How to spot a fake photo on social media

Images can easily be altered, modified and used out of their contexts. In order to avoid being fooled by various techniques of disinformation, we need to keep our eyes and minds wide open.

1. Are you sure it's true?

In times of shocking breaking news, tragedies, natural disasters, political debates and social unrest, our stress level maxes out and we tend to believe whatever we see on our screens. Sharks swimming flooded streets, a giant wave engulfs the Statue of Liberty, or Turkish police using tear gas on a dog are several examples of doctored images. However, the wisest thing to do in these stressful times is to sit back and check the images again in order to be sure that they are real.

The photograph that we see may be unedited and accurate, but are we sure that it is shown in its real context? It may have been taken at a different time, in different a place that is far away from the events in question. Since your sense of what's real and what's not might be compromised by stress, take an extra second to make sure.

2. Who is sharing the photo?

Do you know the identity of the person who is sharing the image? Do you trust this person? If you don't know his or her identity, then the best way to find out if the person is trustworthy or not is to check past messages. If it's a new account, be careful! If the poster's profile doesn't make a good impression on you, it's best to be wary.

3. Has the photo been altered?

A photograph may seem genuine at first glance, but look again. Do you see any discrepancies in the shadows or reflections? The best way to check if the image is altered is to check the light.

There is an easy way to do this on Photoshop. Click Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation and move Hue/Saturation levels to maximum. If you see any incompatible color changes or digital spikes on the surface, the image might have been altered.

4. Check the background of the image

Take a good look at the surrounding objects: cars, buildings, accessories, letters, clothes, billboards, shops, avenues, etc. Check anything that may give you a clue about the accuracy of the image. Confirm the weather conditions and the position of the sun at the time of the event.

5. Are you sure you haven't seen the image before?

Do a reverse image search on Google Images and TinEye and check if the photo has been used before in another event.

6. Raise your media literacy

Every person or institution who shares a message makes an effort to impose his or her own thoughts onto others. No one is impartial. We all have ideas and ideologies, and the truth may be tweaked, even unintentionally.

In order to get a better understanding of the world, we need to find creative ways to better understand how social media works. We need to educate ourselves about how everything we see may not be as it seems. Technology is a great tool both for discovering and moderating the truth. Before retweeting, liking or sharing that scandalous, shocking, astonishing or mind-blowing image, step back for a moment and think again: “Am I sharing accurate information, or am I becoming a part of an online joke or -- even worse -- a disinformation campaign?”