https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/09/googles-knowledge-panels-are-magnifying-disinformation/598474/

This article from The Atlantic discusses the unitended problems that have stemmed from disinformation being utilized in their knowledge panels. Google knowledge panels are panels that show up at the top of Google search results that are suppose to give a brief but succint information on a people, organizations, etc. These knowledge panels utilize algorithms to quickly grab pertinant information from a wide range of online sources, one of the chief ones being wikipedia. As useful as these panels can be for quick searches, it has been made clear in this article that misinformation plagues Google knowledge panels. The author of this article introduces the reader to this discourse by using Martin John Byrant, a tech consultant who happens to share the same exact name as the shooter from the Port Arthur massacre. According to google knowledge panel, the shooter is the first result posted when you google Martin John Byrant. You can see how this might have an effect on someones career as his identity has been effectively tied to this shooter, because of Google’s algorithms.

Martin is not the first to have been wronged by misinformation being spread on Google knowledge panels. Countless actors and political offices in the United States and abroad have faced issues dealing with misinformation being acredited to their identity or lack thereof in Google Knowledge panels. Google has a feature to report false information on their knowledge panels, but for relatively unimportant people like Martin John Byrant his requests have been ignored. Martin Considered the though of trying to buy the knowledge panel, but apparently Google does not allow the transfer of ownership of knowledge panels. Another glaring issue with the spread of misinformation on google knowledge panels is wikipedia. As most know Wikipedia is a public source that can be edited by anybody. So false information can infact be spread to google knowledge panels by editing certain wikipedia pages.

Google has acknowledged the increasing issue knowledge panels play in presenting misinformation online. They even published a white paper called, “How Google fights Disinformation”, where they go into detail how knowledge panels are a tool for users to get context and to better avoid deceptive content. Google refused to include any information about their algorithms stating that “sharing too much of the granular details of how our algorithms and processes work would make it easier for bad actors to exploit them”. I personally think Google needs to work on their algorithms, its clear the current formula isn’t doing anyone favors.

This article from the New York times talks about the surge in Pro-Beijing Tweets being circulated on Twitter disparaging and belittling protests in Hongkong. The significance of this article is extremely prevalent in todays world, Thousands of bot accounts are being manipulated to post anti-protest tweets during certain key times in order to flood Twitter with mass amounts of Pro-Chinese messaging. This isn’t the first time we have seen a world government take action on social media in order to influence a certain audience, back in 2016 during the presidential election it is well known that Russian intervention on Social media influenced and coerced American opinions on the presidential candidates.

Whats particullarly interesting in this case is we see Pro-Beijing tweets being posted in more than one language possibly in an attempt to spread their agenda and to better conceal the source of the tweets. Investigations into the accounts posting these tweets, have revealed that these tweets come from bot accounts not under the control of the Chinese Government, but more likely an indepedent organizations acting in the interest of the Chinese Government. Although Twitter is banned in China, it is still accessable in Hongkong meaning that the platform was choosen for its ability to spread information quickly and for its accessablility to the people who care and have a vested interest in the Chinese intervention in Hongkong.

Twitter has taken action against these bot accounts by continously banning and removing their content, but due to the sheer number of tweets the Pro-Beijing content contines to circulate. This strategy of spreading disinformation seems to be working its intended purpose. In the past China has largely relied on propaganda and censorship in order to suppress anti-government values, but due to the fast exchange and great spread of information on social media, the Chinese government saw a chance to change the current social attitude regarding China’s intervention in Hongkong.

https://marketingland.com/twitter-expands-political-ad-limitations-latest-update-aimed-at-state-controlled-news-media-266021

This article talks about a new policy Twitter is enforcing on their platform regarding advertising limitations. Specifically Twitter is no longer allowing state-controlled news sites to displaying advertisements on the platform. This is in response to the misuse of social media platforms by foreign powers (Russia) to influence the results of the 2016 election.

Twitter made the destinction that any state owned news media not dedicated to reporting the news as in purely entertainment, will not be subject to the new advertising policy. Public broadcasters are also covered in this category. State owned news media have 30 days to cease all advertising on Twitter before the new policy takes action. This new policy will have an interesting impact on digital marketers for state owned news media companies, as they will have to turn to create new ways to advertise to their audience on Twitter without using the platform. As for the potential impact of decreasing political advertising campaigns as a whole I feel their won’t be much of a difference in the long-run as long as other platforms don’t follow Twitter’s example.