Prevention of Spreading Fake News by using
Two-Point Processes Based Intervention
Arunakumari B N Subrahmanya Lakshmi
Dept. CSE Keshav Bhumaraju
BMS Institute of Dept. CSE
Technology and BMS Institute of
Management, Bengaluru Technology and
Karnataka – 560064 Management, Bengaluru
arunakumaribn@bmsit.in Karnataka - 560064
1by20cs192@bmsit.in
Abstract- Social-media has always been used widely by almost
everyone across the globe to maintain a global network and
connections in the world. Since its advent, applications based on
social networking have unanimously gained widespread critical
acclaim and popularity because of its easy and feasible nature of
interacting with several people across the globe. News is known
to be the relevant social content found out by interdisciplinary
research and which is ought to be universally shared with
everyone for creating widespread awareness throughout the
global citizens. Sharing headlines on applications based on
social networking has thus always been a sensation because of its
reachability worldwide. The news headlines and information on
applications based on social media are often shared as stories or
posts. Each intriguing post containing sensational news often
goes viral on the social network with appropriate responses and
emojis, thus increasing the interest among the users to be
instantly known about news updates and headlines. But in the
recent times, it has been known that the phenomenal ability of
content spreading on applications based on social networking is
being misused by generating fake news and spreading it without
intimation, due to which there are various misunderstandings
among people. Sometimes even a slightest ambiguous news may
lead to disturbance as these could be sensitive issues. Thus, there
is a need to solve such issues by using appropriate means for
getting to know if the news is not original and preventing it from
spreading across the internet. This article uses two point
processes-based intervention to find a solution to this problem
that users of social media are prone to. The article introduces the
technique and its usage in online social networks because news
is really important and can often affect the psychological
conditions of people, if not conveyed properly. Therefore, this is a
step to obstruct the dangers of deceptive content and irrelevant
social theories on social media.
Keywords: Social Media, Fake News, Detection, Interdisciplinary
research, online social networks, Psychological and social
theories, Point-Based Intervention
I. INTRODUCTION
The increasing numbers of people making use of social
media applications for getting to know about news headlines
has shifted people away from traditional news organizations.
Sai Harshit
Dept. CSE
BMS Institute of
Technology and
Management, Bengaluru
Karnataka - 560064
1by20cs162@bmsit.in
This change is because sharing news on applications based
on social networking is cheap, takes negligible time and is
very easy to use. In 2016, 62% of U.S. adults received news
on social media [1], surpassing television as a major news
source [2]. However, the lower quality of news on social
media, coupled with the ease of online news dissemination,
has caused a widespread flow of non-original news and
rumors on the internet.
Fake news, articles intentionally disseminating false
information, poses significant risks to individuals and
society. It disturbs the news channels working and their
work of making the society aware about what is currently
prevailing in the society. Moreover, it manipulates readers to
adopt biased or false beliefs, serving political agendas. The
impact extends to shaping how people interpret and respond
to real news, fostering confusion and distrust.
The imminent and implicit existence of fake news,
exemplified by the "Pizzagate" [7] controversy with over 1
million related tweets, underscores the urgency for effective
detection methods. Manual oversight and aggressive
actions, such as fact-checking and content flagging, have
drawbacks, prompting the exploration of alternative
strategies. The focus shifts to optimizing the propagation of
real news, ensuring exposure to authentic information
alongside fake news.
It isn’t that easy to find out if the news gathered is original
or not. Fake news intentionally misleads readers, making
content-based detection difficult. Diverse topics, styles, and
platforms further complicate their utilization for day-to-day
purposes. Additionally, users meeting up virtually online, is
crucial but introduces data quality challenges. Big,
incomplete, unstructured and noisy responses are common
to such news headlines.
The urgency to develop strategies to mitigate fake news
impact is emphasized by its real-world consequences. In
2016, when elections for elections for electing presidents
were being held, news that was not real were shared on
Facebook were more than 37 million times within three
months [8], influencing a significant audience. This
underscores the critical need for methods to find out and
fight the negative effects of fake news.
Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive
approach. The paper proposes a novel perspective on fake
news mitigation, framing it as an optimal point process
intervention in a network. By modeling fake news and
mitigation events as multivariate point processes, the
authors aim to optimize the activity policy of campaigner
nodes, obstructing the sharing of such news that is fake.
Related work has explored classifiers and factuality
prediction based on linguistic features. However, the focus
here is on designing incentive strategies for users to
spontaneously promote real news, addressing a real-world
fake news epidemic. Point process models, particularly
Hawkes processes [5], are utilized to model activities in
networks, with a unique focus on optimizing a mitigation
process against a competing process.
The proposed reinforcement learning approach employs
function approximation to address large-scale policy
evaluation and iteration problems. An inspiration of the
process optimizing the least square difference method [6]
for improving the news policy, can offer a really good
approach to avoiding the spread of news that is not real.
In summary, the paper addresses the critical issue of news
that is not real on social media, proposing a novel
perspective on mitigation through point process-based
intervention. The urgency and real-world consequences
necessitate innovative strategies to combat the challenges
posed by fake news proliferation.
II. MOTIVATION
Detecting and mitigating fake news and misinformation on
social media is to be carefully and protect the integrity of
information ecosystems and protect public trust. Social
media platforms, being primary sources of news for many,
are susceptible to the rapid dissemination of false
information, potentially causing widespread societal harm.
Misinformation can manipulate public opinion, influence
decision-making, and even pose threats to democratic
processes. As the volume of misinformation grows, there's a
critical need for effective detection and mitigation strategies.
Rapid technological advancements lead to the development
of sophisticated tools and algorithms to identify and
counteract fake news. Addressing this challenge is vital to
uphold the credibility of information sources, maintain
informed citizenry, and make sure that the applications
based on social networking are used wisely.
III. LITERATURE SURVEY
The proliferation of fake news and misinformation on social
networking applications [1] has emerged as a critical
challenge with profound societal implications [2].
Researchers worldwide have embarked on extensive
investigations into various methodologies and techniques
aimed at both detecting and avoiding the sharing of
information that is not real.
Early endeavors in this domain primarily centered on
traditional content-based approaches. Linguistic features
were find out by processes based on natural language, while
sentiment analysis [3] and pattern recognition sought to
identify characteristics indicative of fake news. Despite
initial success, these methods faced challenges as purveyors
of misinformation adapted, employing more sophisticated
techniques to deceive both algorithms and users.
Recognizing the limitations of content-based approaches , a
notable shift occurred towards social context and network
analysis. The credibility of users emerged as a critical factor
influencing the dissemination process. This efficient and
good understanding brought out a good method for
preventing spreading of news that is fake.
The combination of classification algorithms within ML has
marked a significant leap forward in the world of news that
is not real. Various other algorithms including machines
supporting vectors [4], algorithms with feature and label
values and classifiers with random forests, were applied to
classify news articles based on diverse features such as
language use, source reputation, and user engagement.
These techniques demonstrated enhanced accuracy,
showcasing their ability to discern between authentic and
deceptive information effectively.
The advent of deep learning brought about a change in the
methodologies employed for fake news detection. Advanced
models, including neural networks were deployed to capture
intricate patterns within textual data. This evolution in
approach allowed for a more nuanced understanding of the
multifaceted nature of fake news, leading to increased usage
of such models for finding out the difficulties of situation
and the languages being used in that decision.
With changing and improvement of technologies,
researchers began exploring hybrid approaches [6] that
amalgamate content analysis, social context, and machine
learning techniques. By integrating multiple perspectives,
these hybrid models aimed to enhance detection accuracy.
This interdisciplinary approach showcased the recognition
that a singular methodology might not suffice in addressing
the intricate challenges posed by misinformation on social
media.
Parallel to detection efforts, initiatives focused on
fact-checking and verification gained prominence [7].
Automated fact-checking tools and platforms were
developed to assess the accuracy of information circulating
online. However, challenges persisted, particularly in the
scalability of fact-checking efforts to match the vast volume
of information generated on social media platforms.

Temporal dynamics and event-based analysis emerged as
pivotal themes in the literature, acknowledging the
time-sensitive nature of misinformation. Researchers sought
to understand how fake news evolves over time [8],
identifying patterns during critical events. This temporal
perspective became crucial in adapting detection strategies
to the dynamic nature of misinformation campaigns.
Despite the significant strides made in fake news detection,
challenges persist. The adaptability of misinformation
tactics remains a formidable obstacle, as purveyors
continually refine their techniques. Data quality issues also
pose challenges, particularly in scenarios where emerging,
time-critical events lack proper verification. There is
increased usage of prototypes and codes that can be
explained and understood easily, especially considering the
potential implications of automated decisions in the
detection process.
Looking forward, future research directions include
interdisciplinary collaboration to holistically address the
multifaceted aspects of fake news. Incorporating user
behavior analysis is seen as crucial, as knowing about news
that is not real contributes to a more comprehensive
understanding of the issue. Ethical considerations in the
development and deployment of detection strategies are
gaining attention [9], ensuring responsible and unbiased use
of technology in combating misinformation.
In conclusion, the literature survey illustrates a dynamic and
evolving landscape in the pursuit of finding out if the news
is real or not and mitigation on applications based on social
networking. The journey has progressed from traditional
content-based methods to more sophisticated analyses,
showcasing the resilience and adaptability of researchers in
the face of ever-evolving challenges.
This article talks about utilizing point process-based
intervention [5], which includes choosing a feature
representation of states, defining mitigation actions and
constructing reward functions to find out how effective the
mitigation activities are. It involves mapping the problem of
news that is not real and preventing it from spreading into
the reinforcement learning framework.
While advancements in fake news detection have been
significant, challenges persist. Misinformation tactics
evolve, and data quality issues persist. To address this, our
paper proposes a novel two-point process-based
intervention, leveraging reinforcement learning. This
approach aims to enhance adaptability and overcome
limitations, offering a promising solution to the dynamic
challenges posed by misinformation on social networking
applications.
IV. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY
The proposed methodology for point-based intervention in
combating fake news involves a strategic approach to
mitigate the spread of misinformation in social media
networks. The primary focus is on optimizing the
dissemination of real news to counteract the influence of
fake news. The two-point based intervention method has
been elucidated in a step-by-step fashion as follows:
1)Identification of Campaigner Nodes:
Identify key nodes within the applications based on
networking social and virtually. These nodes will play a
crucial role in disseminating real news and countering the
impact of fake news.
2)Formulation of Objectives:
Define clear objectives for the intervention strategy.
Objectives may include minimizing the quantity of
end-users exposed to fake news without exposure to real
news, maximizing the reach of real news, or achieving a
balance in spreading information.
3)Temporal Randomness Modeling:
Model the temporal randomness of fake news and
mitigation events as multivariate point processes with self
and mutual excitations. Understand the temporal dynamics
of how fake news spreads and how interventions can impact
the dissemination process.
4)Quantification of Influence:
Quantify the influence of fake news and mitigation activities
using event exposure counts. Measure the total quantity of
users exposed to news that is not real thus determining the
impact on them.
5)State Space Definition:
Define a state space for the online media network,
considering factors such as user interactions, content
dissemination patterns, and the temporal evolution of news
that is not real. Creating a comprehensive state space is
crucial for accurate modeling and intervention.
6)Mapping to decision process by markov :
Map the avoidance of spreading of news that is not real
problem to an optimal policy problem in a decision process
by Markov. This involves defining actions as exogenous
intensity, creating reward functions, and formulating the
problem to be solved through MDP techniques.
7)Optimal Policy Design:
Design an optimal policy for campaigner nodes to mitigate
news that is not real. The policy should aim to optimize the
activity of campaigner nodes in a way that aligns with the
defined objectives, such as maximizing the reach of actual
news to users who have been wrongly notified with news
that is not real.
8)Solution via Model-Based Learning:
Solve the optimal policy problem using model-based
least-squares temporal difference learning (LSTD). Thus,
this helps us out in understanding the policy that is directly
proportionate to the defined state space and objectives.
9)Real-Time Intervention Experimentation:
Conduct real-time point process intervention experiments to
validate if the discussed procedure of point process
intervention is correct or not. Implement the optimized
policy in live social media networks and observe the
spreading of news that is not real and the actual news that is
original.

10)Iterative Refinement and Evaluation:

Iterate on the methodology based on real-time
experimentation results. Refine the intervention strategy,
adjust parameters, and incorporate lessons learned to
continually improve the effectiveness of point-based
interventions.

Thus, this procedure aims to strategically intervene in the

dissemination process of news that is not real by optimising
the propagation of real news. Through careful modelling,
policy formulation, and real-time experimentation, this
approach efficiently prevents the spreading of news that is
fake on applications based on social networking.

V. TWO POINT PROCESS BASED

INTERVENTION ALGORITHM :-

w – weight which denotes the weightage of the difference

between the actual news data point and the fake news data
point.
a - fake news data point matrix
b - actual news data point matrix
ea – error in fake news point matrix.
eb – error in actual news point matrix.
w – difference between eb and ea.

1.Start the process.

2.Initialize the weight vector and point matrices a equal to
zero and b equal to zero.
w = 0.5
a=0
b=1
3.For each sample S:
Compute w = eb - ea Figure 2: Flow chart for the two Point Process Based
Update w = w + w Intervention
a=a+w
b=b+w
4.Generally eb will be less than ea, so thus weight difference
is generally a negative quantity, and it may cause the
convergence of the two point matrices being used.
5.If the condition becomes true, then the misinformation has VI. EXPECTED OUTCOMES
been successfully mitigated for all the samples else the
control would go back to step 3. Some of the expected outcomes of using this algorithm are:

The flowchart below (Fig.2) briefly illustrates the above News Source Verification:
algorithm as follows:- Outcome: Increased transparency in news sources.
Impact: Greater public trust in verified and reliable sources,
discouraging the creation and spread of fake news.

Automated Fact-Checking Systems:

Outcome: Timely identification and correction of
misinformation.
Impact: Reduction in the spread of false information and
increased trust in online content.

Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration:

Outcome: Continuous improvement in understanding and across diverse science, social
countering fake news. domains. sciences,
Impact: Development of innovative and effective strategies political science,
through collaboration between technology experts, social and journalism.
scientists, and policymakers. Following ethics May not focus Strictly focusses
much on on following
following ethics. ethics during the
phase of
deployment after
development.

VII. RESULT AND ANALYSIS WITH GRAPHS Metric Traditional Point

Methods Process-Based
Using a two-point based intervention method, on two data Intervention
point matrices based on actual news and fake news, as Accuracy Moderate to expected to be
mentioned in the above algorithm, has ultimately led to a High (e.g., High (e.g., 80%
convergence between the fake news and actual news thus 60-80%) and above)
preventing the spread of the misinformation. The tables Test Case Results Varies based on Expected to be
below show the comparative study between the existing method (e.g., effective (e.g.,
system and the proposed proposed system as follows:- 5/10) 8/10)
Effectiveness Moderate to Expected to be
Aspect Existing System Proposed High (e.g., 6/10) Very High (e.g.,
Methodology 9/10)
Approach Typically Integrates Innovation Moderate (e.g., Highly
conventional and state-of-the-art 5/10) Innovative (e.g.,
outdated technologies and 9/10)
methods. interdisciplinary
Comprehensive Limited (e.g., Encourages
insights.
Understanding 3/10) Collaboration
Techniques Uses traditional Utilizes (e.g., 8/10)
textual analysis; advanced
Real-time Limited Focus Strong Ethical
may lack techniques such
Adaptability (e.g., 4/10) Considerations
sophistication. as point process
(e.g., 9/10)
modeling.
Scope May not Aims to
effectively comprehensively
address dynamic address
VIII. CASE STUDY
misinformation. multifaceted
challenges,
Original Headline: "Local Heroine Honored for Community
adapting to
Service"
real-time
Typo-Induced Fake News: "Local Heroin Honored for
changes.
Community Service"
Innovation Relies on Introduces
established innovative and Two-Point Process Algorithm for Fake News Detection:
methods without cutting-edge
innovation. technologies. -Point 1: Linguistic Analysis
Comprehensive Primarily focuses Considers social Original Headline:
Understanding on content context, network - Positive indicators: "Local Heroine," "Honored,"
analysis. dynamics, and "Community Service."
user behaviors Fake News Headline:
for a - Negative indicators: "Local Heroin" (typo).
comprehensive
understanding. - Point 2: Contextual Analysis
Real-time Limited Designed for Original Headline Context:
Adaptability adaptability to real-time - Positive contextual indicators: Consistency with honoring
real-time adaptation to individuals for community service.
changes. evolving Fake News Headline Context:
misinformation - Negative contextual indicators: Typo contradicts the
dynamics. positive context of community service.
Interdisciplinary Often lacks Encourages
Collaboration collaboration collaboration Outcome:
across computer 1.Analysis Result:
 - The algorithm flags the fake news headline for review
due to a significant linguistic deviation and contextual
contradiction.
2.Intervention:
- System generates an alert for potential correction or
removal of the misleading content.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925231214003890)
[7] Khan, A., Brohman, K., & Addas, S. (2022). The anatomy of ‘fake
news’: Studying false messages as digital objects. Journal of Information
Technology, 37(2), 122-143.https://doi.org/10.1177/02683962211037693
[8]Burger P, Kanhai S, Pleijter A, Verberne S (2019) The reach of
commercially motivated junk news on Facebook. PLoS ONE 14(8):
e0220446.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220446
[9] P, Deepak & Chakraborty, Tanmoy & Long, Cheng & G, Santhosh.
(2021). Ethical Considerations in Data-Driven Fake News Detection.
10.1007/978-3-030-62696-9_10.

IX. CONCLUSIONS

This paper's main goal is to illuminate the pervasive

challenges posed by news that is not real on applications
based on social networking and advocates for a paradigm
shift in addressing this issue. Existing systems, reliant on
conventional methods, often prove inadequate to prevent the
spreading of news that is not real. The proposed
methodology emerges as a beacon of innovation, integrating
cutting-edge technology of two-point process based
intervention Unlike traditional approaches, it not only
analyzes content but incorporates crucial contextual factors
such as social dynamics and user behaviors. Its distinctive
feature lies in real-time adaptability, offering swift
intervention and iterative refinement to counter the
ever-changing landscape of misinformation. Encouraging
interdisciplinary collaboration, the research emphasizes the
pivotal role of experts from computer science, social
sciences, political science, and journalism in collectively
advancing strategies against fake news. Moreover, ethical
considerations are integral to the methodology, ensuring
responsible and transparent deployment. By preventing the
irrelevant of news that is non-original on democracy, public
trust, and individual beliefs, this thesis solves the ongoing
major problem caused by spreading news that is not real on
social networking applications and helps in spreading
awareness about the right information headlines to the
society in present and even in future.

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