- Engagement helps algorithms determine what content to push to users, and misinformation generates more engagement than other types of content. - Algorithms determine what content to spread based on metrics like engagement – how much users are liking, commenting on, sharing, etc. a piece of content. - Misinformation tends to generate more engagement than other types of content. - Saying something outlandish and inflammatory, but untrue, is likely to generate more comments, etc. than saying something less divisive or extreme but based in fact. - This is exacerbated by the fact that any attempt to *correct* the misinformation will still register as engagement. - See also https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3616088 - **Algorithms undermine truth.**