Tag: misinformation
79 articles
Journalism Standards Erode as Influence Outpaces Accountability
As journalism's influence grows, its accountability and standards are eroding, threatening the very foundations of the profession. The lines between journalism and online posting are blurring, with the law increasingly distinguishing between traditional journalistic practices and social media activity.
Cybersecurity Reframing Fuels Governance Risks
The growing trend of treating social and regulatory issues as cybersecurity threats is blurring the lines between policy debates and governance, with far-reaching consequences. From misinformation to child safety laws, an increasing array of problems are being reframed as cybersecurity risks, changing the way we approach governance and policy.
Convicted Election Clerk Vows to Fight Felony Record
Tina Peters, the convicted election clerk, is vowing to fight her felony record, despite Governor Polis commuting her prison sentence. In her first public interview since the commutation, Peters remained unapologetic, reasserting her claims about elections and hinting at a new legal battle to clear her name.
Nobel Economist Warns AI Exacerbates Disinformation Crisis
Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz warns that AI is supercharging the disinformation crisis, echoing his famous phrase "garbage in, garbage out." Without government intervention, AI will only worsen the spread of false information, threatening the very fabric of our information ecosystem.
Researchers Warn of Emerging Exploit Threats After AI-Enabled Zero-Day Discovery
BleepingComputer issued a swift correction, retracting a report of a new data breach at Instructure due to reliance on outdated information from a prior incident, and expressed regret for the error. The incorrect story was pulled shortly after publication.
Critical AI Deepfake Risks Exposed as Big Tech Fails to Provide Answers
As AI-generated deepfakes become increasingly sophisticated, the risk of being deceived has never been higher - and it's clear that Big Tech is struggling to keep up. With misinformation spreading like a virus, it's time for tech giants to take responsibility and work towards effective countermeasures.
FCC Warns: Exclusive Threat of False Radio Alerts
The FCC is sounding the alarm on false radio alerts—here’s how to spot bogus broadcasts and protect yourself from dangerous misinformation on the airwaves.
AI and Voter Engagement: Must-Have Strategies for Success
AI can supercharge voter engagement—translating policy, targeting outreach, and lowering barriers to participation—but without guardrails its power for hyper‑targeted persuasion and synthetic media could erode trust; here’s how to keep the gains and stop the harms.
Scientists Must Outline a Stunning, Best-Case Vision for AI
Scientists must sketch a bold, best-case vision for artificial intelligence—one that amplifies human dignity, defends democracy, and shares prosperity instead of enabling deepfakes, surveillance, and exploitation.
rewire democracy: Exclusive Best Reforms
Join Nathan E. Sanders and me in Cambridge on October 22 for talks at Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center and a book signing at Cambridge Public Library, then tune in online on October 23 for a virtual discussion with Data & Society as we unpack how algorithms, platforms, and data are reshaping democracy—and what practical steps can make civic systems more resilient.
social media surveillance: Shocking, Risky Overreach
Imagine a world where a joke or complaint could trigger visa revocation — that’s now a real risk as U.S. agencies turn automated social‑media scans into tools for immigration enforcement. The Brookings report warns this scale and machine‑driven scrutiny can misread context, chill speech, and impose life‑altering consequences without clear oversight.
AI in public life: Must-Have Guide to Best Safeguards
Bruce Schneier warns that AI is already reshaping politics, institutions, and what it means to be a citizen — and his new book urges everyone to join the conversation before these systems write the rules for us. Dive into the early chapters, share your thoughts, and help steer whether AI rewires democracy for the public good or for powerful interests.
Rewiring Democracy: Stunning Risks Ahead
What if the platforms that expanded our public square began shaping what we think? In Rewiring Democracy, Bruce Schneier shows how AI-driven persuasion, automated governance, and synthetic media could rewrite politics — and urges us to decide who will redraw our democratic wiring.
Generative AI: Stunning, Risky Redesign of Politics
AI is already reshaping how campaigns persuade, personalize, and mislead voters—if we don’t act, the next election could be redesigned by synthetic media and automated messaging. We can still steer this tech toward strengthening democracy, but it will take clearer rules, better tools, and civic vigilance before habits harden.
data poisoning: Risky, Stunning Threat to LLMs
Anthropic warns that just a few malicious pages—roughly 250—can poison a 13B LLM and make it produce persistent gibberish or adversarial outputs, a wake‑up call to shore up the messy data supply chains behind today’s AI.
Elon Musks X: Stunning, Risky Government Exit Looms
A senior UK minister has warned the government may pull its presence from Elon Musk’s X amid concerns over violence and disinformation, forcing a rethink of how officials communicate and hold platforms to account. With the Online Safety Act in play, ministers must balance public trust against the risk of ceding the conversation to bad actors.
Online Safety Act: Must-Have or Risky Weakness?
Charities warn Ofcom’s cautious enforcement of the Online Safety Act could leave vulnerable people exposed — will the regulator use its sweeping powers to bite or merely bark? Parliament is pushing for clearer escalation and faster remedies as charities, tech teams and platforms clash over whether enforcement will actually protect children and curb online harm.
Russian troll operation: Stunning Threat to Democracy
A former Florida deputy is reportedly at the center of a sprawling Russian-backed fake-news operation that’s launched 200+ phony local sites, using AI-aided copy and clever localization to spread lies and sway voters ahead of 2024.
Rewiring Democracy Exclusive Must-Have Signed Copies
Grab a limited signed copy of Bruce Schneier’s Rewiring Democracy—pre-orders are open now and will ship the week of October 20, so secure this collectible that connects you directly to a timely, must-read guide for defending democracy in the digital age.
ChatGPT queries: Stunningly Risky Privacy Leak
Think your private chat with an AI stays private? Not always — companies log, analyze and sometimes share prompts to improve models or run services, which can let sensitive queries leak into public searches. Check your privacy settings, consider paid privacy options, and avoid sharing identifying details if you don’t want your questions to become public.
Online Safety Act Exclusive Ruling: Risky for Wikipedia
The Wikimedia Foundations recent legal setback highlights a critical clash between online safety and the freedom to access information, as the UK’s Online Safety Act aims to impose tougher rules on platforms like Wikipedia. As debates intensify, we find ourselves questioning: how do we protect users while ensuring the free flow of knowledge remains intact?
Online Safety Act: Exclusive Risk to Wikipedia
A recent court ruling that bars the Wikimedia Foundation from exempting itself from the UK’s Online Safety Act has ignited a tense debate over how to keep the internet safe without choking off free, collaborative knowledge. As regulators and platforms wrestle with this balance, the outcome could reshape how we access and share information online.
deepfake detectors: Must-Have Best Defense Against Fakes
Deepfakes are evolving fast—threatening trust, fraud, and reputations—but new detection tools are racing to expose these digital impostors. Learn how experts at DEF CON and beyond are arming everyday users with the tools and know-how to spot and stop dangerous fakes.
AI Impersonation Security: Must-Have Best Protections
When AI can mimic voices and write like humans—as the Marco Rubio impersonation showed—digital trust can evaporate overnight. We need layered defenses now—strong authentication, synthetic-content detection, clear policies, and rapid response—to stop convincing forgeries before they cause real harm.