Social media sites and their users risk fragmenting along political lines in light of Donald Trump’s election win, experts have told Sky News.
They added some of the world’s biggest social media platforms fell into line behind the new US government after November’s election victory.
X’s Elon Musk backed Mr Trump in the election and he has since taken up a federal advisory role.
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg recently announced an overhaul in his sites’ content moderation, removing third-party fact-checkers in the US and bringing in community notes.
This move was a “performative choice” to align behind the new administration, according to Nina Jankowicz, former head of a disinformation board in the US Department of Homeland Security.
As a result, established social media sites, as well as newer platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon, risk fragmenting along political lines as users split to engage more with content they like, Melissa Ingle, who worked in political disinformation at Twitter before Mr Musk’s takeover, told Sky News.
Donald Trump greets Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk during a rally on 19 January. Pic: Reuters
The effect of this could be an intense “atomisation” of social media users over the coming years into different silos, as people with different beliefs fragment and migrate to different sites, embedding existing divisions and polarisation, Ms Ingle said.
Researchers raised concerns to Sky News about the effects this may have – both online and beyond.
Meta ‘could have kept fact-checking’
Meta said removing third-party fact-checking was an attempt to reform an overly complex system and improve freedom of speech on the platform.
Mr Zuckerberg referenced “recent elections” when announcing his decision, and speaking before…
