"Deescalating polarization will contribute to diminishing the problem of misinformation" Published: 3 February 2022 Interview A conversation with Nicole Krause from the Life Sciences Communication Department at the University of Wisconsin about science and political communication and ways to communicate more effectively with conservative, religious and rural audiences.
The German strategy in the race for the quantum computer Published: 1 February 2022 Spotlight If the development of a commercially viable quantum computer is successful, those companies and governments that had early access to hardware and software will have a significant business advantage and increase in technological sovereignty over those who entered the race late. By Florian Süssenguth
AI and Elections: Observations, Analyses and Prospects Published: 27 January 2022 Spotlight This Spotlight explores how the ability of AI to disseminate information more effectively is prone to abuse and can pose a threat to democracy. It then discusses the preconditions and potential of AI to support the building of a critical public sphere. By Jessica Heesen
How does the DSA contribute to platform governance and tackle disinformation? Published: 26 January 2022 Spotlight The DSA could help addressing the challenges of harmful content and disinformation online by increasing the legal protections while encouraging platforms to be more transparent and accountable without imposing requirements to generally monitor content. By Giovanni De Gregorio
What is Gendered Disinformation? Published: 26 January 2022 Explainer One can say that fake news is old news, and so are misogyny, sexism, and gender stereotypes. What has changed in the digital era is the ease of coordinating, financing, and propagating disinformation campaigns. By Maria Giovanna Sessa
A Thriving Digital Public Sphere - Why the "Legacy" Media Still Matters - and Must - Contribute Published: 26 January 2022 Explainer Traditional news media, especially print, face existential threats in the digital era but continue to play a vital role in sustaining the public sphere despite their reduced scale. By Dieter Zinnbauer
"We need to "vaccinate" people against misinformation so that they can identify suspicious information on their own" Published: 25 January 2022 Interview A conversation with Dr. Erez Garty from the Davidson Institute about misinformation around Covid-19 in Israel, vaccine hesitancy and what is needed to make a dent in the problem of science denialism and propagation of conspiracy theories.
The Weakest Links - Why we Cannot Look at our Information Environment Platform-by-Platform Published: 25 January 2022 Spotlight In a hyperlinked media ecosystem, separate actions taken by distinct online platforms to curb disinformation efforts are falling short as adversarial actors forge ahead. This Spotlight describes two emerging ways in which actors have used cross-platform tactics to successfully execute disinformation campaigns. By Adi Cohen
Regulatory Interdependence in Artificial Intelligence Published: 25 January 2022 Spotlight Regulatory interdependence shapes AI ethics enforcement and requires a diverse approach to enhance jurisdictions' AI sovereignty, crucial for the EU's digital sovereignty goals. By Daniel Mügge
The Global Story of Election Interference Published: 25 January 2022 Backgrounder Over the past two decades, social media has significantly reshaped democratic societies, offering greater diversity of opinion and information exchange while also posing risks of subversion exploited by authoritarian regimes. By Olaf Boehnke and Carlo Zensus