Investigating Online Financial Misinformation and Its Consequences: A Computational Perspective

The rapid dissemination of information through digital platforms has revolutionized the way we access and consume news and information, particularly in the realm of finance. However, this digital age has also given rise to an alarming proliferation of financial misinformation, which can have detrimental effects on individuals, markets, and the overall economy. This research paper aims to provide a comprehensive survey of online financial misinformation, including its types, sources, and impacts. We first discuss the characteristics and manifestations of financial misinformation, encompassing false claims and misleading content. We explore various case studies that illustrate the detrimental consequences of financial misinformation on the economy. Finally, we highlight the potential impact and implications of detecting financial misinformation. Early detection and mitigation strategies can help protect investors, enhance market transparency, and preserve financial stability. We emphasize the importance of greater awareness, education, and regulation to address the issue of online financial misinformation and safeguard individuals and businesses from its harmful effects. In conclusion, this research paper sheds light on the pervasive issue of online financial misinformation and its wide-ranging consequences. By understanding the types, sources, and impacts of misinformation, stakeholders can work towards implementing effective detection and prevention measures to foster a more informed and resilient financial ecosystem.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figure

Nutrition and health claims – call for and justification of governmental intervention from the consumers’ perspective

In December 2006 the Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 on the use of nutrition and health claims (NHCs) on foods was enacted in order to prevent consumer deception and to harmonise law within the EU. Against this background, this paper analyses the potential costs and benefits linked with NHCs and the necessity for governmental intervention to regulate NHCs within a theoretical and empirical framework. The theoretical investigation shows that NHCs can induce direct economic effects as well as spillover effects in the market of information. Whether those effects are beneficial or adverse depends on the truthfulness of the NHCs, and consumers’ perception and processing of such claims. As self regulatory forces of the market might not be sufficient to prevent market failure due to fraudulent claims, governmental intervention seems necessary. An analysis of the EU Regulation on NHCs reveals that this law focuses on preventing the authorisation of false or misleading claims. It is less concerned with not authorising a true and correctly understood claim. The results of the empirical analysis which is based on a standardized consumer survey reveal that the stated impact of NHCs on product perception considerably differs among consumers. While e.g. some consumers feel misled by NHCs on products with a negative nutrient profile such as candies, others point out that such claims have no impact on their product perception or even help them to make better choices. The results also indicate that the great majority of consumers is opposed to a ban of NHCs on products with a negative nutrient profile such as candies and salt.nutrition and health claims, consumer deception, information economics, market transparency, consumer protection policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A CONCEPTUAL MODEL TO PROTECT BRAND REPUTATION FACING ” FAKE NEWS”

openThis study aims to explore the nature and impact of Fake News on brands and their customers, identify different categories of Fake News, and propose a conceptual model for companies to protect their brand reputation and mitigate the effects of Fake News. The research focuses on the managerial approaches and methodologies that brands can adopt to counter Fake News and safeguard their reputation in the digital era. A comprehensive literature review examines existing studies on Fake News, brand management, and the impact of Fake News on brands and consumers, highlighting the gaps in the literature. The review defines and categorizes Fake News, explores techniques for detecting and mitigating it, and investigates the relationship between Fake News and brand management. The findings reveal a lack of research on the managerial strategies for brands to tackle Fake News effectively. The study emphasizes the importance of developing proactive measures to detect and counter Fake News, as well as building resilience against Fake News attacks. By addressing these gaps, the study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies for brands to navigate the challenges posed by Fake News in the digital media landscape.This study aims to explore the nature and impact of Fake News on brands and their customers, identify different categories of Fake News, and propose a conceptual model for companies to protect their brand reputation and mitigate the effects of Fake News. The research focuses on the managerial approaches and methodologies that brands can adopt to counter Fake News and safeguard their reputation in the digital era. A comprehensive literature review examines existing studies on Fake News, brand management, and the impact of Fake News on brands and consumers, highlighting the gaps in the literature. The review defines and categorizes Fake News, explores techniques for detecting and mitigating it, and investigates the relationship between Fake News and brand management. The findings reveal a lack of research on the managerial strategies for brands to tackle Fake News effectively. The study emphasizes the importance of developing proactive measures to detect and counter Fake News, as well as building resilience against Fake News attacks. By addressing these gaps, the study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies for brands to navigate the challenges posed by Fake News in the digital media landscape

The impact of review valence and awareness of deceptive practices on consumers’ responses to online product ratings and reviews

Many online retailers and some manufacturers/service providers have recently been engaging in questionable practices, where product reviews are often fabricated and/or posted without sufficient clarity and objectivity. Across an exploratory study and two main studies, we empirically examine this phenomenon and observe a pattern of effects that suggests that review valence (i.e., the average number of rating-stars a product receives) influences product attitudes and intentions, but that these outcomes are significantly impacted by the extent to which consumers are aware of potentially deceptive online review practices. Awareness of deceptive practices was found to differentially influence attitudes and intentions, depending upon whether the star-ratings were perfect (5/5 stars), highly positive (4.9/5 stars), or generally positive (4.5/5 or 4.7/5 stars). Participants’ perceptions of the e-retailer’s manipulative intent were also shown to mediate these effects, with higher perceptions of perceived manipulative intent yielding less favorable product attitudes and reduced purchase intentions

Averting Robot Eyes

Home robots will cause privacy harms. At the same time, they can provide beneficial services—as long as consumers trust them. This Essay evaluates potential technological solutions that could help home robots keep their promises, avert their eyes, and otherwise mitigate privacy harms. Our goals are to inform regulators of robot-related privacy harms and the available technological tools for mitigating them, and to spur technologists to employ existing tools and develop new ones by articulating principles for avoiding privacy harms. We posit that home robots will raise privacy problems of three basic types: (1) data privacy problems; (2) boundary management problems; and (3) social/relational problems. Technological design can ward off, if not fully prevent, a number of these harms. We propose five principles for home robots and privacy design: data minimization, purpose specifications, use limitations, honest anthropomorphism, and dynamic feedback and participation. We review current research into privacy-sensitive robotics, evaluating what technological solutions are feasible and where the harder problems lie. We close by contemplating legal frameworks that might encourage the implementation of such design, while also recognizing the potential costs of regulation at these early stages of the technology

Youth and Digital Media: From Credibility to Information Quality

Building upon a process-and context-oriented information quality framework, this paper seeks to map and explore what we know about the ways in which young users of age 18 and under search for information online, how they evaluate information, and how their related practices of content creation, levels of new literacies, general digital media usage, and social patterns affect these activities. A review of selected literature at the intersection of digital media, youth, and information quality -- primarily works from library and information science, sociology, education, and selected ethnographic studies -- reveals patterns in youth's information-seeking behavior, but also highlights the importance of contextual and demographic factors both for search and evaluation. Looking at the phenomenon from an information-learning and educational perspective, the literature shows that youth develop competencies for personal goals that sometimes do not transfer to school, and are sometimes not appropriate for school. Thus far, educational initiatives to educate youth about search, evaluation, or creation have depended greatly on the local circumstances for their success or failure

Fake or Credible? Towards Designing Services to Support Users’ Credibility Assessment of News Content

Fake news has become omnipresent in digitalized areas such as social media platforms. While being disseminated online, it also poses a threat to individuals and societies offline, for example, in the context of democratic elections. Research and practice have investigated the detection of fake news with behavioral science or method-related perspectives. However, to date, we lack design knowledge on presenting fake news warnings to users to support their individual news credibility assessment. We present the journey through the first design cycle on developing a fake news detection service focusing on the user interface design. The design is grounded in concepts from the field of source credibility theory and instantiated in a prototype that was qualitatively evaluated. The 13 participants communicated their interest in a lightweight application that aids in the news credibility assessment and rated the design features as useful as well as desirable