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Are we being brainwashed? Is the dark web worse than subliminal seduction in the 1950s when brands embedded subliminal messages to unconsciously manipulate customers into buying their products? The Dark Web manipulates audiences (some of which involves secret ads sent to perhaps illegally analysed voters/shoppers) – particularly vulnerable, undecided audiences with secret messages/ads that no one else can see. The messages contain incorrect information – even lies, but are hidden from public eyes. The budgets that pay for some of these ads come from unknown sources and are deemed to be illegal and to have broken the law.
The Dark Web secretly influences opinions, purchases and votes. It happened with Brexit and it happened with Trump’s 2016 election victory. See ‘How Trump Won’. Will it happen again? Can it be stopped from happening again? This is marketing gone wrong. Can it be stopped?
And this is the brilliant Welsh journalist, Carole Cadwalladr, calling out the “Gods of Silicon Valley” by name! I think it is amidst a Silicon Valley audience – perhaps someone can confirm?
Data Manipulation. Unknown/Unsourced funding. Lawbreaking. Changed Opinions & Beliefs. Wins Elections.
Possibly the best Ted Talk yet? Brilliant 15 mins. The transcript is worth revisiting also – all the facts listed in detail.
Carole Cadwalladr TED Talk
If you like this you might like:
How Trump Won (using the magic marketing formula & Facebook and data)
The Dark Arts Of Marketing – Breaking Down Society to Create a New Culture – Using Data & IRD
How Obama Won Two Presidential Elections
Fab.
Very fascinating clip, I was somewhat aware of this but actually seeing some of the advertisements that had been used in these campaigns was a rather unpleasant eye opener. It’s so important to get your news and information from multiple sources these days especially when it comes from social media platforms (which I’d strongly argue is the last place one should be reading from).
On a lighter note, I watched a video put together by a few guys who wanted to show how easy it is to generate lies at make them go viral and bamboozle the masses, it was over something quite silly (a “celebrity” eating a burrito sideways, they hired someone who looked similar) but hundreds of thousands of people fell for it because once it started to gain traction, no one questioned it due to so many people going along with it, it’s like a tidal wave that pulls everyone in. Quite scary when it’s used to manipulate something as important as Brexit, it won’t be the last time we see this happen either.
Nice one Michael. Can you recall the celebrity burrito clip or link?
Incidentally, Message Source’s effect on message credibility and message like-ability were once good solid academic theoretic building blocks for many comms courses and now they are back with more relevance than ever.
Hi Paul,
I certainly can, the link in question is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6In7UtyXY
For a bit of context they used Reddit as a platform to spread this, Reddit is different type of social media site than Facebook in that everyone is anonymous and content shown in the news feeds is decided by what’s been upvoted by the readers (everyone gets a sin gle upvote or downvote per post) Reddit is so large that if something gains traction there you can bet that a lot of other sites will showcase news sourcing Reddit. In this case the article is harmless and a bit of fun, but it really shows how easy it is to game the system and influence what people digest.
Disinformation and ‘fake news’: Final Report – from the Dept of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee (UK Government) makes interesting reading:
‘negative stories will always be prioritised by algorithms, as they are shared more frequently than positive stories’
+ ICO: ‘We have uncovered a disturbing disregard for voters’ personal privacy. Social media platforms, political parties, data brokers and credit reference agencies have started to question their own processes’
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/1791/1791.pdf
Very powerful message and brilliantly delivered. There’s no doubt that now is the time to relentlessly pursue this malaise or the world may very quickly descend into chaos. Thanks for the insight.
Indeed, Brian, now is the time. Jeff Orlowski, director of that ‘must-see’ social media documentary, The Social Dilemma recently said (CNN 10 Jan 2021):
“Lies spread six times faster on Twitter than the truth (this is research coming out of MIT).” He went on to say: (therefore [ed.] “The truth cannot keep up in a system that that profits off of misinformation.” What he said about facebook fueling radicalisation was far worse. Can anyone suggest any immediate solutions?