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More and more countries are mounting disinformation campaigns online
[...] That's a long way of saying that I forgive you if you'd like to skip today's news and instead just read nothing but explainers and Twitter threads about impeachment. It's kind of the biggest story in the world right now, and it will all play out in new and exciting and probably terrifying ways across all our big social platforms, and if you want to read some speculation on how I'd point you to this savvy Kevin Roose piece on the subject (further excerpted below).
But say you've finished your impeachment reading for the day and are eager to luxuriate in a good old-fashioned tale of platform-based information warfare. In that case may I please recommend a new report from researchers at Oxford University on the usage of disinformation campaigns by governments around the world. And usage is ... well, I bet you can guess!
Here's Davey Alba and Adam Satariano in the New York Times:
The researchers compiled information from news organizations, civil society groups and governments to create one of the most comprehensive inventories of disinformation practices by governments around the world. They found that the number of countries with political disinformation campaigns more than doubled to 70 in the last two years, with evidence of at least one political party or government entity in each of those countries engaging in social media manipulation.
In addition, Facebook remains the No. 1 social network for disinformation, the report said. Organized propaganda campaigns were found on the platform in 56 countries.
You can read the report yourself here. Personally I found it useful to just read a straightforward guide to the varieties of state-sponsored information attacks — most of which have long been in use, of course, by more garden-variety trolls.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RamiK on Wednesday October 02 2019, @06:39PM (3 children)
Who said anything about general corruption? We're talking about being liars and behind the times in the context of waging information warfare as a nation. That's to say, not simply lying to your own constituents. But rather, having a state funded program that manipulates public opinion, in and abroad, through social media via pushing talk points and a national agenda while discrediting the opposition's points with half-truths and lies.
Putting aside the means, it's most certainly the case that most governments simply lack significant enough needs to justify such programs. I mean, most EU members... Canada... most Asian & African nations... What do they have to obfuscate that they can afford to obfuscate in terms of costs and risks if exposed? For them, the industries make due with hiring advertising agencies to deal with lobbies, politicians and boardrooms level corruption well enough.
I mean, just look at that list of nations. They either have skeletons or at least have well funded enemies and need to defend against propaganda with counter propaganda. But other than that, why bother? War is money going down the drain. Not everyone is fine with that.
compiling...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday October 02 2019, @07:56PM (2 children)
Such programs exist at any scale. They just don't have the manpower and have to do things themselves or have "a guy" mostly rather than having a department.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RamiK on Wednesday October 02 2019, @08:27PM (1 child)
You see that "Disinformation Campaigns Online" in the title? The high/medium/low capacity distinction is the difference between having a guy running around doing public relations damage control and posting #MAGA style twitts versus full time contractors billing by the millions and campaigning the spread of very deliberate FUD backed by everything from selective reports to fake news 24/7.
The difference in proportions between high and low capacity here is between a standing army that's equipped and trains for offensive ground warfare and 3 Mounties in a forestry station that patrol the maple orchards armed with a radio to report any sighting of bears and such. The guys not in the list don't even have that.
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(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday October 02 2019, @11:09PM
Doesn't take but one lie you want to believe to make you look like an idiot. Small scale organizations don't need to canvas the entire world to be effective, only those whose views matter. For a small town, one person could handle the entire load.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.