The regulation of digital platforms, particularly in combating disinformation, is a highly debated issue. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently caused a controversy when he announced plans to discontinue fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram. This decision raises serious concerns that, without oversight, the platforms could be flooded with disinformation and used for propaganda purposes.

Martha Stolze is focusing closely on these challenges. She is a research associate in the “Platform Algorithms and Digital Propaganda” research group at the Weizenbaum Institute.

Her dissertation is dedicated to the role of gender in Russian online information campaigns. In this episode, she shares insights into how certain gender narratives are strengthened, why the topic should be given greater attention by both research and society and what regulatory solutions could look like.