The ongoing scandals over data privacy, in which social media giants were found to be (among other things) flooding selected readers with hypertargeted and corrosive political advertising, is still unfolding — and it will continue to evolve for some time as new pieces of evidence and data are unearthed and put together to get a …
Foreign Influence Operations Infiltrated, Polarized Online Communities Read More »
Imagine, if you will: A presidential election in which even the most basic facts are riddled with confusing disinformation, a far-right candidate appealing to authoritarians and repulsing many women with misogynistic comments, and connections to political aspirants such as Marine Le Pen and Steve Bannon. This is Brazil in 2018, and the person who was …
Brazil Holds Election Amid Disinformation, Propaganda Crisis Read More »
In early October 2018, many people in the United States and abroad were closely watching the twists and turns around a Supreme Court nomination as multiple women accused the nominee of committing or abetting sexual assault. Almost immediately, bots, trolls, and useful idiots picked up on the controversy, muddying the waters with rumors, gossip, and …
Were the Obamas Forced to Surrender Their Law Licenses? Read More »
The “Star Wars” franchise was not immune from the sort of controversy that has seeped into every tiny nook and cranny of the American public discourse, thanks to the ubiquity of social media and those who wish to exploit conflicts in order to create chaos. In that vein, the film Star Wars: The Last Jedi was …
Bots, Trolls Propelled Faux ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Controversy Read More »
The practice of incinerating medical waste has been fused with antisemitic conspiracy theories in order to produce a distasteful narrative about abortion.
Several versions of a story about a Muslim man who disrupted a concert in the Netherlands to invite Queen Beatrix of Holland to the Islamic faith. Some versions say that the man was the orchestra conductor and that all the members of the orchestra walked off the stage in a sign of solidarity.
