Lest There Be Any October Surprises - Fighting Disinformation Before the Ballot Box

"The problem in America isn't so much what people don't know, the problem is what people think they know that just ain't so"

In this episode of Disinformation, Paul Brandus discusses the prevalence of false campaign narratives and disinformation in elections around the world. He highlights the upcoming presidential election in the United States and the numerous elections taking place in other countries, including Taiwan. We delve into China's extensive use of disinformation campaigns targeting Taiwan, with the goal of sowing discontent and mistrust among the Taiwanese people. This episode also explores the effectiveness of these efforts and their potential impact on Taiwan's relationship with the United States. The conversation then shifts to the 2024 U.S. election, the radicalization of the population, the rapid development of technology, and the lack of oversight and regulation in the information environment.

[00:03:23] Disinformation in Taiwan.

[00:04:48] China's influence in Taiwan.

[00:09:25] Misinformation in Taiwan elections.

[00:13:35] Oversight of social media platforms.

[00:18:27] AI-generated disinformation in elections.

[00:22:45] Social media and micro-targeting.

[00:26:58] Educating people about media.

Got questions, comments or ideas or an example of disinformation you'd like us to check out? Send them to paulb@emergentriskinternational.com. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Special thanks to our guest Dr. Simona Grano, CEO of Emergent Risk Meredith Wilson, sound designer and editor Noah Foutz, audio engineer Nathan Corson, and executive producers Michael DeAloia and Gerardo Orlando. Thanks so much for listening.