Conspiracy beliefs and social media: Addressing a systemic risk

Abstract

Conspiracy beliefs are an important lever for hybrid threat activity. It presents a risk for liberal democratic governance at multiple levels. The widespread circulation of conspiracy beliefs on social media contributes to discrediting sources of authority, science, and expertise. This article addresses the circulation of conspiracy beliefs on social media as a systemic risk. Because social media companies operate within a legal loophole of facilitating illegal and harmful content, they have become the primary medium for the spreading of conspiracy beliefs. This article suggests closing the legal loophole since it provides a space for potential hybrid threat activity. Social media companies should be made responsible for content published through their services in a similar fashion to that of regular news media. It explores the extent to which regulation of social media could be a systemic response to the challenge of conspiratorialism as a space for hybrid threat activity directed at our democratic societies.