Since its inception, the Internet has become a major source of information for millions of users worldwide. In the Philippines, a Social Weather Stations survey observed that one out of every five Filipinos use online platforms like Facebook as their primary source of news.

With newspapers and other traditional forms of media being overshadowed by social media, online platforms have slowly become weaponized, contributing to global disinformation. Everywhere, fake news abound, trolls continue to multiply, and deep fake videos are on the rise. While many organizations have passionately led the fight against the proliferation of alternative facts, digital literacy in the Philippines still has a long way to go.

The “Fact or Fake” Project aims to highlight how Filipino internet users discern, investigate, and analyze the legitimacy of a news item.

Results of the project revealed that the lack of familiarity with technology makes us prone to share fake news. It was also discovered that personal biases due to personal relationships and political leanings tend to influence how we perceive the news.

So, how do we differentiate what is true from what is fake? What’s the difference between manipulated from legitimate news?