Latest Misinformation News
Australia withdraws a misinformation bill after critics compare it to censorship
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's government has withdrawn a bill that would give a media watchdog power to monitor digital platforms and require them to keep records about misinformation and disinformation on their networks. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said...
A former staffer exposes how Russia's disinformation machine worked in Central African Republic
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — When Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo was first approached in 2019 by a Russian who suggested he help promote the activities of the Central African Republic's army and Russian forces in the country, the journalist believed that he was doing the right thing. But he soon...
Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That's what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars
Headlines from the satirical website the Onion on Thursday: “New Dating Site Suggests People You Already Know But Thought You Were Too Good For.” “Trump Boys Have Slap Fight Over Who Gets to Run Foreign Policy Meetings.” “Here's Why I Decided to Buy Infowars.” Only one...
The US election was largely trouble-free, but a flood of misinformation raises future concerns
WASHINGTON (AP) — A relatively trouble-free presidential election was good news for those working to restore faith in the system. Less encouraging was a flood of misinformation that sought to undermine trust in voting and sow chaos, something experts say is likely to get worse in the years ahead....
Peeking behind the curtain: News outlets are conscious of the need to explain election reporting
NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press will have thousands of people on hand this week to count votes and declare winners and losers in the U.S. election, continuing a tradition that began in 1848. There’s an even greater priority this year on explaining that process to outsiders....
Report says crowd-sourced fact checks on X fail to address flood of US election misinformation
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — X's crowd-sourced fact-checking program, called Community Notes, isn't addressing the flood of U.S. election misinformation on Elon Musk's social media platform, according to a report published Wednesday by a group that tracks online speech. The nonprofit...
Investigations into voter registration forms in Pennsylvania lead to wave of misinformation
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Investigations into potential fraud in voter registration applications in three Pennsylvania counties have become fodder for online misinformation, including from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Authorities in Lancaster, Monroe and York counties...
Offshore wind industry says 'misinformation' from foes is a strong headwind it must fight
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The U.S offshore wind energy industry says it needs to fight back against disinformation being spread by opponents of wind farms. During the first day of a national offshore wind conference Tuesday in New Jersey, which has become ground zero for vocal,...
The 'Black Insurrectionist' was actually white. The deception did not stop there
WASHINGTON (AP) — “Black Insurrectionist,” the anonymous social media persona behind some of the most widely circulated conspiracy theories about the 2024 election, can be traced to a man from upstate New York. He's also white. With a profile photo of a Black...
Tunisian commentator sentenced to two years under controversial anti-fake news law
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — A well-known Tunisian attorney and commentator was sentenced to two years in prison over remarks she made about the North African country and its treatment of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Sonia Dahmani was found guilty on Thursday of violating a statute...
