By Freddy Brewster
CalMatters
One post on YouTube claimed a voter registered to vote under a fake name. A tweet alleged thousands of 2020 ballots were tossed out. Another tweet claimed a voter used an alias to vote in person.
These are just a few of two dozen social media posts deemed to be misinfor
In summary
California worked with social media companies, created an internal database and developed threat levels to fight 2020 election misinformation.
One post on YouTube claimed a voter registered to vote under a fake name. A tweet alleged thousands of 2020 ballots were tossed out. Another tweet claimed a voter used an alias to vote in person.
These are just a few of two dozen social media posts deemed to be misinformation and removed from online platforms this year at the request of a newly formed cybersecurity team within the California Secretary of State’s office.
The Office of Election Cybersecurity in the California Secretary of State’s office monitored and tracked social media posts, decided if they were misinformation, stored the posts in an internal database coded by threat level, and on 31 different occasions requested posts be removed. In 24 cases, the social media companies agreed and either took down the posts or flagged them as misinformation, according to
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One post on YouTube claimed a voter registered to vote under a fake name. A tweet alleged thousands of 2020 ballots were tossed out. Another tweet claimed a voter used an alias to vote in person.
These are just a few of two dozen social media posts deemed to be misinformation and removed from online platforms this year at the request of a newly formed cybersecurity team within the California Secretary of State’s office.
The Office of Election Cybersecurity in the California Secretary of State’s office monitored and tracked social media posts, decided if they were misinformation, stored the posts in an internal database coded by threat level, and on 31 different occasions requested posts be removed. In 24 cases, the social media companies agreed and either took down the posts or flagged them as misinformation, according to Jenna Dresner, senior public information officer for the Office of Election Cybersecurity.
The writer is director of Bolo Bhi, an advocacy forum for digital rights.
A DETAILED investigation published this month by a European NGO revealed a disinformation network active for over 15 years primarily targeted at the European Union and United Nations in pushing Indian interests, and undermining the reputation and stance of Pakistan and China in key European capitals.
Whereas disinformation and propaganda campaigns are nothing new in the international relations arena, it is highly concerning how sophisticated strategies are being employed by Indian groups using a mix of traditional platforms such as the UN system and defunct NGOs, in combination with new technology where fake media outlets are created in 119 countries and promoted on social media.
France Is Flooding Africa With Fake News
The former colonial power isn’t just a victim of Russian disinformation. It’s waging a similar propaganda campaign in Mali and other countries in the Sahel region.
CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/AFP/Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron visits Operation Barkhane troops in Northern Mali in May 2017. On May 5, 2017, the French political scene was upended by what became known as
MacronLeaks, a cache of more than 21,000 emails hacked from Emmanuel Macron’s political associates. It was two days before the final round of voting in the presidential election and just hours before a legally mandated election-news blackout was set to begin: prime time to try to spread rumor and scandal on French social media. Attributed to Russian hackers, who used bots to promote the material on Twitter, Facebook, and 4chan, the leak was seized upon by supporters of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. The leak, which helped spread unsubstantiated rumors of