When seeing is not believing
A message about a bus reaches you. It was passed on twice before.
Step 1 of 4
- The notice: Bus 12 runs late on Monday only.
- A friend drops one word: "only".
- A cousin writes "all week" for "on Monday".
- You get: No buses all week!!
The rule
Find where a message started. Compare the copy with it.
Each copy can change a little. Many small changes make a big change. The last copy says something the notice never said.
The notice is the first source. It is the place the message began. Compare every claim with it.
AI can also make fake pictures, voices and clips. A clip is a short video. Fakes that look real are called deepfakes. Because they look real, looking harder at a clip may not help. Finding where it started is a better first step.
| Copy | Same as the notice? |
|---|---|
| Friend | No. The word "only" is gone. |
| Cousin | No. "On Monday" became "all week". |
| You | No. Bus 12 became "no buses". |
No first source? Do not share it.
Watch out!
An urgent message needs a check first. Do not share it fast.
Slide back along the chain of copies to the notice.
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