Misinformation Analysis and Online Quality Theory (A Wittgensteinian Approach)

Online platforms initially left content consumers to discern for themselves whether information online was true or false. Censoring of content by online platforms and fact-checking are presently the two prominent interventions. We propose here that misinformation analysis should aim to make clear what is stated by clarifying the propositions and claims in such content (declarative language/factual discourse). The early work of Ludwig Wittgenstein is relevant for such analysis. Presented here is an online content information quality check model for written (non-graphical) content. This hypothesis-driven intervention can be applied to Web browsers (as extensions) and online social media platforms. This model is inspired by Wittgenstein’s book Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Our hypothesis is that rating and labelling online content this way will help users discern content qualitatively (avoid being misinformed) and engage better with other users. This Wittgensteinian model (set of rules/quality check/algorithm) can also be viewed as a tentative theory of information quality anticipating future natural language processing (NLP) technology more effective against online misinformation. We introduce two new concepts: “off-information” and “non-information” as distinct information disorder variants.