#2: Social Media and Manipulation

Ian Bowie
Hello and welcome to AI Unfiltered with me Ian Bowie and our resident expert, Michael Stormbom, where we will be talking about everything to do with AI in our modern digital society and what the future holds for all of us.

Today, we’re going to be talking about social media and manipulation. So the first question I’ve got for you Michael is is social media a force for good, or the ultimate lobbying machine?

Michael Stormbom
That is a good question and I don’t know if there’s no definitive answer to that one. I mean, social media is a tool right and a tool can be used for both good and for bad. That said, of course, social media is controlled by a handful of, of multinational companies and of course they have a profit motive moreso than anything else. So maybe. Let’s just say that maybe being a force for good is perhaps not their raison d’être. Let’s put like that.

Ian Bowie
Right. So we know that they track us and obviously I think that’s where AI plays its part. But what exactly is social media tracking?

Michael Stormbom
Indeed, I mean, there are various forms of tracking is all these companies, commercial entities that use social media for for marketing and for having an online presence. So there’s, of course tracking involved there as well for example, if you make a if you make a post and then tracking how how far reach that post, gets. So I mean, that it gives you sort of analytics for, for example, what what topic in particular or what product in particular, what service in particular is of this, in that, in that sense, tracking, tracking of tracking of your reach, really.

Ian Bowie
So is it is it actually social media companies that are tracking us or is it other companies, third party companies that are using social media as a platform?

Michael Stormbom
Both because of course, the social media need to be able to track you, in order to, to have data to sell let’s put it like that. So I mean, to be part of Facebook, for example, that’s sort of Facebook for companies selling, selling Facebook as a as a platform. It’s a marketing tool, in essence, for reaching an audience of however many of us that is one 2 billion, 3 billion.

Ian Bowie
Yeah, I don’t remember what the exact figures are, quite a lot anyway. Yeah. So they’re collecting all this data. And I think probably one of the big questions that a lot of people will have is how and where is the data stored and how secure is it?

Michael Stormbom
Well, it’s stored in various data warehouses across the globe, and I would say probably, probably those specific physical locations where they are they’re probably fairly safe. I mean, the data is encrypted and so forth. So that’s, that’s not I think, the main privacy concern in that sense. I think the, the way the data leaks is usually true, like third party apps. For example, if you have installed some app and you have it connected to your Facebook account, then data, your personal data can leak through there, even though even though it’s technically sort of not okay for a third party app provider to use your data in in a manner not sort of proscribed in whatever terms of service that you need to scroll through there. But nevertheless, that date, that’s I think, the primary way that your personal data is is leaked, and I mean, that’s what happened, for example, in this Cambridge analytical scandal some years back, so it’s not that anyone there broke into Facebook servers or anything of the sort, but rather people install these third party apps and on to those apps, their data leaked.

Ian Bowie
Okay. So, do you think people are actually aware of how much information they’re giving away via social media platforms?

Michael Stormbom
I don’t think so. I mean, I think certainly people are aware to some extent that that their data is they’re writing in on some level, but I think they would probably be surprised by the sheer amount of data that’s being collected on your it well, there was an estimated in in 2020, like every single person on the planet, for every second generates about 1.7 megabyte of data, every person on the planet every second.

Ian Bowie
What about the…

Michael Stormbom
And considering that not everyone has access to the internet.

Ian Bowie
I was about to say. Because I mean, what about the 3 billion or so people who actually don’t have access to the internet

Michael Stormbom
no indeed, it is an average so obviously, it’s a lot more on those of us.

Ian Bowie
Those of us who are actually connected, actually getting a hell of a lot away.

Michael Stormbom
Oh, yes.

Ian Bowie
Should we be worried about this?

Michael Stormbom
matter of perspective, I would say, probably, on a personal level, I would be a little bit apprehensive about the amount of like information

Ian Bowie
we’ve talked about. One of the latest things is identity theft.

Michael Stormbom
I think that is a very big, big concern. Certainly, and especially if we lead right into our lives, online having your identity taken away from you or stolen I mean, that’s, in some ways that’s sort of taking the entirety of your existence in a way

Ian Bowie
there are documented examples. I mean, in the UK, for example. Criminals have stolen people’s identity in order to sell the houses that they live in.

Michael Stormbom
Yeah. Indeed.

Ian Bowie
So it is happening.

Michael Stormbom
Very much so. And that data is definitely a big concern.

Ian Bowie
So do you think there should be more controls placed on social media companies? Or any company that’s collecting this information?

Michael Stormbom
Well, I mean, I mean, certainly, I mean, with with great power comes great responsibility, right? And I mean, especially those larger companies like Facebook and Google, I mean, the sheer amount of data that is being collected and I think you need to have controls in place for that data being used responsibly. And first and additionally that people are giving their explicit consent to having their data collected in that manner, which is not always the case. I mean, of course, we have some forays into that direction with GDPR, and so forth. And but then again, are people going to read through a five page terms-of-service?

Ian Bowie
Well, that was my next question or comment. Rather, is that of all the people that are listening to us talking right now? Have any of them read more than two lines of the whole of the GDPR ever?

Michael Stormbom
I’m gonna guess there’s gonna be a fairly small minority.

Ian Bowie
I’m gonna guess it is zero, but I might be wrong.

Michael Stormbom
I’m gonna guess there’s greater than zero but probably less than 10.

Ian Bowie
Exactly. Yeah. But, I mean, of course, is that a contract that we have to accept? I mean, these companies provide a service to us. I mean, Google provides a enormous Information Service. Right Facebook, perhaps an entertainment service or a way of connecting with different people. Should we just accept, this is the contract they collect our data, but they provide something that we want?

Michael Stormbom
Well, I mean, that’s in principle, what GDPR is about trying to sort of to give your explicit consent to exactly what data he or giving up so yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s certainly not disallowed to collect data. It’s more that’s you need you should be have the opportunity to give explicit consent to that. But of course, if, if it becomes a defector requirement, in order to be on this platform where everyone else is, then you’re, you don’t have much of a choice really, if you really want if you want to engage,

Ian Bowie
isn’t it already a de facto requirement?

Michael Stormbom
I would say so basically, indeed.

Ian Bowie
Yeah. I mean, I’ve actually never tested that. If you click No to the GDPR. What happens next? You can’t access a website or…

Michael Stormbom
that depends on depends on the website. I would say. But I think in many cases, yes that, that. Well, that is simply not..

Ian Bowie
I’m gonna I’m gonna have to try that. Yeah.

Michael Stormbom
But of course, a lot of when you do get those, those notifications about accepting the I mean a lot about about it is about personalization and providing your personalized contest. Well, in practice then advertising.

Ian Bowie
Yeah. So if we move on a little bit, there’s been a lot written about how social media, for example, has been used to manipulate voting habits for example, in the United States, also about Brexit some years ago. So how can we spot fake news and know when we’re being manipulated?

Michael Stormbom
I think in addition to just sort of being subjected to fake news, I think another another aspect of social media is also what is not shown to you. So what it filters so that sorry, I mean, there’s definitely this risk that you end up in this echo chamber where only information that you agree with or is displayed to you so so I think that is also a rather big concern, not just being subjected to fake news, but also the absence of being exposed to the news that you may not necessarily agree with, but in but in terms of spotting fake news, I think I don’t see much else other people need to learn critical thinking and not accept at face value, what is shown to them, I think it’s more…

Ian Bowie
That people are too lazy to be critical. You perhaps get the news they deserve.

Michael Stormbom
Well, in a manner of speaking yes. And I mean, that’s and coming back to the social media tracking. So that’s what news organizations and those online news organizations, do you see what articles bring them cliques and advertising exposure really. And so then we get all those, at least it goes on to top 10 this and top 10 that.

Ian Bowie
Is this the reason why news headlines have become more and more sensationalist? Over the years?

Michael Stormbom
I would certainly say that that’s definitely driving that because it’s all about getting those clicks, as opposed to reporting news.

Ian Bowie
Because I mean, you know, the objectives that you see in news headlines these days are stronger and stronger and stronger. You know, from mildly irritated, we now have outraged

Michael Stormbom
Yeah, indeed. And I think there’s been some research in that also, people respond more to to negative, negative news and to fear Well, I mean, I think I think we have a, we’re…

Ian Bowie
sort of living in a perfect example at the moment, aren’t we? Yes, that’s right.

Michael Stormbom
Not so no, sorry. True. I think, for example, reporting on the Omicron strain that just that just appeared. We are in December. As we’re recording this. So I think the initial hysteria and there was no particular reason to to be all that hysterical about it, because we didn’t really have the data yet. So some patience and waiting, obviously waiting with caution, but nevertheless, there’s no no particular need for initial panic until we have more information on the on the matter, right. So much. I think we are we’re just, there’s something instinctual that we need. We have the need to be afraid in a way. I think probably in nature, it has served us well to be afraid constantly to protect ourselves

Ian Bowie
It’s in our DNA isn’t it, yeah. But I think there comes a stage where suddenly you’ve got to be willing to stand and fight as well. You can’t run forever.

Michael Stormbom
No, indeed. The fight or flight response really doesn’t serve us very well in in the society. No, it does not.

Ian Bowie
So, going back to manipulation,

Michael Stormbom
Yes.

Ian Bowie
Now that governments and organizations and businesses understand the power of the internet and particularly social media to mold opinion, and spread this information, do you think actually it’s just going to get worse? That everybody’s going to be at it?

Michael Stormbom
I do think it will get worse before it gets better. Let’s put it like that. I think they they’ve done some research that in that he sort of attempted manipulation to social medias pretty much in well all around the world. It’s a it’s become a whole industry of its own that sort of manipulation, manipulation for political purposes for and a lot of political parties engaging in that sort of like media manipulation. I suppose if if everyone does it maybe we will become more aware of it or more accustomed to it, or more normativity in a way we are constantly bombarded with where it said might have that impact as well. But certainly, I do think it’s a it’s a big, big concern. I mean, we supposedly already live in this post truth, society. So what what will that mean? And if no facts are real…

Ian Bowie
Do you think it’s actually just going to make us more stupid? Are we are we good? Are we going to end up with a society actually where people just stop thinking and are quite happy to be controlled? I think we have a very good insight…

Michael Stormbom
I think in practice. Yes, I mean, especially if we don’t if we refuse to believe what we don’t agree with, first of all, that makes us stupid Amini to limit our intellectual curiosity. And well, I think the other other thing is that we are constantly bombarded with information to the point where we become numb to it our list is cognitive overload. So I think that I think in that sense, certainly it will make us less smart.

Ian Bowie
If we think about the future, is there an alternative, for example, to social media in the future, and what might it be if there is?

Michael Stormbom
carrier pigeons? No, but…

Ian Bowie
So do we need to go backwards? Do we do we need to actually start disassembling and re-engineering? The whole internet?

Michael Stormbom
Maybe not the whole internet, and I mean, even even social media, in a sense, it’s not a new thing. I mean, we’ve been sending emails for four decades now and so forth. I still remember a time in the 90s being amazed about sending an email getting across half the world in in an instant. So I’ve ended certainly, there were other ways of interacting over…

Ian Bowie
I still remember writing letters, putting them in envelopes and going to the post office to buy the stamps and then putting it in the post box and waiting for several weeks for a reply.

Michael Stormbom
Not quite as instantaneous as email, but…

Ian Bowie
Absolutely not no, but I sometimes wonder if there was more value in that communication than there is in the 1000s of emails that go backwards and forwards on a daily basis.

Michael Stormbom
No, that’s true. And I mean, of course, we live in this sort of instant gratification society as well. We have we have lost the ability to be patient about about much of anything. Yeah, as well. So I mean, that that’s certainly a fair point. I agree. Yeah. Yeah, buddy, in terms of I do think there needs to be more control over the social media companies, and what control how the waters gone. What

Ian Bowie
is it? Is it not possible for people to self police?

Michael Stormbom
Well, I mean, certainly, certainly there is I mean, you don’t need to be on Facebook. But as we just discussed, if it’s if everyone you know, what is there and then you need to accept the terms for being there. Then there is this whole like de facto requirements. So I think that makes the threshold for not participating, possibly higher.

Ian Bowie
But it’s certainly something that is going to be a hot topic between now and the next several years into the future. I think.

Michael Stormbom
I would definitely say so.

Ian Bowie
We’ve had quite a lot of questions. Quite a few answers. I think what we’ve also possibly discovered from from from this particular episode, is that there is still a huge amount of work to be done. There’s a lot of thinking to be done with regard to social media manipulation. We certainly aren’t going to answer all of those problems and come up with the solutions today. But I think we’ve we’ve pretty much covered our 20 minutes.

Michael Stormbom
Yeah, I think we have to continue this discussion in a future episode.

Ian Bowie
It just remains for me and also Michael to say thank you for listening, and goodbye until next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai