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News on Credibility and Trust
A judge in the Tverskoy Court of Moscow has ruled to ban Meta based on Facebook and Instagram for engaging in “extremist activities,” as initially reported by Russian state-owned media outlet TASS. Judge Olga Solopova said “The court has ruled to grant the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office’s lawsuit,” according to Interfax. The ban will block Meta from […]
By Emma Roth and Richard LawlerThere is widespread agreement among ethicists and tech advocates that responsible AI principles requires fairness, transparency, privacy, human safety, and explanability. But it is not always clear how to operationalize these broad principles or how to handle situations when conflicts arise between them. Moving from the abstract to the concrete when developing algorithms often presents […]
Less than a day after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, the head of security at Meta (formerly Facebook) announced the company would no longer accept ad money from Russian state media outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik. Twitter said it would pause all ads from both Russia and Ukraine. And the next day, 26 […]
By April Glaser, Joan Donovan, and Jenna RuddockRussia was expected to ban Instagram early Monday. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, said, “We need to ensure the psychological health of citizens, especially children and adolescents, to protect them from harassment and insults online.” In a video response, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said, “The Russian government has decided to block Instagram in Russia, cutting off […]
By Tom JonesOn February 24, the hacker collective Anonymous declared cyberwar on Russia, claiming that it was targeting state TV stations, government ministries, and banks in a series of retaliatory strikes for Russia’s cyberattacks on Ukrainian government websites and businesses. The term “cyberwar” may have sounded like hyperbole, but international legal experts tell Rest of World that […]
By Vittoria ElliottLast week, Russia passed a law making it a major crime to publish what it deems “fake” news about the country’s military. Violators could face 15 years in prison. And what is “fake” news, exactly? That’s up to Russian authorities. Reportedly, it will include any references to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that call it an […]
By Will OremusFrom simple labeling to links to third-party sites for accurate information to outright blocking, social media platforms continue to test different ways to keep users informed about content containing mis- and disinformation. A lot of these efforts — often, by the companies’ own admission — have proven less than fruitful. Now, a new study that […]
By Shraddha ChakradharRussian disinformation often begins with a speck of fact, which is then twisted into a full-blown conspiracy theory. The technique makes it easier to spread and take root among the country’s supporters. Note how quickly the party line uttered by the Russian Foreign Ministry was embraced by Carlson. In this instance, Russia for years has […]
By Glenn KesslerMisinformation ricochets around the internet during any world event or political conflict — that’s nothing new — but TikTok poses new challenges, thanks to an algorithm that doesn’t favor breaking news and how it limits users’ interactions with each other. So when misleading videos or false accounts of what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine […]
By Kayleigh BarberJoin us for a weekly webinar series organized by the Program on Democracy and the Internet (PDI) at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center (CPC) and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Cyber Initiative. The webinar will take place every Tuesday, starting January 11th from 12 PM – 1 PM PST over Zoom. This quarter, we feature […]
Sometimes fighting a common enemy can unite a country, inspiring solidarity, bravery, and sacrifice. Ordinary citizens become heroes; leaders become icons. But sometimes—like in the United States right now—a common enemy wins by exploiting divisions. As the US faced down a global viral threat two years ago, its people and leaders couldn’t seem more factious […]
By Beth Mole