Information security

In Wake Of Election: Obama Passes Executive Order Banning All ‘Fake’ News Outlets

In wake of the controversial 2016 presidential election, President Obama has signed what may be one of his final executive orders. On Monday morning, President Obama signed Executive Order 13749 banning all fake news websites and ensuring penalties ranging from fines/fees to criminal prosecution for those that own and maintain such websites.

In the days after President-Elect Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election the topic of fake news has been one of fierce controversy as many point to a myriad of frequently trending- yet fake news articles that were widely circulated on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter during the election cycle. According to many critics, the rate in which fake news was circulated online unfairly influenced the results of the election.