Adapting Security Warnings to Counter Online Disinformation (2008.10772v6)

Abstract: Disinformation is proliferating on the internet, and platforms are responding by attaching warnings to content. There is little evidence, however, that these warnings help users identify or avoid disinformation. In this work, we adapt methods and results from the information security warning literature in order to design and evaluate effective disinformation warnings. In an initial laboratory study, we used a simulated search task to examine contextual and interstitial disinformation warning designs. We found that users routinely ignore contextual warnings, but users notice interstitial warnings -- and respond by seeking information from alternative sources. We then conducted a follow-on crowdworker study with eight interstitial warning designs. We confirmed a significant impact on user information-seeking behavior, and we found that a warning's design could effectively inform users or convey a risk of harm. We also found, however, that neither user comprehension nor fear of harm moderated behavioral effects. Our work provides evidence that disinformation warnings can -- when designed well -- help users identify and avoid disinformation. We show a path forward for designing effective warnings, and we contribute repeatable methods for evaluating behavioral effects. We also surface a possible dilemma: disinformation warnings might be able to inform users and guide behavior, but the behavioral effects might result from user experience friction, not informed decision making.

• The paper adapts information security warning strategies to disinformation, finding that interstitial warnings, which interrupt user workflow, are more effective than contextual warnings embedded within content.
• Experimental results show interstitial warnings drastically increase users' visits to alternative, reliable sources (e.g., 57.5% vs. 27.5% in lab study, 86% vs. 19% base in crowd study), though this may be driven by user experience friction rather than informed decision-making.
• The findings suggest platforms should adopt interstitial warning designs but also highlight the need for further research into mitigating friction reliance and fostering more intrinsically informed user choices to combat disinformation effectively.

Adapting Security Warnings to Counter Online Disinformation

Disinformation, often driven by political motives, is rapidly disseminating across digital platforms. As a countermeasure, many platforms have resorted to appending warnings to such content. However, the effectiveness of these warnings in influencing user behavior or beliefs remains debatable. The paper "Adapting Security Warnings to Counter Online Disinformation" proposes a novel approach by drawing parallels with information security warnings, which have successfully guided user behavior against online threats.

Overview of Research

The authors of this paper initiated their paper by adapting proven strategies from the security warning literature to design disinformation warnings. They conducted two successive experiments: a laboratory paper and a crowdworker paper, to evaluate the efficacy of contextual versus interstitial warning designs. Contextual warnings are embedded within the content and do not impede interaction, whereas interstitial warnings temporarily interrupt the user's workflow, demanding interaction before proceeding.

In the laboratory paper, interstitial warnings significantly prompted users to seek information from alternative, more reliable sources. Users tended to overlook contextual warnings, which suggests these have minimal impact on altering user behavior. The crowdworker paper further validated these findings on a larger and more varied sample. Both studies consistently demonstrated that interstitial warnings are markedly more effective in modifying user information-seeking behavior than contextual ones.

Numerical Results and Claims

Throughout the studies, several noteworthy results emerged. In the laboratory paper, interstitial warnings led to an alternative visit rate of 57.5%, significantly superior to the 27.5% rate for contextual warnings. In the crowdworker paper, interstitial warnings contributed to an alternative visit rate of 86%, drastically higher than the 19% base rate observed in control rounds.

Despite the high effectiveness of interstitial warnings observed, another dimension emerged regarding the mechanisms driving this behavior change—the authors identified that user experience friction, rather than understanding or perception of risk, might be the primary force behind the observed behavior shifts. The paper hints at a potential issue: the behavioral effects may arise from the friction caused by interruptive warnings rather than informed decision-making.

Implications and Future Directions

The theoretical implications of these findings are substantial. They indicate that, while interstitial warnings effectively guide user behavior away from disinformation, the interaction might not foster intrinsically informed decisions due to its reliance on friction. Practically, platforms can utilize these insights to refine their warning systems, moving towards interstitial designs that improve user attention and decision-making.

This research opens avenues for further exploration, particularly in understanding the nuanced effects of user experience friction and the integration of alternative messaging strategies to foster more informed user choices. Studying these dimensions rigorously will advance the deployment of fundamentally sound warning systems, echoing the successes witnessed in information security.

To robustly counter disinformation's societal impact, iterative improvement akin to the advancements in security warnings is invaluable. Platforms should engage in evidence-based refinement of warning systems, leveraging collaborative research and open data practices, to achieve meaningful influence on user behavior in digital ecosystems. Through these meticulously structured approaches, the potential to combat misinformation and enhance the online information landscape grows distinctly promising.