Majority of U.S. adults want Big Tech to restrict misinformation on social platforms

The majority of social media users are standing behind Big Tech companies' efforts to curb misinformation, even as users of "alternative" social media sites find community in the unregulated media environments fostered by "free-speech" advocates.

The information comes from a new study by the Pew Research Center, published Oct. 6, which dives into the motivations and digital consumption habits of account holders on "alt" sites like Truth Social, Parler, BitChute, and Telegram (among others). According to the study, while 64 percent of alternative social media news consumers favor the protection of free speech even if it fosters misinformation, "the majority of all U.S. adults (61 percent) prefer that tech companies take steps to restrict this kind of content even if it limits freedom of information."

That's great news for the millions of social media users on sites like Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and even TikTok, which have prioritized the removal of accounts spreading misinformation and instituted ways to debunk misinformation. But the rest of the report doesn't bode as well for the 64 percent that were just fine with allowing misinformation in their niche internet circles.

Diving deeper into the media diets of "free speech defenders" on alt apps, Pew Research surveyed more than 10,000 U.S. adults and analyzed posts from 200 prominent users, in addition to publicly-available posts from 2022.

The surveys show alt social media users are mainly using these sites to build communities with fellow conservative-leaning participants, and use the sites to stay up-to-date on what they think are the most pressing current events. According to several other findings:

• 15 percent of prominent alt social accounts have been indefinitely or permanently suspended, banned, or demonetized on more established social media. Video-based site BitChute ranks highest, with a third of its prominent accounts (35 percent) having been banned or demonetized elsewhere.

• 33 percent of alternative social media news consumers said they have participated in an in-person political rally or other political activity after learning about it on these sites. 36 percent have donated money to accounts they follow on alt sites.

• In an assessment of posts from July 2022, "the most common phrases include some that are controversial and even inflammatory, such as wariness toward vaccines and negative associations with LGBTQ people."

• 6 percent of the most prominent accounts associate themselves with QAnon conspiracies.

While less than 10 percent of those surveyed reported going to these sites for their daily news, the environment on alt apps is holistically against sharing traditional news sources. In posts from prominent users, 45 percent of links came from other social sites, 20 percent came from new, digital-only publications, and only 6 percent came from legacy news organizations in print, radio or podcasts, and television.

Small, loyal user bases have flocked to alt social media sites like these to digest fringe ideas and current events, validate right-leaning beliefs, and organize against what they deem violations of fundamental free speech. The numbers might not seem huge, but a vocal minority is still making noise.