Publishers Weekly
04/15/2024
The viral nature of social media has made right-wing influencers the “invisible rulers” of public discourse, according to this fiery debut investigation. DiResta, a researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO), starts with an insightful account of how social media’s mechanics promote sensationalism, with charismatic personalities tailoring their output toward stimulating content, which gets boosted by algorithms designed to maximize engagement. The result, she contends, is a crisis of social consensus as users get isolated in delusional ideological bubbles. DiResta applies this framework to several social media controversies and campaigns, especially Trump supporters’ 2020 election denialism and Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies. She also rebuts right-wing critics of social media platforms, arguing that their complaints of being censored are overblown and mainly an attempt to “work the refs.” She particularly takes to task Twitter Files journalist Matt Taibbi, who in reporting and congressional testimony accused her and SIO of pressuring Twitter (now X) to censor millions of tweets; she calls these allegations “lies.” Her small-bore recommendations—disclosure requirements for paid political speech by influencers and tweaking algorithms to boost civility over vitriol— do indeed fall short of censorship, though her call for “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach” will likely still come off as shadow-banning to her accusers. Nevertheless, it’s a well-informed take on what ails social media, and a vigorous riposte to conservative narratives of persecution by Big Tech. (June)
From the Publisher
[A]n insightful account of how, over the past two decades, social-media influencers, algorithms and crowds have hijacked the public debate on consequential topics… DiResta offers a nuanced discussion on the role of free speech, content moderation and education in our fractured media landscape."—Nature
“[A] fiery debut…a well-informed take on what ails social media, and a vigorous riposte to conservative narratives of persecution by Big Tech.” —Publishers Weekly
“Renée DiResta is a superhero protecting reality from insanity. Her work and voice are indispensable. If humanity doesn’t ruin its future through idiocy, DiResta will be one of the reasons why.”—Jaron Lanier, author of Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
“Once you have seen what Renee DiResta has seen—how the trainwreck that is now public discourse is so rapidly undermining our politics and society—you can’t unsee it.” —Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO, O’Reilly Media
“I am in awe of DiResta’s ability to see through the digital haze and identify many of the most important threats coming at the United States and humanity more broadly. As AI supercharges social media and the power of conspiracy theorists, foreign intelligence agencies, and all who would turn lies into reality, we are so fortunate that DiResta shares her hard-won knowledge with us—and her battle scars. Invisible Rulers is essential and riveting reading.” —Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University, Stern School of Business, and author of The Righteous Mind
“Who decides what we pay attention to, whom we trust, and how we engage with each other? In Invisible Rulers, a unique and unusual work of observation and scholarship, DiResta provides the answer—and it is not reassuring. Among them are people who know how to game algorithms, people who want to sell advertising, or people who want to alter our politics, foreign authoritarians among them. DiResta shows how domestic trolls and foreign oligarchs now wield influence on a global scale, turning online trends into truth, and shaping our understanding of reality itself.” —Anne Applebaum, author of Twilight of Democracy
“In this compelling and beautifully written book, DiResta sheds fresh light and understanding on the greatest threat to social cohesion. If you care about securing a better future for generations to come, read this book, and work with others to implement DiResta’s thoughtful recommendations.” —General H. R. McMaster, author of Battlegrounds and At War with Ourselves
“No one understands this new world of information warfare, a world where the rumor mill and the propaganda machine work in tandem to distort reality, better than DiResta. She is the go-to person for everyone who wants to understand influence operations, from technologists to government officials. She sees things before others do. And more important, she knows what it takes to fight back.” —Bruce Schneier, author of A Hacker’s Mind
“No analyst of the online world exposes its lies and perversities with greater courage, insight, and devotion to democratic values than DiResta. This gripping and trenchant work shows how the toxic interplay of social media influencers, algorithms, and viral crowds is shredding truth and trust and threatening the future of democracy. Spanning disciplines from history and politics to communications theory and social psychology, DiResta documents the descent of the ‘public square’ into a ‘fantasy industrial complex’ and offers a path forward to a more transparent and civil online world.”
—Larry Diamond, senior fellow, Hoover Institute
“Anyone trying to create change in the world needs to understand the field they’re playing on, and Invisible Rulers will open your eyes to the nature of a game most of us don’t even realize we’re playing. DiResta provides a roadmap not only for concerned individuals, but also for our institutions, who need to step up. Invisible Rulers is required reading.” —Jennifer Pahlka, former US deputy chief technology officer, and author of Recoding America
“Invisible Rulers provides a superb analysis of how social media has fostered a world of ‘bespoke realities’ in which truth is shaped by online influencers rather than empirical facts, thereby fostering the extreme polarization in which we now find ourselves.” —Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and The Last Man
“Invisible Rulers is an indispensable guide for navigating the complex future of information warfare. DiResta masterfully unveils the unseen forces shaping our perceptions and beliefs, illustrating the profound shift in the dynamics of power and influence. An interesting, if unnerving, must-read for anyone concerned about the future of technology, truth, governance, and societal cohesion in the digital age.” —Amy Webb, CEO, Future Today Institute, and author of The Big Nine
“[A] fluid and deeply informed work on social media influencers: their rise, their methods, their targets.”—The Bulwark
Kirkus Reviews
2024-03-22
A well-informed, bleak analysis of social media’s malign influence.
DiResta, technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, begins in 2014 when a measles epidemic began in Disneyland and spread rapidly. Because many victims weren’t vaccinated, a pediatrician in the California legislature introduced a bill “to eliminate the personal-belief exemption.” Those involved were stunned at the avalanche of abuse that arrived from across the country, mostly from the anti-vaccine community. After a long battle, the bill passed, but it wouldn’t pass today. Digging into her research, DiResta discovered that “there is an asymmetry of passion on social media.” While most Americans immunize their children, small numbers of true believers spout anti-vaccine propaganda loudly and frequently. As the author continued her investigation, “YouTube’s recommendation engines began to suggest I might also be interested in chemtrails, flat Earth, and 9/11 conspiracy theories.” The capacity to shape public opinion—most outraged opinion—has skyrocketed through internet “influencers,” who are masters of attracting attention. Social media rewards content that generates strong reactions, and nothing is as strong as a shared enemy. As philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote, “mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a god, but never without a belief in a devil.” Good reasons for hatred are irrelevant because a lie, constantly repeated, becomes the truth. In 2020, few Republicans believed that an immense conspiracy defeated Trump; today, most believe in “the Steal.” DiResta recounts the dispiriting story that began two months before the election, following with a longer, perhaps more depressing account of the craziness surrounding Covid-19, which only intensified the “rage, conspiracism, and mob pursuit of retribution” that dominate our national discourse. Readers hoping for the traditional conclusion describing how to fix matters will not find one.
More detailed and insightful than most books in a crowded field, which makes it that much more disheartening.
