How can we protect ourselves against fake news and manipulation?

2021-02-18 05:00

"We're interested in questions such as: how can we create online environments that respect human autonomy and promote truth? And what can people themselves do to avoid being misled and manipulated?", says Anastasia Kozyreva, lead author and researcher at the Center for Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

These "Dark patterns" steer users toward unintended behaviors; they include advertising that blends into the content or navigation of a page to generate more clicks, or confusing privacy settings that prompt people to share more information than they really want to.

If we are shown news or political content solely on the basis of our preferences, we risk finding ourselves in a filter bubble where we are no longer exposed to any other opinions.

Distracting online environments constantly seek to attract users' attention - whether by means of push notifications, flashing displays, pop-up ads, or constantly updated content.

Internet platforms could also help users to assess content - for example, by displaying decision trees that remind users to check the source and the facts before sharing content.

The researchers emphasize that none of the interventions they propose can singlehandedly counter online manipulation or prevent the spread of misinformation.

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