The Greenland Government is now launching a new nationwide campaign, "Watch out for our community", which will equip citizens against the spread of false information.
The initiative, which is being rolled out in close cooperation with the country's municipalities, comes as a direct response to a growing trend where foreign actors are trying to influence our worldview and create division in Greenlandic society, according to the justification from Greenland Government.
By focusing on source criticism and digital literacy, the goal is to strengthen our common resilience against misleading stories.
Since social media lacks the editorial control we know from the classical media, misleading stories here spread at a rapid pace.
To curb misinformation, it is therefore crucial that each of us stop and take a critical look at the source before we press the share button.
The initiative is rooted in the strengthened cyber and security cooperation between Greenland and Denmark, which is intended to ensure a more robust preparedness against digital threats.
If you want to delve deeper into the subject or find concrete advice on source criticism, you can read more about the campaign and download the related information material on Naalakkersuisut's official website.
How are we fooled online?
Actors who want to cheat us typically use three tricks, according to the material from Naalakkersuisut:
They play on emotions by creating stories that evoke strong emotions such as fear, joy and anger. When we feel strong emotions, we often forget to think before we share posts.
They hit the nail on the head: They tailor stories to your exact type on social media, making it seem like something you agree with:
Social media learns your views through your likes and shares, which the perpetrators exploit to send tailored stories directly to your profile. Using so-called "targeting," they target the exact topics you care about —like fishing or health——to confirm your fears or anger. Because the information feels right and fits your worldview, you subconsciously lower your guard, making it easier for them to manipulate you into blindly trusting the content.
The third method is that they repeat a specific message: If we see the same lie in many places, our brains start to believe the information is correct.
Therefore, according to the campaign, it is necessary to be aware of the intentions of the stories.
Misinformation and Disinformation
Disinformation: When one deliberately spreads false or misleading information. Misinformation: When the person sharing the information does not know that the information is false or misleading.
Who can we trust then?
When we have to assess who we can trust, it is crucial that the sender dares to come forward and document their claims.
Established media such as KNR and Sermitsiaq as well as public authorities are reliable sources, as they are legally obliged to report correct facts and correct their mistakes.
This is in contrast to social media, where there is no editorial control and where anonymous profiles can spread lies without consequences. Therefore, remember that an official source is always more credible than a random post on Facebook, for which no one can be held responsible.
This is announced by the Government of Greenland on their website; the press release can be read in full on their website.
