The official narrative surrounding misinformation suggests that bad actors are responsible for spreading lies and deception on social media and in the media. These actors, according to this view, need to be identified, isolated, and shut down. The idea is that if we can just shut down these individuals or groups, relying on a variety of censorship mechanisms, we can create a purified public space, free from dangerous falsehoods and deceit.
However, this notion is frankly delusional, for the following reasons:
