Defensive modeling of fake news through online social networks

Abstract

Online social networks (OSNs) have become an integral mode of communication among people and even nonhuman scenarios can also be integrated into OSNs. The ever-growing rise in the popularity of OSNs can be attributed to the rapid growth of Internet technology. OSN becomes the easiest way to broadcast media (news/content) over the Internet. In the wake of emerging technologies, there is dire need to develop methodologies, which can minimize the spread of fake messages or rumors that can harm society in any manner. In this article, a model is proposed to investigate the propagation of such messages currently coined as fake news. The proposed model describes how misinformation gets disseminated among groups with the influence of different misinformation refuting measures. With the onset of the novel coronavirus-19 pandemic, dubbed COVID-19, the propagation of fake news related to the pandemic is higher than ever. In this article, we aim to develop a model that will be able to detect and eliminate fake news from OSNs and help ease some OSN users stress regarding the pandemic. A system of differential equations is used to formulate the model. Its stability and equilibrium are also thoroughly analyzed. The basic reproduction number (R0) is obtained which is a significant parameter for the analysis of message spreading in the OSNs. If the value of R0 is less than one (R0 < 1), then fake message spreading in the online network will not be prominent, otherwise if R0 > 1 the rumor will persist in the OSN. Real-world trends of misinformation spreading in OSNs are discussed. In addition, the model discusses the controlling mechanism for untrusted message propagation. The proposed model has also been validated through extensive simulation and experimentation.