DisinfoDocket 23 August
Hi! I'm Kate and welcome to DisinfoDocket. DisinfoDocket curates influence operations-related academic research, news, events and job opportunities.
Did you know that DisinfoDocket takes requests? If you have suggestions or relevant work that you'd like to see included, simply reply to this email and send us the details!
* A Draft Of TikTok’s Plan To Avoid A Ban Gives The U.S. Government Unprecedented Oversight Power
* US businessman is wannabe ‘warlord’ of secretive far-right men’s network
* 12 tips for minding the security of your mobile device when covering elections
Highlights:
Reliable Sources via @oliverdarcy:
— craig newmark (@craignewmark) August 22, 2023
The Right's Rhythm; Don's Debate Disruption; Braun in a Bind (2nd try)https://t.co/YUNlMeSDHO
- Russia-Linked Actors Leverage New and Old Tactics in Influence Operations Targeting Online Conversations About NATO Summit (Graphika, August 2023)
- Arévalo wins by landslide in Guatemala (Latin America Daily Briefing, 21 August)
- Are Your Ads Funding Disinformation? (Harvard Business Review, 21 August)
- Niger becomes hotbed of disinformation after July 26 coup (Al Jazeera, 18 August)
1. Academia & Research
📢NEW PAPER!
— Meredith Whittaker (@mer__edith) August 17, 2023
Where @davidthewid, @sarahbmyers & I unpack what Open Source AI even is.
We find that the terms ‘open’ & ‘open source’ are often more marketing than technical descriptor, and that even the most 'open' systems don't alone democratize AI 1/https://t.co/xRwEBc5LvO pic.twitter.com/5RGojdRBxD
- Tokenization of social media engagements increases the sharing of false (and other) news but penalization moderates it (Nature, 22 August)
2. Platforms & Technology
China’s internet regulator is reaching out to foreign firms, including Walmart and PayPal, to discuss ways to navigate Beijing’s new data-security rules, an effort to reassure multinationals worried about their ability to operate in China.@_szheng https://t.co/3sWNUYfhUE
— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) August 19, 2023
- The human costs of the AI boom (TechCrunch, 21 August)
- Somalia Orders TikTok, Telegram Shut Down (VOA News, 20 August)
- Beijing to limit use of generative AI in online healthcare activities, including medical diagnosis, amid growing interest in ChatGPT-like services (South China Morning Post, 21 August)
Have you read Scaling Trust on the Web yet?
— DFRLab - @dfrlab.bsky.social (@DFRLab) August 21, 2023
This comprehensive and critical report from our Task Force for a Trustworthy Future Web (led by @rightsduff) is a must if you want to know about how trust and safety will affect everything from gaming to AI. https://t.co/mY2B4gf1Ed
“That classic trope of games being a socially isolating experience [...] seems increasingly tired and outdated – because it is. Video games [...] are one of, or perhaps the defining entertainment medium of the 21st century”. By @PeteEtchells on @guardian https://t.co/o4mHONSqjz
— Tactical Tech (@Info_Activism) August 22, 2023
- X’s check mark policy is fueling disinformation (IJNet, 22 August)
- Elon Musk's Shadow Rule (The New Yorker, 21 August)
- Elon Musk admits X ‘may fail’ after glitch deletes Twitter photos (The Guardian, 21 August)
Meta
- Thailand threatens Facebook with legal action over alleged scams (Reuters, 21 August)
- Threads: Meta to launch web version of flagging Threads app (BBC, 22 August)