How Hiding Data Reshapes the Perception of Reality

The world is inundated with information, and we’re all aware of how it shapes how we see the world. We consume facts, analyze numbers, and we generally trust the framework that gives us our perception of reality. But the majority of us aren’t keenly aware of what happens when key pieces of information are hidden on purpose, distorted, or removed. It happens all the time, and one’s perception of reality is distorted on the spot. The manipulation is always designed to benefit certain entities while leaving the public misinformed.?

Data, in this age, is a powerful tool in more ways than it has ever been. Withholding information is an ongoing effort to reshape public perception, influence decisions, and? control the narratives of society. This article is meant to remind all of us how hiding data can reshape reality, who benefits from such practices, and what we can do to counteract the harmful distortion.?

The Mechanisms of Data Suppression

An outright lie doesn’t have to be told to hide data. The best method of hiding critical data is by strategic omission, reframing, or manipulating information. Here are some of the most common methods used.?

1. Selective Disclosure

Corporations, governments, institutions, and the media often release only partial data that aligns with their interests. Consider the following examples:

• A government agency might highlight a drop in unemployment rates, while excluding the rise in underemployment. Add to this, people that have stopped looking for jobs.?
• A pharmaceutical company might publish studies that show a drug’s effectiveness, while not sharing the research of any severe side effects.?

2. Statistical Manipulation

While numbers can carry an aura of authority, they’re often presented in ways that are misleading. It’s easy to cherry-pick data points that can make trends look more favorable.? Language and description are often tweaked to make a crisis seem less severe. And misleading averages can totally obscure a complete picture.?

3. Memory-Holing and Data Deletion

An even more aggressive approach involves erasing reports, records, and historical data. This is obvious with the removal of climate change data, crime statistics censorship, elimination of research data on public health issues, and more recently the suppression of any military website or publication information that hints at diversity. Data suppression and manipulation makes it virtually impossible to challenge dominant narratives.?

4. Shifting Attention with Misinformation

Even worse than hiding outright data is the practice of flooding the zone with distracting or false information. It makes it harder and harder to separate fact from fiction. We can attribute this to things like social media algorithms that amplify conspiracy theories. It’s also not uncommon for the powers that be to blame immigrants or foreign entities for issues caused by internal policies. Finally, we’re all aware of the damage that some media outlets have caused by creating sensational stories that divert attention from serious and pressing issues. These tactics mentioned can obscure data without? outright erasing anything.?

COVID-19 and Government Transparency

Multiple governments were accused of suppressing accurate information about COVID-19 infections and mortality rates. There’s a strong belief that some countries may have even lowered death counts, or failed to report actual cases. As a result, it made it difficult for individuals to understand the true impact of the virus.?

Censorship of Economic Data

Financial institutions and governments do control economic perceptions in how data is presented. For instance, unemployment data may be reported without considering the underemployed or discouraged workers, which may be nearly impossible to calculate properly. Job markets can then appear to be healthier than they are. Political tampering can kick in as well, where national debt figures can be reframed to justify tax cuts etc. When the economic narrative is controlled, policy makers can more easily shape public opinions and expectations.?

Final Thoughts

We live in a world where an unlimited amount of data shapes our reality. This is why it’s so important to have a better understanding of how data can be manipulated, distorted, hidden, or erased. Too much information is no longer based on truth but is carefully crafted to serve specific interests.?

Never tire of questioning, verifying, and demanding transparency. The life of our democracy depends on it!

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