{"id":493193,"date":"2025-01-23T15:59:18","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T14:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/?p=493193"},"modified":"2025-01-23T15:59:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T14:59:19","slug":"censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last Monday, Donald Trump signed an executive order that supposedly aims to protect US users’ freedom of expression on social media. The move, however, has quickly been called into question by detractors, who warn that it could actually facilitate the spread of misinformation on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok <\/a>and X<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Trump’s team defends the action as a necessary move to curb what they see as an abuse of power by social networks, accused of acting against the political interests of certain groups. This accusation resonates, ironically, with Mark Zuckerberg’s recent criticism of the Biden administration for alleged pressure to censor content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the reality reflected on social media during the first days of Trump’s second term in office is far from the promised digital utopia. On Instagram and TikTok, users across the country have pointed to what they perceive as selective censorship around political issues, with certain hashtags and terms blocked or flagged with disinformation warnings that appear to interfere with current events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram: Freedom of expression or ideological filter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Instagram, for example, when searching for hashtags such as #Democrat or #Democrats, all that appears is a \u2018sensitive content\u2019 warning, accompanied by the message: \u2018We have hidden these results\u2019. In contrast, #Republican returns millions of posts without any restrictions. Meta has acknowledged the problem, but insists that the error is not partisan in nature. \u2018It’s a general problem affecting search for various hashtags on Instagram, not just left-wing,\u2019 Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told Threads. \u2018We’re working on it.\u2019 Nonetheless, the implications of such a glitch are clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

TikTok and the politics of hidden censorship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Complaints have also emerged on TikTok about the suppression of sensitive election-related terms such as \u2018fascism\u2019, \u2018Hitler\u2019 or \u2018election rigged by Donald Trump\u2019. Several users claim that these restrictions are too strong in the US, fuelling the narrative of possible manipulation of content in favour of the Trump administration. In addition, some have complained about warnings of misinformation in posts related to Palestine or the fires in Los Angeles, interpreting this as yet another instance of \u2018selective censorship\u2019 or even \u2018propaganda\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such complaints are further intensified in a context where figures such as Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have moved closer to the Republican party, reinforcing theories about political control of the platforms. Indeed, in January, Meta announced changes to its fact-checking policy that many interpreted as an attempt to align itself with the new administration’s stance on \u2018free speech\u2019 on social media. Trump, for his part, also delayed a ban on TikTok during his first days in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s true that TikTok, along with other social networks, implements warnings about content related to highly controversial events as part of its disinformation policy, which is not new. Most platforms automatically censor terms such as \u2018Hitler\u2019 or \u2018fascist\u2019 for obvious preventative reasons. However, while current censorship could be interpreted as a consequence of supposed right-wing control, it is not always that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The blurred line between censorship and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of whether the censorship is intentional or not, what is indisputable is that any action that limits freedom of information could damage public trust in social networks. Even more so when it appears to follow a pattern of political bias. \u2018In such a polarised political climate, even unintentional mistakes become accusations of bias,\u2019 says Matt Navarra, a social media expert, in an interview for the BBC. \u2018If these problems are not fixed soon, they could fuel conspiracy theories and affect Meta’s reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is clear is that social media, more than ever, seems to be the new battleground in which a war is being waged over truth, free speech and, perhaps most importantly, control over what kind of information is distributed. And with Trump’s second term just beginning, this conflict only promises to intensify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why is everyone closing their X account?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":493059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1909],"tags":[2272],"class_list":["post-493193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internet-en","tag-tiktok-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCensorship on social media: the new era of disinformation - HIGHXTAR.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HIGHXTAR.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highxtar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-23T14:59:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-23T14:59:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mar Piera\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@highxtar_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@highxtar_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mar Piera\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mar Piera\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/person\/861b5d1b459a894df367f295d952c789\"},\"headline\":\"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-23T14:59:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-23T14:59:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\"},\"wordCount\":654,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"TikTok\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Internet\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\",\"name\":\"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation - HIGHXTAR.\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-23T14:59:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-23T14:59:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1200},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/\",\"name\":\"HIGHXTAR.\",\"description\":\"HIGHXTAR. es la voz latina de la moda y el streetwear. Devotos de las cosas que hacen la vida urbana excitante: Moda, M\u00fasica, Lifestyle, Arte & Dise\u00f1o.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"HIGHXTAR.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/HIGHXTAR_com_Favicon_2019.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/HIGHXTAR_com_Favicon_2019.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"HIGHXTAR.\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highxtar\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/highxtar_\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/highxtar\",\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@highxtar\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/highxtarofficial\",\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/user\/highxtar\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/person\/861b5d1b459a894df367f295d952c789\",\"name\":\"Mar Piera\",\"description\":\"Editor & Project Manager. m.piera@highxtar.com\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marpiera\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/author\/marpiera\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation - HIGHXTAR.","description":"In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation","og_description":"In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?","og_url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/","og_site_name":"HIGHXTAR.","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highxtar","article_published_time":"2025-01-23T14:59:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-01-23T14:59:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mar Piera","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@highxtar_","twitter_site":"@highxtar_","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mar Piera","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/"},"author":{"name":"Mar Piera","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/person\/861b5d1b459a894df367f295d952c789"},"headline":"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation","datePublished":"2025-01-23T14:59:18+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-23T14:59:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/"},"wordCount":654,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg","keywords":["TikTok"],"articleSection":["Internet"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/","url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/","name":"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation - HIGHXTAR.","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-01-23T14:59:18+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-23T14:59:19+00:00","description":"In an increasingly polarised climate, the control of information on social networks is at the centre of the debate: protection of digital freedom or a new episode of selective censorship?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/highxtar-elon-musk-mark-1.jpg","width":1600,"height":1200},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/censorship-on-social-media-the-new-era-of-disinformation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Censorship on social media: the new era of disinformation"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/","name":"HIGHXTAR.","description":"HIGHXTAR. es la voz latina de la moda y el streetwear. Devotos de las cosas que hacen la vida urbana excitante: Moda, M\u00fasica, Lifestyle, Arte & Dise\u00f1o.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#organization","name":"HIGHXTAR.","url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/HIGHXTAR_com_Favicon_2019.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/HIGHXTAR_com_Favicon_2019.jpg","width":1200,"height":1200,"caption":"HIGHXTAR."},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/highxtar","https:\/\/x.com\/highxtar_","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/highxtar","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@highxtar","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/highxtarofficial","https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/user\/highxtar"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/#\/schema\/person\/861b5d1b459a894df367f295d952c789","name":"Mar Piera","description":"Editor & Project Manager. m.piera@highxtar.com","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marpiera\/"],"url":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/author\/marpiera\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=493193"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":493194,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/493193\/revisions\/493194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=493193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=493193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/highxtar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=493193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}