Fake news almost shut down iconic Indian restaurant in London

May 31, 2017 16:32

At least 30 websites invite people to make up a fake news story and share it on Facebook. Over the past 12 months the articles have generated more than 13 million engagements on the social network, reports www.buzzfeed.com.

Craig Silverman and Sara Spary report on how a fake news story on channel23news.com, which went viral via Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp almost brought business at Karri Twist, a restaurant in London that's been around since 1957, to a halt.

'Channel23news.com isn't an isolated make-your-own-fake-news site. Using domain registration records, BuzzFeed News identified two separate networks that together own at least 30 nearly identical "prank' news sites and that published more than 3,000 fake articles in six languages over the past 12 months. They're also generating significant engagement on Facebook: The sites collectively earned more than 13 million shares, reactions, and comments on the social network in the last 12 months,' they report, here.

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