disinformation
The Internet Is Failing Moms-to-Be
Even as a disinformation researcher, I was surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of manipulation in pregnancy apps.
Researchers Have a Method to Spot Reddit’s State-Backed Trolls
Academics claim they can sniff out the telltale signs of troll-like behavior. But is it really as simple as monitoring cute animal postings?
How Iran Tried to Undermine the 2020 US Presidential Election
From faked emails to a hacked voter registration database, a new indictment offers fresh details on the attempted interference.
That Glowing Patient Testimonial May Not Be What It Seems
People receiving medical treatment shouldn’t have to drum up new business for their doctors—it's time to hold the industry to a higher standard.
‘Ghostwriter’ Looks Like a Purely Russian Op—Except It's Not
Security researchers have found signs that the pervasive hacking and misinformation campaign comes not from Moscow but from Minsk.
Prince Harry ‘Warned’ Jack Dorsey Before the Capitol Riots
At the RE:WIRED conference, the Duke of Sussex spoke with Stanford's Renee DiResta and activist Rashad Robinson about misinformation's deadly consequences.
What Is Critical Race Theory? Start Here
With CRT at the forefront of national debate, these free online resources will bring you up to speed.
Dystopia Is Upon Us. Are You Ready?
From constant surveillance to algorithms that decide what we see, society is entering territory reserved for fictional dystopias. Here's how to push back.
Telegram Is Becoming a Cesspool of Anti-Semitic Content
A new report shows that channels devoted to anti-Jewish conspiracy theories are growing at an alarming rate. Why won’t the platform take action?
In Kenya, Influencers Are Hired to Spread Disinformation
It’s a lucrative gig for content creators, who can make $10 to $15 a day by smearing journalists and activists on social media.
Can the Wisdom of Crowds Help Fix Social Media’s Trust Issue?
A new study finds that small groups of laypeople can match or surpass the work of professional fact checkers—and they can do it at scale.
‘Prebunking’ Health Misinformation Tropes Can Stop Their Spread
Preemptively familiarizing people with centuries-old anti-vaccine narratives may be more effective than retroactive fact-checking.
China Aims Its Propaganda Firehose at the BBC
The alleged digital operation has deployed hundreds of websites and social media accounts to attack the broadcaster's reporting.
If YouTube Algorithms Radicalize Users, Data Doesn’t Show It
New research tracking people’s behavior on the platform found that most don’t go down those ever-deepening rabbit holes.
Phantom Warships Are Courting Chaos in Conflict Zones
The latest weapons in the global information war are fake vessels behaving badly.
Who’s Winning the War Between Biden and Facebook? Fox News
Misinformation on the cable channel may be responsible for more vaccine hesitancy than the social network.
Vaccines for Kids, a Global Surge in Cases, and More News
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.
Global Democracies Need to Align to Fight Disinformation
Before authoritarians pollute the 2022 midterms, the US and EU must build a blueprint for democratic internet governance.
US Takedown of Iranian Media Sites Extends a Thorny Precedent
Free speech advocates raised concerns after the Justice Department seized more than 30 domains this week.
Beware Smokescreen Trolling, Trump Followers' Favorite Tactic
Trumpists have weaponized a new technique to win the ideological war. How pro-democracy voices respond to it matters.
To Fight Online Misinformation, Criminalize Voter Suppression
Congress should salvage a provision buried in the rubble of HR1 that would hold platforms liable for election misinformation.
More Content Moderation Is Not Always Better
Simply erasing things from the internet comes at a cost. It might not be worth it.
New Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Are Going Viral in Arabic
Facebook has been criticized for failing to curb misinformation in English. But little attention has been paid to the scale of the problem in Arabic.