Thorsten Koch, MA, PgDip’s Post

Defending trust is defending democracy

Fake news to debunk fake news? The Islamic State has created a sophisticated fake news campaign, mimicking CNN and Al Jazeera, to spread their ideology and discredit opponents. The campaign, uncovered by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, used YouTube channels and social media accounts branded as news outlets, creating an "entire fake ecosystem of news." The videos, viewed thousands of times, aimed to manipulate public opinion and test the effectiveness of circumventing censorship efforts. This campaign marks a new level of sophistication in the group's propaganda efforts, leveraging AI-generated graphics and footage from various sources. As IS support groups continue to proliferate on social media platforms, they will likely refine their tactics, leveraging popular news brands to spread terrorist content, making it increasingly challenging to curb online extremism. #informationwarfare #disinformation #socialmedia #ISIS https://lnkd.in/g6_DYzBC

Recently, I spoke with Ryan Lovelace from The Washington Times about our latest report, #thestateofdeepfakes2024, and the unprecedented AI-powered propaganda battle between Hamas and Israel during the period from the October 7th attack to the beginning of the IDF's offensive in Gaza. In fact, #deepfake influence campaigns are designed and deployed to reach the largest and most diverse audiences in the shortest time possible. A similar situation occurred immediately after the Moscow terrorist attack and the inauguration ceremony of Vladimir Putin, who had emerged victorious from the electoral round a few days earlier. The propaganda efforts quickly sought to capitalize on people's fear and anger by blaming Ukraine for the attack. In this context, a deepfake of Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, appeared in Russian media. Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/dNBaxHeX #GenerativeAI #Influencecampaign #Hamas #Israel #Ukraine #Russia

This is a great example of how state actors use disinformation to negatively influence their target audiences. It is especially prescient given that foreign disinformation campaigns have the potential to exert a profound influence on the U.S. 2024 election cycle by exploiting vulnerabilities in the information ecosystem. These campaigns often employ sophisticated tactics such as social media manipulation, fake news dissemination, and targeted propaganda to sow discord, amplify existing divisions, and undermine public trust in the democratic process. By strategically disseminating misleading narratives, they can shape public opinion, sway voter sentiments, and fuel conspiracy theories. Given the interconnected nature of global communication platforms, it is crucial for policymakers, technology companies, and citizens alike to remain vigilant, and promote media literacy in order to mitigate the impact of such disinformation campaigns. #3GIMBALS continues to play a vital role in unmasking these and other types of nefarious state and non-state actors attempts to undermine the public trust. #clemsonuniversity #mediaforensics

Terrorist Tactics: How ISIS Duped Viewers with Fake CNN and Al Jazeera Channels https://ift.tt/JPhU1ej ISIS, a terrorist organization allegedly launched two fake channels on Google-owned video platforms YouTube and Facebook. CNN and Al Jazeera claimed to be global news platforms through their YouTube feeds. This goal was to provide credibility and ease the spread of ISIS propaganda. According to research by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, they managed two YouTube channels as well as two accounts on Facebook and X (earlier Twitter) with the help of the outlet 'War and Media'. The campaign went live in March of this year. Furthermore, false profiles that resembled reputable channels were used on Facebook and YouTube to spread propaganda. These videos remained live on YouTube for more than a month. It's unclear when they were taken from Facebook. The Deceptive Channels ISIS operatives set up multiple fake channels on YouTube, each mimicking the branding and style of reputable news outlets. These channels featured professionally edited videos, complete with logos and graphics reminiscent of CNN and Al Jazeera. The content ranged from news updates to opinion pieces, all designed to lend an air of credibility. Tactics and Objectives 1. Impersonation: By posing as established media organizations, ISIS aimed to deceive viewers into believing that the content was authentic. Unsuspecting users might stumble upon these channels while searching for legitimate news, inadvertently consuming extremist propaganda. 2. Content Variety: The fake channels covered various topics related to ISIS’s global expansion. Videos included recruitment messages, calls for violence, and glorification of terrorist acts. The diversity of content allowed them to reach a broader audience. 3. Evading Moderation: YouTube’s content moderation algorithms struggled to detect these fake channels. The professional production quality and branding made it challenging to distinguish them from genuine news sources. As a result, the channels remained active for over a month before being taken down. Challenges for Social Media Platforms Algorithmic Blind Spots: Algorithms designed to identify extremist content often fail when faced with sophisticated deception. The reliance on visual cues (such as logos) can be exploited by malicious actors. Speed vs. Accuracy: Platforms must strike a balance between rapid takedowns and accurate content assessment. Delayed action allows harmful content to spread, while hasty removal risks false positives. User Vigilance: Users play a crucial role in reporting suspicious content. However, the resemblance to legitimate news channels makes it difficult for them to discern fake from real. Why is this harmful for Facebook, X users, and YouTube users? A new method of creating phony social media channels for renowned news broadcasters such as CNN and Al Jazeera reveals how the terrorist organization's approach to avoiding content moderati...

In November 2023, Lebanese journalists faced targeted attacks on #Facebook and other platforms, accused of collaborating with Israel after an IDF attack in southern Lebanon. Pro-Hezbollah accounts engaged in a campaign against journalists critical of the group, using smear tactics and hate messages. This illustrates the activities of #Hezbollah's #Electronic #Army, employing bots to censor anti-Hezbollah content. The army operates training camps, instructing activists in spreading disinformation. The online deception targets global audiences, including journalists, activists, and the LGBT community, sometimes leading to physical violence. Hezbollah strategically controls online discourse, using it as a tool of oppression to shape narratives and neutralize opposition. #Hezbollah #CognitiveWarfare #NarrativeWarfare The cognitive campaign, with Iranian assistance, employs digital technologies and psychological warfare to manipulate awareness and influence target populations. Hezbollah's "electronic army" continues to conduct online campaigns of disinformation, division, and harassment.

Here is another call to action for collaborative efforts between policymakers, social media platforms, and our societies to refine strategies to safeguard our information ecosystem and combat #disinformation and #fakenews. This recent study from Carnegie Mellon University unveils the strategies fueling disinformation campaigns on social media platforms and highlights the sophisticated tactics employed by some regimes and organizations that attempt to manipulate public opinion. According to Maryam Saeedi, the study co-author, the findings reveal a disturbing trend of entities engaging in disinformation wars, using the anonymity and reach of social media to influence political and social narratives. By analyzing data collected in relation to Iranian protests in September 2022, the study suggests how to systemically identify and counter disinformation. The more we know, the better we can respond to the threats and mechanisms of disinformation. https://lnkd.in/gs6wVmnR #CombatFakeNews #CombatDisinformation #TruthMatters #AI #FFP #FactFindersPro

TikTok is the leading cause of #disinformation via #socialmedia especially for the American public and as many researchers and tests seem to show, TikTok continuously promotes pro-Russian and pro-Chinese agendas and removes news that go against those agendas. If you are an adult using TikTok, please think about your life choices and consider deleting the app, or at least limiting the type of content consumed. If your children use TikTok, please educate them on the threats posed to their ability to think critically and the harm to their mental health, let alone being brainwashed by American enemies. TikTok is not the only culprit, just the most active platform used against the Western way of life and part of the long-term hybrid war that Russia, China, Iran, and their proxies have been waging against the United States for decades… If you need a reminder on why the US should support Ukraine, here are a few examples: - with sufficient support Ukraine would have won the war many months ago (still no fighter jets or helicopters, limited long-range missiles, and ridiculous restrictions not to target Russian targets inside of Russia that are creating weapons and shooting missiles into civilian populations). - cost of supporting Ukraine is cheap, 90% of it goes back to US and funds our defense contractors and creates more US jobs. - cost of a Russian victory will embolden all enemies across the globe, see South Sudan and many African countries where Russian mercenaries have caused recent coups or turned countries into slave camps for resource extraction, Venezuela, Hamas, North Korea, Syria, etc. Russia will continue to expand into Easterm Europe and will lead to direct confrontation with NATO, which will be much more expensive and lead to loss of American lives. - Just do the right thing. There has not been as clearly just war in decades. How can we not support a country fighting for its democracy and existence against a Russian oppressor that publicly stated Ukraine does not have a right to exist, has kidnapped 800,000 children, and perpetrated mass rapes, torture, and executions in every place of Ukraine it has occupied? #ukrainewar https://lnkd.in/eW-kJd4P

The Russia-linked influence operation called Doppelganger has targeted Ukrainian, U.S., and German audiences through a combination of inauthentic news sites and social media accounts. These campaigns are designed to amplify content designed to undermine Ukraine as well as propagate anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, U.S. military competence, and Germany's economic and social issues, according to a new... Read more on the following blog article!

What are the challenges of #intelligence sharing in #targeting #operations? Mehmet Çoban Kilinç and Jochem de Hoop discuss the matter on the basis of Netherlands' participation in the Operation #InherentResolve against #ISIS, which prompted the implementation of their #civilian #harm policy. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gN6serjD #articlesofwar #intelligencesharing #coalition