Majority of social media users not bothered about absolute facts: Report

NEW DELHI: The majority of social media users are not bothered about absolute facts and only confirm or verify online information where the ‘alleged individual events were less important than the overall narrative’, according to a report by the Future of India Foundation titled ‘Politics of Disinformation’. “The key takeaway from the focus group discussions is that not only have social media platforms disrupted the information ecosystem in India but that they have allowed themselves to be weaponised by vested interests in ways which are leading to real-world harm without investing in meaningful safeguards,” said Ruchi Gupta, co-founder and director of Future of India Foundation. “Traditional news media lost their gatekeeping powers on news and information and were further weakened with the shift towards digital advertising, with an increasing share of advertising revenue going to major social media platforms.” Discussing the spread of disinformation, the study said ‘virtually all misinformation could be linked to narratives propagated by organised political and business entities instead of existing in isolation’. Misinformation has always existed but its “turbocharged distribution” through social media has increased the invasiveness of propaganda as social media platforms rely on ‘amplification-based primarily on engagement signals.’ The report further recommended bringing a comprehensive transparency law for social media platforms, constituting a regulator under Parliamentary supervision, platforms to define their amplification approach.