[PODCAST] Beyond the Stories: Propaganda sa social media tungo sa 2022 elections

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Malaking parte ng pagkapanalo ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong 2016 ang social media. Mula noon, nagamit din ito sa pagtuligsa sa kanyang mga kritiko at sa pagkalat ng disimpormasyon.

Naipakita na ng Rappler sa maraming imbestigasyon na naging mas laganap ang disinformation at propaganda sa internet. (READ: 12 times social media boosted Duterte’s lies)

Sa podcast episode na ito, tatalakayin nina Rappler multimedia reporter Camille Elemia, digital communications specialist Gaby Baizas, at researcher-writer Jodesz Gavilan ang posibleng pagmanipula ng political camps sa social media para maimpluwensiyahan ang 2022 Philippine elections.

Ayon kay Baizas, dapat alalahanin na ang nakikita natin online ay hindi kabuoang sentimyento ng publiko:

[Social media] is a very good starting point for people to express ang mga thoughts nila on current events and mga pressing matters. But then, dahil may echo chambers tayo and hindi talaga reliable ang algorithms sa social media, it’s hard to assume na ito ang overall sentiment ng buong Filipino population. Kahit na lots of Filipinos are active on social media. Kasi siyempre naturally ang algorithm ng SM platforms, ma-expose ka lang to people who share the same views as you do, they’ll suggest people who follow the same influencers and the same politicians as you do. Alam natin na what we see online isn’t the entire picture talaga. It doesn’t mean na ganito ang overall sentiment sa social media, ito na ang overall sentiment ng Philippine population as a whole kasi ang daming nuances. Ang daming communtiies on social media na we might not be seeing in our own personal spaces.

Natuto na ba ang mga tech platforms, tulad ng Facebook at Twitter, pagkatapos umusbong ang online disinformation?

Ayon kay Elemia, mahirap na umasa lamang sa gobyerno at tech platforms:

In an ideal world, meron tayong independent government agency. Let’s say na meron. First, kailangan ang expertise. Listen to the experts, hindi lang mga appointed officials o lawyers. Okay lang naman maging lawyer ka, pero I’m saying in the context of Comelec, dapat may expertise din. Kasi it’s not something naman na kaya mo lang intindihin in a week or in a day, kasi komplikado siya. I think it’s important to partner with these tech companies kasi kahit na we criticize them or kahit na government has a love-hate [relationship] with these tech companies, kailangan nila makipagtulungan with them. Kasi, aside from disinformation, meron din for counterrorism, mga ganoong aspect ng social media. Pero, more than that, I really think it’s outside the government. Iyong pag-monitor sa mga ganitong ganap sa social media, it’s also the media’s responsibility, the civil society’s, and mga outside the government. Kasi, right now, it’s hard to trust that the government will be fair, especially when it comes to monitoring and policing social media, kasi it’s already a proven weapon for them. So why would they stop now kung mag-e-eleksiyon na?

Paano dapat imbestigahan – at mapigilan – ang paggamit ng trolls at disinformation?

Pakinggan ang podcast at panooring ang video: