PSA: Its usually Capitalism's fault

A table demonstrating the fiscal growth of some of the largest tech companies

The internet is an untraditional instrument. Most instruments are rigid and straightforward in their applicability, existing only in the physical space. The internet acts more as a vast new universe, streams of data and algorithms shaping itself into whatever the user needs. Its changes, breathes, and permeates the lives of billions of people, altering our society and the way we think.

Elise Wang’s TedTalk, “Why some conspiracy theories just won’t die”, speaks about one manner the internet has affected our society: how violent contemporary conspiracy theories have found ground within the internet. The video is quick to dismiss the idea that all conspiracy theorists are poorly educated and unintelligent – after all, the tenants of the Flat Earth Society encourages intelligent, well researched, and open-minded thinking.

Screenshot from the TedTalk, depicting Flat Earth Society Mandate

Rather, Elise makes it clear that the internet can be utilized for any purpose, and these radicalized groups know how to use algorithms, data, platforms, and search terms to bring curious, questioning people right to their websites.

How do radical groups get a foothold on the internet?

The TedTalk says that most platforms like recommending radical content, and this is not “… a bug, it's a feature. It's designed to keep you on the site. The more exciting a video is the more likely you are to keep clicking.” Online platforms as a whole actually have the one business model, called surveillance advertising, which is “… based on persistent and invasive data collection.” With this data collected from users, these algorithms can actually predict and manipulate behaviour, targeting vulnerable groups most susceptible to these conspiracy theories to get them to click on the content.

These ‘disinformation operations’ were not accidental outliers. The system is doing what it was designed for.

How can we fix this?

There is a solution – the platforms need to remove conspiracy groups from the internet. Elise gives an excellent example of how powerful this ‘deplatforming’ can be. Alex Jones, a far-right and alt-right radio show host, would receive nearly 1.4 million hits a day at the height of his popularity. Now, he his banned from YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and he has disappeared from the mainstream social sphere.

Unfortunately, these platforms have no interest in following through with this solution. Simply put, this is not profitable. Radical content not only gets clicks, but these platforms thrive off the image of ‘free speech’. Big tech companies avoid regulations from a governments nervous to encroach on a person’s right to free speech – regulations that would lower their fiscal gains.

There is nothing to be gained for these companies in deplatforming harmful content. The only solution would be ensuring that these platforms regulate their content, using either governmental or societal pressure.

Change is possible, but we must work for it.

There is an unfortunate unwillingness to engage with the internet in such meaningful, intellectual ways. Millions of people continue to believe the internet is simply ‘bad’ and refuse to learn about it, despite their constant use of the network. Perhaps more damning is the terrible trend within governments to simply allow elected official to not understand such a key, pervasive part of our social life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-lMIGV-dUI

This video of a congress hearing with Google’s CEO shows exactly just how far behind policy makers are in understanding modern technology

The internet is vast, formless, difficult to control, and immensely complicated. It seems an impossible task to regulate it. However, the issues currently present in the internet are not something that can simply be ignored – to do so would be akin to burying your head in the sand. We must acknowledge its existence as a place of community, and enforce stricter regulations as we do upon our own society. Only then, can we turn it away from hateful content and self-serving platforms, to a healthy digital universe.

The internet’s role in our life is not an ideological debate, but an indisputable fact. Let’s make it better.

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PSA: Learn what you can about the internet!