The Elections In India Are Clouded By Fake News From Social Media

WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.  This article describes how it has become the vehicle for distributing fake news during the election cycle in India.  Some argue that the social media provide an outlet for information that enhances democracy.  It provides an inexpensive way to distribute information that reduces the influence of the "mainstream media" in elections.  That is true, but the mainstream media are constrained by journalistic standards and laws that make it much harder to distribute false and misleading information.  We have not figured out how to prevent fake news from the social media from totally distorting democratic elections.