Oh boy, how muddy the waters of "information" have become. I feel sorry for those who don't take the effort to really bolster their media literacy because they are certainly grist for the mill with respect to the sheer power of the opinion makers of the world.
Sure, data is the new oil. I'm wondering though, in this hyper aggressive form of mis/disinformation, are human minds (let's call it the "belief gravity" of the populace) among the largest commodity that is being harvested in world societies today? Powers have always tried to sway opinions/craft beliefs and ideas, but the process is so invasive and all consuming that I'm thinking this is much bigger than opinion swaying. This mind control seems to be an excellent tool for channeling humans into thought streams that can help to flow them into consumerist channels as well. Once you've got the minds, you've got the ability to package and sell those minds (full of your opinions btw) to the corporate powers that are looking for a particular type of consumer, one who has already been adequately prepped for happily receiving its goods/wares. I don't know, just an idea.