Deliberate misinformation on the Internet!? Tell me it ain't so!

Volume 8, Number 5 • May 2000

Deliberate misinformation on the Internet!? Tell me it ain't so!
by Carol Ebbinghouse

THE SIDEBAR column targets misinformation on the Internet, specifically data deliberately designed or consciously allowed to mislead. Says that President Clinton established the Working Group on Unlawful Conduct on the Internet to prepare a report and recommendations "in order to address unlawful conduct that involves the use of the Internet..." Adds that, obviously, the topic of fraud and misinformation on the Internet is a hot one. Includes a sidebar titled "Dangerous Data Ahead: A Searcher's Look at the Age of Misinformation to Come" (p64) by Anne Mintz. Offers several examples of misinformation including investment swindles, business frauds, and online auctions. However, points out that much of the information needed to avoid being deceived, and many of the solutions for victims, also appear on the Web. Includes a sidebar and a list of references.