Fake news 'killing minds', says Apple CEO

Fake news is "killing people's minds", and businesses and governments need to combat the phenomenon, Apple boss Tim Cook has said.

The CEO of one of the world's largest companies said that governments should participate in information wars against false reports, while businesses should create tools to root out propaganda.

Fake stories have thrived on social media in recent political campaigns, in particular the US presidential election.

In the UK, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee is looking into the phenomenon amid fears it could have a "significant impact" on democracy.

Mr Cook told the Daily Telegraph a "massive campaign" was needed to tackle it.

"We are going through this period of time right here where unfortunately some of the people that are winning are the people that spend their time trying to get the most clicks, not tell the most truth," he said.

"It's killing people's minds in a way.

"All of us technology companies need to create some tools that help diminish the volume of fake news."

Fake news, in which falsehoods are presented as being factual, are often placed on websites which look like official media outlets.

Notorious fake news headlines have included "Pope Francis shocks world, endorses Donald Trump for president" and "Isis leader calls for American Muslim voters to support Hillary Clinton".