The Alex Jones verdict is important in the fight against fake news and conspiracy theories
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Recently, it was Alex Jones, ordered to pay a total of over 49 million dollars in damages. The verdict from Texas is an important signal in the fight against fake news and conspiracy theories. Alex Jones has his own radio channel and runs the website infowars. He claimed that the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 did not happen. He claims that it was all set up by those who wanted stricter gun laws in the US and that actors were used and not the people depicted who were killed.
Compensation to one of the families
The trial concerned compensation for one of the families who lost their 6-year-old son in the shooting. Ever since Alex Jones published his fake news, this family has been harassed by his followers. The website infowars increased its turnover considerably after they presented their fake news. Estimates of the value of the business are between 135 and 270 million dollars.
The family say they have lived 10 years of hell after this was published. Alex Jones is a well-known spreader of conspiracy theories and fake news. The list is long. His business model is largely dependent on coming up with sensational news.
The Alex Jones verdict provides a warning
The verdict from Texas is important, not only for the United States, but for the whole world. Bringing those who create fake news to justice must happen more often. The same applies to those who pass on such information. We as people simply have to take responsibility ourselves for what we convey. The verdict in Texas may prevent those who want to spread such things from actually doing so. As regular users of social media, we need to think twice before passing on something that sounds too fantastic.
Some claim that this is a violation of freedom of expression. I completely disagree with that. Freedom of expression is being able to say what you think about a matter, being able to write what you think. But freedom of speech has nothing to do with spreading lies and conspiracy theories. Some people are cynical in their dealings, without regard for morality. The verdict in Texas is a step against this cynicism.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Alex Jones: Five revealing moments from Sandy Hook trial – BBC News