(Why) Is Misinformation a Problem?

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary studies of misinformation
• Information science and technology impacts
• Political science and liberal democracy

Background:

• Proliferation of research on misinformation in the last decade.
• Limited attention to the fundamental reasons why misinformation is a problem.
• Need to examine causes and effects of misinformation across various disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze the causes and effects of misinformation.
• To investigate the role of information technology in misinformation proliferation.
• To assess the impact of misinformation on liberal democracy norms.

Main Methods:

• Cross-disciplinary examination of misinformation research (computer science, economics, history, information science, journalism, law, media, politics, philosophy, psychology, sociology).
• Critical analysis of the link between misinformation and observed effects.
• Evaluation of the role of information technology advancements.
• Historical epistemology perspective on intersubjectivity and truth.

Main Results:

• The consensus view implicates information technology (Internet, social media) as a primary cause of misinformation.
• Empirical evidence directly linking misinformation to specific misbehaviors remains unreliable; correlation may be mistaken for causation.
• Technological advancements enable and reveal deviations from ground truths via new forms of intersubjectivity, which historical epistemology suggests is illusory.

Conclusions:

• Doubts raised about the direct causality of effects and the nature of technological causes necessitate a re-evaluation of misinformation.
• The study considers the costs to liberal democracy norms stemming from efforts to combat misinformation.
• A nuanced understanding of misinformation's causes and effects is crucial for addressing its societal impact.