FREEDOM - Fake News Recognition and Education for Elderly Digital Outreach Mission

We found that the over-65 generations, accustomed to a different kind of information and a different kind of fact-checking by journalists and news outlets, have been used to believing what they re...

We found that the over-65 generations, accustomed to a different kind of information and a different kind of fact-checking by journalists and news outlets, have been used to believing what they read without questioning the source and the truthfulness of the news too much, especially if accompanied by photos or videos. Over-65s who use social media therefore often find themselves unwittingly spreading fake news. The Freedom project aimed precisely to break this cycle, helping these people recognize false or manipulated news and to stop—or at least limit—its dissemination. Our goal was to familiarize them with all the phenomena of disinformation, explaining what they are, how they work, and providing tools to combat them.

Local Activities: Six training days were carried out (two for each country involved), consisting of a theoretical seminar component and a practical workshop component. Topics addressed included the dangers of fake news, what artificial intelligences are, and the tools we have to recognize false news, clickbait, digital scams, and deepfakes. Some of these sessions were held directly in residences for older people and senior centers, including in rural and provincial contexts, in order to encourage participation by the target group and to create stronger connections with stakeholders. A total of 71 people took part in the activities, with an excellent rate of participation by women and by people from rural backgrounds. Online Activities: Three Facebook groups were created (one for each country) to encourage digital exchange and create a space where people could discuss news and verify its truthfulness. The groups welcomed a total of 167 people.

The digital platform https://www.freedom-project.eu . The site is fully multilingual (English, French, Italian, and Greek) and meets accessibility criteria. It includes: • A video course in 12 lessons • A section of useful sites for fact-checking at the national level (Italy, Greece, and France) • A section where the manual in English can be found, along with summary appendices of the manual in Greek, Italian, and French • A section with the articles written during the project • A section where people can write to us for further information or clarification The manual in e-book format, containing explanations of what fake news and deepfakes are, their dangers, how to recognize them, and how to create intergenerational activities and workshops to support the fight against disinformation. 12 video tutorials translated into English, Greek, French, and Italian that explain what fake news, AI, and deepfakes are; how to recognize fake news and deepfakes; their dangers; and the EU tools to counter them. https://www.youtube.com/@FreedomProject-v5v