The kind of disinformation now known as fake news has tainted public discourse for centuries, even millennia. Companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google have come under increasing pressure to take action. What’s disinformation? Disinformation can take the form of legitimate-looking news stories, tweets, Facebook or Instagram posts, advertisements and edited recordings distributed on social media or by messaging app. • In countries such as Sri Lanka and Malaysia, fake news on Facebook has become a battleground between Buddhists and Muslims.

Source: Washington Post May 18, 2019 22:15 UTC