A Ugandan civic technology organisation has partnered with an American global non-profit organisation to create a game called “Choose Your Own Fake News”, which is designed to tackle the spread of misinformation in East Africa.
The web-based game highlights how people’s choices contribute to the spread of fake news, CNN reported.
By logging on to chooseyourownfakenews.com, you are able to play the game through one of three characters: Flora, a final-year 23-year-old student who lives in Kampala, Uganda; Jo, a 35-year-old shopkeeper from Kenya who is politically conscious; or Aida, a 62-year-old retired homemaker who has six employed children.
The game runs through probable scenarios based on the characters’ position in society – their interests, age and profession. The scenario then requires the players to pick what should be done, followed by the ramifications of their decision as well as possible steps to take when confronted with each scenario.
The game aims to enhance players' ability to verify news before sharing it and to teach them about the practices of fake news.
The game was created by Pollicy, a Ugandan technology consulting and development firm, with the intention to improve government service delivery through improved civic engagement and participation.
It was developed in partnership with US-based Mozilla Foundation, a global non-profit dedicated to keeping the internet accessible to all. Their flagship product is Firefox, an open-source web browser.
Pollicy’s founder and director Neema Iyer told CNN: "Fake news has always existed, but now with the power of technology, it is amplified and reproduced at a very quick rate."
"The whole point of the game is to scrutinise the information and news that you have. It's just like role-playing out what you would do in a situation where you have information," she explained.
