SEEING is believing for humans.
This describes how humans have spread information since their evolution on Earth. The accuracy and authenticity of human observation were further verified through investigation. Technology plays a crucial role in information dissemination. In this era of technological advancement, the greatest danger is the misuse of technology to spread false information. AI’s evolution has brought deepfakes into the realm of information warfare, alongside bot- and algorithm-driven information campaigns. Democratic governments passively observe the escalating information and misinformation warfare between global tech giants (Meta, Google, Twitter) and disinformation agents ranging from neo-Nazis to authoritarian regimes.
Misinformation is spreading rapidly, with bots amplifying its dissemination. Social media bots lack sophistication. Their approach doesn’t involve large databases or machine learning. Simple scripts formed the basis of their design. These bots and human accounts collaborate to spread misinformation. Governments utilize bots to manipulate the public’s views. Politicians use bots to sway public opinion and win elections. A 2019 Oxford Internet Institute study by Samantha Bradshaw and Philip Howard revealed that governments and political parties in 50 countries, including the US, employed bots to manipulate online public opinion. Manipulative social media campaigns were used by Democrats and Republicans to show grassroots support.
This involves creating a false sense of public support through fake followers and artificially boosted content. Bradshaw and Howard identified 26 authoritarian governments leveraging bots for information dominance and opinion manipulation. Besides bots, user engagement influences algorithm responses. Novelty appeals to humans, who react more strongly to negative news than positive news. Human brains are predisposed to believing disinformation. A 2018 MIT study showed fake news spread six times quicker and further on Twitter. Political posts went especially viral. Our brains are drawn to fear, anger, or outrage-inducing news, much like they crave sugar regardless of its negative effects. The human tendency toward drama and sensationalism contributes to the spread of misinformation.
Filtering, processing, demoting and recommending content are all done by algorithms. Content is created by bots. Control of two essential tools allows state and non-state actors to spread their message widely via social media. Social media now plays a major role in information warfare. Over 3 billion people actively use Facebook. Likewise, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok boast enormous user bases. Social media has revolutionized how we share information, empowering anyone to voice opinions, create videos, achieve virality, or launch social movements. While social media is becoming more democratic, it may not ultimately be good for democracy. Deepfakes and bots, as tools of misinformation, endanger the peaceful existence of nations and communities. A critical concern about the growth of social media is its control by a small number of states or corporations, turning these platforms into their instruments.
Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram are all owned by Meta. YouTube and Gmail are owned by Google. WeChat, QQ and Qzone are all owned by Tencent. TikTok and Douyin are owned by ByteDance. The sheer volume of content managed by social media platforms is astonishing. Every day, Twitter handles a massive 500 million tweets—that’s 6000 tweets each second. Daily, Facebook videos are viewed four billion times. Daily, YouTube users watch more than one billion video hours, while over 500 hours of new videos are uploaded each minute. What’s concerning is the control states and corporations exert over these social media platforms. This enables these entities to disseminate their narrative, shaping global information to serve their own agendas. This new war between states and companies for control of information warfare has fueled increased community violence, hate speech and misinformation. The worldwide struggle to control what people see on social media is gaining traction on various fronts. Governments and non-state groups use bots and other tactics to deceptively spread or hide information on social media. Authoritarian states strive to control the spread of information within their own borders and those of their adversaries. Even social media companies have used algorithms to promote inflammatory or divisive political content.
Social media firms addressed misinformation and bot misuse, but only to alleviate immediate public backlash. Regulations are necessary to standardize guidelines and create a space where free speech is protected, but manipulative misinformation campaigns are prevented. Uncontrolled cultural clashes, religious conflicts, racism and manipulated public opinion will result from biased social media if the world doesn’t develop preventative measures. States’ involvement in controlling social media apps is alarming, suggesting a potential global power struggle. Future wars, it’s also true, will be intrastate conflicts, facilitated by state and anti-state actors manipulating social media. Citizen education on verifying social media information before sharing is urgently needed.
Furthermore, it’s essential to pressure social media companies into collaborating with governments to mitigate the negative effects of social media. Social media has replaced other forms of information propagation. As Hollywood once spread American values globally, social media platforms are now being used by states to disseminate cultural values, safeguard national interests and wage propaganda wars. Whoever wins the social media war will rule the world by manipulating propaganda. Artificial intelligence, introduced this century, provides powerful tools that reshape billions’ reality perception via synthetic and social media. Tech firms, civil society, media outlets and democratic governments must work together to create a new ecosystem that defends free speech and upholds truth. The challenge lies in creating a social media consensus that benefits everyone. A healthier, more peaceful social media environment globally needs political will to achieve the necessary consensus.
—The writer is Commoner from 44th Common Educationist — Founder of WHI Institute.based in Sargodha.
