If you missed the first posts of this series, you’ll find them here:

• Using Technology To Oppose Tyranny: Part 1
• Using Technology To Oppose Tyranny: Part 2
• Using Technology To Oppose Tyranny: Part 3

Using Technology To Oppose Tyranny: Part 4 – Taking Responsibility for Our Online World

In his book “On Tyranny,” historian Timothy Snyder challenges us to “take responsibility for the face of the world” by removing hate symbols. But in 2025, nasty stuff doesn’t just show up as swastikas spray-painted on walls — it’s embedded in our feeds, comments, and search results.

The good news? We tech-savvy folks have tools to clean up this mess. Let’s explore how we can become digital janitors (e-mops and iBuckets optional).

The Digital Pollution Problem

Our online environment has evolved from simple hate symbols to more insidious forms of toxicity:

• Hate speech: So prevalent that we now have specialized filtering tools with ML models that can detect threatening language, identity-based hate, and other verbal nastiness.

• Mis/disinformation: That sketchy article your uncle shared? There’s now tech specifically designed to flag it. The RAND Corporation even maintains a list of tools created just to fight fake news, from simple ad blockers to sophisticated systems like BotSlayer that catch coordinated bot campaigns.

• Gaslighting: This manipulation tactic became so common that Merriam-Webster named it the word of the year in 2022. (“No, you didn’t see that post. You must be imagining things.”)

A Digital Cleanup Toolkit

Here are some ideas for avoiding some of the Internet Ick. In my opinion, this may not be a great investment of your time, since it’s pretty hard to avoid the stuff that the social media sites make money by showing you. It might be best to either not use social media as much, or figure out how to use it purposefully to avoid as much evil as possible. That said…

Browser-Based Solutions

If you prefer browsing social media on your laptop (how retro!), these browser extensions are your new best friends:

• Advanced Profanity Filter lets you customize word lists to censor, substitute, or completely remove offensive words. (Yes, you can finally turn all instances of “blockchain” into “magic beans” if that’s your thing.)

• Mutable for Firefox creates keyword mute lists that work across Twitter/X, Facebook, Mastodon, Reddit, Bluesky, and more. You choose between blurring posts or hiding them entirely.

Note: Chrome just made a big change that disabled a LOT of extensions, so don’t get too excited until you check to make sure it’s still working.

“But I Use Apps!” Solutions

I hear you. Who browses social media on a computer anymore (besides me)? For the app-loving crowd:

• Friendly Social Browser serves as an all-in-one social media hub with built-in filtering capabilities. Browse Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube while filtering out whatever keywords make your eye twitch. (At least in theory.)

• Mobile Content Filter by Codeproof prevents access to unwanted content regardless of which app you’re using, working over both WiFi and cellular data. (This seems to be mostly for business customers?)

Beyond Filtering: Becoming Digital Responsibility Heroes

Filtering out garbage is great, but what about actively improving our online world?

When you spot a misleading social media post, it’s great to correct it gently. Tools like Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact are super helpful for verifying facts. Before jumping in, check the claim using these sites. If you find it’s off-base, consider sending a private message instead of commenting publicly—especially if the post is new. You might say, “I was curious about your post, so I did some digging and found this info from [insert fact-checking site].” This way, you avoid drama while sharing reliable sources. Plus, sharing these resources on your own feed can help friends and family fact-check in the future. By using these tools and keeping it friendly, you can help stop misinformation without ruffling feathers.

Fact-Checking

• Snopes
• FactCheck.org
• Politifact

There a great list at Originality.ai.

Corporate Digital Responsibility

Companies need to step up too. Thales’ Digital Ethics Charter outlines ten commitments for using digital technologies to build a safer, more environmentally responsible world. The concept of Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) encourages organizations to prioritize information security at the board level.

Media Literacy Tools

The Media Bias/Fact Check browser extension displays icons indicating accuracy or bias on web pages, giving you context about what you’re reading. Because sometimes that “breaking news” site is just three guys in a basement with strong opinions and weak research skills. You can also go to the Media Bias / Fact Check website.

Get Your Digital Hazmat Suit On

Taking responsibility for our online world isn’t just about moral high ground — it’s about making the internet usable again. The tools exist; we just need more people using them.

So put on your digital hazmat suit and start cleaning. Share these tools with friends. Teach your parents how to spot fake news. Join collaborative fact-checking networks.

The internet doesn’t have to be a cesspool of hate and lies. With a bit of tech know-how and these tools at our disposal, we can reclaim our digital spaces one filtered post at a time.

After all, someone’s got to clean up this mess — and since you’ve read this far, it might as well be you. (And me!)