A great summary of the past weeks disinformation and efforts to destabilize the west using the public’s fear over COVID-19 below.  This is from the folks at the Pell Center of Salve Regina University.  You can sign up for their newsletter here. Here are the top stories we’ve seen this week: Coronavirus Russia Aims to...Read More

Ed. note – H/T to a friend of IPA for forwarding these and I’m sure there are many more but a variety of sources is always good.  In this case, the FT, The Hill, and RFE all hitting on the same issue – who’s responsible for this piece of disinformation but, of course, the issues...Read More

Ed. note – To the surprise of exactly no one, the disinformation keeps piling up.  The conditions are ideal for a coordinated campaign to play on fears and to put out information that checks the boxes on our cognitive biases.  Speaking of which, now’s the ideal time to pull out those books you know you...Read More

Ed. note – This one is all about the graphics so use the link in the title below to open up the article and see a great visual representation of the state-sponsored Twitter efforts.  I’ll say it again:  Know whom you are re-tweeting and whom you are following.  Don’t be the hapless dupe. Watch six...Read More

Ed. note – The news in this article below from Fast Company is about a new feature whereby you can ‘tweet’ something that will go away after 24 hours obliterating any record of you having said it.  This runs counter to our belief that the internet should foster greater transparency and accountability and not less....Read More

Ed. note – Here’s my question:  If a ‘shoestring’ operation at a University can figure this out, why can’t the social media companies with all their wealth, power, and AI tools do the same thing?  Well, it’s because they don’t want to – that is the only reason.  It goes without saying but never retweet...Read More

Ed note:  Just in case you thought there was one safe topic free of disinformation in the infosphere, here are two articles that, yes (surprise!), there are those attempting to use the Corona Virus crisis as a means to not only undermine the West but to place the blame on the U.S.  Hint:  Expect to...Read More

Should The U.S. Have a Secretary For Influence Operations? Ed. Note – Oh, we have been through this before and, in the end, find that the issue is not where in DoD this responsibility lies, it’s where in the USG this responsibility lies.  Structurally, we are not set up to undertake this as a coordinated...Read More

Ed note:  I believe many of us have heard anecdotes about this but here’s a rigorous study to back up the belief that yes, bots can change policy.  With better and better algorithms able to write short paragraphs in ‘ok’ English (not great IMO) and vary these paragraphs with each submission but still contain the...Read More

Ed note – There were so many things easier to deal with in the pre-internet age…. From New York Magazine and the Intelligencer column 5 Theories About Conspiracy Theories – Conspiracy theories are a long-established method of organizing and understanding the modern world. – Conspiracy theories are a way for people to exert control over...Read More