How Fake News Spreads Like a Real Virus
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How fake news spreads like a real virus
When it comes to real fake news, the kind of disinformation that Russia deployed during the 2016 elections, "going viral" isn't just a metaphor.
Using the tools for modeling the spread of infectious disease, cyber-risk researchers at Stanford Engineering are analyzing the spread of fake news much as if it were a strain of Ebola. "We want to find the most effective way to cut the transmission chains, correct the information if possible and educate the most vulnerable targets," says Elisabeth Pati(C)-Cornell, a professor of management science and engineering. She has long specialized in risk analysis and cybersecurity and is overseeing the research in collaboration with Travis I. Trammell, a doctoral candidate at Stanford. Here are some of the key learnings:
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