This is the latest edition of the Fake Newsletter from BuzzFeed News. Subscribe here.
There will soon be more people aged 65 and up in the US than in any other demographic, and it will stay that way for decades. I’ve spent months collecting data on the online habits of older people, with a particular focus on how they interact with false content. I just published a new story that dives into this. Here are some of the most compelling points:
Four recent studies found that those over 65 are more likely to consume and share fake news on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and the web.
They don’t have a good understanding of the role algorithms play in determining what content we see online.
They have a harder time differentiating between news and opinion.
They are often targeted with ads from hyperpartisan and fake news sites.
They’re also targeted by online scams, malware, and other internet ills. Just last month, the Department of Justice announced “the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history.”
And here’s another key data point: There has been a flowering of interest and funding for digital literacy programs — but few, if any, are targeting older people. Kids in school are getting lessons, but our parents and grandparents are being left out.
This isn’t to pick on older adults. It’s to highlight the fact that so many of us struggle in the new and chaotic information environment. We need to think broader than just programs in schools. It also means we need to be ready to support huge numbers of seniors as they become a force on the internet for decades to come.
—Craig
Got a tip? Email us: fakenewsletter@buzzfeed.com or find us on Twitter: @craigsilverman and @janelytv.
New from our team:
The much-publicized WhatsApp tip line is not a help line at all; it’s only there to help Facebook with research.
A single Facebook page ran over 5,000 advertisements for a fake solar energy rebate scam.
BuzzFeed News is collaborating with the Toronto Star on covering election interference. Here’s the latest: Officials worry that foreign actors are already meddling in Canada’s upcoming elections.
Nipsey Hussle’s death has added new fuel to an old and baseless conspiracy theory, linking the rapper’s killing to a “healer” who falsely claimed he cured AIDS and cancer.
Following the massacre in New Zealand, Facebook vowed to do more to fight white supremacy on its platform, but anti-Muslim hate has made the company a lot of money.
Your phone has a whole life without you: Craig dives into how an advertising scheme played videos on phones without users’ knowledge, draining the battery and stealing from advertisers.
Jane’s recommended reads:
Ukraine went through the first round of elections last weekend, and Russian trolls were trying to wreak their usual havoc. This New York Times story dives into their tactics, which we may see repeated in the upcoming US election.
Mannequins are spying on you ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“Hello, I’d like to add you to my professional spy LinkedIn network.” —China