Invisible rulers The people who turn lies into reality

The viral nature of social media has made right-wing influencers the "invisible rulers" of public discourse, according to this fiery debut investigation. DiResta, a researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO), starts with an insightful account of how social media's mechanics promote sensationalism, with charismatic personalities tailoring their output toward stimulating content, which gets boosted by algorithms designed to maximize engagement. The result, she contends, is a crisis of social consensus as users get isolated in delusional ideological bubbles. DiResta applies this framework to several social media controversies and campaigns, especially Trump supporters' 2020 election denialism and Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies. She also rebuts right-wing critics of social media platforms, arguing that their complaints of being censored are overblown and mainly an attempt to "work the refs." She particularly takes to task Twitter Files journalist Matt Taibbi, who in reporting and congressional testimony accused her and SIO of pressuring Twitter (now X) to censor millions of tweets; she calls these allegations "lies." Her small-bore recommendations--disclosure requirements for paid political speech by influencers and tweaking algorithms to boost civility over vitriol-- do indeed fall short of censorship, though her call for "freedom of speech, not freedom of reach" will likely still come off as shadow-banning to her accusers. Nevertheless, it's a well-informed take on what ails social media, and a vigorous riposte to conservative narratives of persecution by Big Tech. (June)

A well-informed, bleak analysis of social media's malign influence. DiResta, technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, begins in 2014 when a measles epidemic began in Disneyland and spread rapidly. Because many victims weren't vaccinated, a pediatrician in the California legislature introduced a bill "to eliminate the personal-​belief exemption." Those involved were stunned at the avalanche of abuse that arrived from across the country, mostly from the anti-vaccine community. After a long battle, the bill passed, but it wouldn't pass today. Digging into her research, DiResta discovered that "there is an asymmetry of passion on social media." While most Americans immunize their children, small numbers of true believers spout anti-vaccine propaganda loudly and frequently. As the author continued her investigation, "YouTube's recommendation engines began to suggest I might also be interested in chemtrails, flat Earth, and 9/11 conspiracy theories." The capacity to shape public opinion--most outraged opinion--has skyrocketed through internet "influencers," who are masters of attracting attention. Social media rewards content that generates strong reactions, and nothing is as strong as a shared enemy. As philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote, "mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a god, but never without a belief in a devil." Good reasons for hatred are irrelevant because a lie, constantly repeated, becomes the truth. In 2020, few Republicans believed that an immense conspiracy defeated Trump; today, most believe in "the Steal." DiResta recounts the dispiriting story that began two months before the election, following with a longer, perhaps more depressing account of the craziness surrounding Covid-19, which only intensified the "rage, conspiracism, and mob pursuit of retribution" that dominate our national discourse. Readers hoping for the traditional conclusion describing how to fix matters will not find one. More detailed and insightful than most books in a crowded field, which makes it that much more disheartening. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.