Algorithms and Automation
Automation is a crucial tool of many disinformation campaigns, while algorithms are the complex sets of rules that affect what we see online. Because algorithms are designed by humans, they may reproduce biases and ideologies while making those biases seem natural. Researchers are also exploring how algorithms and automation can be used to study misinformation or counter malicious uses of the same kinds of tools.
Live Research Review
Teaching & Learning
Explore course modules, handouts, teaching tools and syllabi about dis- and misinformation.
Latest News on Algorithms and Automation
The NYU Ad Observatory released new data this week about the inputs the Trump and Biden campaigns are using to target audiences for ads on Facebook. It’s a jumble of broad and specific characteristics ranging from the extremely wide (“any users between the ages of 18-65”) to particular traits (people with an “interest in Lin-Manuel […]
By Tate Ryan-Mosley
Over the course of 3 years, a mix of pranksters and extremists (right wing) launched a butterfly attack campaign as part of a meme war to muddy the waters in an organic Black Twitter hashtag, and utilized digital blackface to amplify memes workshopped on 4chan. Overall, the campaign targeted Black activists and communities online in […]
By Brandi Collins-Dexter
This new position at Data & Society is an opportunity for a mid-career or senior scholar, or team of two scholars, to define and shape a field of inquiry through the commissioning or curating of a body of work related to new perspectives on algorithmic governance and grounded in empirical research. The Public Fellow will […]
By Data & Society
Data & Society is seeking a consultant to advise leadership, management, and staff around advancing anti-racist policies at Data & Society. We expect that this individual or organization has the ability to work alongside the Human Resources Manager, the Executive Director, and our organizational managers to guide us through the process of developing a strategic plan with […]
By Data & Society
Strategic information operations (e.g. disinformation, political propaganda, and other forms of online manipulation) are critical concerns for researchers in social cyber security. Two strategies, spoofing and astroturfing, are often employed in disinformation campaigns to discredit truthful narratives, confuse audiences, and manipulate opinions by censoring critics’ voices or using one-sided testimonials. This study analyzes patterns of […]
By Nazim Choudhury, Kin Wai Ng, and Adriana Iamnitchi
The NYU Ad Observatory released new data this week about the inputs the Trump and Biden campaigns are using to target audiences for ads on Facebook. It’s a jumble of broad and specific characteristics ranging from the extremely wide (“any users between the ages of 18-65”) to particular traits (people with an “interest in Lin-Manuel […]
By Tate Ryan-MosleyOver the course of 3 years, a mix of pranksters and extremists (right wing) launched a butterfly attack campaign as part of a meme war to muddy the waters in an organic Black Twitter hashtag, and utilized digital blackface to amplify memes workshopped on 4chan. Overall, the campaign targeted Black activists and communities online in […]
By Brandi Collins-DexterThis new position at Data & Society is an opportunity for a mid-career or senior scholar, or team of two scholars, to define and shape a field of inquiry through the commissioning or curating of a body of work related to new perspectives on algorithmic governance and grounded in empirical research. The Public Fellow will […]
By Data & SocietyData & Society is seeking a consultant to advise leadership, management, and staff around advancing anti-racist policies at Data & Society. We expect that this individual or organization has the ability to work alongside the Human Resources Manager, the Executive Director, and our organizational managers to guide us through the process of developing a strategic plan with […]
By Data & SocietyStrategic information operations (e.g. disinformation, political propaganda, and other forms of online manipulation) are critical concerns for researchers in social cyber security. Two strategies, spoofing and astroturfing, are often employed in disinformation campaigns to discredit truthful narratives, confuse audiences, and manipulate opinions by censoring critics’ voices or using one-sided testimonials. This study analyzes patterns of […]
By Nazim Choudhury, Kin Wai Ng, and Adriana Iamnitchi