{"id":846070,"date":"2025-11-10T09:30:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T09:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/?p=846070"},"modified":"2025-11-09T18:51:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T18:51:44","slug":"do-you-follow-how-technology-can-exacerbate-information-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/2025\/11\/10\/do-you-follow-how-technology-can-exacerbate-information-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you follow?: How technology can exacerbate \u2018information disorder\u2019\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Two

Image by Liz Carrigan and Safa, with visual elements from Alessandro Cripsta, used with permission.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/div>\n

This article was written by Safa for the series \u201c<\/span><\/i>Digitized Divides<\/span><\/i><\/a>,<\/span><\/i>\u201d originally published<\/span><\/i><\/a> on <\/span><\/i>tacticaltech.org<\/span><\/i><\/a>. An edited version is republished by Global Voices under a partnership agreement.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Social media has been a key tool of information and connection for people who are part of traditionally marginalized communities. Young people access important communities they may not be able to access in real life, such as <\/span>LGBTQ+ friendly spaces<\/span><\/a>. In the words of <\/span>one teen<\/span><\/a>, \u201cThroughout my entire life, I have been bullied relentlessly. However, when I\u2019m online, I find that it is easier to make friends\u2026 […] Without it, I wouldn\u2019t be here today.\u201d But <\/span>experts are saying<\/span><\/a> that social media has been \u201cboth the best thing […] and it\u2019s also the worst\u201d to happen to the trans community, with hate speech and verbal abuse resulting in tragic real-life consequences. \u201c<\/span>Research to date<\/span><\/a> suggests that social media experiences may be a double-edged sword for LGBTQ+ youth that can protect against or increase mental health and substance use risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> that Meta (including Facebook and Instagram) would end their third-party fact-checking program in favor of the model of \u201ccommunity notes\u201d on X (formerly Twitter). Meta\u2019s decision included <\/span>ending policies<\/span><\/a> that protect LGBTQ+ users. Misinformation is an ongoing issue across social media platforms, reinforced and boosted by the design of the apps, with the most clicks and likes getting the most rewards, whether they be rewards of attention or money. <\/span>Research found<\/span><\/a> that \u201cthe 15% most habitual Facebook users were responsible for 37% of the false headlines shared in the study, suggesting that a relatively small number of people can have an outsized impact on the information ecosystem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Meta\u2019s pledge to remove their third-party fact-checking program has raised alarm bells among journalists, human rights organizations, and researchers. The UN\u2019s High Commissioner for Human Rights, <\/span>Volker T\u00fcrk, said<\/span><\/a> in response: \u201cAllowing hate speech and harmful content online has real world consequences.\u201d Meta has been implicated in or accused of <\/span>supercharging the genocide of the Rohingya<\/span><\/a> in Myanmar, as well as fueling ethnic violence in <\/span>Kenya<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Ethiopia<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Nigeria<\/span><\/a>, at least in part due to the rampant misinformation on its platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have evidence from a variety of sources that hate speech, divisive political speech, and misinformation on Facebook \u2026 are affecting societies around the world,\u201d said <\/span>one leaked internal Facebook report<\/span><\/a> from 2019. \u201cWe also have compelling evidence that our core product mechanics, such as virality, recommendations, and optimizing for engagement, are a significant part of why these types of speech flourish on the platform.\u201d The International Fact-Checking Network <\/span>responded<\/span><\/a> to the end of the nine-year fact-checking program in an open letter shortly after Zuckerberg\u2019s 2025 announcement, stating that \u201cthe decision to end Meta\u2019s third-party fact-checking program is a step backward for those who want to see an internet that prioritizes accurate and trustworthy information.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Unverifiable posts, disordered feeds<\/h3>\n

The algorithms behind social media platforms control which information is prioritized, repeated, and recommended to people in their feeds and search results. But even with several reports, studies, and shifting user behaviors, the companies themselves have not done much to adapt their user interface designs to catch up to the more modern ways of interaction and facilitate meaningful user fact-checking.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Even when media outlets publish corrections to false information and any unsubstantiated claims they perpetuate, it isn\u2019t enough to reverse the damage. As <\/span>described by First Draft News<\/span><\/a>: \u201cIt is very, very difficult to dislodge [misinformation] from your brain.\u201d When false information is published online or in the news and begins circulating, even if it is removed within minutes or hours, the \u201cdamage is done,\u201d so to speak. Corrections and clarifying statements rarely get as much attention as the original piece of false information, and even if they are seen, they may not be internalized.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Algorithms are so prevalent that, at first glance, they may seem trivial, but they are actually deeply significant. Well-known cases like <\/span>the father who found out<\/span><\/a> his daughter was pregnant through what was essentially an algorithm, and another father whose <\/span>Facebook Year in Review<\/span>\u00a0\u201ccelebrated\u201d the death<\/span><\/a> of his daughter, illustrate how the creators, developers, and designers of algorithmically curated content should be considerate of worst-case scenarios. Edge cases, although rare, are significant and warrant inspection and mitigation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthering audiences down the rabbit hole, there have been a multitude of reports and studies that have found how recommendation algorithms across social media can radicalize audiences based on the content they prioritize and serve. \u201c<\/span>Moral outrage<\/span><\/a>, specifically, is probably the most powerful form of content online.\u201d<\/span> A 2021 <\/span>study found<\/span><\/a> that TikTok\u2019s algorithm led viewers from transphobic videos to violent far-right content, including racist, misogynistic, and ableist messaging. \u201cOur research suggests that transphobia can be a gateway prejudice, leading to further far-right radicalization.\u201d YouTube was also <\/span>once dubbed<\/span><\/a> the \u201cradicalization engine,\u201d and still seems to be struggling with its recommendation algorithms, such as the more recent report of YouTube Kids sending young viewers down <\/span>eating disorder rabbit holes<\/span><\/a>. Ahead of German elections in 2025, <\/span>researchers found<\/span><\/a> that social media feeds across platforms, but especially on TikTok, skewed right-wing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An erosion of credibility<\/h3>\n

People are increasingly looking for their information in different ways, beyond traditional news media outlets. A 2019 <\/span>report found<\/span><\/a> that teens were getting most of their news from social media. A 2022 <\/span>article explained<\/span><\/a> how many teens are using TikTok more than Google to find information. That same year, <\/span>a study explored<\/span><\/a> how adults under 30 trust information from social media almost as much as national news outlets. A 2023 <\/span>multi-country report<\/span><\/a> found that fewer than half (40 percent) of total respondents \u201ctrust news most of the time.\u201d <\/span>Researchers warned<\/span><\/a> the trajectory of information disorder<\/a> could result in governments steadily taking more control of information, adding \u201caccess to highly concentrated tech stacks will become an even more critical component of soft power for major powers to cement their influence.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Indonesia\u2019s 2024 elections saw the use of AI-generated digital avatars take center stage, especially in capturing the attention of young voters.\u00a0<\/span>Former candidate and now President Prabowo Subianto used a cute digital avatar created by generative AI across social media platforms, including TikTok, and was able to\u00a0completely rebrand his public image<\/a> and win the presidency, distracting from accusations of major human rights abuses against him.<\/span>\u00a0Generative AI, including chatbots like ChatGPT, is also <\/span>a key player<\/span><\/a> in information disorder because of how realistic and convincing the texts and images it produces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even seemingly harmless content on spam pages like \u201c<\/span>Shrimp Jesus<\/a>\u201d can result in real-world consequences, such as the erosion of trust, falling for scams, and having one\u2019s data breached by brokers who feed that information back into systems, fueling digital influence.<\/span>\u00a0Furthermore, the outputs of generative AI may be highly controlled. \u201cAutomated systems have enabled governments to conduct more precise and subtle forms of online censorship,\u201d according to a 2023 <\/span>Freedom House report<\/span><\/a>. \u201cPurveyors of disinformation are employing AI-generated images, audio, and text, making the truth easier to distort and harder to discern.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As has been echoed time and again throughout this series, technology is neither good nor bad \u2014 it depends on the <\/span>purpose <\/span>for which it is used. \u201c<\/span>Technology inherits<\/span><\/a> the politics of its authors, but almost all technology can be harnessed in ways that transcend these frameworks.\u201d These various use cases and comparisons can be useful when discussing specific tools and methods, but only at a superficial level \u2014 for instance, regarding digital avatars which were mentioned in this piece.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One key example<\/span><\/a> comes from Venezuela, where the media landscape is rife with AI-generated pro-government messages and people working in journalism face threats of imprisonment. In response, journalists have utilised <\/span>digital avatars<\/span><\/a> to help protect their identities and maintain privacy. This is, indeed, a story of resilience, but it sits within a larger and more nefarious context of power and punishment. While any individual tool can reveal both benefits and drawbacks in its use cases, zooming out and looking at the bigger picture reveals power systems and structures that put people at risk and the trade-offs of technology are simply not symmetrical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two truths can exist at the same time, and the fact that technology is used for harnessing strength and is used for harming and oppressing people is significant.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cTechnology inherits the politics of its authors, but almost all technology can be harnessed in ways that transcend these frameworks.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3170,"featured_media":846072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1551,1359,1363,16,701,114,1355,304,259,51,18,1354,1362,54,131,15,279,1476,157,221],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-846070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-censorship","category-citizen-media","category-digital-activism","category-east-asia","category-english","category-ethiopia","category-ethnicity-race","category-feature","category-human-rights","category-indonesia","category-kenya","category-latin-america","category-media-journalism","category-myanmar-burma","category-nigeria","category-sub-saharan-africa","category-technology","category-the-bridge","category-venezuela","category-weblog"],"acf":[],"geo":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846070"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":846073,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846070\/revisions\/846073"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/846072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalvoices.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}