ABSTRACT
The rapid spread of disinformation online is made possible by the amplification provided by social media and advertising technology platforms. As a result, digital platforms face increasing scrutiny for establishing a business ecosystem that financially benefits from disseminating harmful content, including disinformation. Despite pledges to counter or mitigate the issue, the algorithmic allocation of digital advertising and social media’s attention economy results in a business model that profits when serving highly engaging content. This digital infrastructure can yield financial benefits when exploited through controversial and polarizing content and inflating engagement metrics through synthetic content and bots. The chapter introduces the thesis of market-oriented disinformation research, arguing that disinformation can be understood as a likely outcome, rather than an unforeseen consequence, of the business model underpinning social media and digital advertising markets.
