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Trustless, Not Truthless: Strengthening Media Literacy for the Web3 Era

By  |  August 13, 2025

By: Emily Rollman (Public Knowledge)

In this article, author Emily Rollman (Public Knowledge) explores how the evolution of the internet—from Web1 to Web2 and now Web3—intersects with the growing need for media and digital literacy in an era of misinformation, media consolidation, and eroding trust in institutions. She frames digital literacy as a natural extension of media literacy, encompassing the competencies required to navigate new technologies and the challenges of digitization and decentralization. Rollman argues that while Web3 offers the promise of greater autonomy, transparency, and accountability, its potential can only be realized if users possess the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate and engage with content responsibly.

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    Rollman highlights how Web2’s centralized platforms, driven by ad-based business models, have amplified sensational and misleading content to maximize engagement. Opaque algorithms, real-time message testing, and the rise of AI-generated news summaries have further complicated the information ecosystem—especially for adults with lower literacy levels, who are often heavy social media users. These trends have created vulnerabilities to misinformation and have turned ordinary users into unintentional spreaders of false or misleading narratives. Even peer-driven initiatives like Community Notes reveal the limitations of user-led fact-checking when engagement remains the primary business incentive.

    By contrast, Web3’s decentralized structure offers a pathway to embed media literacy principles into the internet’s very infrastructure. In this model, individuals gain more direct control over content organization, provenance tracking, and verification of digital material. Users can see who created content, when it was published, and whether it has been altered, fostering transparency and accountability. However, Rollman cautions that this shift also places more responsibility on individuals to act as co-overseers of the information ecosystem—making critical thinking, discernment, and an informed approach to digital participation essential skills for the Web3 era.

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