People want data privacy but don't always know what they're getting

Differential privacy lets people to share data anonymously, but people need to know more about it to make informed decisions.

Rachel Cummings, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
Oct. 21, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: social-media data data-privacy privacy online-privacy census census-bureau differential-privacy

“Film Your Hospital” – the anatomy of a COVID-19 conspiracy theory

It's not just bots which spread misinformation on social media.

Wasim Ahmed, Lecturer in Digital Business, Newcastle University • conversation
Oct. 15, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: social-media covid-19 twitter conspiracy-theories covid-19-myths coronavirus-insights social-media-platforms twitter-bots

In a battle of AI versus AI, researchers are preparing for the coming wave of deepfake propaganda

Fake videos generated with sophisticated AI tools are a looming threat. Researchers are racing to build tools that can detect them, tools that are crucial for journalists to counter disinformation.

Matthew Wright, Professor of Computing Security, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
Oct. 9, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: social-media artificial-intelligence deep-learning journalism deepfakes video disinformation fake-video fact-checking

Why our screens leave us hungry for more nutritious forms of social interaction

Social media is the refined sugar of human communication.

mc schraefel, Professor of Computer Science and Human Performance, University of Southampton • conversation
Sept. 10, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: social-media psychology communication social-interaction human-nature zoom-meetings

The US has lots to lose and little to gain by banning TikTok and WeChat

Banning the Chinese-owned social media platforms raises free speech concerns and could worsen the US-China trade war.

Jeremy Straub, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, North Dakota State University • conversation
Aug. 28, 2020 • ~10 min
Tags: social-media cybersecurity china disinformation gdpr data-privacy technology privacy censorship free-speech authoritarian-regimes tiktok us-china-relations wechat first-amendment dissent dissidents

Misinformation: tech companies are removing 'harmful' coronavirus content – but who decides what that means?

Social media companies need to be more transparent about the health misinformation they remove.

Michael James Walsh, Associate Professor, University of Canberra • conversation
Aug. 27, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: social-media covid-19 coronavirus misinformation

TikTok is a unique blend of social media platforms – here's why kids love it

An app that young people use to share videos of themselves dancing might seem like a silly diversion, but it's become a powerhouse social media platform.

Kevin Munger, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Social Data Analytics, Pennsylvania State University • conversation
Aug. 26, 2020 • ~9 min
Tags: social-media china twitter facebook video india young-people mobile-apps apps youtube instagram youth tiktok snapchat us-china-relations

Twitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up

Research that measures the public mood based on Twitter posts shows that it's currently at its lowest point in a decade. One exception: when people visit parks and green spaces.

Taylor Ricketts, Professor and Director, Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont • conversation
Aug. 6, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: social-media mental-health covid-19 twitter parks city-parks outdoors san-francisco cincinnati minneapolis george-floyd-protests

Disinformation campaigns are murky blends of truth, lies and sincere beliefs – lessons from the pandemic

Many people who participate in disinformation campaigns are unwitting accomplices and much of the information they spread is accurate, which makes it all the harder to identify the campaigns.

Kate Starbird, Associate Professor of Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington • conversation
July 23, 2020 • ~10 min
Tags: social-media covid-19 pandemic disinformation misinformation cold-war soviet-union propaganda

Twitter hack exposes broader threat to democracy and society

Hackers demonstrated they can take over Twitter's technology infrastructure, a brazen move that hints at how such an attack could destabilize society.

Laura DeNardis, Professor and Interim Dean, American University School of Communication • conversation
July 17, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: social-media cybersecurity hacking internet cybercrime twitter technology technology-companies

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