DarkReading: Voter Registration Data from 9 States Available for Sale on Dark Web. “Threat intelligence company LookingGlass Cyber Solutions says it has discovered over 40 million voter records from nine different states being traded in an underground forum for stolen credit card data and login credentials. The voter records being offered for sale include the voter’s full first, last and middle name, voter ID, birthdate, voter status, party affiliation, residential address and other details.”
elections
Duterte on use of ‘troll’ army: I have followers (Manila Times)
Manila Times: Duterte on use of ‘troll’ army: I have followers. “PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has denied a report that his administration was using government funds to hire people to defend him on social media even after his election victory. In a press conference after he delivered his State of the Nation Address on Monday, Duterte admitted paying online trolls but said this only happened during the campaign season and not after he was elected.”
Biztech Africa: 9 out of 10 Kenyans have seen fake news about the 2017 general election
Biztech Africa: 9 out of 10 Kenyans have seen fake news about the 2017 general election. “A new study reveals that 90% of Kenyans have seen or heard false news about the 2017 general election, with 87% reporting instances of deliberately false – or fake – news. The Reality of Fake News in Kenya, launched this week in Nairobi, is the first-ever study aimed at quantifying the prevalence and impact of false information during an election campaign in Africa.”
All Africa: Kenya May Shut Off Social Media During August Elections
All Africa: Kenya May Shut Off Social Media During August Elections. “The government may consider shutting off social media during the August 8 General Election in the event it threatens the country’s peace and stability.”
BuzzFeed: Here’s How Labour Ran An Under-The-Radar Dark Ads Campaign During The General Election
BuzzFeed: Here’s How Labour Ran An Under-The-Radar Dark Ads Campaign During The General Election. “During the general election campaign the media focused on how the Conservatives’ Facebook advertising could swing key seats – but Labour campaign sources have revealed to BuzzFeed News how they spent £1.2 million on a similar strategy using in-house software.” I am adding this not because I want ResearchBuzz to be political, but because I want you to be aware of the non-transparent things that are being done on social media to influence voters.
Motherboard: The Same Twitter Bots That Helped Trump Tried to Sink Macron, Researcher Says
Motherboard: The Same Twitter Bots That Helped Trump Tried to Sink Macron, Researcher Says. “New research from Emilio Ferrara, the University of Southern California academic who exposed the role of bots in the 2016 US election, shows that many Trump bots went dark and later turned into MacronLeaks bots. This, Ferrara wrote in a new paper posted to the arXiv preprint server this week (which is currently being peer-reviewed), suggests that there may be a ‘black market’ for right-wing political bots that can lay dormant for months before being activated to promote the next conservative demagogue.”
Politico: Trump voter-fraud panel’s data request a gold mine for hackers, experts warn
Politico: Trump voter-fraud panel’s data request a gold mine for hackers, experts warn. “Cybersecurity specialists are warning that President Donald Trump’s voter-fraud commission may unintentionally expose voter data to even more hacking and digital manipulation.”
