Selected New York Times articles – week ending June 19th 2019

EU Finds Russian Disinformation, Says Tech Firms Must Do More
Reuters, June 14th 2019, New York Times
Russian online outlets spread disinformation to sway voters in last month’s European Union elections, the bloc said on Friday in a report calling for social media firms to take greater action or risk regulation.

Russia Sought to Use Social Media to Influence E.U. Vote, Report Finds
Adam Satariano, June 14th 2019, New York Times
European authorities blamed Russian groups on Friday for disinformation campaigns designed to depress turnout and sway public opinion in last month’s European Union elections, an official accounting that underscored how Russian interference has not abated and that Facebook and other tech platforms remain vulnerable to meddling.

Russia Dismisses Accusations of Meddling in EU Elections-Newspaper
Reuters, June 16th 2019, New York Times
An official from Russia’s security council described as absurd accusations that Moscow used disinformation to sway voters towards right-wing parties in last month’s European Union elections, Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper reported on Sunday.

Kremlin Says Report on Alleged U.S. Power Grid Incursion Is Worrying
Reuters, June 17th 2019, New York Times
The Kremlin said on Monday that a report in the New York Times newspaper citing sources as saying the United States had inserted potentially disruptive implants into Russia’s power grid showed a cyber war was, in theory, possible.

‘Deepfakes’ Called New Election Threat, With No Easy Fix
Associated Press, June 13th 2019, New York Times
“Deepfake” videos pose a clear and growing threat to America’s national security, lawmakers and experts say. The question is what to do about it, and that’s not easily answered.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg Is the Focus of Latest Doctored Video
Associated Press, June 12th 2019, New York Times
Three weeks after Facebook refused to remove a doctored video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slurring her words, Mark Zuckerberg is getting a taste of his own medicine: fake footage showing him gloating over his one-man domination of the world.

Experts: Spy Used AI-Generated Face to Connect With Targets
Associated Press, June 12th 2019, New York Times
Katie Jones sure seemed plugged into Washington’s political scene. The 30-something redhead boasted a job at a top think tank and a who’s-who network of pundits and experts, from the centrist Brookings Institution to the right-wing Heritage Foundation. She was connected to a deputy assistant secretary of state, a senior aide to a senator and the economist Paul Winfree, who is being considered for a seat on the Federal Reserve.