Social media commentator Hannah Ferguson has built a substantial online presence by bridging entertainment and serious political discourse, but now warns of the platform’s darker impact on society.<\/p>\n
Ferguson founded Cheek Media five years ago to create a space for young Australians disillusioned with traditional media outlets. Her approach has resonated strongly, with her Cheek Media and personal Instagram accounts now reaching more than 290,000 followers. During Australia’s 2025 federal election cycle, her content garnered over 4 million views, including thousands who watched her “get ready with me” reel before interviewing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.<\/p>\n
“[Social media has] been an incredible tool for change and starting social impact conversations around politics, education and media literacy,” Ferguson told ABC TV’s Compass program.<\/p>\n
Despite her success in building an engaged community around social, political and feminist issues, Ferguson has experienced significant personal costs. “Trying to lead hopeful conversations [has] come with threats to my life, threats to my safety, threats to my family,” she revealed.<\/p>\n
Ferguson also expresses broader concerns about social media’s influence on public discourse. “The algorithms push inflammatory material, and we are so used to that,” she explains. This has led to moments of self-doubt about her work: “Is this doing more harm than good?”<\/p>\n
She points to how social media has fueled political polarization globally, particularly in the United States. “Our system of compulsory preferential voting is inherently different to the United States, but to say [Trump-style politics] couldn’t happen here is na\u00efve,” Ferguson cautions. “We need to be aware about what we’re consuming and how that can look in Australia.”<\/p>\n
These concerns are shared by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, a Philippines-based investigative journalist who has witnessed firsthand how social media can undermine democratic processes. As co-founder of Rappler, the Philippines’ first digital news outlet, Ressa observed how social media was weaponized following President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 election.<\/p>\n
Rappler uncovered an online network of bots, fake accounts, and influencers supporting Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign that resulted in thousands of Filipino deaths. When Ressa published these findings, she and her news organization faced severe backlash, including a barrage of online hate\u2014averaging 90 hostile messages per hour\u2014and multiple legal charges that could have resulted in cumulative jail sentences of up to 100 years.<\/p>\n
While Ressa has been acquitted of most charges, her continued advocacy against tech platforms comes with significant personal risk. Her experience highlights the real-world consequences of online disinformation campaigns.<\/p>\n
These issues are not confined to authoritarian contexts. A 2018 MIT study found falsehoods spread six times faster than facts on Twitter, even before Elon Musk’s ownership led to reduced content moderation. In 2024, England experienced riots after false social media posts incorrectly claimed a Muslim asylum seeker had stabbed three young girls in Southport, demonstrating how platforms can amplify hate and fracture social cohesion.<\/p>\n
Australia faces similar challenges. ABC NEWS Verify recently discovered a pro-Russian news website attempting to “poison” AI chatbots with propaganda ahead of Australia’s 2025 federal election. An audit found that 16.66 percent of chatbot responses amplified false narratives, including disinformation about Australian politics.<\/p>\n
The Australian government’s attempt to address these concerns through the Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill 2024 failed to pass Parliament, facing criticism from various perspectives about free speech implications and potential government overreach. However, from December, Australia will implement a ban preventing those under 16 from accessing social media platforms, including YouTube.<\/p>\n
Ressa advocates for stronger regulation and structural changes to social media platforms, including redesigning their systems and restricting user data collection. Working with fellow Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, she has developed a comprehensive 10-point plan to address these issues.<\/p>\n
“Without facts, you can’t have truth, without truth, you can’t have trust,” Ressa warns. “Without these three things, you can’t have a shared reality. In the end, a world with no facts is ripe for a dictator.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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