#but that person is some 17 yo kid so i don't want to pin their dumb post

[theorangedead]

There’s a widespread belief on tumblr that misinformation isn’t a big deal, it’s all funny jokes and people are just totally overreacting. This is untrue. Misinformation has been a large part of the alt-right and the strategies of neo-nazis and white supremacists in radicalizing others. It has directly lead to deaths. It is a problem and it’s one we need to start taking seriously. The truth is conspiracies have been used to target marginalized people for a long time, anti-semitism has been used like that for centuries, and we have a responsibility to look to to the truth to avoid misinformation being weaponized against vulnerable people. 

It’s all fun and games except for the fact that there are organized misinformation campaigns that help corrupt right-wing politicians stay in power and pushes countries toward authoritarianism. And medical misinformation that literally killed people and contributed to the spread of a widespread pandemic that’s lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. And misinformation on environment and climate that might literally lead to the deaths of billions of people so polluters can delay climate action and make more money.

And, you know, the creep toward authoritarianism that’s caused by the fact that a functional democracy relies on access to accurate information.

Anyway, refusal to call out and identify and do anything on misinformation was a huge part of Trump’s rise to power and good on Twitter for finally taking a stand and labeling election misinformation. Is it great that social media platforms have to make the call on misinformation? No. If they don’t do it will organizations working without any transparency such as Cambridge Analytica be able to take control of the information people have access to and spread any narrative they want? Yes.

I hate that tumblr refuses to take misinformation seriously when it has been a huge part of the strategy of the alt-right and lead to huge amounts of radicalizing people into white nationalism and literally has a death toll.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/10/guide-to-overcoming-coronavirus-misinformation-infodemic/

https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/cambridge-analytica-files

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/data-war-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump

https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/09/25/grannies-are-spreading-qanon-conspiracy-theory-memes-on-facebook/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/01/conspiracy-theories-fbi-qanon-extremism

Misinformation spread around the election has been a huge tool for Trump trying to deny the election and push American into a further right, authoritarian path. Misinformation has been used for years to funnel people into white nationalist and alt-right extremism, which has lead to further danger and violence for marginalized people. Misinformation is literally killing people when it comes to science denial around the climate crisis and the current literal pandemic.

It’s not just dumbasses on the internet. There are organized and targeted campaigns of bots, who use the plausible deniability of dumbasses on the internet. There are stupid memes, but they’re stupid memes that can spread farther and faster than the truth. And people are dying for it, especially marginalized and vulnerable people.

So I give more of a shit about that then your “god-given right to post bullshit.” Platforms don’t have to host your bullshit if they don’t choose to and there’s nothing god-given about that. It’s your to use your voice to spout bullshit just as much as its someone’s right not to wear a mask: you can chose to engage in activities that pose a risk to others, but you can’t demand that others provide you services as you do so.

I have been taken in by misinformation before. You have, too, probably. It’s endemic and impossible to avoid in this day and age. That doesn’t make it harmless. We’re all wrong and misinformed sometimes; that’s okay. But there are people are are organizing and taking advantage of that to manipulate people, and it’s important to be aware of this. We need to start being more aware and being more seriously about information ourselves as best we can. We can’t do it perfectly, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take it seriously.