Instagram (Meta)

Instagram, or Meta, works to fight the spread of misinformation using third-party fact-checkers that are certified through the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

“We don’t think a private company like Meta should be deciding what’s true or false, which is exactly why we have a global network of fact-checking partners who independently review and rate potential misinformation across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.”

Instagram utilizes a combination of feedback from users as well as technology to determine what needs to be sent to fact-checkers.

As a user, once a post has been flagged, Instagram gives users the option to decide for themselves what to read, trust, and share. A post flagged for containing misinformation will still be accessible, but the image will be blurred out and have a text overlay stating that false information has been identified. Users then have the option to see why it has been flagged, as well as the option to view the post anyway.

On the back end, Instagram reduces the post’s distribution by removing it from Explore and hashtag pages. It also communicates with Facebook and will automatically label identical content across platforms.

They also offer quite a few built-in tools that can be turned on or off in each account depending on a user’s preference. In my personal experience, these tools are enabled by Instagram without the user’s knowledge. While I find it important for a company to take action regarding the spread of misinformation on their site, as a user, I find it annoying to be restricted access to content without my knowing it is being done.

In an effort to prevent repeat offenders from spreading misinformation, user accounts that repeatedly post misinformation will be restricted in various ways. Users may get a warning when trying to tag or share information from flagged accounts. The accounts will also be made more difficult to find. In extreme circumstances, when an account goes against community guidelines, it will be disabled entirely.

Overall, I think Instagram does a fairly good job of implementing tools that can help limit the spread of misinformation. The only thing I would change would be in regard to the filters they automatically enable in the app. As a user, I want to be made aware of any filters that automatically restrict my access to content. If Instagram were more transparent with the filters they enable, it would help increase the public’s trust in the platform.

X, formerly Twitter

The social media platform X, formerly Twitter is an interesting social media platform to research because it has gone completely against the grain. Since Elon Musk‘s takeover of X, the company has gotten rid of content moderation teams, which is unheard of in any online space. While the goal was to provide users with the ability to access and share all information without restriction, bad actors are showing that this may not have been a good move for X.

According to European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova, “X had the “largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts” among the platforms that submitted reports to the EU.” (Sept. 2023)

X has shifted to a new model where you can pay for verification of your account. While this may seem like a good idea because a user has verified they are a real person, this does not mean they are sharing reliable information, as proven by NewsGuard.

“Utilizing a combination of human and artificial intelligence, NewsGuard reviewed the top 250 posts on X containing misinformation that received the most likes, reposts, replies and bookmarks since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7. The analysis found that 186 accounts of the 250, 74 percent, had been verified.”

They have also launched engagement-based revenue sharing. The changes that have been made to the company since Musk’s takeover have led to a flood of misinformation on the site. 

I do not personally use X. My Twitter account was hacked years ago, and I was never able to regain access. With all of the drama surrounding the platform, I was never tempted to sign up again. After reviewing the large amount of misinformation being spread on the platform, it does not appeal to me in the least. If I were going to change anything about Twitter, it would be to regain trust of it’s users. I would put efforts into banning bot accounts and removing the paywall for verified users.

There is a stark difference between each of these companies approaches to preventing the spread of misinformation. While it is not required, I think there is a lot of value in companies taking responsibility for providing reliable and true content to users. Sometimes the filters and warnings can get annoying, but I would much rather be notified that something may be wrong and do my own research than be bombarded with misinformation that is being spread with malice.

Misinformation and disinformation have become so commonplace in our everyday lives that we may not even recognize how prevalent they are or how to properly identify them. A good place to start is learning the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Misinformation is false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead.

Disinformation is misinformation that is knowingly or intentionally spread.

Rumor Guard

Rumor Guard is a website that was created to help recognize and stop misinformation. The website fact-checks viral rumors and provides tips to help users build their literacy skills and evaluate stories they see online.

They evaluate each topic using five different factors:

• Authenticity: Is it authentic?
• Source: Has it been posted or confirmed by a credible source?
• Evidence: Is there evidence that proves the claim?
• Context: Is the context accurate?
• Reasoning: Is it based on solid reasoning?

This site is useful in that it acknowledges current events and stories that are going viral, and it provides an easy-to-understand formula that people can use on their own to identify if a story is true or if it is full of misinformation. I think this approach is effective because it offers guidance on stories that are currently in the media that people may be subjected to and helps them identify ways in which they are true or not. This is a tool that I find beneficial in educating media literacy in terms of misinformation.

Fake It To Make It

Fake it to make it is a game you can play with the goal of making profit off of sharing fake news to specific target audiences. There are various goals you have to achieve, such as triggering a certain feeling or getting a certain amount of shares from a certain political party.

This game, while incredibly time-consuming, was fairly entertaining. It provides insight into tactics people may use to trigger emotion, gain views and shares, and increase their profits through sharing misinformation. I did not find it particularly useful in terms of teaching about misinformation or how to identify misinformation. Because of this, I do not think this is a useful tool for teaching or eradicating misinformation, but it is more likely to showcase how easy it is for misinformation to spread if you target the right audience.

Overall, it is up to us as media consumers to prioritize our media literacy. There are many educational tools available, but not all of them provide guidance that we can apply to our daily media consumption to identify truth. Learning to identify and working to eradicate misinformation will take a conscious effort.