Citizens on the front lines against social media lies

On Tuesday, a federal judge barred the Biden administration from contacting social media companies to persuade or coerce them into deleting content containing “protected free speech” from their platforms. The case, which will likely land at the Supreme Court, reflects a rising desperation among democracies to counter online disinformation and misinformation.

In clear emergencies, government jawboning of firms like Instagram to stop spreading lies may be constitutional. Yet for everyday instances of falsehoods parading as facts, many places are instead now tapping into the inherent honesty and truth-seeking of citizens – through media literacy campaigns.

In January, for example, New Jersey began to implement a new law that explicitly requires media literacy instruction in K-12 classrooms. In both its bipartisan support and the scope of teaching digital defenses, the law has become the leading model for other states trying to educate children and teens in how to detect accurate information with critical thinking skills. This citizen-centric approach to achieving digital competency assumes that citizens have a civic duty to embrace the truth as media consumers and creators.

In many countries, the effort has expanded to adults, especially to older people. Perhaps the most advanced country in teaching media literacy is Estonia. In a survey last year of 41 democracies, mainly in Europe, the tiny Baltic nation ranked first in this type of specialized education. Since 2007, when it suffered a massive cyberattack – presumably from Russia – it has been an innovator in helping citizens be at the vanguard of discerning facts and countering disinformation. Last year, for example, the government created a card game called Smarter Than a Troll to develop young people’s media literacy.

The survey, conducted by the Open Society Institute in Bulgaria, took measure of each country’s “resilience potential to fake news with better education, free media and higher trust between people.” Overall Finland ranks highest. Yet among former Soviet states, Estonia was first, and in media education, it was tops.

“If plucky little Estonia can do it ... I think the United States should be able to implement a similar program to great success as well,” says Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation expert at the Wilson Center.

As the court case in the U.S. illustrates, regulation of social media in a free society can be cumbersome and contentious. While government action could sometimes be necessary, the survey concluded, “education is the necessary, but long road.”