How does this affect Security
It’s one thing to allow and encourage free speech, but when it starts to affect legitimate business those at the centre of the problem need to be brought to book. InfoWars has in the past advertised its site and even some its fake news via YouTube advertising. When those adverts are shown in the middle of an item from a highly reputable company it has the effect of subliminally detracting form the reputation of these firms.
And on the subject of Fake News, lets look at the person who coined the phrase:
President Trump refused a question from CNN’s Jim Acosta at a joint press conference Friday afternoon with UK Prime Minister Theresa May in Buckinghamshire. Earlier in the press conference, Trump attacked CNN after receiving a question from the NBC News reporter Hallie Jackson. Trump said NBC is “possibly worse than CNN.”
“Mr. President, since you attacked CNN, can I ask you a question?” Acosta asked Trump.
FOX News correspondent John Roberts “Go ahead” he said.
“Can I ask you a question?” Jim Acosta persisted.
“No,” Trump told him.
So in this case those accused of delivering fake news are not being given a chance to ask a question! If the press publishes a story that is not true then you have the opportunity to challenge them in a court of law, but POTUS doesn’t bother doing that, he instead delivers his own brand justice.
What is the verdict on security?
Honestly, this is damaging, the press in the United Kingdom have a duty to report honestly and fairly, failing to do so results in court action almost every time. Trump has accused the BBC of purveying fake news in the past, now I know that the BBC has been accused of being biased in the past, in some cases they have been found guilty and had to pay the price, however, they are funded by the UK public via a license fee and as such they are under scrutiny.
Whenever public opinion is manipulated there are risks to security, either cyber or actual. The current climate of calling anything that people don’t like as fake rather than bringing the culprits to book needs to change in the real world and the cyber environment.
As a result the lies continue to be spread and world security and cyber security are where the suffering starts.
