Tracking the Fringe Narratives: Roe v Wade
Pyrra Technologies Inc.
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On June 24th, the Supreme Court (SC) released their long-anticipated decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning the constitutional right to abortion. The decision opened the door for states to impose bans and limitations on abortion much stricter than what was allowed under the 50 year precedent set by Roe v. Wade. As expected, the final verdict was polarizing: met with grief and rage from the pro-choice left and celebration from the pro-life right.
Anonymous social media platforms such as 4chan host some of the most extreme and hateful content on the internet. In the wake of pivotal and emotionally-charged moments – like the SC’s decision to end federal protection of abortion rights – extremists take to fringe platforms to spread disinformation, hatred, and toxicity.
Fringe content matters because it explicitly reflects unspoken ideologies advanced by mainstream political actors. Since the release of the SC’s decision, Pyrra has been able to uncover several consistent narratives celebrating the end of Roe.
Many posts stoke hate and violence towards women, dismissing women seeking abortions as sexually promiscuous and irresponsible: the onus for preventing unwanted pregnancy is placed on the woman by saying they should have practiced abstinence or at least used birth control (ignoring the reality that birth control measures can fail and sexual autonomy can be compromised).
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The political divisiveness of this issue also provides an opportunity for fringe posters to spread malicious disinformation. Some anti-abortion proponents have been spreading the claim that the SC did not ban abortion, but simply returned the question to individual states to decide upon. While this claim is technically true, the real-life impact is disastrous: ten US states had established “trigger laws” which immediately banned (or mostly banned) abortion upon the end of Roe, and many more will implement bans and restrictions within the next month.
The continued spread of disinformation on the Dobbs decision will directly impact the US midterm elections in November. We have already seen representatives facing reelection being tarnished with ‘pro-life’ or ‘pro-choice’ brushes, and expect misinformation spreading on fringe platforms to further disrupt the public’s understanding of who and what they’re voting for.
Pyrra enables users to identify and track narratives in the unregulated corners of the internet where hate and extremism fester unchecked. American politics is increasingly shaped by extremist responses to the accelerated news cycle. When political earthquakes happen, keep pace with the rapidly evolving extremist narratives with Pyrra’s high-level dashboard and advanced analytic tools.
Pyrra fundamentally disagrees with the decision taken by the Supreme Court, and will reimburse any employee who needs to travel out of state to safely and legally terminate a pregnancy.