social media

Russia Is Using ‘Digital Repression’ to Suppress Dissent

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As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, an information war is raging alongside the physical fighting. Russia’s recent attempts to spread disinformation have not yet found great success in the West. Within the country, however, President Vladimir Putin’s regime is controlling the narrative through censorship, state control of media and other forms of digital repression. … Read more

Russia Is Having Less Success at Spreading Social Media Disinformation

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Days after Russia invaded Ukraine, multiple social media platforms—including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube—announced they had dismantled coordinated networks of accounts spreading disinformation. These networks, which were comprised of fabricated accounts disguised with fake names and AI-generated profile images or hacked accounts, were sharing suspiciously similar anti-Ukraine talking points, suggesting they were being controlled by centralized … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Is Russia winning the disinformation war?

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Russia has flooded social media with disinformation as part of its offensive on Ukraine, but unlike its previous campaigns to spread falsehoods, few people seem to be falling for it Technology | Analysis 25 February 2022 By Chris Stokel-Walker A fire in a building in Chuguiv, Ukraine, after Russian bombing on 24 February ARIS MESSINIS/AFP … Read more

Cyberattack Misinformation Could Be Plan for Ukraine Invasion

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Last week U.S. officials claimed the Russian government was planning to publish a video of a staged “attack” by Ukrainian forces. The officials said their announcement was an attempt to preemptively halt a misinformation campaign that could serve as a pretext for Russian forces to invade. Such propaganda campaigns have been used in wars throughout … Read more

How Targeted Advertising on Social Media Drives People to Extremes

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The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. Have you had the experience of looking at some product online and then seeing ads for it all over your social media feed? Far from coincidence, these instances of eerily accurate advertising provide glimpses into the behind-the-scenes mechanisms … Read more

Anti-trolling law: Australian legislation could be used to target political critics

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A law intended to tackle anonymous trolls on social media is unlikely to stop online bullying, but it could allow Australian government ministers to continue a trend of suing their critics Technology | Analysis 7 December 2021 By Alice Klein Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 2 December 2021 MICK TSIKAS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Australia’s prime minister Scott … Read more