Geoshawk, a disinfo dispatch: No.42

TikTok & Google election policy updates, California bill aims to ban deepfakes, FBI docs show extent of Putin's European psyops, teaching people algorithms to counter disinfo, & 24 more

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!

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Tech Watch:

• It’s not just Brazil v. Elon Musk’s X: Governments are seeking harsh remedies to social media abuses (Fortune, 5 September)

• TikTok Expands Its ‘How to Vote’ Resources Ahead of the Election (NYT, 4 September)

• Google extends election policies to most of its AI products (Axios, 30 August)

Election Integrity:

• A California bill would ban deepfakes that could swing the election (Sacramento Bee, 3 September)

Miscellaneous News & Research:

• Marketers threaten to cut spending on Elon Musk’s X in record numbers (Financial Times, 4 September)

• Want to fight misinformation? Teach people how algorithms work (Nieman Lab, 4 September)

• No X in Brazil? No problem, Brazilians say. (Washington Post, 3 September)

• Ghana analysts warn of misinformation spread ahead of December elections (VOA News, 3 September)

• Launch of disinformation playbook to help cities manage “new normal” (University of Melbourne, 30 August)

• GMA leads biggest campaign against fake news, disinformation (GMA Network, 30 August)

  • ^ Philippines ^

Regions:

• USA

  • FBI dossier reveals Putin’s secret psychological warfare in Europe (Politico, 5 September)

  • Bill Gates says this is the No. 1 unsolvable problem facing today’s young people: ‘The harm is done’ (CNBC, 5 September)

  • Lockheed Martin to finish prototype system to detect and defeat disinformation based on analyzing media (Military Aerospace Electronics, 4 September)

  • DOJ seizes dozens of domains used in Russian influence campaigns targeting swing states (The Recorded by Recorded Future, 4 September)

    • Right-Wing Influencer Network Tenet Media Allegedly Spread Russian Disinformation (WIRED, 4 September)

  • CISA moves away from trying to influence content moderation decisions on election disinformation (Cyberscoop, 3 September)

  • DOJ Unveils Social Media Strategy to Combat Foreign Threats (Bloomberg, 3 September)

  • China’s Disinformation and US Elections: What to Watch for in Congressional Contests (The Diplomat, 3 September)

  • China-linked ‘Spamouflage’ network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate (AP News, 3 September)

• MENA

  • Iran Emerges as a Top Disinformation Threat in U.S. Presidential Race (NYT, 4 September)

  • UNRWA head accuses Israel of buying Google ads to block donations to agency (Al Jazeera, 31 August)

• RUSSIA

  • Russian YouTubers See Drop in Views Amid Government Slowdown Efforts – Vedomosti (Moscow Times, 5 September)

  • Russia is rolling out an unprecedented military enlistment ad campaign amid Ukraine’s offensive in the Kursk region (Meduza, 5 September)

  • Fool Me Once: Russian Influence Operation Doppelganger Continues on X and Facebook (Alliance 4 Europe, 3 September)

  • ‘All systems have vulnerabilities’ Russian officials are still using civilian messaging apps for state business — despite the risks (Meduza, 3 September)

• CAUCASUS

  • Georgian PM warns of election “risks”, claims opposition “only accountable to foreign forces” (Agenda, 5 September)

• CENTRAL ASIA

  • Kazakhstan to launch Amazon’s Kuiper satellite internet service under new deal (Daryo, 5 September)

  • Resurrecting the USSR via Telegram? Uzbek Man Sentenced for Engagement With Soviet Revanchists (The Diplomat, 4 September)

  • How IS-K group linked to Taylor Swift terror plot is increasing in strength and influence (Sky News, 3 September)