Getting to the Source of Infodemics: It’s the Business Model

This report argues that Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s targeted advertising business models, and the opaque algorithmic systems that support them, are the root cause of their failure to staunch the flow of misinformation. This report reinforces the need to adopt a human rights framework for platform accountability. We propose concrete areas where Congress needs to act to mitigate the harms of misinformation and other dangerous speech without compromising free expression and privacy: transparency and accountability for online advertising, starting with political ads; federal privacy law; and corporate governance reform.