Fake news and sharing limits

Marco Giraudo (University of Turin)
Stefano Dughera (University of Turin)

Abstract

In this paper, we propose decenralized model to tackle the role of content-sharing in fake news diffusion, which we call “sharing limits”. Leveraging on the metaphor of speed and pollution limits, we propose to artificially create an opportunity cost for users who share pieces of information through their social media profiles. We develop a model with the aim of showing how quantitative limits on the release of information on a platform create opportunity costs that create the incentive conditions for individuals to invest time and resources in vetting the information being consumed and released. At the same time, each user can leverage personal tacit knowledge when sharing information, creating a discovery process of shared interpretive tools (Romero and Storr, 2023) without having to rely on standardised 'truth' imposed by central planners or censors. This decentralised model does not guarantee the elimination of 'fake news' - a goal that is impossible per se - but it does allow the circulation of manipulated and false information to be kept under control, while offering liberty oriented alternatives to current solutions of surveillance and collateral censorship.

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