Highlights From the Video That Brought Down Austria’s Vice Chancellor
By Christopher F. Schuetze, May 18th 2019, New York Times
A secretly filmed video that led Heinz-Christian Strache, Austria’s far-right vice chancellor, to step down on Saturday is filled with eyebrow-raising moments, according to excerpts published by the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Since the Freedom Party came to power, it has had an antagonistic relationship with the news media. The crux of the conversation in 2017 was about the woman taking over the tabloid Kronen Zeitung.
Israeli Disinformation Campaign Targeted Nigerian Election
By The Associated Press, May 17th 2019, New York Times
A U.S. think tank that analyzes misinformation online said Friday that an Israel-based influence campaign busted by Facebook had stumped for the winning candidate in the February 2019 Nigerian presidential elections.
Facebook Busts Israel-Based Campaign to Disrupt Elections
By The Associated Press, May 16th, 2019, New York Times
Facebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation.
Facebook’s A.I. Whiz Now Faces the Task of Cleaning It Up. Sometimes That Brings Him to Tears.
Cade Metz and Mike Isaac, May 17th 2019, New York Times
Facebook has heralded artificial intelligence as a solution to its toxic content problems. Mike Schroepfer, its chief technology officer, says it won’t solve everything.
Amazon Faces Investor Pressure Over Facial Recognition
Natasha Singer, May 20th 2019, New York Times
Facial recognition software is coming under increasing scrutiny from civil liberties groups and lawmakers. Now Amazon, one of the most visible purveyors of the technology, is facing pressure from another corner as well: its own shareholders.
Google, Facebook, Twitter Rapped for Not Doing Enough in EU Fake News Fight
By Reuters, May 17th, 2019, New York Times
Facebook, Google and Twitter were reprimanded by the European Commission on Friday for not doing enough to tackle fake news plaguing the election campaign to the European Parliament, seven months after promising to do more.
Canada’s Trudeau Pledges ‘Consequences’ for Disinformation on Online Platforms
By Reuters, May 17th, 2019, New York Times
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday promised that efforts to regulate social media in Canada would include “meaningful financial consequences” for online platforms that fail to counter disinformation.