COMMENT | Disinformation is peddled for a variety of motives.

The Russian government employs disinformation as part of its expansionist geopolitical aims. The Chinese Communist Party uses it to further entrench their political authority and grow their global influence.

Professional influence operators do so as guns for hire on behalf of powerful industries, ranging from oil to tobacco companies. Trolls on 4chan often do it in service of pure nihilism.

But by far the most common and compelling motivation to spread online disinformation is profit.

It has led the world to a veritable disinformation crisis. The biggest global companies are those who provide the machinery to capture and monetise audience attention at scale.

Today’s internet is powered by businesses that capture and profit from “clicks and eyeballs”.

Who provides the money for this machine? Sometimes...