Toxic Incentives, Toxic Spaces: How Policy Can Help

​Who - and perhaps more importantly - what shapes public discourse?

​As civil society, researchers and policy professionals grapple with the growing challenges of misinformation, polarization and a world increasingly shaped by online platforms discourse, much of the conversation has focused on how to moderate content without infringing on freedom of speech. Far less attention has been paid to the incentive structures that drive the creation and dissemination of harmful content in the first place.

​Across social media platforms, political instability, outrage and division have become increasingly profitable. Opportunistic actors - often with no stake in the communities or issues on which they intervene - are often rewarded by platform monetization models for producing inflammatory content on trending topics, while platform business models amplify material that drives engagement regardless of consequences. As a result, misinformation, polarization and divisive content are often rewarded, with the impact playing out globally worldwide.

​To explore these dynamics, Victoire Rio, founder of What to Fix will join GoodBot for a conversations on what is happening “behind the scenes” in ways that undermine legitimate local discourse, democratic integrity and peace and security.

About Victoire

Victoire Rio is the founder and executive director of WHAT TO FIX, a tech policy and accountability nonprofit, and a leading expert on social media monetization and its impact on information integrity. Prior to founding WHAT TO FIX to address systemic risks associated with social media, Victoire spent 8 years leading tech accountability efforts in Myanmar, where she co-founded and led the Myanmar Tech Accountability Network.