Proposal to address misinformation on social platforms
By: John Clayton
Tags: Misinformation, Regulation, Computer Science, Social Media, Information Security

There is a significant amount of thought and energy going into how we can address misinformation on social platforms, from congressional reports to proposals on arbitration vs litigation to the weaponizing of section 230. The effort to fix misinformation has itself become a battle of misinformation. This proposal is an attempt to create an actionable and technical approach to the problem, creating a foundation and allowing for iteration. This is an engineering approach to a societal problem. It’s from the perspective of an engineer and a citizen of the world.

Problem Statements:

The spread of misinformation on social platforms is harmful to society Misinformation, opinions presented as fact, cannot be entirely prevented Users with larger audiences have a larger impact on the spread of misinformation Users are easily manipulated by the engagement mechanisms, algorithms, and retention goals of the platforms they are using Users are unintentionally driven toward and unable to quiet misinformation once they, or a member of their network, engage in misleading content

Goals:

Protect the freedom of speech Slow or prevent the spread of misinformation Develop a universal framework to allow for technical mechanisms to reflect the accuracy of information Create common expectations for users across all platforms Allow moderation/verification to be applied in a consistent manner across all platforms/mediums

Proposed Solution:

This proposal outlines labeling standards that are applied in accordance with a user’s audience size to reduce the risk. It is made with the belief that a larger audience demands more responsibility from the user, as well as the platform, allowing for moderation/verification resources to be focused on content that can have the largest impact. This proposal should be considered in addition to the existing moderation policy for abusive content.

User Experience:

Upon creation, the user/publisher is required to select one of two options, is the content being published “Personal Opinion” or “Fact”, defaulting to “Personal Opinion”. This self-declaration in combination with the user’s audience size determines the appropriate moderation level and label to be applied.

User Expectations:

If “Personal Opinion” is selected the content is labeled as “Opinion” AND immediately published. (freedom of speech) If “Fact” is selected AND the user has an audience of less than 1,000, the content is labeled as “Unverified” AND immediately published If “Fact” is selected AND the user has an audience of 1,000–100,000, the content is labeled as “Unverified” AND immediately published AND queued for moderation/verification If “Fact” is selected AND the user has an audience of 100,000–1,000,000 the content is labeled as “Unverified” AND queued for moderation. A second confirmation to publish is required if the user would like to immediately publish as “unverified”, before moderation/verification. If “Fact” is selected AND the user has an audience larger than 1,000,000, the content is labeled as “Unverified” AND queued for moderation. It will not be published until moderation is completed.

Labeling Standards:

All labels must be consistently applied and easily discernible to viewers of the content. While the format and location will vary by platform, the color and easily readable label is required to be consistently applied across all platforms

Opinion — White

— White Verified — Blue — Content was verified by a reputable source(s)

— Blue — Content was verified by a reputable source(s) Unverified — Yellow — Content could not be verified

— Yellow — Content could not be verified Misleading — Orange — Content is factually correct but misleading or out of context

— Orange — Content is factually correct but misleading or out of context Untrue — Red — Content could not be verified and is deemed not true or an opinion

Sharing/Reposting:

I acknowledge that every fact begins as an opinion until it is proven, and labeling it as unverified may hinder or slow the speed at which it is proven. Therefore, when sharing/reposting/forwarding, the label of the originating content should be applied, or otherwise visible, to all downstream shares and reflect any updates or changes. eg. the originating post changes from unverified to verified all downstream posts should reflect that change.

If an unverified post becomes “viral”, to be defined by the platform, it should be queued for moderation/verification.

Moderation Policy:

Platforms must create a public moderation policy, similar to the privacy policy, that clearly outlines the process of moderation in accordance with the moderation levels described above.

Platforms can choose to apply publication requirements in accordance with the moderation levels above. Platforms may choose to prevent “Untrue” or “Misleading” information from being published and negatively impacting the larger community; however, they must protect and publish “Opinions” without undue delay.

The platform must maintain accuracy targets within its moderation policy. Moderation is difficult and some level of error should be expected. In the development of accuracy targets, the platform should build monitoring and audit functions to ensure they are making all reasonable efforts to fairly apply the moderation policy.

The definition of “reputable sources” can vary according to opinion and location/country. The platform can make this determination however, they must clearly list them within the moderation policy, selecting several per region/language. Any change or update to the list of reputable sources must be communicated to users within the moderation policy no less than 7 days before the change takes effect.

The platfrom can/should explore user flows that allow self verification, eg. adding links to reputable sources to speed or qualify the moderation/verification process.

User Training:

Users of the platform must receive information on the moderation policy including the definition of the labeling standards upon account creation and no less than annually. This can be accomplished via email, in-app modal, or interstitial. User acknowledgment is strongly recommended.

Closing / Notes: