Do you agree that fake news is a serious problem?

I think fake news is a dreadfully serious problem, because it can have a great impact on people's lives in various ways, such as influencing their decisions or opinions, or even putting them in hazardous situations. First of all spreading disinformation in order to put someone in a good or bad light, can heavily influence people's opinion on a topic, or a person. This was taken advantage of during the 2016 election in the USA, and might have changed the result of it. Untrue stories can also be a direct threat to life and health. For instance now, during the coronavirus pandemic there have been articles understating the scale of the danger connected to the virus, and telling people that "it's just a flu". This information might have made readers think that they can leave their home recklessly, and possibly put them in danger. The facts listed above make fake news an extremely serious problem that should be dealt with as quick as possible.