How to Avoid False Information on the Internet

Updated: April 23, 2019

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The Internet is a complex and dynamic landscape full of all sorts of information. Unfortunately, some of it isn't that great. It can be difficult to distinguish between good and bad sources of information, but learning to look for some signs and guideposts of bad information can make your search less complicated.

Steps

1

Use "common" sense. This will allow you to filter information that is incorrect from the correct.
2

Cross-check. Reading from more one source allows for correcting mistakes, errors, and malicious intent.
3

Go to the source. Using a real library, real people, and your legs can be steps in gathering information that is free from errors.
4

Take a look at the pictures. If you are searching a online animal site, look at the pictures. You should see pictures that look real. There shouldn't be anything that looks fake or anything that seems fake.
5

Look over at the policies. Every website must have policies, rules, and promises for there site. Read them very carefully. There could be tricks people add.
6

Have an adult help. If you are a teenager or kid and are positive if a site is right or not the best choice is to have an adult, teacher, or guardian help out. It's the best choice do.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can a hacker get personal info from an airline boarding pass?

Denneisk

Top Answerer

If the purchase was made online, then anything is possible.

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Tips

Face value is never face value. The only facts you should accept are ones you have requested and paid for, i.e., an education. That said, check the teacher, or professor's source. You would be surprised how many are incompetent or have their facts clouded by a conflicting agenda.
Go to reliable sources such as government websites.

Warnings

Treat media outlets with the same caution.

Article Info

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 23 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.

Categories: Internet Security | Conscious Media Consumption

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 29,693 times.

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