System and method for aggregating, categorizing and validating social media posts

A computer-implemented system comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory for aggregating, categorizing, and validating social media posts comprising:

• a user interface configured to allow a post author to create a post on a social media platform and assign the post, at a time of creation of the post, to exactly one content type from a predefined set of mutually exclusive content types comprising fact, research, opinion, rumor, and humor;
• a challenge module configured to receive, from a challenger different from the post author, a challenge to the content type assigned to the post, the challenge including a justification and optionally supporting evidence;
• a verification module configured to in response to receipt of the challenge, initiate a sequential multi-phase review workflow comprising:
• (i) a one-to-one peer validation step between the challenger and the post author,
• (ii) after completion of the one-to-one peer validation step, a community-based validation step involving a subset of users selected according to respective reliability scores of the users, and
• (iii) after completion of the community-based validation step, a platform moderation step is performed by a platform-appointed review team,
• wherein each of the one-to-one peer validation step, the community-based validation step, and the platform moderation step generates validation feedback, and wherein a post classification of the post is modified based on the validation feedback generated during the sequential multi-phase review workflow;
• an accountability module configured to track user actions associated with the post creation, the post classification, challenge participation, and validation decisions, and further configured to update a reliability score for each user based on whether prior post classifications and prior validation decisions of the user correspond to a final post classification determined in the platform moderation step;
• a community-moderation module configured to select, rank, and invite the subset of users to participate in the community-based validation step according to updated reliability scores generated by the accountability module, and to restrict participation in the community-based validation step to users satisfying a predetermined reliability condition;
• a notification module configured to notify the post author and the challenger of any modified post classification resulting from the sequential multi-phase review workflow;
• a storage module configured to store the post, the content type assigned to the post, the challenge, the validation feedback generated during the sequential multi-phase review workflow, the modified post classification, and the updated reliability scores;
• and
• a display module configured to present the post, the content type assigned to the post, the modified post classification, and a verification status of the post to users on the social media platform.