Tag - misinformation

 
 

MISINFORMATION

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. president Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 5.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 6, 2024
Elon Musk-led election falsehoods hang over vote as tally begins
Elon Musk has become Republican candidate Donald Trump’s most high-profile donor and supporter.
Meta has long faced criticism from researchers, watchdog groups and lawmakers for not fostering a healthy information ecosystem during elections across the globe.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 5, 2024
Meta struggles to curb hate speech before U.S. vote, researchers say
The findings come as Meta has long faced criticism from researchers, watchdog groups, and lawmakers for not fostering a healthy information ecosystem.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a live interview with U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson in the finale of the Tucker Carlson Live Tour at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 4, 2024
Election falsehoods take off on Youtube as it looks the other way
The largest video platform has become a home for election conspiracy theories, half-truths and lies, which provide it with revenue.
Early voters at a polling site during early voting in Queens, New York, on Oct. 27. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia is behind a video that appeared on social media this week falsely claiming that Haitians illegally voted multiple times for Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 2, 2024
U.S. spy agencies issue new warning on Russia’s election misinformation campaign
Three recent videos have sought to undermine confidence in the security of the vote.
Disinformation researchers analyzed over 300 groups on Facebook that masquerade as pro-Harris pages while misleading the Democratic contender's supporters with abusive, hateful posts or capitalize on her popularity to promote merchandise.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 1, 2024
Deceptive 'bait-and-switch' Facebook groups snare U.S. voters
The tactic seems to target actors across the political spectrum, including Trump, but researchers have noticed an "explosion" of groups focused on Harris.
A woman mounts a flag to a stack of cinderblocks in the aftermath of flooding from Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on Oct. 6.
WORLD / Society
Oct 31, 2024
Misinformation is turning American disasters into toxic battlegrounds
Deep political polarization, weakened trust in institutions and a lack of content moderation on social media allow false claims to flourish.
A false claim on social media about a restaurant chain being infested with slugs led to the store's closure. The man behind the claim was sentenced to prison on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 24, 2024
Man gets prison time for false restaurant slug infestation claims
Haruomi Enya, 25, was convicted of obstruction of business by deception. His false claims ultimately led to the establishment's closure.
Republican U.S. vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance speaks at Tucson Speedway in Tucson, Arizona, on Oct. 9
WORLD / Politics
Oct 17, 2024
JD Vance says Trump did not lose the 2020 U.S. election
In Pennsylvania, Vance said he was not espousing "some crazy conspiracy theory” in arguing Trump won.
Outrageous stories about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump online were widely mistaken as real across social media, underscoring how content from satirical websites is being repurposed to fuel political misinformation and sow confusion ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 15, 2024
'Stolen satire' feeds U.S. election misinformation
False claims are being widely mistaken as real across social media, underscoring how content from satirical websites is being repurposed to fuel political misinformation.
X owner Elon Musk and Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump meet prior to a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 5.
WORLD
Oct 11, 2024
Disinformation stirred by Musk and Trump adds strain to hurricane recovery
Conspiracy theories and hate speech targeting the government’s storm response erupted across social media after Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast.
A couple from Orlando walks along a street covered in sand as a result of Hurricane Helene in Clearwater, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected midweek landfall.
WORLD / Society
Oct 7, 2024
FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation as Florida braces for Milton
The head of the U.S. disaster relief agency lashed out at a "dangerous" misinformation war being waged over the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
U.S. voters are increasingly concerned about misinformation spreading the good-old-fashioned way — through politicians sowing falsehoods.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 4, 2024
More than AI misinformation, U.S. voters worry about lying politicians
Politicians face almost no legal consequences for distorting the truth, researchers say.
The tech platforms contributing to social instability should financially support independent journalism as a way to combat misinformation and promote a healthier society.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2024
How independent journalism can save society from the effects of Big Tech
Independent journalism is critical in verifying facts, exposing corruption, addressing societal issues and contrasting it all with the negative impacts of Big Tech.
The X account of Elon Musk in seen blocked on a mobile screen on Aug. 31.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2024
Musk's X seeks Brazil comeback, retreats on 'censorship' feud
The billionaire had held out for more than five months against what he called "censorship" in a feud with a judge in one of X's largest and most coveted markets.
Poll workers set up early voting equipment in Seffner, Florida, on Aug. 2.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 24, 2024
Russia produced most AI content to sway election: U.S. intelligence
Russia is seen as being a more sophisticated actor than other nations and having a better understanding of how U.S. elections work.
Scientists used a version of ChatGPT to challenge conspiracy theories and beliefs and found people more open to evidence than expected, contradicting the "post-truth" era idea.
COMMENTARY
Sep 20, 2024
AI can debunk conspiracy theories better than humans
Believers often invest huge amounts of time in researching their theories online. Maybe only LLMs can keep up.
Elon Musk has tried to portray the judge’s efforts as a dangerous example of state overreach and an attack on free speech, while supporters say the campaign is necessary to clean up the internet.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2024
Elon Musk’s X bypasses Brazil ban through a software update
Brazil’s telecoms regulator, Anatel, said there was no change in the Supreme Court decision to ban X, formally known as Twitter.
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 19, 2024
Microsoft executive warns of meddling in final days of U.S. election
Brad Smith said lessons should be learned from certain other elections that have seen fake information circulated.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a discussion hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 18, 2024
Russia steps up disinformation ops against Harris campaign: Microsoft
The report comes after the U.S. government accused Russia's state news agency RT earlier this month of seeking to influence the presidential election in November.
A green wireframe model covers an actor's lower face during the creation of a synthetic facial reanimation video, known as a deepfake, in London in 2019.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 16, 2024
Beware 'deepfakes' of famous doctors promoting scams, experts warn
The AI videos typically target older audiences by faking the identity of doctors who appear regularly on daytime television.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.