Virginia Tech: Study investigates lack of disclaimers on Facebook and Google’s advertising during the 2016 presidential election. “A cloak of mystery often shrouds the inner workings of technological giants, but sometimes clarity is in plain sight. A Virginia Tech research team recently uncovered conclusive details about the roles Facebook, Google, and the Federal Election Commission played in digital advertising around the U.S. presidential election of 2016.” This is quite an interesting read.
elections
Lethbridge News Now: Elections Canada scraps social media ‘influencers’ to encourage youth vote
Lethbridge News Now: Elections Canada scraps social media ‘influencers’ to encourage youth vote. “Elections Canada is scrapping plans to use social media ‘influencers’ to persuade young Canadians to register to vote in this fall’s federal election. Chief electoral officer Stephane Perrault says a final vetting of 13 people chosen for the campaign turned up some past activities that could be seen as partisan.”
The New York Times: Russia Sought to Use Social Media to Influence E.U. Vote, Report Finds
The New York Times: Russia Sought to Use Social Media to Influence E.U. Vote, Report Finds. “European authorities blamed Russian groups on Friday for disinformation campaigns designed to depress turnout and sway public opinion in last month’s European Union elections, an official accounting that underscored how Russian interference has not abated and that Facebook and other tech platforms remain vulnerable to meddling.”
Stanford University: Ahead of the 2020 election, Stanford experts urge a concerted, national response to confront foreign interference
Stanford University: Ahead of the 2020 election, Stanford experts urge a concerted, national response to confront foreign interference. “Scholars from Stanford University put forward a comprehensive strategy for what needs to be done to protect the integrity and independence of U.S. elections, with a keen focus on the upcoming presidential campaign in 2020.”
Brookings: Deepfakes, social media, and the 2020 election
Brookings: Deepfakes, social media, and the 2020 election. “What happens when you mix easy access to increasingly sophisticated technology for producing deepfake videos, a high-stakes election, and a social media ecosystem built on maximizing views, likes, and shares? America is about to find out.”
NBC News: Russian trolls who interfered in 2016 U.S. election also made ad money, report says
NBC News: Russian trolls who interfered in 2016 U.S. election also made ad money, report says. “The effort by a Russian internet deception factory to manipulate American public opinion during the 2016 election was better planned and executed — and also more lucrative — than previously understood, according to a new analysis of nearly 10 million tweets by a leading cybersecurity firm.”
Canada News Wire: The Globe and Mail relaunches browser extension to monitor Facebook ads ahead of Canadian election (PRESS RELEASE)
Canada News Wire: The Globe and Mail relaunches browser extension to monitor Facebook ads ahead of Canadian election (PRESS RELEASE). “The Globe and Mail is pleased to announce the relaunch of the Facebook Political Ad Collector (FBPAC), an online tool designed to monitor political advertising on Facebook. The collector, a web browser extension that can be downloaded by users, was built in 2017 by ProPublica as a tool to help create more transparency about the modern electoral landscape. With this relaunch, The Globe and Mail takes ownership of the tool, with an eye to bolstering its coverage of political advertising in the lead-up to the Canadian federal election in October, 2019.”
