Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Truth Bounties: Combating Misinformation Through Economic Incentives; The Network of Truth: An Actor-Network Analysis of X’s Community Notes7 views
Author
Cicero, Christopher, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Advisors
Davidson, Jack, EN-Comp Science Dept, University of Virginia
Norton, Peter, EN-Engineering and Society, University of Virginia
Abstract
How may the proliferation of online misinformation best be curtailed?
To overcome the constraints of conventional moderation, Truth Bounties, a novel web platform applying economic incentives for content verification, was prototyped. The system allows content authors to stake monetary bounties on their claims, creating a market-driven process where challengers are rewarded for identifying false information. Built on modern architecture using Django, PostgreSQL, and custom APIs, the platform successfully implements the complete workflow, including role-based authentication for authors, challengers, and arbitrators, secure payment processing, and live bounty-statuses. The project resulted in a robust, scalable foundation that creates a self-sustaining ecosystem for promoting accuracy and trust in digital content.
How does X’s Community Notes feature produce its version of “truth”? Actor-network theory indicates that the system’s performance is an emergent property of the negotiated struggle between its key actors. These actors include the non-human “bridging” algorithm that redefines consensus; the heterogeneous human contributors who resist or align with its goals; the platform owner’s sovereign power; and the narrow, contested definition of “misinformation” as “missing context.” The study concludes that the platform’s “truth” is a conditional, coproduced outcome, and its “designed blindness” to intent makes it vulnerable to coordinated manipulation and ultimately fragile under adversarial conditions.
Degree
BS (Bachelor of Science)
Keywords
online misinformation; economic incentives; community fact-checking; X Community Notes; truth platform
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Technical Advisor: Jack Davidson
STS Advisor: Peter Norton
Technical Team Members: Jianming Li, Christopher Cicero, Sankalpa Banjade
Language
English
Rights
All rights reserved by the author (no additional license for public reuse)
Cicero, Christopher. Truth Bounties: Combating Misinformation Through Economic Incentives; The Network of Truth: An Actor-Network Analysis of X’s Community Notes. University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS (Bachelor of Science), 2025-12-11, https://doi.org/10.18130/q5pg-ck55.
