Geoshawk, a disinfo dispatch: No.40

Crypto companies spend $$$ influencing elections, Meta removes disinfo network targeting South Caucasus, US investigating Americans who worked with Russian state TV, & 22 more news/research highlights

Hey, I’m Alan, & welcome to Geoshawk. Geoshawk curates news & research on influence operations, with sections on tech, election integrity, miscellaneous news/research, & regional focuses on the USA, MENA, Russia, the Caucasus, & Central Asia.

I hope you enjoy Geoshawk!

---

Tech Watch:

• How a Law That Shields Big Tech Is Now Being Used Against It (NYT, 20 August)

• Elon Musk’s X shuts Brazil office over misinformation probe (Semafor, 18 August)

• Map Shows Countries Where Facebook Is Blocked (Newsweek, 16 August)

• Don’t Let Generative AI Distract Us from the Real Election Risks in Tech (Tech Policy Press, 16 August)

• Russia’s AI tactics for US election interference are failing, Meta says (Guardian, 15 August)

Election Integrity:

• AI disinformation: lessons from the UK’s election (Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 16 August)

Miscellaneous News & Research:

• The Game of the Ear: Disinformation Networks in West Africa (Atlas News, 23 August)

• Misinformation about Hindus being targeted in Bangladesh fuels Islamophobia fears (South China Morning Post, 23 August)

• Pakistan authorities charge man with cyber terrorism over misinformation that sparked riots in UK (AP News, 21 August)

• Big Crypto, Big Spending: Crypto Corporations Spend an Unprecedented $119 Million Influencing Elections (Public Citizen, 21 August)

• Facts alone fall short in correcting science misinformation (Phys, 21 August)

• Narrative reversals and story success (Science, 21 August)

• Political deepfake videos no more deceptive than other fake news, research finds (Phys, 19 August)

Regions:

• USA

  • North Korean ‘gray zone provocations’ are targeted during large-scale joint drills (Stars and Stripes, 23 August)

  • Fake celebrity endorsements become latest weapon in misinformation wars, sowing confusion ahead of 2024 election (CNN, 22 August)

  • U.S. Investigating Americans Who Worked With Russian State Television (NYT, 21 August)

• MENA

  • OpenAI Busts Iran-Linked Disinformation Campaign After Microsoft, Google Identified Similar Operations (Forbes, 16 August)

• RUSSIA

  • Baltic states boost security measures in face of Russian aggression - but efforts are plagued by misinformation (Logically Facts, 23 August)

  • As Telegram, WhatsApp, and numerous other web services go down in Russia, Moscow blames attackers while activists suspect Kremlin interference (Meduza, 21 August)

  • Moscow detains scientist suspected of carrying out DDoS attacks on Russia (The Record by Recorded Future, 21 August)

  • Russia prepares disinformation campaigns targeting Ukrainian refugees in Europe, military intelligence says (Kyiv Independent, 21 August)

  • Kremlin’s disinformation battle intensifies with new case against Italian reporters (Decode39, 21 August)

  • Journalist Masha Gessen granted Australian visa after delays due to Russian charges (Guardian, 19 August)

• CAUCASUS

  • Meta Removes Russian-Origin Fake Account Network Targeting South Caucasus (Caucasus Watch, 19 August)

• CENTRAL ASIA

  • Kazakhstan to Correct False Harvests That Echo Soviet-Era Deceit (Yahoo/Bloomberg, 16 August)