Social networks help us learn news faster, communicate with people around the world, and unite for good causes (remember those volunteer gatherings). But there is also bad news: they can just as quickly and easily spread conspiracy theories, disinformation, rumors, and fakes that influence people’s behavior and change their beliefs. And sometimes, they provoke radical actions with tragic consequences.

The Center for Democracy and Rule of Law studied the phenomenon of conspiracy theories, their negative impact, and the specifics of dissemination through Telegram — an unregulated and uncontrolled platform for any activity, including illegal activities.

We share with you the key points from the material; read the full text at the link.

The lack of accountability and “independence” of Telegram from any European or global regulators of shared information platforms (the legislative term for what we call “social networks”) has made it an excellent tool for the authors and supporters of conspiracy theories, as well as for those spreading conspiracy theories through media channels and chats.

According to experts’ observations, conspiracy theories in communities aimed at a Ukrainian audience are usually related to politics. And they are likely to be spread to undermine people’s trust in the state, its policies, and sometimes even in fellow citizens.

Why are conspiracy theories a problem?

According to psychiatrist Bryan Goloyda, conspiracy theories are ideas or beliefs that suggest a conspiracy by several people or groups with a malicious purpose.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a conspiracy theory is a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators. Conspiratorial communities are formed under strong social influence. Interaction with members of such communities and a sense of marginalization outside the community are prerequisites for joining them. These social factors can outweigh individual factors in determining who joins conspiratorial communities.

Simply put, when something happens — a pandemic begins, there are power outages, or there is a change in power in the United States — it is allegedly not due to official reasons, but rather organized by some secret forces (in their interests).

Psychologists indicate that people believe in conspiracy theories for various reasons: from specific mental characteristics to more trivial ones — they provide simple answers to complex questions. For example, the explanation that COVID-19 is spread by 5G towers is easier to understand than the biological characteristics of the virus that make it particularly contagious.

Other reasons are also possible: an identity crisis, loneliness, and the desire to find like-minded people, confirm, and justify one’s views and opinions, etc. And the conspirators themselves are looking for effective methods to gain as many followers as possible. And now they have a convenient tool — social networks, where many people spend most of their time.

Why Telegram?

While other social networks try to combat and limit conspiracy theories, this platform does not react to such posts at all. Telegram, de facto, lacks moderation; there is nowhere to report fakes or hate speech, and a channel’s author can remain anonymous or pretend to be anyone (the social network does not verify this either). In addition to this, there is a lack of accountability and “independence” from any European or global regulators in the field of shared information platforms, so it has become an excellent tool for conspiracy theorists.

Italian researchers went further and analyzed chats and channels that spread disinformation and conspiracy theories on Telegram. An analysis of the Italian and English-speaking environments of the app showed that the number and influence of chats with false information and conspiracy theories are growing rapidly, and the app’s administration’s lack of response only contributes to the strengthening and spread of such communities. The result can be the polarization of society, undermining trust in government and state institutions.

In Ukraine, the problem of conspiracy theories on Telegram can reach a tragic scale, as they usually concern critically important topics, such as war or (in the past) the pandemic. Moreover, the level of media literacy among Ukrainians is only now beginning to gradually improve, and the high trust in Telegram and myths about it still persist, leading people into the trap of disinformation and/or conspiracy theories.

Should the state be involved in combating the spread of conspiracy theories on Telegram?

While Ukraine cannot legally influence Telegram, the state must actively engage in combating groups that spread conspiracy theories, as the flourishing of such communities poses a threat to national security. In particular, it is necessary to use the tactics of debunking and prebunking.

The essence of prebunking is to refute and neutralize the impact of information before it has gained significant dissemination.

Debunking, on the other hand, involves counteracting harmful information after it has already reached a mass audience.

Ukraine can gradually increase its influence on Telegram through cooperation with European Union regulators. It is worth establishing contacts with bodies that monitor Telegram’s operations in the EU, such as the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications.

The National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting should play an important role: it needs to cooperate with other bodies and organizations, and develop strategies for regulating and influencing Telegram.

We should not forget the role of the Cyber Police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), who should track down administrators of harmful and openly destructive channels and chats and bring them to justice. If you notice illegal activity on Telegram or want to report a channel or chat where conspiracy theories that seem dangerous are being spread, there is an opportunity to file an electronic complaint with the Cyber Police.

Additionally, the state should continue to enhance the media literacy of the population. It is critically important to use the state’s informational resources to prevent and counteract the consequences of various conspiracy theories. It is worth continuing to develop courses and programs to improve the media literacy of different segments of the population. For example, we recommend following the national media literacy project Filter. It is especially important to pay attention to the awareness of older people and low-income groups, as they are particularly vulnerable to disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Read the full material at the link.