The Root Cause of Democracy at Risk: Big Tech Social Media

In the age of digital connectivity, the battleground for democracy has shifted. It is no longer confined to parliamentary debates or grassroots mobilization — it now lives and dies in algorithmically controlled platforms where attention is currency and outrage sells. The biggest threat to democracy today is not just disinformation or voter suppression; it is the architecture of big tech social media itself.

Where Extremism Thrives

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, and Instagram have become breeding grounds for extremism and fascist ideologies. The very algorithms that promise engagement are designed to favor content that triggers strong emotions — often hate, fear, and tribalism. This means that extremist narratives don’t just survive; they thrive.

In India, the BJP IT Cell has mastered this terrain. Utilizing armies of fake or semi-anonymous accounts — a textbook case of Sybil attacks — they flood platforms with divisive content. These aren't just opinionated posts. They are part of a strategic operation to amplify Hindutva supremacist ideologies, target minorities, and drown out dissent.

The Algorithm Is Not Your Ally

Activists often believe that if they just scream loud enough, go viral enough, they can change the system from within. But the algorithm does not care about truth, justice, or democracy. It cares about engagement — and nothing engages like controversy, fear, and identity politics.

You can post the most powerful, data-backed, emotional video of your life. It may even go viral. But the next moment, the same platform will feed another user a pipeline of radical content designed to convert their frustration into fanaticism. The algorithm is relentless — it optimizes for what keeps users scrolling, not what makes them think critically.

The more vulnerable the audience is, the easier it is to target them on big tech social media. If someone engages with extremist content like Hindutva propaganda, their feed quickly becomes saturated with similar content.

Screaming Into the Void

We’ve seen this movie play out over and over. Brave individuals raise their voices. They get millions of views. They trend. And then? Nothing. The platform remains unchanged. The structure that enables hate and disinformation stays intact. Moderation teams are underfunded or overwhelmed, while political pressure and profit motives keep platforms complicit.

Politics Is No Longer in the Streets — It’s in the Algorithm Feed

Politics is no longer confined to the streets or assembly halls — it has moved to the virtual realm, where big tech social media platforms dominate the narrative. The algorithms behind these platforms shape public discourse by prioritizing content that maximizes engagement, not truth. As a result, political agendas are crafted, amplified, and manipulated in algorithmically curated echo chambers, where the loudest voices are often the most extreme. In this new landscape, power lies not in the hands of the people, but in the unseen mechanisms that decide what we see, hear, and believe.

Time to Leave — And Take Your People With You

It's time to stop playing a rigged game. The only winning move is to leave the table. Activists, journalists, and conscious users must begin a serious exodus from these platforms. But don’t just leave quietly — migrate with purpose.

Take your followers to platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky. These decentralized alternatives are not controlled by ad-tech giants or manipulated by opaque algorithms. They offer a chance to rebuild discourse based on consent, moderation, and community values — not rage-fueled virality.

A New Digital Commons

This is not just a protest — it's a construction. Leaving big tech platforms is a step toward creating a new digital commons where democracy is not a byproduct, but a principle. Where power is distributed, not centralized. Where voices are heard, not harvested.

The fight for democracy begins by choosing your terrain wisely. And right now, big tech social media is enemy territory.

Ditch the Algorithm: Why 35 Million Are Choosing Bluesky

Over 35 million users have already joined Bluesky. It’s not just a social media platform — it’s a social media protocol with decentralized moderation built in. Feeds are created by users, and what you see is based on user-curated feeds, not opaque algorithmic recommendations. It's FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and will always remain so. There's active development happening in the field, with source code being built in various languages like JavaScript and Rust.