Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and until recently Meta’s president of global affairs, has argued that misinformation thrives online not primarily due to social media algorithms but because it taps into a deep-rooted human fascination with gossip and sensationalism.
Speaking at the Words Matter! conference in Oslo, Clegg emphasized that while the virality of false information has been amplified by the internet, the content itself is driven by human nature, not the platforms’ recommendation systems. “We like misinformation, we like lurid headlines, we like gossip, we like mischief,” Clegg said, dismissing the idea that tweaking algorithms alone can solve the problem of fake news.
This perspective was reported by The Times UK, highlighting Clegg’s unique stance given his former role at Meta, which owns Facebook—one of the platforms often criticized for enabling the spread of divisive and misleading content.
Clegg acknowledged some evidence that algorithms may accelerate the spread of misinformation more than other content but insisted that it is ultimately people who create and consume these stories. “Human beings are not always nice and never ever have been,” he noted.
He also addressed the actual scale of misinformation, stating that despite widespread fears, false content remains a relatively small proportion of total online material. For example, hate speech accounts for just 0.02% of Facebook’s content, though he acknowledged that even this small percentage is significant given the platform’s massive scale.
Looking ahead, Clegg warned that the internet will soon face an influx of AI-generated content, which could complicate the misinformation landscape further. He argued that instead of trying to label all AI-produced content, it would be more effective to mark human-created content as “non-AI” using technologies like blockchain to verify authenticity.
Supporting this view, Oxford computer scientist Professor Michael Wooldridge agreed that invisible “watermarks” for AI-generated material could help, but noted challenges around universal adoption, especially from bad actors.
Clegg’s remarks provide a nuanced view on a hot-button issue, reminding us that the roots of misinformation lie not just in technology but in enduring aspects of human nature.
