Celebrity

Pregnancy and discord? Various stars take heavy blows from fake news on YouTube 

Shinji, Lee Chanwon, and Park Eunbin were all recently upset by fake news. 

A lot of celebrities have been suffering from fake news on YouTube, which ráng from marriage and dating rumors to false claims that they had a feud with other celebrities. Misinformation wrapped up in a plausible way has even left a wound in the hearts of fans.

Shinji and Kim Jongmin, who are working together as a member of the group Koyote, have suffered from marriage rumors. Shinji, who visited SBS Power FM’s “Two O’Clock Escape Cultwo Show”, mentioned the marriage rumors with Kim Jongmin and said, “According to the YouTube content, I am pregnant and have to be careful. I heard that I’m getting married to Kim Jong-min in October at a cathedral.”

The singer also added: “I was upset because there was the sensitive issue of pregnancy. It’s not true, so please don’t worry about it.”

Meanwhile, singer Lee Chanwon expressed displeasure over rumors of him quarreling with other entertainers via a JTBC radio show. In particular, when broadcaster Tyler asked if he had ever been damaged by fake news from YouTube, he showed his resentment and said that some people believed the content. “I’ve seen hundreds of rumors that I fought with other fellow singers,” he shared. 

Actress Park Eunbin is also a victim of fake news, as YouTubers have claimed she won grand prizes in the US or was assaulted there. In a recent interview, she referred to fake news and said, “Some people have been claiming to know me as a particular type of person, or know other things about me, but their claims are groundless.”

YouTube fake news producers create false content to pursue money and interest. They draw the attention of netizens with provocative phrases and eye-catching thumbnail images, and use the fame of stars to increase the number of views, all the while never revealing their identity. They cover their faces with masks or hide their voices with synthetic sounds, hiding behind anonymity and creating false information.

Of course, not everyone believes the news that comes through YouTube. Many netizens share the names of YouTube channels that produce fake news in various online communities and ask each other to be careful. The problem is that the methods of liars on YouTube are becoming more and more sophisticated. They increase trust by inserting photos or videos of real journalists in the middle of the video, or by mixing lies with a little truth.

Regarding the trend of popular stars becoming victims of false YouTube news, Kim Heonsik, a pop culture critic, said: “On the Internet, knowledge that people know as a common denominator becomes a hot topic. Information about celebrities is one of them. Celebrities are people that the public is interested in and they seem to know them well, but in reality they are not, making them perfect targets. In this case, the intensity and speed of rumors increases. YouTubers are taking advantage of this, and conspiracy theories and speculation alone can have a strong impact.

The critic also explained the types of content, saying: “Some are mere speculations about dating, but there are also fake news such as slander of personality in relation to personal information. Companies like YouTube have to filter out content that is defamatory and infringing on privacy, but they are not working well. It seems that strong regulations are needed on producers who create damaging fake news and companies that post and distribute them.”

Lawyer Park Youngjae of Hoan Law Firm explained why it is difficult to punish fake news on YouTube: “Rather than using a lot of direct abusive language, they are avoiding punishment by broadcasting content that instills an image of a ‘bad person’.”

He explained, “Normally, investigation issues search and seizure warrants to the online media to request members’ information and log records, and that company provides the information to the investigative agency. However, foreign companies, such as Youtube, and especially those based in places without defaming crimes like California in the U.S does not provide the information because defamation is not considered a crime there. In addition, many foreign media do not have a separate subscription certification procedure, so it is often not possible to provide special member information”.

Even at the moment, Youtube fake news creators are still expanding. As the pain that stars and their fans are suffering is deepened, it’s time for everyone to worry about this problem and make efforts to solve it.

Source: daum

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