The Global Disinformation Index

Do the terms Operation Overload or Doppelganger mean anything to you? If not, this is your opportunity to dive into the dynamic and disconcerting world of online foreign influence operations. A network of organisations analysing foreign information manipulation and interference, FIMI-ISAC, has published an analysis of the case studies member organisations reported during the first half of this year on FIMI operations undermining civic integrity across Europe. You can find the link to the analysis, which includes both Doppelganger and Overload along with many other interesting findings, below. GDI is very proud to be part of the same network as VOST EUROPE, Italian Digital Media Observatory - IDMO, Debunk.org, Maldita.es, EU DisinfoLab, Alliance4Europe, Mediapooli and the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. https://lnkd.in/gHv2WnJg #FIMI #FIMIISAC #foreigninformationmanipulation #foreigninfluenceoperations #digitaldisinformation #onlinedisinformation #europeanelections #europeanunion #europeancivicintegrity #civicintegrity #democracy #europeandemocracy #democracydisinformation #electiondisinformation #electionmisinformation

A new outbreak of Mpox has been detected in several countries, but a stream of vile, hate-filled disinformation about the virus has spread across the entire web. Mpox disinformation narratives observed by GDI are highly similar to falsehoods shared about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 90s, with overtly racist and homophobic messaging and widespread pseudoscience. Conspiracy theories about the Mpox vaccine and the origins and impacts of the virus abound. And malign foreign actors like Russia are seizing upon all this disinformation to use Mpox as a tool to push their own agenda. As public health authorities work to contain Mpox and vaccinate vulnerable populations, they'll have to contend with the toxic information landscape around the virus simultaneously. To learn more about this under-examined public health issue, read our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/eWvjC7BE #Mpox #Mpoxoutbreak #Mpoxvirus #Mpoxdisinformation #healthdisinformation #pseudoscience #Mpoxconspiracytheories #conspiracytheories #medicaldisinformation #medicalmisinformation #healthmisinformation #publichealth #viruses #viraloutbreaks #CDC #WHO #HIVAIDS #HIVAIDSdisinformation #AIDScrisis #publichealthdisinformation #antivaxx #antivaccine #COVID19 #Covid #Covidvaccines #vaccines

It's no secret that the flood of toxic and polarising content online has led many advertisers to conclude that advertising on news sites is just too risky. But mounting evidence shows that advertisers may be hurting their bottom line by lumping in quality journalism with high brand risk content. According to this new study from Teads, traditional news increased ad attention by 20%, and this higher ad attention drove a 77% lift in brand outcomes. Essentially, consumers pay more attention to ads on traditional news sites, and they reward brands for funding it. Confused about how to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to the online news landscape? GDI's data can help advertisers identify and avoid high-risk content while reaping the clear benefits of funding quality journalism. https://lnkd.in/e7WtdnNJ

Amid a broader surge of politically-motivated crimes in Germany over the past two years, attacks and serious threats against politicians have sharply increased as well. This year, several attacks were carried out during campaigning for European parliamentary elections in June and, more recently, in the run-up to state elections in Sachsen and Thüringen this month. With Germany slated to hold federal elections next fall, it's critical to understand how disinformation is fuelling the disturbing rise in political violence. In our new report, GDI's analysts unpack the key disinformation narratives currently undermining trust in government institutions and Germany's democratic processes. Follow the link to download the full report: https://lnkd.in/g5GVszkZ #Germany #Deutschland #Germanelections #DeutscheWahlen #disinformation #desinformation #electiondisinformation #politicalviolence #politicalviolenceinGermany #Germanyattacks #SPD #CDU #AfD #Greens #DieLinke #politischeGewalt #Germanpolitics #DeutschePolitik

At the end of July and through early August, riots swept across the UK after a horrific stabbing in Southport. Disinformation about the suspect in the attack rapidly proliferated online, and far-right groups seized the opportunity to organise violent anti-immigration protests that left businesses in ruins, hundreds injured and an entire country on edge. Current policy allows content that is 'legal but harmful' to remain online, but the Southport riots show just how harmful that loophole can be. Disinformation played a direct and outsized role in the riots, and ordinary people are the ones who paid the price. Read our latest blog to see GDI's analysis of the most prominent narratives that contributed to the riots, and our take on how we move policy forward to stop this from happening again. https://lnkd.in/dK4H-SdV #UK #UKdisinformation #Southport #Southportriots #Southportattack #UKriots #disinformation #riotsdisinformation #antiimmigration #islamophobia #whitesupremacy #Telegram #Telegramchannels #conspiracytheories #onlinedisinformation #techaccountability #contentmoderation

Quality journalism is an essential foundation of democracy, but it's no secret that the industry has been facing a revenue crisis in recent years, and that smaller news sources - particularly local news - are bearing the brunt of the impact. Recent revelations about advertising on digital news sites have uncovered a startling figure: Less than 1.5% of total advertising budgets from the world's biggest brands goes towards news sites. That should concern anyone who is interested in the essential promises of democracy that quality journalism helps us uphold: truth, fairness and accountability. We must work towards solutions to help bring advertisers back into the fold and ensure that quality journalism gets the funding that it deserves. This article lays out a great start - and at GDI, we're looking to blaze a trail forward. https://lnkd.in/dm_c3tSp

The Olympics offer an opportunity for the world to unite - and for disinformation actors to distort and divide. In Paris this summer, domestic actors used the Summer Olympics to exploit political tensions in France, peddle conspiracy theories and spout hate towards select athletes, performers and organisers alike. Foreign actors - chiefly Russia - uplifted the divisiveness for their own gain. Read our latest blog to see a full breakdown of the most prominent disinformation narratives observed by GDI surrounding the games: https://lnkd.in/gr5yupg3 #summerolympics #olympics2024 #paris2024 #parisolympics #frencholympics #frenchpolitics #fimi #russiandisinformation #olympicsfimi #olympicsdisinformation #disinformation #europe #eu #france #frenchsociety #olympicgames

In the wake of last month's shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, disinformation narratives exploded online. Users on both the left and right of the political spectrum spread conspiracy theories, sowed doubt and tried to cast blame on rivals. Foreign actors, meanwhile, seized the opportunity to further inflame tensions within the US. It's too early to tell what impact, if any, these narratives will have on the upcoming elections, but one thing is clear: the risk of escalating political violence in the US is real, and disinformation is fanning the flames. Read our latest blog for a full breakdown of these narratives: https://lnkd.in/eruNEZJB #USelections #2024elections #butler #butlerpennsylvania #politicalviolence #trump #donaldtrump #presidenttrump #2024campaign #americanelections #campaignrally #butlerattack #elections #assassinationattempt #US2024 #UScivicintegrity #conspiracytheories #disinformation #USdisinformation

Over the past year, there's been a lot of focus on the potential for generative AI to rapidly produce false and harmful content at an unprecedented scale. While these concerns are valid, they’re really just the tip of the iceberg. The under-discussed danger of generative AI is that it puts users in a one-to-one connection with machines that are not necessarily reliable purveyors of accuracy and removes human feedback from the process. This feature of generative AI has the potential to further upend our already polluted information environment and fundamentally alter society. Check out our latest blog to read GDI's take on the under-discussed danger of generative AI and our ideas to mitigate it. https://lnkd.in/em5YVeNj #generativeAI #genAI #AI #artificialintelligence #AIchatbots #chatbots #GPTs #LLMs #largelanguagemodels #AIhallucinations #trustandsafety #onlinetrustandsafety #onlineinformation #digitalinformation #disinformation #onlinedisinformation #digitaldisinformation

Last month's European Union Parliamentary elections were conducted fairly and peacefully, but they were not wholly immune from a wave of election-related disinformation. GDI observed narratives that aimed to undermine democratic processes, spread hostile conspiracy theories about key institutions and individuals, and benefit foreign actors like Russia by weakening support for the bloc. These narratives continue to pose a threat to democracy even after the polls have closed. In order to safeguard future elections, policymakers should take note of lessons learned in the aftermath of this latest round. GDI's new report details the kinds of disinformation narratives and tactics most successful in these elections, as well as an analysis of current and proposed policy measures to fight election disinformation. Read our blog and download the report here: https://lnkd.in/e9stKaSz #euelections #europeanunion #europeanunionelections #euparliament #electiondisinformation #europeandisinformation #electoraldisinformation #fimi #russia #ukraine #eu #disinformation #elections2024