How did trolls, men’s rights activists, conspiracy theorists, gamergaters, “incels,” neo-Nazis, and a variety of other subcultures end up coming together to engage in one of the most successful disinformation campaigns ever?
A toxic combination of internet savvy, media negligence, and a shared interest in destroying establishment institutions, according to an exhaustive new report from Data & Society.
SEE ALSO: The alt-right’s worldwide weaponization of memes
“Taking advantage of the opportunity the internet presents for collaboration, communication, and peer production, these groups target vulnerabilities in the news media ecosystem to increase the visibility of and audience for their messages,” wrote Alice Marwick and Rebecca Lewis, authors of the report. Read more…
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