VoxPop: An Experimental Social Media Platform for Calibrated (Mis)information Discourse

Abstract

VoxPop, shortened for Vox Populi, is an experimental social media platform that neither has an absolute “truth-keeping” mission nor an uncontrolled “free-speaking” vision. Instead, it allows discourses that naturally include (mis)information to contextualize among users with the aid of UX design and data science affordances and frictions. VoxPop introduces calibration metrics, namely a Faithfulness-To-Known-Facts (FTKF) score associated with each post and a Cumulative FTKF (C-FTKF) score associated with each user, appealing to the self-regulated participation using sociocognitive signals. The goal of VoxPop is not to become an ideal platform—that is impossible; rather, to bring to attention an adaptive approach in dealing with (mis)information rooted in social calibration instead of imposing or avoiding altogether punitive moderation.