COMMENTARY: How Government Outreach Can Combat Election Disinformation, by Shamia Naidoo, published in NEXTGOV/FCW (Available Here)
In this commentary, Shamia Nadoo, Head of Cloud Strategy and Innovation at cybersecurity firm Netskope, discusses the urgent need for better solutions to counteract election disinformation exacerbated by AI. Naidoo emphasizes the importance of non-partisan, accessible and easily understandable messaging to educate citizens about disinformation. Naidoo also proposes comprehensive education and awareness campaigns modeled on successful cybersecurity training programs to help the public recognize and resist manipulative content.
NEWS: Misinformation Posted To Twitter Comes From 'Superspreader' Accounts, Say Researchers, Amid Warnings For Future Of Content Moderation On X, by Brianna-Morris Grant, published by ABC News (Available Here)
This news story reports on a study revealing that just 10 “superspreader” accounts were responsible for more than 34% of misinformation on Twitter in 2020. Researchers from the University of Indiana and the University of Exeter analyzed over 2 million tweets finding that most low credibility content was posted by a small number of people, which the report characterizes as “consist[ing] largely of anonymous hyper-partisan accounts but also high-profile political pundits and strategists”. The report also highlights the challenges facing X in removing content, especially in light of measures that weakened moderation and enforcement teams under Elon Musk's ownership.
ANALYSIS: The Missing Human In Misinformation Fixes, by Luke Munn, published in Scientific American (Available Here)
In this analysis, researcher Luke Munn critiques current misinformation solutions arguing they target an idealized human who doesn't actually exist. Solutions often assume humans are purely rational and ethical, leading to reliance on fact-checking and moral appeals. However, Munn emphasizes, real people are driven by emotions, group loyalties, and biases. Munn calls for a richer understanding of human nature in addressing misinformation, incorporating insights from multiple disciplines to create more effective interventions. He stresses that misinformation is a complex social issue that cannot be solved with simple, one-size-fits-all solutions.
