Market-Oriented Disinformation Research explores the spread of false or misleading information online through the lens of marketing theory and consumer research. It examines how the business models of digital platforms and advertising technology firms (AdTech) generate digital markets that incentivize the circulation of harmful content for profit. Rather than viewing disinformation and misinformation as accidental byproducts, the book proposes that they thrive in the current markets designed for digital advertising and influencer marketing.

Readers will learn how the amplification of disinformation can be linked to social media’s business model. Examples include how social media algorithms promote addictive content, how fake news sites use ad fraud to lure in advertising revenue, and how some content creators rely on clickbait, ragebait, bots, and conspiracy theories to boost their engagement metrics.

The book is a must-read for scholars in journalism, media studies, and political communication, as well as policymakers interested in the democratic governance of social media platforms. In addition, it calls for digital marketing, advertising, and brand management professionals to take responsibility for their ad spending by advocating for greater oversight over AdTech intermediaries to prevent unethical actors from monetizing the harmful content that polarizes society and undermines democratic institutions.

The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 International license.

Carlos Diaz Ruiz, Ph.D., is a business academic specializing in marketing strategy, consumer insights, and disinformation research. Dr. Diaz Ruiz is an Associate Professor (tenure track) at Hanken School of Economics in Finland and has been a faculty member at Kedge Business School in France and the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research has been published in leading scientific journals, including the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, and New Media & Society. His current work on disinformation explores how advertising technology firms (AdTech) bankroll fake news and harmful content online.