Latest Misinformation News
Thousands of fake Facebook accounts shut down by Meta were primed to polarize voters ahead of 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the U.S. ahead of next year's elections, Meta said Thursday. The network...
Fake babies, real horror: Deepfakes from the Gaza war increase fears about AI's power to mislead
WASHINGTON (AP) — Among images of the bombed out homes and ravaged streets of Gaza, some stood out for the utter horror: Bloodied, abandoned infants. Viewed millions of times online since the war began, these images are deepfakes created using artificial intelligence. If you look...
Turkish high court upholds disputed disinformation law. The opposition wanted it annuled
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s highest court on Wednesday upheld a controversial media law that mandates prison terms for people deemed to be spreading “disinformation,” rejecting the main opposition party’s request for its annulment. The legislation calls for up to three...
Poll shows most US adults think AI will add to election misinformation in 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — The warnings have grown louder and more urgent as 2024 approaches: The rapid advance of artificial intelligence tools threatens to amplify misinformation in next year's presidential election at a scale never seen before. Most adults in the U.S. feel the same way,...
Misinformation is flowing ahead of Ohio abortion vote. Some is coming from a legislative website
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The inflammatory language targeting a reproductive rights measure on Ohio's fall ballot is the type of messaging that is common in the closing weeks of a highly contested initiative campaign — warning of “abortion on demand” or “dismemberment of fully conscious...
Twitter takeover: 1 year later, X struggles with misinformation, advertising and usage decline
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One year ago, billionaire and new owner Elon Musk walked into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters with a white bathroom sink and a grin, fired its CEO and other top executives and began transforming the social media platform into what is now known as X. X...
FACT FOCUS: A baseless claim about Putin’s health came from an unreliable Telegram account
An explosive claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin had suffered a heart attack spread across the globe this week, amplified by news outlets and social media users. The news didn’t come from the Kremlin, which dismissed it as a “hoax,” nor verified reporting in Russia. It...
EU demands Meta and TikTok detail efforts to curb disinformation from Israel-Hamas war
LONDON (AP) — The European Union on Thursday demanded Meta and TikTok detail their efforts to curb illegal content and disinformation during the Israel-Hamas war, flexing the power of a new law that threatens billions in fines if tech giants fail to do enough to protect users. The...
EU asks Musk's X for information on hate speech and 'illegal content' related to Israel-Hamas war
LONDON (AP) — The European Commission on Thursday made a formal, legally binding request for information from Elon Musk's social media platform X over its handling of hate speech, misinformation and violent terrorist content related to the Israel-Hamas war. It is the first step in...
Polish government warns of disinformation after fake messages are sent out before election
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's government warned citizens Thursday to beware of a disinformation campaign after some people got fake messages saying that the ruling party was offering free funerals for pensioners. The country is facing a crucial national election on Sunday, and the...
