U.S. Department of Justice’s Post

Are we winning the battle against digital disinformation? This week, the U.S. Justice Department announced a major takedown of a Russian AI-powered bot farm spreading propaganda on X. Organized by the Kremlin, this campaign created fake profiles to push pro-Russian narratives, including false information about the #UkraineWar. Meanwhile, Russia also forced Apple to remove 25 VPN apps from its App Store, showing how governments can pressure tech companies to enforce #censorship. (Full Substack article linked in the comments.) 🤔 AI-driven #disinformation can easily shape global narratives, making it harder to discern truth from lies—and in effect, manipulate opinions, create discord, and influence elections. The battle between tech companies and governments over information control is heating up, impacting our access to secure and uncensored communication. ⚖ Apple’s #compliance is driven by its want to maintain market share in Russia by avoiding potential legal repercussions. Balancing local regulations with broader commitments to #UserPrivacy and #FreeSpeech is a complex challenge for Apple and other tech companies. 🏛 This situation mirrors the debate over #ContentModeration. E.g., the Supreme Court recently allowed the Biden administration to request social media to remove what it deems misinformation. The tricky part is pinpointing when censorship is necessary and when it goes too far. Some say government action is crucial to protect public safety, while others fear it leads to overreach and silencing dissent. Both the Supreme Court decision and Russia's #VPN crackdown spotlight the growing tension between national security and free expression—and the conflict tech companies face between following government orders and safeguarding user rights. ☝ Some hot anti-disinformation #startups worth highlighting: 1️⃣ Reality Defender Founded by Ben Colman / Series A / $15.5M raised to detect and mitigate deepfake and disinformation content. 2️⃣ Clarity Founded by Michael Matias, Natalie Fridman, & Gil Avriel / Seed Stage / $16M raised to protect organizations and individuals from the threats of deepfakes. 3️⃣ BLACKBIRD.AI Founded by Wasim K. / Series B / $30.6M raised to combat disinformation and information warfare. 4️⃣ Logically Founded by Lyric Jain / Series A / $36.7M raised to counteract misinformation and harmful online content through AI and expert analysts. Click on the link in the comments below to subscribe to [our digital disco] and read my latest #Substack article 👌

Yesterday, the FBI took down a network of around 1,000 Russian state-sponsored and operated bot accounts operating on Twitter/X. Whilst this is fantastic work, the investigation is also illustrative of the scale of the problem. Many of the accounts had been in operation, posting pro-Kremlin narratives and distorting reality, since June 2022. The doubt sown in (human) users by seeing such distortions repeatedly online can't be erased along with the offending bot profiles. And those seized by the DoJ in this case are only a drop in the ocean. A sobering thought that comes as Russian mainstream media and further networks of pro-Kremlin social media profiles try to convince anyone who will listen that Ukraine blew up its own children's hospital (apparently as part of a PR initiative, according to Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov). Indeed, Russia's representative at the UN cited "a video of the strike — which resurfaced on the Internet" as evidence of Ukraine's culpability and went on to boast that: “If this was a Russian strike, there would have been nothing left of the building and all the children would have been killed and not wounded” (note: so far, 44 confirmed dead in the attack, four of whom were children) The UN's own official analysis meanwhile (which is quite reliable, unlike the Russians') has concluded the hospital was hit by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile. The Kh-101, unlike a lot of the cheap and unguided ordinance Russia has been firing at civilian targets in Ukraine, are actually fairly accurate, suggesting a deliberate hit. In addition to countering facts and rationality, Russian propaganda networks also feed into each other, with government representatives citing disinformation published by bot farms that, in turn are managed by RT and the FSB (as were the 1,000 accounts the FBI just shut down). Those same social media bot networks then cite the comments of the officials citing them, and so forth. Platforms like Twitter/X need to be more proactive in dealing with state-sponsored misuse, even if it does appear to drive traffic up in the short term... In the case of the 1,000 accounts shut down yesterday, all were registered using one of two domains and were posting similar content. Social media should count mass registrations from unknown domains as a huge red flag and investigate long before law enforcement, limiting the damage these networks can inflict on public discourse. Links for further information: https://lnkd.in/d3csZW_B https://lnkd.in/dSXtaG4t https://lnkd.in/dfGPE8Xf

Propaganda goes digital: from disputed elections to war zones. The concept of propaganda is not new. It’s a form of communication used to promote a particular agenda or perspective, often in a biased, misleading or even false manner. However, in recent years, information operations have undergone a significant shift, expanding beyond physical boundaries into the digital sphere through the proliferation of the internet and the rise of social media. These digital platforms present vast opportunities for influence, as they have the power to shape public perception and impact decision-making processes at an unprecedent scale. #ciw #informationwarfare #propaganda #disinformation #deepfake https://lnkd.in/g4nCA359

South Korean authorities are ramping up efforts to combat deepfake videos, recognizing these deceptive materials as a significant threat to the integrity of the country’s general election scheduled for April. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) unveiled on Tuesday its adoption of new deepfake detection software, which will be immediately integrated into their investigative processes. The agency clarified that the time required to determine whether digital content has been artificially generated using AI technology could range from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the video’s length and quality. The newly developed software is based on a dataset comprising 5.2 million data points from 5,400 individuals, including 1 million data points related to South Korean nationals. This initiative aims to address the limitations of current detection tools, which often struggle with accuracy concerning South Korean subjects due to a lack of sufficient data. While the detection tool is intended to serve as a guide during investigations, it has demonstrated an 80% accuracy rate. This implies that for every 10 cases flagged as fake, two might actually be authentic. #deepfake #election #security #data #detection https://lnkd.in/gutcZtdr

European Commission demands X account for disinformation in wake of Hamas attacks. Here's what you need to know: 1. The European Commission (EC) has issued a formal request to Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, to provide details on the disinformation and illegal content related to violence in Israel that has been disseminated across it. The move falls under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which targets large platforms that spread disinformation and hate speech. 2. US leaders have also raised concerns about this spread of violent and false content on social media platforms, with reports highlighting the need for enhanced content moderation. Some suggest this is a particular issue for X, who have notably downsized their trust and safety team responsible for content moderation. 3. By the DSA provisions, X, deemed a "very large online platform", must assess and mitigate risks linked with illegal content. The EC has launched an investigation into X's compliance with the DSA, potentially leading to fines if deemed necessary, pending responses due by October 31. Learn more by visiting The Record from Recorded Future News: https://lnkd.in/eVvpwM9U

Almost a thousand Twitter accounts controlled by a large bot farm pushing Russian propaganda and domains used to register the bots were taken down in a joint international law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Justice Department. Organized and managed by a deputy editor-in-chief at Russian state-run news organization Russia Today (RT) and a Russian FSB officer, the bots disseminated disinformation targeting Twitter users worldwide since 2022 using an AI-enabled software named Meliorator. RT affiliates used Meliorator to create authentic-looking social media accounts posing as real people from multiple countries worldwide to amplify false narratives and Russian malign foreign influence on Twitter. The social media bot farm allowed RT to disseminate information widely, aligning with RT's leadership goal to expand information distribution beyond traditional TV broadcasts. "As early as 2022, RT had access to Meliorator, an AI-enabled bot farm generation and management software to disseminate disinformation to and about a number of countries, including the United States, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, and Israel," the FBI said. https://lnkd.in/g7dgXMRn

AI-powered fake videos are a troubling phenomenon that contributes to the perpetuation of hatred and conflict between Palestinians and Israelis in Gaza. These digital manipulations exploit the vulnerabilities of this fragile region, using propaganda, disinformation, and incitement to deepen historical divides. Addressing this issue requires a multi-pronged approach that includes raising awareness, improving deepfake detection technologies, and holding those responsible accountable for their actions. The path to peace in Gaza will be paved with greater transparency, trust-building, and a collective effort to combat the misuse of technology for malicious purposes.

The article "Russia's Crackdown on Internet Freedom: A War on Surveillance, Censorship, and Ukraine" sheds light on a trend that has captured widespread attention. It explores Russia's recent actions to tighten its grip on internet freedom through increased #surveillance and censorship, highlighting the potential consequences for online businesses, content creators, and users. In today's #digital landscape, where communication, collaboration, and business transactions are conducted online, understanding the evolving dynamics of Internet governance is crucial for marketers worldwide. It is essential to recognize how these changes may impact on our marketing strategies, particularly when targeting international audiences. This article provides the necessary information to gain valuable insights into the challenges posed by Russia's crackdown on internet freedom. By staying informed and adapting to the ever-changing #digitallandscape, we can successfully navigate the complexities of marketing in this #dynamicenvironment. #MarketingInsights #DigitalTransformation #InternetFreedom

Deepfakes and online misinformation are not just buzzwords—they're escalating threats to the integrity of evidence and the administration of justice. As governments explore measures like Singapore's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) to combat these dangers, we, in the digital forensics field, face a dual challenge: developing robust methods for detection, while anticipating the impact such 'evidence' could have on court proceedings and legal outcomes. The arms race between deepfake creators and detectors not only undermines the validity of digital evidence but could also erode public trust in the legal system. In the pursuit of justice, every forged pixel and fabricated audio clip has the power to twist the narrative of truth. For legal professionals, the implications are profound. How we adapt our legal frameworks, evidentiary standards, and technological tools to address these threats will shape our collective ability to discern fact from fiction. The pressure is on us to stay ahead in this digital epoch, ensuring that the cornerstone of our legal system—evidence—remains untainted and reliable. #DigitalForensics #LegalTech #forensicsweirdo

As featured in The New York Times, former sheriff's deputy John Mark Dougan has become a key player in Russia's disinformation operations, with an ever-growing network of more than 160 fake websites that mimic news outlets in the United States, Britain, and France. https://lnkd.in/dK_yU3z8 After several months of investigation, Insikt Group was the first to identify and report 57 domains created by Dougan. Two days later, 103 new sites appeared, all on a server in California. https://lnkd.in/e99Dj_xS Organizations can use Recorded Future’s Digital Risk Solution to track and combat typosquatting domains and infringing content on similar domains and Recorded Future AI to summarize and track emerging narratives. See more: https://lnkd.in/eueEgh4y