Misinformation & Disinformation

Inside the War on Fake Consumer Reviews

Crackdowns are coming for a booming industry

By Megan McCluskey July 6, 2022

Russia's War on Ukraine Is a Threat to Press Freedom, Report Says

“Journalists and independent media all over the world are at risk right now,” says Zahra Joya, an Afghan journalist who leads an independent platform in the country.

By Eloise Barry May 4, 2022

'We're Back.' Far-Right Groups Celebrate Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover

While much of the online world reacted with surprise and skepticism when news broke of Elon Musk's stunning $44 billion acquisition of Twitter on Monday, some corners of the Internet broke out in jubilation. "Today...

By Vera Bergengruen April 27, 2022

How an ‘Imposter’ Journalist Changed the Course of World War I

Most Americans wanted the United States to stay far away from the European conflict, but each blockbuster story about German scheming weakened the country’s resistance to war.

By Mark Arsenault April 5, 2022

Lab Leaks Are a Small But Real Risk in Ukraine. Russian Disinformation Is The True Threat

Two years into a global pandemic whose initial cause remains a subject of debate, Reuters, on March 11, published an especially jarring story: the World Health Organization, according to the news agency, had advised Ukraine...

By Tara Law March 29, 2022

Telegram Becomes a Digital Battlefield in Russia-Ukraine War

Before the Russian military invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Nataliia Nezhynska had never used Telegram. Now she can’t go a day without the messaging app. It feeds her an endless stream of updates from her...

By Vera Bergengruen March 21, 2022

Poland, Baltics Tell Big Tech to ‘Take a Stand’ Against Russia

The prime ministers of Poland and the Baltics have demanded executives in charge of Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter “take a stand” against Russian disinformation. The letter, dated Feb. 27, was addressed to Twitter Inc....

By Milda Seputyte and Jillian Deutsch / Bloomberg February 28, 2022

3 Myths About Pearl Harbor, According to a Military Historian

Tuesday marks the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, killing some 2,400 American servicemen and leading the U.S. to enter World War II. And 80 years later, myths...

By Olivia B. Waxman December 7, 2021

What to Know About Sophie Zhang's Facebook Allegations

Zhang explained that the impact of Facebook’s inaction on fake engagement was particularly significant in countries with authoritarian leaders who are “creating activity [on the platform] to manipulate their own citizenry”.

By Eloise Barry October 18, 2021

'It Is a Battle for Facts.' What Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa Understands About Why She Was Chosen

If Maria Ressa long has been known to people who follow the news, she has become absolutely essential to anyone grappling with why the news has gotten harder and harder to follow. Born in Manila...

By Karl Vick October 8, 2021

What the Nobel Peace Prize Means for Press Freedom

The Nobel committee sent a message that a free press is essential to peace

By Eloise Barry October 8, 2021

Exclusive: Iran Steps Up Efforts to Sow Discord Inside U.S.

Iranian state actors are intensifying their disinformation campaign on social media to spread discord and anti-Semitic tropes inside the U.S., two U.S. intelligence officials say. Social media accounts tracked to troll farms run by the...

By Brian Bennett June 7, 2021

Reporters Without Borders: Media Restricted in 132 Countries

Authoritarian regimes have used the pandemic to perfect "totalitarian control of information," according to RSF

By Amy Gunia April 20, 2021

QAnon Candidates Are Winning Local Elections. Can They Be Stopped?

Conspiracy theorists are winning local elections. Communities are struggling to fight back

By Vera Bergengruen April 16, 2021

Vaccine Hesitancy Threatens U.S. National Security

A senior Marine Corps officer asked us recently, “Does Congress think the entire military is infested with extremists?” One of us is a proud Marine veteran and the other has spent her life developing national...

By Seth Moulton and Tammy S. Schultz April 5, 2021

Moms Who Are Doctors Fight COVID-19 Misinformation Online

Last March, friends and neighbors began stopping Emily Smith in her town outside of Waco, Texas, with questions about the coronavirus. An epidemiologist at Baylor University, Smith knows all too well how viruses are transmitted....

By Eliana Dockterman March 24, 2021

Three Key Ways to Fight Online Disinformation

In October 2019, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was asked what she thought historians would see when they looked back on the Trump era in United States history. Justice Ginsberg, known for...

By Daniel J. Rogers March 5, 2021

Birth Control App Sold by 'Bachelor' Alum Uses Problematic Method

Natural Cycles claims to be 98% effective with perfect use and 93% effective with typical use

By Megan McCluskey February 4, 2021

Trust in Social Institutions Eroded Further in 2020: Study

A new report finds that 2020 marked an "era of information bankruptcy"

By Jasmine Aguilera January 13, 2021

Sacha Baron Cohen: We Must Save Democracy From Conspiracies

A few times in my career, I have genuinely feared for my life. In Arkansas, I posed as an ultimate fighter at a cage match and challenged anyone in the audience to take me on....

By Sacha Baron Cohen October 8, 2020

Misinformation & Disinformation

The Defenders of America's Elections

America's Gulf Allies Are Digital Authoritarians

Lawyer Alleges Alex Jones Lied on the Stand in Sandy Hook Case

Amazon's New Weapon Against Fake Reviews: A Lawsuit Aimed at Facebook Groups