Just over a year ago, Bill C-18, aimed at mandating fair trade agreements between major online platforms and Canadian news organizations, came into effect. In response to the adoption of this law by the House of Commons, Meta decided to ban all Canadian media content on its platforms, forcing them to modify their news delivery processes.

Following this ban, other types of “news” content appeared on social networks. Over the past few months, our various social network feeds, especially Facebook, have been filled, exponentially, with publications from unknown links, announcing more than dramatic news about well-known Quebec personalities, such as Maripier Morin and Normand Brathwaite. What's more, the visuals of these publications are accompanied by logos of Canadian media currently banned, such as Le Journal de Québec and La Presse.

Journalistic investigations have determined that these articles entice visitors to participate in online investment platforms. If the person decides not to invest, the scammers harass the user, calling up to several times a day. To understand the extent of the situation, we recommend you watch this video from Noovo Info.

With catchy, shocking headlines, this type of content attracts the eye of a vast audience. So, if a user isn't well-equipped to understand the workings, power, and impact of social media, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to separate real journalistic content from fake news.

This same user could therefore enter a vicious cycle of targeting. Indeed, the very logic of an algorithm aims to always “push” the type of content already consulted by a user. So, the more you consult fake news leading to malicious sites, the more you'll see this type of content appear on your news feeds.

What's more, these ads damage the reputations of many celebrities without their consent. For example, many ads show Maripier Morin's face with bruises. This shocking image makes users want to click on the link, especially when the logo of a well-known Canadian media outlet is illegally affixed.

For a public figure, this quickly becomes an issue. Fake news can swiftly become public knowledge when it's repeated, without ever being denied. In fact, it's virtually impossible for the people targeted to have these fake news items removed, as they are published continuously from different accounts and in fairly large numbers, so traceability is, essentially, out of the question.

These repercussions are therefore worrying not only for social network users, but also for public figures.

With the rise in popularity of digital platforms, the targeting of users and the money invested in this type of advertising will become increasingly important.

A year ago, part of the population had become accustomed to consulting news directly on social networks. These habits are ingrained in users and create the perfect audience for fake news.

There are no surefire ways to protect yourself, but we believe there are some things that organizations and users can do to avoid this risk.

• Be aware of the issue
• Always share content from reliable media (a Google search will help you confirm!)
• Enlist the services of a seasoned community manager capable of recognizing such content.
• Be able to count on a content creator capable of producing engaging publications that stand out from fake news.
• A little extra : Inform your audiences about the subject so that your communities are aware of the issue.

It's worth noting that in order to post sponsored content (ads or “fake” news) on a Meta platform, organizations have to go through a fairly rigorous verification process. As such, we have every right to wonder why this type of content still finds its way to our news feeds. Despite its strict stance in relation to Bill C-18, Meta has work to do to strengthen its processes and prevent fake news from damaging the media, personalities, and users.

Fortunately, the government, in collaboration with other institutions, is beginning to take action against this problem. Most recently, the Université de Montréal (UdeM) announced the creation of a website that will use artificial intelligence to spot fake news online. In addition, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, announced $300,000 in financial support to encourage the development of this project. This initiative provides hope that we will see the emergence of a multitude of tools that will help us, collectively, strengthen our vigilance in the face of shared news.

We also encourage you to keep checking the news directly on your favorite media sites.

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