In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Social media companies (1) ______ claim that they promote democracy and are dedicated to the empowerment of ordinary individuals. The assertion (2) ______ entirely unfounded. Recent history shows how (3) ______ citizens have been mobilised against totalitarian regimes on social networking sites. Starting from MeToo to Black Lives Matter, digital networks citizens have been mobilised against totalitarian regimes on social networking sites. Starting from MeToo to Black Lives Matter, digital networks (4) ______ indispensable in bringing together critical voices against social and political (5) ______

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 1.

To determine the most appropriate word to fill in blank (1), we need to analyze the context and logical flow of the passage.

Let's look at the first two sentences:
"Social media companies (1) ______ claim that they promote democracy and are dedicated to the empowerment of ordinary individuals. The assertion (2) ______ entirely unfounded."

The second sentence refers back to the claim made by social media companies as an "assertion". The subsequent sentences describe how social media has indeed been used for positive mobilization (e.g., MeToo, Black Lives Matter, mobilizing against totalitarian regimes). This positive mobilization supports their claim, meaning their assertion is not entirely unfounded.

Since the passage discusses these positive, widespread impacts of social media platforms in mobilizing citizens, it is logical that social media companies make this claim often or regularly to justify their positive role in society. Let's evaluate the given options for blank (1):

1. never: If they "never" claim this, the passage wouldn't refer to "the assertion" in the next sentence.
2. don't: Similar to "never", this contradicts the context since an assertion is actively being made and discussed.
3. frequently: This fits perfectly, indicating that social media companies regularly or commonly claim they promote democracy and empower individuals.
4. seldom: This means rarely, which does not fit the context of a prominent, commonly discussed claim made by these companies.

Therefore, "frequently" is the most appropriate and grammatically correct option to fill in blank (1).