Fake Facebook posts about Centre County, Penn State are spreading. How to not get fooled
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- AI-generated Facebook posts have spread false local and Penn State-related claims.
- Experts say distorted images, odd URLs and sensational headlines signal fraudulent posts.
- Officials advise checking Penn State channels and trusted outlets before sharing.
In late April, a Facebook post began circulating widely that appeared to share news that the state had approved a massive, 6,400-acre solar project in Sproul State Forest in Centre County.
The post from “The Keystone Ledger” included what appeared to be a news story, noting that 5,900 acres would be cleared for the project. The information, however, was completely inaccurate. A closer look at the post showed the forest was mislabeled on the map, and the story included no named sources. The Keystone Ledger commented that its Facebook page is “satire,” but the post still had hundreds of reactions, comments and shares.
It’s an example of the kind of misinformation that circulates on social media platforms. In recent months, there have been a wave of fake, AI-generated posts making their rounds on local Facebook feeds, many with a tie to Penn State. While some posts give themselves away with a photo or graphic that doesn’t look quite right — or outlandish subject matter — others seem more plausible, like death announcements for former Penn State officials.
“Facebook has gotten particularly bad at controlling the amount of AI slop on the platform,” Penn State Bellisario College of Communications Professor Matthew Jordan told the CDT in an April email. “Some of the studies I have seen have estimated that up to 40% of the ads on Facebook may be fraud. Since their algorithms prioritize engagement over everything else, it creates incentives for misinformation entrepreneurs with a chatbot to generate content designed as clickbait.”
Because Facebook appeals to users by way of showing them what they’re interested in, Jordan wrote that “everything about the platform is dangerous for reliable news,” and that “stories can literally be tailored to the user by AI.”
On his own Facebook page, reporter Shawn O’Domski of Johnstown-based WJAC news network recently called out a post from a now-suspended “Penn State Insider” page that claimed that a “monstrous wildfire” was ripping through “the heart of Penn State county,” along the Route 322 corridor.
For accounts that share inaccurate Penn State news — Jordan recalled one that posted that former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had been hired as the Nittany Lions’ new football coach — Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said the university takes action when appropriate.
“When Penn State becomes aware of fraudulent accounts or content misusing the university’s name, logo or likeness, we report them using the reporting tools available on the respective social media platform,” DuBois wrote in an email. “If a post claims to report significant news involving Penn State, readers should check the University’s official channels like Penn State News or trusted local and national news organizations to confirm the information.”
How to identify fake posts, and what to do after
As these kinds of posts grow in frequency, it’s important to know how to differentiate a fraudulent, misinformation-spreading post from a factual one from a trusted source, and there are some tips out there that may help.
DuBois said some of the key things to look out for in a fake post are unfamiliar account names, unusual website domains or URLs and attention-grabbing headlines designed to generate clicks. Seeing distorted or incorrect graphics and images is also an easy way to identify a fraudulent post.
He also noted that “a simple search” on Google using keywords from the fraudulent post can usually help determine whether the information is legitimate.
Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association — of which the Centre Daily Times is a member — agreed.
“Turning to trusted local news organizations that verify information before publication is essential to avoiding misinformation, and media literacy is a critical tool for navigating today’s information landscape,” she wrote. “The rise of AI and the intense threat of misinformation makes the work of local news organizations more valuable than ever.”
Melewsky added that as an attorney, she has also seen AI misused in legal settings “leading to sanctions against attorneys” and “risking misinforming the court about critical issues in pending litigation.”
If you identify a misinformation-spreading post on Facebook, report the post as such and refrain from engaging with it to keep it from spreading.
Melewsky also recommended supporting local journalism, as it helps ensure people stay accurately informed with factual information and actively involved in their communities.
“The rise in AI misinformation underscores the need for trusted local media organizations like The Centre Daily Times, and it makes their work indispensable to keeping an informed citizenry,” she wrote. “Local news organizations work tirelessly to keep their community informed, and their professional journalism, verification and local accountability is the best defense against misinformation.”