Category: Rumors and Misinformation

The 15-Minute City: Where Urban Planning Meets Conspiracy Theories

Is having all of life’s amenities within a 15-minute walk convenient? Or is it a government leash? We explain.
Supreme Court to Hear Case That Targets a Legal Shield of Tech Giants

The justices are set to hear a case challenging Section 230, a law that protects Google, Facebook and others from lawsuits over what their users post online.
New technology, same old blind spot?

Don’t just look at what technology can do, look at what it helps people do to each other.
Carmakers Are Pushing Autonomous Tech. This Engineer Wants Limits.

Missy Cummings, who spent more than a year at the federal auto safety agency, said that drivers were putting too much trust in systems like Tesla’s Autopilot and that regulators needed to restrict their use.
Combating Disinformation Wanes at Social Media Giants

As the companies have shed jobs recently, many teams assigned to combat false and misleading information have taken a hit.
Influence Networks in Russia Misled European Users, TikTok Says

The covert and coordinated campaign was disclosed in a new report that also addressed misinformation, fake accounts and moderation struggles.
Free Speech vs. Disinformation Comes to a Head

The outcome of a case in federal court could help decide whether the First Amendment is a barrier to virtually any government efforts to stifle disinformation.
Steve Bannon’s Podcast Is Top Misinformation Spreader, Study Says

A large podcast study found that Mr. Bannon’s “War Room” had more falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims than other political talk shows.
Disinformation Researchers Raise Alarms About A.I. Chatbots

Researchers used ChatGPT to produce clean, convincing text that repeated conspiracy theories and misleading narratives.
The People Onscreen Are Fake. The Disinformation Is Real.

For the first time, A.I.-generated personas, often used for corporate trainings, were detected in a state-aligned information campaign — opening a new chapter in online manipulation.
Meta, Long an AI Leader, Tries Not to Be Left Out of the Boom

It has long had technology to rival chatbots like ChatGPT, but can’t afford to back artificial intelligence that can spread misinformation and toxic content.
A Federal Court Blocks California’s New Medical Misinformation Law

California’s law sought to punish doctors who give patients false information about Covid-19.