The seventh hearing before the Jan. 6 committee showed how a trifecta of elements led to the violent assault on the Capitol: a president calling enraged supporters to action; a crowd of fervent supporters who believed the “big lie” that the election was illegitimate; and violent extremist groups galvanizing a mob to action. All three elements took advantage of an online ecosystem to spread disinformation, plan a violent attack, mobilize a crowd, and stoke anger.
While the hearings themselves are important for documenting and holding accountable those responsible for the attack, they will not prevent the next wave of political and extremist violence.
While the hearings themselves are important for documenting and holding accountable those responsible for the attack, they will not prevent the next wave of political and extremist violence. To do that, we must seriously address the toxic online worlds in which disinformation thrives — with as much energy and time as we have spent disentangling the roads that led to Jan. 6 to begin with.
Former President Donald Trump and his supporters have effectively taken advantage of social media platforms that have allowed disinformation to flow freely, online networks that can rapidly mobilize millions to action on dedicated pro-Trump websites and on sites like Parler, 4chan,and Gab, and a population that is ill-equipped to separate fact from fiction, especially when false information comes from people meant to be trusted sources, like...
The Alberta government under Premier Danielle Smith has banned gender-affirming health care for youth in the province. Hear Rachel Gilmore and More: A Tyee Event on Battling Online Lies The Tyee ...