US states worried about election unrest take security precautions
Las Vegas, Nevada, US Reuters A security fence rings a Las Vegas building where Nevada tabulates votes. An Arizona sheriff has his department on high alert to guard against potential violence with drones and snipers on standby. Governors of at least three states have called for National Guard troops to help maintain the peace. As […]
Essay: Building democracy at, and beyond, the ballot box
BRIDGET MOIX, general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, says – in an article first published on Religion News Service, that the work of creating a more just, peaceful and inclusive democracy will be needed far beyond 5th November…
Staff at US voting machine firms prep for doxxing, misinformation and ‘swatting’
Detroit, US Reuters Staff at US voting machine companies have removed public information about themselves from the internet and have made contingency plans with local law enforcement ahead of the 2024 election, after suffering harassment in 2020, according to industry representatives. Following the 2020 election, which Republican candidate Donald Trump falsely claimed he had won, some […]
Trump fraud claims stir concerns of another contested US election
Philadelphia, US Reuters Republican Donald Trump’s false claims about voter fraud in the critical battleground of Pennsylvania have raised concerns he could again try to overturn election results if he fares poorly against Democrat Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s US presidential election. Opinion polls, both nationally and in the seven closely divided states, show former President […]
Australia threatens fines for social media giants enabling misinformation
Sydney, Australia Reuters Australia said it will fine internet platforms up to five per cent of their global revenue for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation online, joining a worldwide push to rein in borderless tech giants but angering free speech advocates. The government said it would make tech platforms set codes of conduct […]
Russia vs Ukraine: The biggest war of the fake news era
MAX HUNDER, of Reuters, reports on the information war taking place in the Ukraine conflict…
UK’s Starmer vows speedy punishment to quell violent disorder
London, UK Reuters British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said violent protesters who had targeted Muslim communities would swiftly face the “full force of the law” as he sought to quell days of anti-immigration rioting. The fatal stabbing of three young girls in the north-west English town of Southport last week has been seized on by […]
Britain’s Starmer condemns “far-right thuggery” as unrest flares again
London, UK Reuters British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday condemned what he described as “far-right thuggery” and said perpetrators would face the full force of the law after days of violent anti-immigration protests culminated in hotels being targeted. Violent protests have erupted in towns and cities across Britain after three girls were killed in […]
Essay: AI and toxic politics
MAL FLETCHER says while democracy is based on transparency, AI systems are opaque and we don’t always know who is building them, or who is misusing them…
Helpdesk: Seven ways to avoid becoming a misinformation superspreader when the news is shocking
H COLLEEN SINCLAIR, associate research professor of social psychology at Louisiana State University, provides some tips on how to avoid becoming part of the problem in these fraught times…