Online propaganda and misinformation are gaining traction for three simple reasons: it's cheap, it's easy, and there are little to no consequences. Setting up a social media campaign is a pretty low-risk endeavour, and it can have wide-reaching influence. It can be difficult to verify the claims made as well as who is financing these campaigns. Much of the onus of this verification is placed on the social media outlets themselves, which in many cases have grown too big to effectively manage the huge volume of users and content being posted. Even if a bad actor is caught, they rarely face legal repercussions and usually just get a slap on the wrist, such as their account being banned. By the time that happens, some damage has likely already been done. New accounts are easy to make, and the cycle continues.  Read Less