In the 1990s, a wave of anti-corporate and DIY movements swept through countercultural spaces, fueled by a desire to reclaim autonomy from centralized power structures. Punk zines, independent record labels, and grassroots activism flourished as people sought to create alternatives to corporate-controlled media and culture. Today, we face a similar struggle—but this time, it’s playing out on the digital battlegrounds of social media. The rise of disinformation and astroturfing has exposed the vulnerabilities of centralized platforms, which are often slow, opaque, or complicit in the spread of harmful content. To truly combat these threats, we need decentralized tools that empower individuals and communities to take control of their digital lives.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Instagram have become the primary spaces for public discourse, but their centralized nature makes them ripe for abuse. Algorithms optimized for engagement often prioritize sensational or divisive content, creating fertile ground for disinformation to spread. Meanwhile, astroturfing campaigns—orchestrated by governments, corporations, or other powerful actors—exploit these platforms to manipulate public opinion under the guise of organic grassroots movements.
While these platforms have implemented measures to combat these issues, their efforts are often inconsistent, opaque, or driven by profit motives. Content moderation decisions are made behind closed doors, and users have little say in how these platforms operate. This top-down approach mirrors the corporate control that 1990s activists railed against, and it’s clear that we need a new model for fighting disinformation and astroturfing—one that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and user empowerment. Decentralized tools offer a way to break free from the limitations of centralized platforms. By distributing power and control among users, these tools can create a more resilient and democratic digital ecosystem. Here’s how they can help fight disinformation and astroturfing:
Grassroots Fact-Checking: Decentralized tools can enable peer-to-peer fact-checking and verification, allowing communities to collectively identify and counter disinformation. This approach aligns with the DIY spirit of the 90s, where individuals created their own media and bypassed traditional gatekeepers.
Transparency and Accountability: Decentralized platforms, built on open-source protocols, allow users to see how algorithms and moderation systems work. This transparency makes it harder for bad actors to manipulate the system and ensures that decisions are made collectively rather than by a single corporate entity.
Community-Driven Moderation: Instead of relying on opaque, top-down moderation, decentralized tools can empower communities to set their own rules and enforce them collaboratively. This approach mirrors the DIY ethos of the 90s, where individuals took matters into their own hands rather than waiting for institutions to act.
Resilience Against Manipulation: Decentralized networks are harder to game than centralized ones. Without a single point of control, it’s more difficult for astroturfing campaigns to gain traction or for disinformation to spread unchecked. This distributed structure echoes the anti-corporate direct action of the 90s, where decentralized networks of activists worked together to resist centralized power.
User Ownership of Data: On centralized platforms, user data is often harvested and sold, creating incentives for manipulative practices like microtargeting. Decentralized tools give users control over their data, reducing the risk of exploitation and making it harder for bad actors to weaponize personal information.
The fight against disinformation and astroturfing today shares striking parallels with the anti-corporate and DIY movements of the 1990s. Back then, activists and artists rejected the dominance of corporate media, creating their own zines, music, and art to challenge the status quo. They embraced direct action, building alternative systems that prioritized community and autonomy over profit and control.
Similarly, the development of decentralized tools for fighting disinformation is a form of digital direct action. It’s about taking power back from centralized platforms and creating systems that reflect the values of transparency, accountability, and collective empowerment. Just as 90s activists used photocopiers and cassette tapes to bypass corporate gatekeepers, today’s digital activists can use decentralized tools to bypass the algorithms and policies of Big Tech.