#378 — Digital Delusions
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Understanding the Shadows of Influence
Trust and safety in social media contexts often focuses on human behavior as the root of conflict and misinformation. Significant attention is directed toward the impact of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, particularly those from Russia, China, and Iran. In-depth research has been pivotal in analyzing the strategies and tactics employed in modern propaganda operations, especially in relation to the Internet Research Agency's activities between 2015 and 2018. This includes investigating the role of the GRU in orchestrating hack and leak operations. Methodical examination of dataset descriptions helps decode the nature of these propaganda efforts, yet these investigations face challenges of mischaracterization and association with existing negative stereotypes to discredit researchers' credibility.
