A 'state-affiliated media' label, also called a 'state-controlled media' label or 'state-funded media' label, is a tool which allows websites to publicly denote sources on the platform as state media. This trend had began on YouTube in 2018,¹⁾ then spread in 2020.²⁾³⁾

In the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica data scandal boosting conservative-aligned campaigns, most of the tech industry was scrutinized for the internet's influence on politics, despite it being inherently political by design.⁴⁾ Regardless, politicians were quick to escalate this as a 'national security' issue, blaming their real-world political shortcomings on allegations of foreign electoral interference.

As a response, YouTube added state-funded media labels in 2018, which were so incredibly thorough that even Radio Free Asia had a label.⁵⁾ However, the same can't be said for companies that allow national security consultants to suggest copying it, but selectively enforce it on countries deemed antagonistic to the United States (e.g. China, Russia, Iran)⁶⁾⁷⁾⁸⁾ which exposes their inherent bias.

On the surface, the labels allow people to recognize whether a post is made by state-affiliated media, allows people to scrutinize others for interacting with said media, and allows the state to protect its own interests. However, the label feels hand-holdy, digital confrontations are tiresome, and it feels rather counterintuitive to let the state publicly label sources as, what some would say, a thoughtcrime or wrongthink.

Furthermore, there's a reverse psychology effect where the label encourages people to engage with said content when they normally would not, regardless of whether the source personally aligns with their views. Think of it like a giant red 'do not push' button, you're going to have people become more inclined to engage with the other side, that they know of, in order to obtain a different perspective.⁹⁾

In the case of Facebook, who spins these labels as a positive change,¹⁰⁾¹¹⁾ you do have to consider that its real name policy essentially throws their users into a hostage situation where they are encouraged to conform (i.e. groupthink) or risk ostracization (i.e. cancel culture), both of which only further political polarization and both parties might lose friends.¹²⁾ It's kinda like psychological warfare.

• YouTube - since February 2nd, 2018.¹³⁾
• Facebook - since June 4th, 2020.¹⁴⁾
• Twitter - from August 6th, 2020¹⁵⁾ to April 21st, 2023.
• Instagram - since October 5th, 2020.¹⁶⁾
• TikTok - since January 18th, 2023.¹⁷⁾

• Politics of the United States