misinformation

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Russia Made Fake Video of Man Destroying Trump Ballots: US

Intelligence agencies warn of more misinformation efforts before election

(Newser) - A viral video appearing to show mail-in ballots being destroyed in a Pennsylvania suburb is a Russian hoax, US intelligence officials say. The deception is part of Russia's campaign to help Donald Trump's presidential campaign, a senior official told USA Today . The video shows a stack of sealed...

Armed Militia Reportedly 'Out Hunting FEMA' After Hurricane
Arrest Made in Threats
Against FEMA Workers
updated
Oct 14, 2024 6:05 PM CDT

Arrest Made in Threats Against FEMA Workers

North Carolina officials say there was no armed militia patrolling the area

(Newser) - Law enforcement officials reported Monday that an armed suspect was arrested in western North Carolina on charges of making threats against federal emergency response workers helping with the hurricane recovery. The 44-year-old man was taken into custody at a supermarket where a FEMA bus was parked on Saturday, they said,...

WH on False Helene Rumors: Stop 'Spreading This Poison'

Conspiracy theories about disaster relief abound in the wake of deadly hurricane

(Newser) - As local, state, and federal authorities scramble to help those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene , which killed more than 220 , they've got another problem to deal with: conspiracy theories about relief efforts, per Reuters and CNN . "Disinformation of this kind can discourage people from seeking critical assistance when...

Musk's Feud With Brazil Enters Threat Territory

Nation's high court gives him 24 hours to appoint a legal rep to avoid seeing X suspended there

(Newser) - The clock is ticking for Elon Musk, at least as it pertains to keeping his X social media platform functioning in Brazil. That's because the South American nation's Supreme Court has given the billionaire 24 hours to appoint a legal representative for X in Brazil, or risk seeing...

Zuckerberg: We Stifled COVID Info at White House's Request

Meta CEO alleges White House turned up heat on his teams to take down certain items on COVID

(Newser) - During the height of the pandemic, Meta scrubbed tens of millions of items on Facebook and Instagram that it said pushed misinformation on COVID-19, vaccinations, and the like, with warnings placed on nearly 200 million more pieces of content. Now, the company's CEO is saying that the Biden administration...

A New Hunger Games Book (and Movie) Is Coming

Suzanne Collins' 5th book based in fictional Panem will be out next March

(Newser) - Inspired by an 18th-century Scottish philosopher and the modern scourge of misinformation, Suzanne Collins is returning to the ravaged, postapocalyptic land of Panem for a new Hunger Games novel. Scholastic announced Thursday that Sunrise on the Reaping, the fifth volume of Collins' blockbuster dystopian series, will be published March 18,...

Top Judge in Brazil: Elon Musk Is Inciting Crime on X

Supreme Court justice launches investigation of X owner, who vowed to reinstate blocked accounts

(Newser) - A crusading Brazilian Supreme Court justice included Elon Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news and opened a separate investigation late Sunday into the executive for alleged obstruction, per the AP . In his decision, Justice Alexandre de Moraes noted Musk on Saturday began...

New Report Holds a 'Predominantly Negative Outlook for the World'

World Economic Forum annual risk survey warns of misinformation, aided by AI

(Newser) - Two-thirds of risk specialists see an "elevated chance of global catastrophes" in the next decade. Nearly a third predict the same within the next couple of years. That's according to the World Economic Forum's annual risk survey, which is being widely painted as "gloomy" and "...

Judges Find Administration Probably Violated Free Speech
Administration Can Fight
Online Posts for Now
updated
Oct 20, 2023 4:35 PM CDT

Administration Can Fight Online Posts for Now

Supreme Court says it will consider lawsuit over efforts to take down COVID, election posts

(Newser) - The Supreme Court said Friday it will take up a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of unconstitutionally trying to silence political views it disagrees with on social media, the AP reports. In the meantime, the court said it's blocking a lower court order curbing those efforts to have posts...

2 Lawmakers to Meta, X: Crack Down on Fake AI Political Ads

As plethora of deepfakes spread, Klobuchar, NY rep ask execs to address 'serious concerns'

(Newser) - Deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence are having their moment this year, at least when it comes to making it look, or sound, like celebrities doing something uncanny. Tom Hanks hawking a dental plan. Pope Francis wearing a stylish puffer jacket. Sen. Rand Paul sitting on the Capitol steps in a...

As Elections Approach, Musk's X Makes a 'Concerning' Move

Social media platform decides to nix feature that allows users to report political misinformation

(Newser) - Ahead of a big vote in Australia, not to mention the 2024 election in the US, the X social media site formerly known as Twitter is making a move that has some scratching their heads. Reuters reports the platform has disabled a feature that allows users to report election misinformation,...

Rogan, Musk, RFK Jr. Zero In on One Vaccine Scientist
Rogan, Musk, RFK Jr. Zero In
on One Vaccine Scientist
the rundown
Jun 19, 2023 11:11 AM CDT

Rogan, Musk, RFK Jr. Zero In on One Vaccine Scientist

Dr. Peter Hotez of Houston says he's being 'stalked'

(Newser) - Anthony Fauci has long been public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of vaccine opponents. With Fauci retired, it appears that a vaccine scientist in Houston might be assuming the unwanted role. The scientist is Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of...

No, the Pentagon Didn't Blow Up Monday

But eerily realistic fake explosion pic, perhaps created by AI, circulated online, shook up stocks

(Newser) - Most of the tweets on the OSINTdefender Twitter account , which bills itself as an "open source intelligence monitor," have focused lately on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A post on Monday morning, however, set off alarms closer to home, after a phony image circulated on social media depicting...

New Tool in Battling Misinformation: 'Pre-Bunking'

Based on inoculation theory, it could act as a psychological barrier against propaganda

(Newser) - Soon after the Russian invasion, the hoaxes began. Ukrainian refugees were supposedly taking jobs, committing crimes, and abusing handouts. The misinformation spread rapidly online throughout Eastern Europe, sometimes pushed by Moscow in an effort to destabilize its neighbors. It's the kind of swift spread of falsehood that has been...

Misinformation Is Hurting Life Expectancy: FDA Chief

Robert Califf says Americans are being misled on more than COVID

(Newser) - Life expectancy is the US has been declining , including in relation to comparable high-income countries, and one federal official says part of the reason is the recent explosion of misinformation. "Why aren’t we using medical products as effectively and efficiently as our peer countries?" Robert Califf, commissioner of...

NTSB Chief Pleads: Stop 'Misleading a Suffering Community'

Jennifer Homendy asks people to stop spreading 'misinformation' on Ohio train derailment

(Newser) - It's been more than two weeks since a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, and information continues to trickle out on the incident—as well as misinformation, which the head of the National Transportation Safety Board is now trying to stop. In what ABC News calls...

Climate Misinformation Soars on Musk's Twitter
Climate Misinformation
Soars on Musk's Twitter
NEW REPORT
Jan 19, 2023 1:29 PM CST

Climate Misinformation Soars on Musk's Twitter

Tweets containing terms linked to climate change denial rose 300% last year

(Newser) - Search for the word "climate" on Twitter and the first automatic recommendation isn't "climate crisis" or "climate jobs" or even "climate change" but instead "climate scam." Clicking on the recommendation yields dozens of posts denying the reality of climate change and making misleading...

Grant Wahl's Widow: I Can't Ignore the Trolls Anymore

Celine Gounder, a doctor, says vaccine disinformation is too dangerous

(Newser) - Celine Gounder is an infectious-disease physician and epidemiologist, and she also happens to be the widow of renowned soccer writer Grant Wahl . After her husband died while covering the World Cup, the anti-vaccine brigade concluded that his COVID vaccine must have been the reason. (It wasn't—Wahl died of...

Doctor Harassed After Rogan Promotes Fake Tweet

Podcaster has since apologized for his part over post that spread misinformation on COVID vaccine

(Newser) - Earlier this year, amid backlash on his conversations about COVID and climate change, Joe Rogan insisted he was "not trying to promote misinformation" on his popular Spotify podcast. This week, however, he found himself apologizing for doing just that, after he promoted a fake tweet that brought harassment upon...

Twitter Stops Enforcing COVID Misinformation Rule

Company updates its policy to reflect the change

(Newser) - Twitter has made a quiet but notable move in regard to COVID: The social media titan revealed it is no longer enforcing policies against spreading misinformation about the virus or vaccines. Per Politico , the change came in the form of a policy update , which some users noticed on Monday night....

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