Social media bad is one of the most popular ways to communicate and promote freedom of speech. However, these days it is often used for purposes. It is often used to spread disinformation during elections, for sexual blackmail, to carry out attacks, etc.
The Oxford Internet Institute conducted a study and found that since 2017, organized malicious use of social media has more than doubled. Over 70 countries are using social media to spread propaganda in an attempt to influence public opinion. In many cases, they are even trying to influence people all over the world.
The study is called “The Global Disinformation Order.” The researchers sought to gather information from news organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies around the world. The goal was to chart global trends in social media manipulation. For example, the researchers found that in Vietnam, some users were encouraged to post pro-government messages on their personal Facebook. The Guatemalan government hacked some profiles in an attempt to stop posts of opposing views.
However, according to the findings, the country that leads the world in disinformation is China. The Chinese have used their own apps, such as WeChat and Weibo, to spread false information and news. Recently, however, the Chinese government has been using global platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to influence public opinion.
Besides China, there are other countries that are promoting disinformation to people around the world. Some of these countries are India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
According to the researchers, the social media platform most used to spread disinformation is Facebook. They found many such campaigns originating from 56 countries.
Social platforms are called upon to face a significant challenge. They must mitigate such actions. This is very difficult, especially when the source of disinformation is a government.
The companies behind social media platforms have hired experts to combat the spread of online disinformation. However, governments are increasingly using sophisticated techniques, such as bots, fake accounts, etc., to make it harder to control.
Unfortunately, with the evolution of technology, new ways of spreading false news will emerge. Researchers believe that Facebook will continue to be used for this purpose and that it does not do enough to mitigate the phenomenon.
