An essential read from the former
research manager of Stanford’s Internet Observatory, on how spreaders of misinformation (people who have been deceived) and disinformation (people who know they’re lying) view even *labelling* a post as misinformation as censorship.
More … 🧵
Trolling + misinformation requires an audience: so when rather than responding, I simply block, they also perceive that as censorship.
This latest accusation, for example, claims that, as a university professor, I am a public official and hence shouldn’t be allowed to block anyone on social media.
As @jonathanstea.bsky.social points out here, a strong predictor of trolling is the tendency to derive pleasure or enjoyment from being cruel or demeaning to others. By blocking, it deprives them of that pleasure.
From the comments I receive (see below for just a small sample from last week), you can see how this could plausibly be the case - many of whom are then shocked and indignant to be blocked.
This is not just one person’s or one research center’s problem.
The World Economic Forum lists Misinfo as their #1 risk to global stability over the next 2 years … and climate-fueled weather extremes (a common misinfo target) as #2.
This puts us ALL at risk. /🧵
www.weforum.org/publications...
