag misleading content. Google also cut off Adsense revenue to sites with deceptive or spoofed domains, aiming to limit the financial incentive behind fake news.

What solutions were proposed to combat the spread of fake news online?

One proposed solution to combat fake news is to combine algorithms with human oversight. This would allow tech companies to detect and prevent the spread of fake news before it reaches a large audience, reducing its impact on public opinion.