At any given moment, there’s someone on social media responding fervently to a fake post. The amount of fake content on social media and online is staggering. With the rapid-fire capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI), the amount of fake or partially true content is growing each day (Key statistics…, 2024). The need for media literacy is paramount to helping users discern between what is fact or fiction online. Media outlets should already have a robust literacy campaign in place, such as a microsite on their platform with media literacy content and tips that help encourage users to critically evaluate information sources and verify facts. Additionally, medial literacy should be taught through educational campaigns in schools, workplaces, and governments which can provide training on identifying credible information and recognizing misinformation.

Knowing who or what to trust online is tricky. Even the most official looking content can be riddled with misinformation. Another way to help users navigate the digital landscape is for media organizations to have greater transparency in their algorithms, privacy policies, and data integrity. Platforms should offer transparency in their recommendation algorithms to reduce the amplification of false or misleading content. Clear policies on how information is promoted can foster trust and reduce manipulation. Additionally, implementing clear, easy-to-understand privacy policies that allow users to control their data would go a long way in gaining user trust. With more robust personalization tools, user information is becoming much more specific. “The personalization this data allows, such as constant adaptation to users’ preferences, has become central to the product experience” (Morey, T. et al., 2020). With more hyper-personalization technology, a clear and obvious way to opt-in or opt-out of data collection is desperately needed. The days of hiding opt-out functionality should be behind us; users should be able to take more control of what is captured. The addition of stronger digital accountability laws is needed to ensure that companies are held accountable in how they handle user data

“Your password has appeared in a data breach.”

We’ve all received this ominous message. Going forward, technological improvements in cybersecurity are needed to help protect sensitive information as well as instill trust in users. There are multiple ways organizations can help improve cybersecurity, including implementing end-to-end encryption to protect data while in transit, stronger multi-factor authentication methods, the use of firewalls and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to secure networks from unauthorized access or attacks, and, in the same vein as media literacy, organizations should require cybersecurity training to help educate employees and users on best practices for password creation, securing personal devices, and phishing attempt recognition. AI can also be utilized to help strengthen cybersecurity initiatives. "Using datasets either made or consumed by the organization can be also used to watch for patterns and outlier behavior on a broader scale, in an attempt to determine the likelihood of the organization being targeted by cyber security incidents happening throughout the world" (Watkins, O., 2024).

While stronger media literacy is needed for users to be proactive in their ability to detect fake news, media organizations have a responsibility to utilize the latest technology to help weed out misinformation. From more attentive content moderation and fact checking to crowdsourcing truth verification, platforms have an obligation to users to vet the content that lives on their pages. In addition to these efforts, platforms can promote content from verified news sources and official organizations, and stay vigilant in removing or flagging content that contains misinformation.