Why tech platforms endanger democracy

In September this year, the Nobel prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa gave a powerful speech to the National Press Club about the ways in which authoritarians manipulate social media. She called for the Australian government to bolster the regulation of technology platforms and issued a stark warning.

“The greatest threat we face today isn’t any individual leader or one government,” she said. “It’s the technology that’s amplifying authoritarian tactics worldwide, enabled by democratic governments that abdicated their responsibility to protect the public… Tech platforms have become weapons of mass destruction to democracy.”

Ressa is right. We all consume content served up by these platforms, and we are all at risk from misinformation and disinformation. But this is even truer for younger generations who have little experience of journalism before social media. They need access to trustworthy information on the platforms they use.

That is why The Conversation wants to invest in producing content from academic experts on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other social platforms. We want to commission fast, accessible, evidence-based explainers that meet people when they most need clarity. In a sea of misinformation and agenda-driven spin, we want to give the truth a fighting chance.

You can help us. Two of our valued supporters, the Sue Beeton Fund and the Koshland Innovation Fund, understand the urgency of our mission. For the next two weeks, they will match every donation from our readers. This means, if you give now, the impact will be doubled.

To those who’ve already given, thank you. You are helping us secure the resources we need to help make expert knowledge accessible and protect us from the shysters, charlatans and shills who distort public debate.