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02
Apr

COVID-19 Cognitive Security

From the folks at the International Association of Certified ISAOs.  They have created a new area for Cognitive Security with the participation of an IPA Trustee.

 

COGNITIVE SECURITY ISAO – COVID-19 DISINFORMATION / MISINFORMATION
CORONAVIRUS FACTS DATABASE”

 
Here is the database that gathers all of the falsehoods that have been detected by the CoronaVirusFacts/DatosCoronaVirus alliance.  This database unites fact-checkers in more than 70 countries and includes articles published in at least 40 languages.
 
GOOGLE:  Spending $6.5 Million on Efforts Devoted to Combating Coronavirus Misinformation
 
Google announced Thursday the company will spend $6.5 million on various efforts aimed at combating online misinformation involving the deadly ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
 
Alexios Mantzarlis, the head of news and information credibility for Google’s News Lab, said the amount will be paid to fact-checkers and nonprofit organizations as part of a broader effort by the tech titan to help people around the globe access and understand information about the outbreak.
74 Journalism Professors:  Accuse Fox News of Spreading COVID-19 Misinformation
 
Dozens of journalism professors and working journalists signed an open letter to Fox News heads Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch on Thursday, bashing the network’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic as a “danger to public health.”
 
“Viewers of Fox News, including the president of the United States, have been regularly subjected to misinformation relayed by the network—false statements downplaying the prevalence of COVID-19 and its harms; misleading recommendations of activities that people should undertake to protect themselves and others, including casual recommendations of untested drugs; false assessments of the value of measures urged upon the public by their elected political leadership and public health authorities,” the letter reads.
In the letter, the group cites multiple surveys, including a recent Pew Research poll in which 79 percent of Fox News viewers reported that they believed that the media had overstated the potency of the virus. It also cited that the average age for Fox News viewers is 65. Senior citizens are one of the two most at-risk demographics to experience fatal complications from the virus, the other being people with underlying health conditions.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA:  Full of Bots Spreading COVID-19 Anxiety – DON’T FALL FOR IT
 
Recently Facebook, Reddit, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube committed to removing coronavirus-related misinformation from their platforms.
 
COVID-19 is being described as the first major pandemic of the social media age. In troubling times, social media helps distribute vital knowledge to the masses. Unfortunately, this comes with myriad misinformation, much of which is spread through social media bots.
These fake accounts are common on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They have one goal: to spread fear and fake news.
Bot Sentinel is a website that uses machine learning to identify potential Twitter bots, using a score and rating. According to the site, on March 26 bot accounts were responsible for 828 counts of #coronavirus, 544 counts of #COVID19 and 255 counts of #Coronavirus hashtags within 24 hours.
These hashtags respectively took the 1st, 3rd and 7th positions of all top-trolled Twitter hashtags.
It’s important to note the actual number of coronavirus-related bot tweets are likely much higher, as Bot Sentinel only recognises hashtag terms (such as #coronavirus), and wouldn’t pick up on “coronavirus”, “COVID19” or “Coronavirus”.
Additional Information on Bots –
COVERING CORONAVIRUS:  An Online course for Journalists To Produce Credible Coverage – FREE COURSE
 
This online course gives journalists the practical tools, techniques and advice they need to tackle the infodemic and produce credible coverage on coronavirus.
Alongside the rapid spread of the coronavirus, an “infodemic” is also on the march. Misleading or incorrect information about the disease, how it spreads and how we can protect ourselves against is increasing. We are also overwhelmed by accurate sources of information about the pandemic. This complex digital environment presents challenges to journalists and reporters. But we can work together to meet them.
First Draft has designed “Covering coronavirus: An online course for journalists” to help newsroom and communications professionals tackle the challenge posed by this infodemic. The course explains how and why false information spreads and provides tools and techniques for monitoring and verifying information online. It also offers advice on how those covering the crisis every day can protect their own mental and emotional well being.
By creating this practical online course, we hope to help journalists slow the spread of misinformation and produce credible and reliable coverage for their audiences, at the time they need it most. Sign up now at covid.firstdraftnews.org.
How to understand “information disorder,” and how/why false information spreads
How to monitor for coronavirus-related information on the social web
How to monitor for coronavirus-related information on the social web
How to look after your own mental health while covering a pandemic
PUTIN SEEKING TO CREATE NEW WORLD ORDER:  With ‘Rouge States’ Amid Coronativus Virus…Report Claims
 
On Wednesday, an updated report from the EU’s foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service, claimed countries including Russia and China were spreading disinformation about the coronavirus crisis.
 
The EU recorded more than 150 cases of pro-Kremlin disinformation on COVID-19 between the end of January and the end of March, the report said.
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his administration are using the coronavirus crisis to spread conspiracy theories in a bid to “subvert the West” and create a new world order, a new report has alleged.
In an article published Wednesday by The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, it’s claimed Russia has been “churning out propaganda that blames the West for creating the virus.” The report’s author, Sergey Sukhankin, said the state was propagating disinformation and conspiracy theories via social media accounts, fake news outlets, state-controlled media, pseudo-scientists and Russians living in the West. The Kremlin has previously denied such claims.
“Putin’s larger goal in spreading propaganda and conspiracy theories is to subvert the West,” Sukhankin said.
“Russia seeks to seriously damage the solidarity among EU members and capitalize on any internal European weaknesses to promote broader conflicts. COVID-19 is seen as an ideal way for Russia to deal a powerful blow not only to the EU, but to inflict damage on the ties between Europe and its North American allies.”
Moscow also wanted revenge on the West for economic sanctions that were imposed on Russia for various reasons, including its annexation of Crimea, Sukhankin added, warning that the Kremlin saw an opportunity amid the crisis to unravel the current world order.
Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Keyu Jin, associate professor of economics at the London School of Economics, also claimed that China saw the coronavirus crisis as the “opportunity of the century” to establish a new role for itself on the international stage.
APRIL 2020 REPORT –
COVID-19 AS A TOOL OF INFORMATION CONFRONTATION:  Russia’s Approach
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