Geoshawk Issue No.16

Proton launches free VPN servers to combat MDM during elections, Brazil gunning hard to fight deepfakes pre election, and EU fighting back against anti-Ukraine propaganda ahead of elections

Top recent MDM, Election Integrity, & Info Ops related headlines and research:

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Spreading the “smog of war”: the impact of propaganda, social media, and OSINT on U.S. civil-intelligence relations (Tandfonline, 6 March)

Proton Launches Free VPN Servers to Fight Censorship and Misinformation During Elections (VPNoverview, 9 March)

Taiwan: A battlefield for cyberwar and disinformation (MelbourneAsiaReview, March)

'Disinformation, deepfakes are socio-political, not technological, problem’ (Deccanherald, 8 March)

Hong Kong unveils its second national security law, aligning city more closely with mainland China (CNN, 8 March)

ELECTION WATCH:

America’s election chiefs are worried AI is coming for them (Politico, 11 March)

Brazil Seeks To Curb AI Deepfakes As Key Elections Loom (Menafn, 11 March)

The Role and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Extremist Fuelled Election Misinformation in Africa (Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 8 March)

Five things to know about Russia’s upcoming presidential election (France24, 11 March)

USA:

Military Times survey: ‘Alarming’ percentage accept conspiracies (Airforcetimes, 5 March)

RUSSIA:

The West Is Still Oblivious to Russia’s Information War (Foreignpolicy, 9 March)

EU fights anti-Ukraine propaganda ahead of vote (Arabnews, 10 March)

MENA:

How Israel Mastered Information Warfare in Gaza (Foreignpolicy, 11 March)

Proliferating 'news' sites spew AI-generated fake stories (France24, 11 March)

CAUCASUS:

Azerbaijani Authorities Crackdown on Major Oppositional Media (Caucasuswatch, 7 March)

Georgian President Advocates for EU-Aligned Coalition Government Amidst Russian Threats (Caucasuswatch, 7 March)

CENTRAL ASIA:

All quiet on the EI/MDM/Info Ops front in Central Asia today :)