Is it possible to stop fake news

NOT DONE YET, WORK IN PROGRESS

Name: Is it possible to stop fake news?
Author: Tomáš Martínek (mart13) (talk)
Method: MAS Simulation
Tool: NetLogo

Problem definition

Fake news is a global problem and it is getting worse every year. Is it possible to stop fake news? Fake news are made by people named "trolls". These trolls make fake news and send them to people. On the other side of the table are elfs, who defend people from fake news and send "fake news warnings". When people receive fake news, they have basicaly three choices: resend it as it is (basicaly become troll), resend it with "fake news warning" (become elf) or dont resend it. Can elfs beat trolls and defend the majority of system from fake news?

The goal of this simulation is...

Method

For this problem I chose multi agent system aproach due to decentralization and autonomy of simulated environment.

Created MAS agents are rather reactive than deliberative. They only react to few basic rules:

• If an agent has more fake news than warning news, agent becomes a troll and starts to send fake news to other people around.
• If an agent has more warning news than fake news, agent becomes an elf and starts to send warning news to other people around.

Model

These are entities and relationships used in the model:

Entities

My model has technicaly only one entity, which are people. According to their properties I divide them into two groups:

• Trolls: was initiated as a troll or has more fake news than warnings in present time
• Elfs: was initiated as an elf or has more warnings than fake news in present time

Every group has a different colour and ability, trolls are red and can send fake news, elfs are green and can send warning news.

Relationships

• Fake news
• Warning news