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2015 precedes the election of Trump and the Brexit referendum, watershed moments when we started to really worry about the kinds of things we allow to proliferate online.

We have a different internet now, and content policing by providers of various network services is very much on the table.



What “kinds of things” are “we” really worried about? Representative government, public referendums? Very much on what table?


Right-wing misinformation that can tip public opinion in favor of electing Trump or voting for Brexit. That's the danger.


Forcing consensus upon a heterogeneous electorate raises the question of whether liberal democracy itself is the right model of governance.


So 'misinformation' about nonexistent WMDs were all ok. Despite having been propagated by the 'most trustworthy' organizations and media outlets who are today ironically being used as 'fact checkers'.


An abundance of left wing disinformation is fine though


I'm trying to learn more about what disinformation is, could you please post your thoughts under the following Ask HN post?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39554369


"we" who?


“We” were worrying about misinformation far before those events.

“Misinformation” was pretty much a canned response to Brexit and the Trump election, neither of which were heavily influenced by misinformation.




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