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State Lawmakers Eye Promise, Pitfalls of AI Ahead of November Elections
This presidential election cycle is the first since generative AI — a form of artificial intelligence that can create new images, audio and video — became widely available. Artificial intelligence proved the ‘topic du jour’ at the largest annual meeting of state lawmakers this week in Kentucky.
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DOJ Sues TikTok and Parent Company ByteDance for Widespread Violations of Children’s Privacy Laws
U.S. law prohibits website operators from knowingly collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under the age of 13, unless they provide notice to and obtain consent from those children’s parents.
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Despite Security Concerns, TikTok Still Plays Key Role in 2024 Race
Despite national security concerns about TikTok – and its ties to China – the popular short-form video app is playing an important role on the campaign trail for both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The reason, experts say, is because the platform remains a crucial tool for candidates to reach young voters.
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AI-Powered Massive Deepfake Detector to Safeguard Elections from Deepfake Threats
Israeli startup Revealense has introduced its illuminator Massive Deepfake Detector, an AI-powered solution designed to combat the growing threat of deepfakes in electoral processes. Dov Donin, CEO of Revealense, said: “Our system is already used by several governments globally.”
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Potential Terrorists Can Be Identified from Social Media Posts
Researchers have identified signals in social media posts that can predict when someone posting on far-right forums is likely to go on to commit a terrorist act.
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China’s High Stakes and Deepfakes in the Philippines
A covert social media campaign operated by the Chinese government appears to be spreading a deepfake video seeking to undermine support for Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. China is conducting the campaign amid a high-stakes standoff with the Philippines over claims in the South China Sea.
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Foreign Interference Threats Facing the 2024 U.S. Election
More foreign interference is expected as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris appear set to face off in the 2024 US presidential election. Here’s what we know about the possible foreign threats.
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Key U.S. Adversaries ‘Hiding Their Hand’ as They Hone Election Influence Operations
The latest assessment from U.S. intelligence officials, shared Monday, reveals that Russia, China, and Iran are already deep into campaigns seeking to sway voters and undermine confidence in the democratic process. The intelligence assessment shows that just like in 2016 and in 2020, Russian influence efforts are focused on support for the candidacy of Trump.
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How AI Bots Spread Misinformation Online and Undermine Democratic Politics
As we navigate this era of digital discourse, awareness of blind spots in our social psychology is our best defense. Understanding how cues or triggers affect us can reduce their influence over time. The more aware we are of bots and how they work, the more able we are to protect ourselves from misleading rhetoric, ensuring our democratic processes remain robust and inclusive.
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Q&A: If You’re Seeing This, Is It Meant for You?
Thanks to algorithms, social media platforms can generate content that feels like it’s made just for you. Some TikTok users acknowledge the technology underlying personalized content online but can’t deny sometimes feeling that a higher power is involved, according to Penn State researchers.
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It Is Time to Act
There is, in a basic sense, nothing new to be said about the global computer outage of the week just pas, Dan Geer writes, so the time to act is now. “If we choose to act on what we know, then we also know that security policy and competition policy are henceforth conjoined. We cannot and will not have zero cascade failures if any tech is allowed to become universal, to become a monopoly in its sphere.”
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Are Mass Layoffs and Data Breaches Connected?
Layoffs create conditions where disgruntled employees face added stress or job insecurity, so they are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that heighten the company’s vulnerability to data breaches.
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Illinois DARPA Quantum Proving Ground
A new federal- and state-funded Quantum Proving Ground (QPG) promises to combine scientific rigor with industry and academic expertise to design the future of quantum computing
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Far-Right Influencers on X Promote Anti-Zionism, Hate and Conspiracy Theories
An analysis identified five influencers on X whose engagement spiked in the days and weeks after Hamas’s attack on Israel, with content that included virulent anti-Zionism alongside antisemitic tropes, disinformation and other forms of hateful or harmful rhetoric.
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Massive IT Outage Spotlights Major Vulnerabilities in the Global Information Ecosystem
The global information technology outage on July 19, 2024, that paralyzed organizations ranging from airlines to hospitals and even the delivery of uniforms for the Olympic Games represents a growing concern for cybersecurity professionals, businesses and governments.
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The long view
Researchers Calculate Cyberattack Risk for All 50 States
Local governments are common victims of cyberattack, with economic damage often extending to the state and federal levels. Scholars aggregate threats to thousands of county governments to draw conclusions.