Information technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, and the dangers of disinformation, misinformation and fake news loom large, speakers observed at a workshop.

The youth must be aware of these dangers and prepare themselves accordingly, they said.

The young generation needs to understand what information they share with the masses and any sort of malinformation or fake news can bring them under the regulations of the Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018, they observed.

The Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy (Public Diplomacy section), hosted its first quarterly workshop titled, 'Building Awareness Against Disinformation Among Youth' at Rajshahi American Corner, Varendra University.

The workshop was attended by various university and college students of Rajshahi, said a media release issued by BIPSS on Wednesday.

Lamia Rahman Tammi, Event and Social Media Coordinator, BIPSS, spoke on the topic of 'A World of Disinformation: Understanding and Analysing the Threat of Disinformation'.

She highlighted the understanding of disinformation with multiple examples and how such disinformation leads to devastating outcomes.

 Asheer Shah Md, Research Associate, BIPSS, discussed the topic 'Countering Disinformation and Building Up Societal Resilience'.

Read more: Social media disinformation wreaking havoc in real world: What can journalism do?

He emphasised the importance and vitality of understanding disinformation and how to counter such misinformation in society.

Shah also portrayed the legal aspects associated with the spread of disinformation.

The university and college students participated and shared their experiences during the workshop.

The sessions were very interactive with insights from all the students.

The students also participated in an interview session with Lamia, in which the student overview all the learnings of the workshop.