Federal government says fake news gone out of control

A timely and relevant topic!

Yes, the federal government in the United States has indeed expressed concerns about the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, often referred to as "fake news," in recent years.

In 2016, then-President-elect Donald Trump famously tweeted that the news media was "fake news" and that he would "not be taken advantage of" by them. Since then, the term has become a catch-all phrase for any news story or report that is perceived as inaccurate, biased, or misleading.

In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defined "fake news" as "false or misleading information presented as factual news." The FCC also launched an investigation into the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Google.

In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report on the spread of misinformation online, which found that "fake news" was a significant problem, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report recommended that social media companies take steps to reduce the spread of misinformation, such as labeling false content and promoting fact-checking.

The federal government has also taken steps to combat the spread of misinformation through legislation. For example, the Honest Ads Act, introduced in 2017, aimed to require political ads on social media to disclose their sponsors and to prevent foreign interference in U.S. elections.

In addition, the federal government has launched initiatives to promote media literacy and critical thinking skills, such as the Media Literacy Now campaign, which aims to educate the public on how to identify and evaluate credible sources of information.

Overall, while the term "fake news" has been politicized and often used as a pejorative, the federal government has recognized the importance of addressing the spread of misinformation and disinformation in the digital age.