Fake News in Social Media: Exploring the Impacts and Regulating Laws on Spreading Out Fake News

Abstract

The generation and dissemination of current events in our society are altering in this modern age of the internet and other social networks. A new process has evolved: the rapid conversion of conventional print media into the online media. On the one side, the internet has liberalized news creation and distribution, but it has also become a potential source for misleading information. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter are becoming strong sites for distributing information and media, given the growing usage of smartphones. New forms of online interaction, including Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger, LINE, among many others, have exacerbated the propagation of fake news. This paper tries to check whether the laws of Bangladesh are capable to bring the propagators of fake news to justice, especially propagators disseminating fake news beyond the border of Bangladesh. The present concerns surrounding false news are examined using the standard empirical-analytical technique in this research. In doing so the paper tried to illustrate and compare both the cases of the spread of fake news from Bangladesh and beyond Bangladesh. The paper argues that Bangladesh’s Government enacted laws that empowered the government to control the effect of fake news in Bangladesh but such laws are more reactive in nature rather than being proactive. As a result, the laws are not sufficient to mitigate damages and negative social aspects of fake news.