Question: The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Manipulating information was a feature of history long before modern journalism established rules of integrity. A record dates back to ancient Rome, when Antony met Cleopatra and his political enemy Octavian launched a smear campaign against him with “short, sharp slogans written upon coins.” The perpetrator became the first Roman Emperor and “fake news had allowed Octavian to hack the republican system once and for all”. But the 21st century has seen the weaponization of information on an unprecedented scale. Powerful new technology makes the fabrication of content simple, and social networks amplify falsehoods peddled by States, populist politicians, and dishonest corporate entities. The platforms have become fertile ground for computational propaganda, ‘trolling’ and ‘troll armies’.
Option (a): The passage does not mention anything about technology mediating disinformation. Hence, this is not the best summary.
Option (b): People's point of view or what action they need to take is not mentioned in the passage.
Option (c): Though this is true but this is used only as an example to prove the point that misinformation is peddled to attain power. This point misses an important point about how technology today leads to wider scale of misinformation. Hence, this is not the best summary.
Option (d): Captures the main points of the passage and is the best summary.
Hence, option (d).