Researching the spread of fake news and its impact was the focus of a new report from MIT researchers on how rumours can spread faster and farther than the truth. Perhaps one of the more surprising findings is the suggestion that humans are a bigger issue in the spread of fake news than the bots that often get blamed.

Filippo Menczer and other data scientists at Indiana University’s Observatory on Social Media (OSoMe) are building tools that allow researchers to track the spread of information -- and misinformation -- across online social networks. One common factor that helps fake news go viral is automated "bots" that overwhelm posts by real people. So think before you click.

Josep Borrell Fontelles is a Spanish politician, current High Representative of the European Union.