Former White House Officials Headline Event Alongside Dictator, Industry Coordinated Disinformation Has Adapted, and Outbreak Disinformation Headlines Across Decades
Threats, Fact Checks, and Reads #5.24.21
Outline
Highlights
Threats
Mis/Mal/Disinformation
DEVELOPING NARRATIVES
FACT CHECKS
Research
Recommended Reads
Why We See the Same Conspiracy Theories During Crises and How Adversaries Can Use Them Against Us
Outbreak Disinformation from 1980 to 2021
Sound Bites
Highlights
Former White House officials headlined alongside a merciless dictator at an event held by a group with a history of coercive behavior, sex abuse, links to foreign intelligence, fraud, spreading disinformation, and extremist ideology.
The question is, why?
New Lab to Fight Misinformation Among Latinos
Voto Latino, the largest Latinx voter registration organization in the nation, and Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog, have partnered to launch the Latino Anti-Disinformation Lab, which will work to better understand and combat misinformation at all stages and channels.
The Supreme Court's Assault on Science
A recent decision making it easier to sentence children to life without parole ignores what we know about the prefrontal cortex
The Wuhan Lab and the Gain-of-Function Disagreement
This line of questioning follows a popular narrative among conspiracy theorists and aligns with leaked strategy guides that urge Republican elected officials to attack China. That does not necessarily indicate intent, but the coincidence warrants note.
Threats
“This is a disinformation industry,” said Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, who specializes in vaccine policy. Reiss said that unlike other multi-level marketing businesses, in which products are sold through low-level sub-sellers, the anti-vaccination industry is sustained by grassroots activists.
“They have many, many passionate believers that serve as sales people of the misinformation on the ground,” she said. “For the top, it’s a product. For the people below, they passionately believe it. They’re very sincere. And it comes across.”
The Bollingers and others were already in the business of selling vaccine disinformation before the coronavirus began its inexorable march across the globe. But the pandemic presented the couple and others with a huge opportunity to expand their reach.
The Bollingers aligned themselves with right-wing supporters of former President Donald Trump — establishing a Super PAC to push what they call “medical freedom,” participating in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and promoting “Stop the Steal” disinformation.
Researchers Say They've Uncovered a Massive Facebook Bot Farm From the 2020 Election
A group of security researchers say they’ve unmasked a massive bot farm that aimed to shape public opinion on Facebook during the heat of the 2020 presidential election.
According to Paul Bischoff of Comparitech, a British cybersecurity company, the network includes 13,775 unique Facebook accounts that each posted roughly 15 times per month, for an output of more than 50,000 posts a week. The accounts appear to have been used for “political manipulation,” Bischoff says, with roughly half the posts related to political topics and another 17 percent related to COVID-19. Each account has a profile photo and friends list—likely consisting of other bots, the researchers suggest—and they’ve joined “specific Facebook groups where their posts are more likely to be seen and discussed by legitimate users.”
Should adversaries choose to pursue automation in their disinformation campaigns, we believe that deploying an algorithm like the one in GPT-3 is well within the capacity of foreign governments, especially tech-savvy ones such as China and Russia.
Cyber Espionage Group UNC1151 Likely Conducts Ghostwriter Influence Activity
Ghostwriter is a cyber-enabled influence campaign that primarily targets audiences in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland and promotes narratives critical of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) presence in Eastern Europe
China increases foreign influence efforts on the U.S. by 500%
New foreign-agent filings finally detail a massive Beijing propaganda operation that's fueled a sixfold increase in disclosed Chinese foreign influence efforts in the United States in recent years.
Why it matters: Propaganda is central to China fulfilling its geopolitical aspirations, and its efforts to sow discord and disinformation in the U.S. have very real consequences for the American business, political and social climates.
Mis/Mal/Disinformation
DEVELOPING NARRATIVES
Chinese Propaganda Uses Latest Israeli-Palestinian Violence to Criticize United States
The Chinese state-affiliated and -backed social media networks monitored on Hamilton 2.0 have seized upon the recent violence as an opportunity to criticize the global leadership of the United States and its European allies. Between May 8 and May 18, Hamilton 2.0 registered a significant increase in Chinese coverage aiming to discredit U.S. positions by portraying them as insincere.
By contrast, Chinese state-affiliated and -backed media and diplomats presented China’s initiatives as impartial and constructive. The message they hoped to imply, and at times openly expressed, was that the United States is no longer worthy of its international standing and that the time has come for a more effective government—one with “Chinese characteristics”—to take up the mantle of global leadership.
Ex-Pfizer VP Spreads Misinformation About COVID-19, Variants, and Vaccine Safety
In a video with thousands of views on social media, a former Pfizer executive known for spreading anti-vaccine myths makes several false claims about COVID-19 and vaccines, including:
Calling asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 his “favorite lie.”
FACT CHECK: According to one CDC report, as much as 50 percent of transmission happens before people experience symptoms.Claiming there is “zero chance” of vaccinated people or those who have had COVID-19 contracting any other virus variants. FACT CHECK: Although the vaccines and previous COVID-19 infections offer some measure of protection against some variants, we do not have enough evidence to know how well vaccine or natural immunity will protect people from each new variant.
Suggesting that the vaccines are not safe, citing data from VAERS and Yellow Card, the US and UK’s vaccine adverse events reporting systems. FACT CHECK: Deaths listed in the systems are not necessarily vaccine-related. VAERS and Yellow Card are a record of adverse events, including deaths, that occur after vaccination, not adverse events resulting from vaccination. This data also contains self-reported, unverified accounts.
Suggesting that the vaccines may be harmful to pregnant women. FACT CHECK: The vaccine clinical trials included pregnant women, and as of May 17, more than 100,000 pregnant people have been safely vaccinated. The CDC recommends the vaccine for those who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
How tactics to fight climate change disinformation are evolving
Over the last four decades, a highly organized, well-funded campaign powered by the fossil fuel industry has sought to discredit the science linking global climate change to human carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. These disinformation efforts have sown confusion over data, questioned the integrity of climate scientists, and denied the scientific consensus on the role of humans.
Such disinformation efforts are outlined in internal documents from fossil fuel giants such as Shell and Exxon. As early as the 1980s, oil companies knew that burning fossil fuels was altering the climate, according to industry documents reviewed at a 2019 U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing. Yet these companies, aided by some scientists, set out to mislead the public, deny well-established science and forestall efforts to regulate emissions.
How a Bulletin story about self-spreading vaccines was used in anti-vaxxer propaganda
Republican leaders claim that the Jan. 6 commission bill would not allow GOP staff hires
Katko, a former federal prosecutor, said in a floor speech Wednesday that “this legislation is modeled directly on the legislation that created the 9/11 Commission” and that claims that Democrats would choose all staff members were “simply not true.”
“Another charge I heard was that the commission could be controlled by partisan staff hired unilaterally by the commission chair,” he said. “That is simply not true. Here’s what the bill does: It requires consultation between the chair, appointed by the Democrats, and the vice-chair, appointed by the Republicans, for any hiring of staff, and further requires that it be in accordance with rules agreed upon by the commission. The commission creates rules as a team, then they then hire as a team.”
A Republican House Homeland Security Committee aide emphasized that the bipartisan commission’s rules would control hiring decisions under the bill's terms.
FACT CHECKS
Claims about SM-102, a Compound That Is Not a "Deadly Poison."
Claims that sm-102 is not for human or animal consumption started spreading significantly by May 17, 2021. Someone misread the label. Social media posts center around a link to a supplier of the compound. The listing has a notice that reads “not for human or animal use.”
This has been misunderstood to mean that the compound itself is not for use in humans or animals, which is not the case.
Many industries have grades for products like cosmetics, food, etc. In the US, the FDA regulates this market, requiring standards to be met. Cayman Chemical Company appears to have noticed the uptick in interest and posted a notice which clarifies this point.
Lead Stories appears to have covered this issue, as well.
Are 'National Immunization Survey' Calls From the CDC Legit?
No, getting a COVID-19 vaccine won't expose you to high amounts of electromagnetic radiation
Fact Check-Photo does not show Pope Francis with David Rockefeller and John Rothschild
Fact Check: Fauci 'Project Manager' Did NOT Confess To Creating COVID-19
Fact check: Black Lives Matter tweeted in support of Palestinians, not Hamas
Fact check: COVID-19 vaccine won't jeopardize life insurance coverage
Fact check: Comparison between COVID-19, cancer death rate misleading
Eric Trump's Pants on Fire claim that Joe Biden's White House doesn't travel
Demonstrators In Orange County Are Wrong: Kids Are Not At Risk Of Lung Diseases From Wearing Masks
YouTuber falsely claims New Zealand’s 'frontline workers' could be imprisoned if not vaccinated
Video Doesn't Prove Capitol Police Allowed Jan. 6 Protesters to Enter Capitol
Fact Check: Democrats Were Not 'Caught' Not Wearing Masks -- CDC Guidelines Allowed It
Research
Rates for vaccine exemptions by state comparing the rate in 2009/10 to the rate in 2019/20. For states where years were unavailable, we substituted 2011 or 2018, depending on which number was missing.
The data show that antivaccine movements leaned left ten years ago, and today, the movement has taken a hard right. Answering how and why may provide answers to our vaccine hesitation today.
In the graph, states with a negative number lowered the percentage of children with vaccine exemption waivers. States with a positive number increased the percentage of children obtaining a vaccine waiver.
Most favorable toward vaccine: College-educated, 65+ years or older, and Democrats
Least favorable toward vaccine: Republicans, Rural, and 18-29-year-olds
Recommended Reads
Singapore uses misinformation law to swat online virus claim
Thu, May 2Singapore used a misinformation law Thursday to order Facebook and Twitter to warn users about what it said were false claims about a dangerous coronavirus strain emerging in the city. New Delhi's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed this week on social media that a strain of the virus had appeared in Singapore that could trigger a new wave of cases in India, and urged a flight ban.
'Vaccines are satanic': Bolivia battles fake news in inoculation drive
Disinformation can hurt you locally, too
And it’s time the government did something about it. First posted on niche social media platforms used by QAnon conspiracy theorists, the disinformation graduated to more mainstream networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The Russian government-sponsored television channel and website, RT, amplified the story and repeated falsehoods that Antifa members had been arrested for arson.
Soon, police departments and 9-1-1 dispatchers were being bombarded by calls from Oregon homeowners who had heard that roving gangs of antifa members were setting fires. Some neighborhoods set up armed checkpoints, as they mobilized to guard their homes.
The phone calls, rumors, and checkpoints all interfered with fire, police, and rescue personnel trying to compile accurate information about the numerous fires and effectively dispatch resources to fight them, save lives and property, and evacuate as many residents as possible.
Why We See the Same Conspiracy Theories During Crises and How Adversaries Can Use Them Against Us
Our minds respond predictably to uncertainty. We struggle to take in new information. We may be more paranoid and not knowing anything for sure can leave us desperate for certainty.
That is why for every major outbreak (and crises in general), conspiracy theories crop up and--inexplicably--we suffer something like amnesia, where forget we have heard this all before. When it's happening though, it can be scary and feel impossible to know what is true.
For that reason—whether it's you or friends and family who are finding questionable ideas compelling, maybe for the first time—I compiled a collection of headlines from the past. Many will sound familiar. Let's chat about why.
Whether it's fears about new world order (big from 2010+), scientists at Fort Detrick (1980s Soviet HIV disinformation), or your standard plot to enslave and sterilize humanity—it's all been said before. Why? It doesn't get more primal than the drive to survive and procreate.
Threatening our autonomy or ability to reproduce is a sure way to scare a lot of people. Fear can make people easier to influence.
A Weapon By Any Other Name
M/disinformation can scare people so unethical leaders can exploit that fear to become the hero. It can also have devastating consequences as it did with HIV/AIDS, with or without intent. Misinformation about HIV took hundreds of thousands of lives. Information can kill—it can be a weapon.
The threat is greater today. Unethical leaders around the world can now hire firms that will target an audience and influence their conversation, sow doubt, and confuse people. It can be used to poison discussion just as easily as it can be used to unleash chaos.
The average person is reasonable but busy and may lack the knowledge needed to tell what is real and what is an abuse of power. While we are aware that governments can abuse their power, we are far less concerned with another possibility: People believing the government is abusing power when it isn’t.
During a crisis, the inability to communicate, trust one another, and coordinate responses may hurt a country far worse than any weapon. When we believe the worst in another group, we may interpret every word, every action in a way that "proves" the falsehoods we already believe.
This happens regardless of if either the underlying belief or the interpretation is correct or even plausible. Stoking distrust is akin to a mental poisoning of your opponents well. It matters little if the well contains actual poison if enough people believe it does.
Without access to clean water, they will fall.
Which is worse?
Is it worse to pull a fire alarm and trick your opponent into fleeing a fire that does not exist or to convince them that a house in flames is not on fire? Adversaries risk military retaliation if they start a fire or if they attack us first. There is far less risk and a chance for equally devastating assault if they wait for a fire to happen.
When a fire happens on its own and anxiety grips the public, a bad actor can seize the moment to convince us the house isn’t on fire, that our government’s exhortations to flee are an overreach of power. Believing ourselves wise, we get burned alive.
Why go to war when you can convince the enemy to tear themselves apart? Consequences for information operations are less because countries don't respond as they do when it's a physical attack. The consequences can be just as real and devastating.
Our persistent guns-as-protection cultural wisdom reveals that much of the US still does not understand that the game has changed. We’ve brought bravado and a slingshot to a game of smoke and mirrors
How to Poison the Well
Someone wanting to influence another country may struggle to craft a message that appeals to the public. You need an insider, someone who gets the culture. If you can find an existing viable political candidate who could be nudged in your chosen direction, then working on getting them in power is key.
Disinformation that is crafted in a way that helps your chosen leader while hurting their opponent can be an irresistible gift to a well-chosen target. Now you may have an inside voice echoing what you want to say to the public.
If the aim of influencing a leader is to ultimately tear the country apart from the inside, then changing a single mind, one at a time, won't work. It has to be influenced from the top down. Get a divisive leader in office, and in time, the public will divide too.
Once divided the public will be easier to disinform, as they will believe increasingly outlandish stories and ideas about their opponents. We all know this tendency. You're more likely to scrutinize a story you don't like than one you like. In a polarized environment, it can be worse.
That makes it all the more likely you succeed in getting people to believe in black-and-white narratives that feature their political opponents as soul-less, evil-doers that threaten society. Once you have the public there, the country's fate may be quite grim.
It's a shortfall from "my neighbor is a threat" to "it's us or them," and "we had no choice." The divisive leader doesn't convince anyone that unspeakable atrocities are good—only that they are necessary. That's the misunderstanding. People who see a threat will act. Disinformation cannot make black turn white—but it can make you question the shade of grey.
We're not different from people in the past. If a leader (with or without adversary help) has persuaded us our political opponents are a threat (especially if it involves heaps of lies) the process has already begun.
Outbreak Disinformation from 1980 to 2021
HIV 1980-90s
Russian disinformation suggests the US created the HIV virus. Even Americans were pulled in by the stories.
Translation:
“We are conducting a series of [active] measures in connection with the appearance in recent years in the USA of a new and dangerous disease, “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome – AIDS”…, and its subsequent, large-scale spread to other countries, including those in Western Europe.”—handwritten letter by Soviet KGB agent September 1985
SARS 2002/03
SARS breaks out in late 2002 and disinformation follows swiftly.
Avian Flu 2005
Disinformation from Russia on influenza, vaccines, and bioweapons became popular between 2005 and 2010.
H1N1 2009
Disinformation narratives on H1N1 appeared following the first cases in early 2009.
Christian persecution is a common theme in disinformation today
Ebola 2012
M/Disinformation on the Ebola virus appears but takes off in 2014 following a large outbreak.
Ebola Virus: The Global Elite's Bio-Weapon Scheme for 90 Percent Depopulation
Ebola vaccine pioneer joked about use of genetically engineered virus to cull the human population
Depopulation: Could a Speech From 8 Years Ago Hold the Key to the Rapid Spread of Ebola?
Zika 2016
M/Disinformation on the Zika virus appears in 2016.
Russia Accuses Bill Gates Of Engineering The Zika Virus To Depopulate The World
The article, Bill Gates was involved in the artificial creation of the Zika epidemic to reduce the world’s population, appeared in Geopolitica.ru - Italian in 2020.
The war on fertility via the Forced Vaccination agenda: Enter the Zika Virus
Covid 2020/21
Covid disinformation seemed to spring forth immediately after the world became aware of its existence. The disinformation related to Covid was far more sophisticated and voluminous than past infectious disease-related efforts.
Hoaxlines database has 449 records for the keyword “Covid”
365 records for “coronavirus”
176 records for “vaccine” published after January 1, 2020
242 records that contain “vaccin” ranging from 2001 to 2021
Sound Bites
Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows
Podcast: Is misinformation to blame for vaccine hesitancy?