How many people will believe the myth, after yesterday's conversation between Musk and Weigel, that Angela Merkel opened the borders for refugees in 2015 – even though there were no closed borders within the Schengen Area that could have been opened? Or Musk's claim that theft of goods valued under $1,000 is practically legal in California, despite such acts being prosecuted as misdemeanors and punishable by up to six months in jail?
It is evident that deliberate disinformation is increasingly becoming a key tool for those aiming to push their agendas. These falsehoods find fertile ground among many who are discontented. Those trapped in "compliance bias" readily absorb anything that reinforces, validates, or complements their individual "truths."
While one might laugh at the absurdities of the conversation between Weigel and Musk on the X platform, Facebook has now also granted "License to Fake and Hate" to everyone. This allows the trio of Facebook, Instagram, and X to amplify lies and deceit to billions of monthly active users – a massive machinery of influence now operating under relaxed governance rules.
This raises a crucial question: Do social networks, with their growing arbitrariness and lack of credibility, contribute to cultural progress – or are they increasingly hindering it?
Since we have little control over these networks, we must confront how to deal with them in order to counter the growing influence of deliberate disinformation and manipulation. Platform operators are increasingly withdrawing from responsibility for content, as they themselves depend on prevailing political conditions. Educational systems, journalists, and users must better prepare to deal with digital propaganda.
The solution could lie in fostering media literacy from an early age – a critical skill in an era of deepfakes, bots, and algorithmic distortion. Schools and universities should establish critical thinking and source evaluation as fundamental pillars of education. Moreover, initiatives that promote fact-checking and independent journalism could play a vital role.
Technological approaches may also prove helpful. Advanced AI models could not only detect fake news but also promote transparent information channels. A kind of "digital hygiene certificate" for content could emerge – a system indicating whether a post is supported by credible sources or manipulated.
The urgently needed countermeasure to the "License to Fake and Hate" could be a "License to Critically Think" – a skill acquired through education that empowers people not only to absorb information but also to evaluate it critically.
As a personal consequence, I have deleted my accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).
