47. Countering FIMI and Election Interference in Taiwan: Ben Graham Jones (“Taiwan P.O.W.E.R”)

Oct 18, 2024

Ben Graham Jones, an international election consultant and author of the "Taiwan POWER" report, dives deep into Taiwan's resilience against foreign information manipulation. He highlights the grassroots strategies that empower civil society and how Taiwan serves as a beacon for combating disinformation globally. The discussion covers the rise of AI and deep fakes, the critical role of social media platforms in preserving electoral integrity, and the unique challenges faced in their turbulent political landscape. His insights reveal essential lessons for the world on safeguarding democracy.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Understanding FIMI: Evolving Definitions and Implications for Democracy

01:42 • 3min

Taiwan's Resilience Against Foreign Influence

04:14 • 20min

Global Election Observations: Lessons from Africa and Beyond

23:52 • 3min

Democracy, Trust, and the Electoral Journey

26:32 • 10min

The Accountability of Social Media Platforms in Promoting Transparency

36:33 • 2min

Empowering Minds Against Disinformation

38:36 • 6min

Ben Graham Jones is an election observer. In his new report “Taiwan POWER” on the 2024 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan, Jones sets up Taiwan as a model for resilience against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

Jones identifies a set of strengths that's the core of Taiwan’s resilience against FIMI: Purpose-driven, Organic, Whole-society, Evolving, Remit-bound. Jones stresses it’s the bottom-up approach of Taiwan’s civic society that’s made it particularly resilient.

“What’s interesting about Taiwan is we often consider Taiwan to be patient zero of Chinese information operations, Beijing’s information operations… If we are to move from not just defining the problem, but also defining the solution, I think Taiwan is a place that provides a good deal of inspiration to the wider world.”

Jones points to Chinese PRC influence of political elites, often through tourism, and why countries need to understand the work of the United Front.

We also talk about AI, deep fake, media literacy, and where he stands on the responsibility of social media platforms against false information.

The Taiwan 2024 elections took place on January 13, 2024. While the ruling DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) won an unprecedented third consecutive term in office, it lost the majority in parliament. Elections take place in Taiwan every two years. They alternate between national and local elections. The next local elections for mayors, city counselors, and village chiefs should be in November 2026.

Taiwan POWER by Ben Graham Jones, commissioned by DoubleThink Lab, was released in August 2024: https://medium.com/doublethinklab/taiwan-power-a-model-for-resilience-to-foreign-information-manipulation-interference-70ea81f859b7

Previous episodes from Ghost Island Media on disinformation:

“Disinformation: Building Digital Resilience” on Dispatch From Taiwan - with voices from Taiwan FactCheck Center, DoubleThink Lab, and Citizen Lab: https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/01/disinformation-building-digital-resilience

“Influence Operations on PTT” with Oddis J.F. Tsai and J.M. Hung (INDSR): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/indsr-ptt-influence-operation

“Disinformation” with Puma Shen (Doublethink Lab): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/disinformation-doublethink-lab

“China Information Warfare” with Jeremy Hung (INDSR): https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/indsr-china-information-war

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