Israeli startup invented technology to fight fake news

Nowadays it is quite a difficult task to fight fake news, which is a huge danger for all big brands.

The good news is there is now an Israel-based startup called Cyabra Strategy Co., Ltd. who has successfully rebuilt the brands’ confidence. The company’s working team come from cyber security agencies and talent organization of Israeli army. They are specialized in spotting any odd behavior on social media such as fake profile pictures, avatars or any bots.

Such the capabilities are shown through algorithm developed from ‘deep learning’ and big data in spotting any strange information that appears on the internet. Cyabra’s technology will consider from profiles as well as any relevant factors that can determine the fake profiles. For example, if a profile was created just a while before launching a campaign, it can be assumed that the profile had some bad intention. Or if the profile is briefly created but internet users press a red flag to ban, then it is not a good sign. Another factor to consider is whether there is any real people use that particular profile or not.

“Anyone who get to online system normally leaves some traces that can be identified be they a Google+ profile, a blog or an email account. It is impossible that they only log on to only facebook account,” said Sendi Frangi, the co-founder of Cyabra. The company’s algorithm can be able to spot fake news within 1-2 days. Frangi said that the process would normally require 20 top professional analysts to work six days long to get the information, but that would be too late. So he viewed that the company’s algorithm can better serve businesses’ needs as can save the businesses from digital attacks.

Established on August last year by a team of nine experts, Cyabra has raised 1 million US dollar. Early this year, Cyabra was selected by Coca Cola to be one of the 12 startups which can participate The Bridge project, the company’s technology commercialization program.

“Cyabra is launched at the right time and answers the real businesses’ needs,” Rami Ben-Barak, senior advisor of Cyabra and a former deputy director of the Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency.

“Fake news is a global phenomenon that negatively impacts the global politics and economy. It can be considered a No. 1 danger to democracy and the western world. We are becoming aware that many significant global events are being influenced by groups and interested parties that employ fake identities to create a false reality,” he said.

Ben Barak cited several campaigns which led to misunderstanding and affect the outcome of elections, especially the 2016 US elections. The one involving Cambridge Analytica case has also illustrated just how vulnerable social media can be as marketing companies can access users’ personal information. It led to investigations in the US Congress and the European Parliament.

Frangi cited the case of Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo who gave interview in November 2016.

She referred to the election of US President Donald Trump, saying many of her female, non-white, or LGBT employees were worried about the ramifications of his policies. Soon after, several websites made fake quotes of her statement, resulting in calls for a boycott and sent the company’s stock plummeting. Frangi said “If PepsiCo’s CEO had understood that she was under attack using fake news, she could’ve leveraged traditional media to counteract it.”

Reference: Techinasia.com