Tranquillus in Exile
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By William Hague
People are increasingly living in an echo chamber of their own views, being sent more opinions that they already like, more news – true or false – that they are inclined to believe, and more adverts that target their particular worries or prejudices. The internet was meant to be the greatest ever expansion of human knowledge and understanding. In politics, however, it has also become a cause of escalating narrow-mindedness, extremism and intolerance, both on the Left and Right.
A functioning democracy requires open debate, which means assertions that voters are hearing can be challenged by others. Yet at the moment targeted messages can be sent to individuals without anyone else knowing about them, or knowing where they’ve come from, or having any chance to show they are false. Such messages might disappear once you’ve read them. You might end up deciding how to vote because of “information” that was designed specifically to mislead or enrage you. Or you might not vote because of a message you were sent. The indictment of Russian interference in the last US election refers to many ethnic minority voters – inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton – being quietly and skilfully influenced not to vote at all. Polarisation is becoming so severe that people on the winning side of recent elections, like President Trump, deny that all this is a problem. But to many others it is blindingly obvious that something has to change, and fast.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...e-news-should-ban-political-ads-social-media/
Willian Hague is a former leader of the British Conservative Party. I agree with him that this is an escalating problem that needs to be fixed urgently. What do you think about it?
People are increasingly living in an echo chamber of their own views, being sent more opinions that they already like, more news – true or false – that they are inclined to believe, and more adverts that target their particular worries or prejudices. The internet was meant to be the greatest ever expansion of human knowledge and understanding. In politics, however, it has also become a cause of escalating narrow-mindedness, extremism and intolerance, both on the Left and Right.
A functioning democracy requires open debate, which means assertions that voters are hearing can be challenged by others. Yet at the moment targeted messages can be sent to individuals without anyone else knowing about them, or knowing where they’ve come from, or having any chance to show they are false. Such messages might disappear once you’ve read them. You might end up deciding how to vote because of “information” that was designed specifically to mislead or enrage you. Or you might not vote because of a message you were sent. The indictment of Russian interference in the last US election refers to many ethnic minority voters – inclined to vote for Hillary Clinton – being quietly and skilfully influenced not to vote at all. Polarisation is becoming so severe that people on the winning side of recent elections, like President Trump, deny that all this is a problem. But to many others it is blindingly obvious that something has to change, and fast.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...e-news-should-ban-political-ads-social-media/
Willian Hague is a former leader of the British Conservative Party. I agree with him that this is an escalating problem that needs to be fixed urgently. What do you think about it?
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