The opacity of the relationship between disinformation and the concentration of power on digital platforms:

reflections based on interviews with information and communication students in Brazil and Spain

Abstract

This article relates disinformation to the concentration of power in digital platforms, based on the analysis of results from field and bibliographic research, the empirical phase of which was carried out in 2022. It aims to discuss the power of digital platforms and their algorithms regarding disinformation. The empirical research consisted of semi-structured interviews with 32 undergraduate students in the fields of Information and Communication, 16 in Porto Alegre (Brazil) and 16 in Getafe (Spain), focusing on disinformation. The transcribed interviews were examined using discourse analysis and content analysis. One of the research findings was the limited discussion of the power of digital platforms and of the functioning of social media. This article uses this finding as a starting point to discuss the relationship between digital platforms (especially social media) and disinformation, also addressing related themes such as algorithmic biases and digital colonialism. This work did not aim for statistical generalizations about the studied audiences, nor for the systematization of bibliography on the subject, instead, it sought to promote reflection based on triggers found both in the field and in the bibliography. In conclusion, it is argued that information education and related areas, such as critical information literacy and critical pedagogy, offer contributions towards fostering these debates.