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Much of the misinformation spreading around Russia's war with Ukraine doesn't involve AI-generated deepfakes or expertly-edited videos but originates when everyday social media users take and share images out of context.

Why it matters: "Especially in a war, there is a human cost to false info going viral," said Graham Brookie, director and managing editor of the Digital Forensic Research Lab within the Atlantic Council.

Low-tech misinformation is often conveyed by well-meaning people trying to make sense of a confounding situation to feel less helpless, said Rachel Moran, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public.

The big picture: No previous war has been quite so fully documented on so many digital platforms by both official channels and people on the ground and around the world. That comes with advantages and drawbacks.

"This might be the best-recorded, almost live-broadcasted, conflict as of today," said Lukas Andriukaitis, the Belgium-based associate director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab.

Details: Many of the images being shared that look like they're from the current crisis are actually from older wars or events or simply not presented with proper context.

On visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok, designed to keep users on the app without many chances for users to click away to external sources or fact-checks, misleading information can proliferate, Moran said.

That's made even worse by the emotional climate surrounding a war, which enhances misinformation's velocity thanks to its shock value or pull on users, she added.

"It's a lot easier for someone to search around for a photo or video and repost it rather than create a deepfake, which are hard to make," said Daniel Funke, a reporter on USA Today's fact-checking team.

For example, one widely-spread image that was debunked by Funke's team claimed to show a Russian attack on Ukraine but actually depicted an air strike in the Gaza Strip from May 2021. That same image, Funke noted, was also circulated out of context during the 2021 fall of Afghanistan.

Another video claimed to show a recent explosion in Ukraine, but the TikTok post the video originated from was created in January.

Between the lines: Videos that appear to show what's happening on the ground are spreading widely on social media, in part, because algorithms have shifted in the past few months to elevate more vertical video content from everyday users.

Funke noted an explosion of misinformation on TikTok: "It's just a platform that's kind of like on steroids in some ways, where its algorithm is really strong and it does have a really dedicated user base."

Moran said users share non-vetted information as long as they feel it "raises awareness" of the conflict, which adds to the churn of out-of-context images or misleading videos.

Be smart: Certain images or videos that are engaging, but lack easily-identifiable information (like street signs), tend to be recycled from one conflict to the next.

"In any crisis information environment we expect to see misinformation that we’ve seen before (like the shark swimming on the interstate meme every hurricane). Some users think it’s funny, some users do it for the engagement," said Brookie.

Yes, but: Content with manipulated context can also be promoted intentionally by official channels, as the Russian state media has done to falsely frame the invasion as a response to Ukrainian aggression.

"[T]o be clear, Russia is the only actor in this conflict deploying influence operations dependent on disinformation at scale," Brookie said.

"General posts from users saying inaccurate things like 'this just happened in x location' can be harmful, and is certainly a content moderation challenge for platforms. But [it] isn’t comparable to the concerted, state-backed disinformation effort the Russian government."

The big picture: Tech platforms have taken measures to slow Russian state propaganda by restricting their accounts and limiting their ability to sell ads. It's much harder to combat misinformation posted by well-intentioned users. 

Ukraine misinformation spreads as users share videos out of context

Well-intentioned users who don't bother to check dates or context are behind much of this war's viral misinformation.

Misinformation

Technology

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

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In a world filled with distrust and misinformation, the new boss of Wikipedia's parent organization holds the volunteer-run encyclopedia up as a model for how people can disagree while still embracing the same set of facts.

Why it matters: Debate over how content should be moderated has raged in recent years, with little consensus on the role that governments and businesses can and should play. Meanwhile, Wikipedia has somehow managed to tackle some of the thorniest issues without devolving into chaos.

"A neutral point doesn't mean everybody agrees," Wikimedia Foundation CEO Maryana Iskander told Axios. Rather, she says, it means having the debate transparently and with sources and citations to back up assertions.

Catch up quick: Iskander, who replaces Katherine Maher as Wikimedia's leader in January, was previously CEO of the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator in South Africa and before that was chief operating officer of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in New York.

Iskander says she wants to make sure more of the world not only sees Wikipedia's content, but also sees that a crowd-sourced, volunteer-led effort is thriving.

"We want to stand on the proverbial mountaintop," she said. "This is possible, it's real and we want more of it."

Yes, but: Wikipedia has been criticized for the prevalence of white men in posting and editing content.

Iskander says that the company needs to try a lot of different approaches to change that. Edit-a-thons, for example, have worked in some parts of the world.  But in other places a lack of access to technology or societal norms can make it tough to get a diverse set of contributors.

"I suspect this is not one thing," she said. "We've got to try lots of ideas."

Between the lines: Iskander urges regulators to be cautious as they wade into the murky waters of content moderation. Iskander said she shares some of their concerns with everything from the power of large tech companies to the impact of state actors with bad motives.

"I think we are very sympathetic to policy makers and regulators worried about things we are seeing in the society," she said. But she also wants to make sure that laws are carefully worded "so that Wikipedia doesn't suffer at the hands of regulations not intended for our model."

"That worries me," she said. "The risk of unintended consequence is high for us."

The big picture: Iskander is also charged with charting the financial and technical future for the company.

While it still relies mostly on donations, Wikimedia has started to offer a paid product for the giant tech companies that use its data in bulk. That's a model she would like to see expand even as the group works to keep its content freely accessible. "I think that Wikimedia Enterprise is a step in the right direction," she said.

Meanwhile, Iskander also aims to expand Wikimedia's multimedia content. That's more technically complex than managing a digital encyclopedia made up largely of text.

What's next: Iskander acknowledged she is still trying to figure out what is working and what isn't.

"This place is like an onion with many, many layers," she said.

Editor's note: We've adjusted the wording in this story's headline and body to clarify Iskander's role as "leader" of Wikipedia rather than "boss."

New Wikipedia leader sees it as a misinformation-age model

The collectively created encyclopedia can be a model for how to disagree online, she says.

Photo Illustration: Annelise Capossela. Photo: Gabriel Diamond via Wikimedia Commons

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Three-quarters of Americans say that U.S. democracy could be at risk without stronger regulation of false information online, according to a poll by bipartisan advocacy group the Future of Tech commission, results of which were shared first with Axios. The same survey found broad bipartisan support for stronger privacy regulation and increased spending on cybersecurity.

Why it matters: Congress is considering a range of new restrictions on tech, including bills related to privacy, competition and possible limits to Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being sued for user-contributed content.

"Voters across party lines overwhelmingly support a range of government actions," Common Sense Media CEO Jim Steyer told Axios. Steyer is a co-chair of the Future of Tech commission, along with former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.

By the numbers: The survey of 1,000 Americans, conducted by Benenson Strategy Group on the commission's behalf, found especially strong support to limit collection of users' personal data — and even stronger support to limit it for users under 18.

78% of Americans believe consumers should have to “opt-in” before their personal data is shared.

76% of those surveyed say companies should not be able to collect and use personal data beyond what's necessary for the service being provided.

75% said they support prohibiting companies from collecting personal data on anybody 16 or under.

Yes, but: It's one thing to call for these limits in the abstract — and another once users realize they might be asked to pay for or give up services that are now supported by targeted advertising.

Between the lines: While there is strong bipartisan support, in both polls and among legislators, for reining in Big Tech, the consensus often disappears once the problems described and solutions proposed get more specific.

Steyer acknowledged a steep partisan divide when it comes to questions about  content moderation and Section 230 reform.

"That doesn’t mean we can’t get major stuff done this year," he said, noting a broader consensus around privacy regulation, as well as support for better broadband and improved cybersecurity.

The big picture: While the politics of getting anything passed by Congress are complicated, other countries are poised to act, with the EU and U.K. both considering fresh legislation.

"We have birthed the extraordinary tech revolution," Steyer said. "We should lead the world in smart, common-sense, thoughtful guardrails."

What's next: Steyer, Patrick and Spellings will present the group's legislative recommendations at a gathering next week. Also expected to attend are FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Exclusive: U.S. majority supports tech regulation to preserve democracy

Americans polled also support regulating privacy and spending more on cybersecurity.

Illustration of numerous internet browser windows showing the US Capitol Building in red repeating

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Data privacy

The FBI is warning people and businesses to remain vigilant against malicious actors who could interfere with the Beijing Olympic Games through a "broad range" of cyber activities, including theft of sensitive data.

Why it matters: High-profile events like the Olympics give cyber actors the opportunity to "make money, sow confusion, increase their notoriety, discredit adversaries, and advance ideological goals," the FBI said in a statement Tuesday.

Details: Possible disruptions include ransomware, malware, data theft or leaks, phishing campaigns, disinformation campaigns and "insider threats" that can interfere with the digital infrastructure supporting the Olympics, according to the FBI.

Cyber actors could target networks of hotels, mass transit providers, ticketing services and event security, among others.

"The FBI to date is not aware of any specific cyber threat against the Olympics, but encourages partners to remain vigilant and maintain best practices in their network and digital environments," the agency said.

Olympic participants and travelers should use temporary phones in order to decrease the risk of threats associated with apps.

The FBI is also urging service providers and other relevant businesses to provide training on potential cyber threats and how they happen. 

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Ina Fried: Olympics are always a prime target for cyberattacks, though Tokyo Olympics was relatively calm on that front.

But, but, but: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics experienced over 450 million attempted cyber-related incidents, according to NTT Corporation, which provided telecoms and network security services for the events. 

None were successful due to existing measures, but popular attack methods included email spoofing, malware and the use of fake websites and streaming services designed to imitate official Olympic providers, per the FBI.

FBI warns of cyber threats at Beijing Olympics

High-profile events like the Olympics give cyber actors the opportunity to "sow confusion ... and advance ideological goals," the FBI said.

Photo of Team USA short track speed skaters on the ice skating in a line formation

Team USA athletes skate during a short track speed skating practice session ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on Feb. 1 in Beijing, China. Photo: Elsa via Getty Images

2022 Winter Olympics

Beijing Winter Olympics

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

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Axios Finish Line

NewsGuard, a service that uses trained journalists to rate news and information sites, will become available to millions of public school students this week through a partnership with the American Federation of Teachers.

Why it matters: Kids increasingly turn to the internet when looking for homework help or doing research for school projects. But unlike books in a library or articles in a journal, online resources can be difficult to filter for quality and misinformation.

"Imagine you walked into a library, and there were a trillion pieces of paper flying around in the air, and you grabbed one, and you didn’t know anything about it, or where it came from or who’s financing it," says NewsGuard co-founder Steven Brill. 

"That's the internet, that's your Facebook feed, that's your Google search."

NewsGuard hopes its ratings will help students and teachers get smarter about the news and information online.

What's happening: The AFT teachers union is buying NewsGuard licenses for its 1.7 million teachers, who will then be able to share it with tens of millions students around the country.

"We are constantly trying to help our students, particularly our middle, high school and postsecondary students, separate fact from fiction, as we help them develop their critical-thinking and analytical skills,"  AFT president Randi Weingarten says.

The bottom line: The hope is that students with the skills to spot disinformation will grow into more thoughtful and better-informed citizens and voters.

America's kids get an internet librarian

The project is designed to help students identify low-quality information.

Illustration of a hand cursor resting on the pages of an open book.

Conspiracy theories about the U.S. Capitol insurrection continue to flood private messaging groups, social networks and even major news outlets one year later. 

Why it matters: The lasting echo chamber of misinformation shows the long-term impact the event will have on future elections. 

"These ideologies and animating forces are perhaps as mainstream as ever, and getting play in some of the highest nodes of Republican influence," said Jared Holt, of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab.

"Even without Trump in the spotlight, this anti-democratic conspiratorial, paranoid style of rhetoric is now central to conservative messaging."

The big picture: The Capitol siege was a central part of the right-wing narrative around the "Big Lie" — the collection of falsehoods alleging the 2020 election was stolen through voting fraud. The "Big Lie" is now being used to rally conservatives ahead of the 2022 midterms. 

Holt notes that in the wake of mainstream platforms cracking down on bigger conspiracy groups, the organization of extremist movements has decentralized and is now focused on people who are becoming more active in local elections, including school boards.

Driving the news: Although many individuals and groups were kicked off mainstream platforms in the wake of the Capitol siege — which Holt says helped prevent any major follow-up events — right-wing extremists have found plenty of alternative options for convening online.

"Pretty much all alternative social media sites and conversation platforms have people congregating to discuss Jan. 6 conspiracies, the anniversary and the Big Lie," said Bryce Webster-Jacobsen, director of intelligence operations at threat intelligence firm GroupSense.

The alt-right "Oath Keepers" community is active on MeWe, per a report from the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab. "Proud Boys" leader Enrique Tarrio is active on Parler. "Stop the Steal" founder Ali Alexander frequently posts on Gab. 

New posts on platforms like Patriots.win suggest the “undercover FBI” will be “looking to create false narratives” about candlelight vigils that are being promoted on right-wing forums for the people arrested for participating in the riots, whom they refer to as “political prisoners.”

How it works: Bad actors and conspiracy theorists seed falsehoods on private messaging apps or conservative social apps. That misinformation is tested and iterated before making it to bigger web platforms.

The narratives that stick often find their way to bigger networks that are less likely to take action on that type of content, like fringe conservative news sites or conservative cable channels.

A new report from NewsGuard, a service that uses journalists to rate news sites, found that the vast majority (81%) of 113 U.S. news websites that spread falsehoods in the aftermath of the 2020 election continue to spread false claims about the election and the Jan. 6 attack.

Be smart: Far-right and conspiratorial positions are increasingly being wedged into "culture war" debates, often echoed by Fox News, other conservative outlets and members of Congress — which pushes them into the mainstream.

The bottom line: “There’s such division within this country politically and ideologically that people do not want to consume information that does not come from their life and their worldview,” said Rachel Moran, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington’s Information School. 

“There’s a demand for misinformation and so people are always gonna find a way to get it.”

New wave of Jan. 6 conspiracy theories

The lasting echo chamber of misinformation shows the long-term impact the event will have.

Jan. 6

Axios on HBO: Incoming Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth on technology’s role in the spread of misinformation

Longtime Facebook veteran Andrew Bosworth insists that political and COVID-19 misinformation are societal problems rather than issues that have been magnified by social networks.

Why it matters: Critics say Facebook and other social networks have played a significant role in vaccine hesitancy and the spread of political misinformation.

"Individual humans are the ones who choose to believe or not believe a thing. They are the ones who choose to share or not share a thing," Bosworth said in an interview with "Axios on HBO." 

"I don't feel comfortable at all saying they don't have a voice because I don't like what they said."

Bosworth has been leading Facebook's hardware efforts, including those in virtual and augmented reality. Next year he will become CTO for Meta, Facebook's parent company.

Between the lines: Asked whether vaccine hesitancy would be the same with or without social media, Bosworth defended Facebook's role in combatting COVID, noting that the company ran one of the largest information campaigns in the world to spread authoritative information. 

He said that individuals make the choice whether to listen to that information or to rely on less reputable information spread by friends and family.

"That's their choice. They are allowed to do that. You have an issue with those people. You don't have an issue with Facebook. You can't put that on me."

The big picture: Pressed on whether Facebook and others are amplifying those views, Bosworth characterized it as a demand problem rather than one caused by the amount of misinformation on social media.

"People want that information," Bosworth said. "I don't believe that the answer is 'I will deny these people the information they seek and I will enforce my will upon them.' "

"At some point the onus is, and should be in any meaningful democracy, on the individual."

Facebook exec blames society for COVID misinformation

"You don't have an issue with Facebook. You can't put that on me."

Facebook

Axios on HBO

Meta announced Wednesday it has removed over 600 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to a Chinese influence operation that claimed the U.S. was pressuring the World Health Organization (WHO) to blame COVID on China.

Why it matters: Though Meta said the network was unsuccessful, it marks yet another COVID disinformation campaign instigated by China in an effort to discredit the U.S.

Details: A fake persona claiming to be a Swiss biologist created an account in July, two days after it was reported that the Chinese government had rejected a WHO plan for the second phase of a study into COVID origins, and posted a message alleging that "WHO sources and a number of fellow researchers" had complained of "enormous pressure and even intimidation" from the U.S. 

Within two days, the post had circulated among hundreds of accounts and some Chinese state media, according to Meta.

A number of these accounts had ties to individuals at the firm Sichuan Silence Information Technology and some Chinese state infrastructure companies, though Meta said it had not identified a connection between Sichuan Silence Information Technology and the Chinese government.

The campaign targeted English-speaking audiences in the U.S. and the U.K., as well as Chinese-speaking audiences in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Tibet. 

After reviewing reports about the original fake account, Meta removed 524 Facebook accounts, 20 pages, four groups and 86 accounts on Instagram. 

What they're saying: "In essence, this campaign was a hall of mirrors, endlessly reflecting a single fake persona," Meta said in its Adversarial Threat Report. "This is the first time we have observed an operation that included a coordinated cluster of state employees to amplify itself in this way."

"As we continue building our understanding of these emerging threats, we will keep sharing our findings with industry peers, independent researchers, law enforcement and policymakers–including on these new disruptions–so we can collectively improve our defenses."

Worth noting: A nine-month investigation by AP and the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab previously found that China "took the lead in spreading foreign disinformation about COVID-19’s origins, as it came under attack for its early handling of the outbreak." 

Meta removes accounts linked to COVID disinformation effort by China

"This is the first time we have observed an operation that included a coordinated cluster of state employees," Meta said in its report.

Photo of a sign showing the Facebook thumbs up emoji as a person walks by

Facebook's corporate headquarters campus in Menlo Park, California. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

China

Coronavirus

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Senators weren't buying an effort by TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to argue that they are different from Facebook and Instagram at a hearing on children's online safety Tuesday.

Driving the news: Senators from both parties spent the Senate Commerce consumer protection subcommittee hearing urging executives to go on the record supporting various legislative changes to laws covering online content liability, privacy and children's safety.

The company representatives mostly demurred, saying they supported the "goals" and "spirit" of various bills but couldn't commit to outright support. 

What they're saying: "Being different from Facebook is not a defense. That bar is in the gutter. What we want is not a race to the bottom, but a race to the top," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

Blumenthal wants companies to disclose more about their products and offer more tools for parents to control their kids' online experiences.

Lawmakers bore down on Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok, citing stories about eating disorder content, suicide tutorials and dangerous challenges on all three apps.

“The true victims — the mom in Duluth who can’t get her kid off Facebook to do her homework. The dad mourning losing a child to a Snap speed filter that measured him, the kid, at going 123 miles per hour trying to beat the filter. Or the child exposed to content glorifying eating disorders on TikTok,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). 

The bottom line: The companies all agreed to submit internal research on their algorithms and product decisions' impact on users to Congress.

Be smart: Getting tech-related legislation through Congress is incredibly difficult, but the legislators' anger over kids encountering harmful content on Facebook was palpable. 

"We're not Facebook" argument falls flat on Hill

Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube did not seem to win over lawmakers focused on kids' safety.

Animated illustration of a hand cursor pushing a gavel offscreen

Congress

A coalition of nonprofits on Wednesday debuted HowToStopFacebook.org, a fresh push to encourage greater government regulation of the social networking giant aimed at forcing the company to change its business model.

Why it matters: The campaign hopes to take the outrage expressed by legislators over the revelations of whistleblower Frances Haugen and translate it into action.

A Congressional investigation with subpoena power into harms caused by Facebook; and

A strong federal data privacy law that makes it illegal for companies like Facebook and YouTube to collect the vast amounts of data they use to personalize recommendations.

The more than 30 groups involved include Accountable Tech, Article 19, Center for Digital Democracy, Fairplay, Global Voices, Media Justice, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Presente, Public Knowledge, United We Dream, Ranking Digital Rights, SumOfUs, Win Without War, and the Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center. 

Between the lines: The groups aren't being subtle about their goal. The campaign page calls for a law "strong enough to end Facebook’s current business model."

Fight for the Future director Evan Greer: "The problem with companies like Facebook and YouTube is not that they host user-generated content, it's that they use surveillance-driven algorithms to pick and choose what content goes viral and what content no one sees, in order to keep us all on the platform clicking and scrolling to maximize advertising revenue."

Media Justice campaign strategies director Myaisha Hayes: "Facebook's surveillance capitalist business model is fundamentally incompatible with basic human rights, and disproportionately harms Black and brown communities by silencing our voices while artificially amplifying racist and harmful content."

Public Knowledge policy counsel Sara Collins: "The harms described by Ms. Haugen are fueled by unrestrained data collection and data use. A federal privacy law that addresses collection and use, rather than relies on outdated notions of notice and choice, would begin to rectify the power imbalance between internet users and tech companies."

Go deeper: Following Monday's story on how Facebook may be harder to rein in than Big Tobacco, Ina spoke to Niala Boodhoo for the Axios Re:Cap podcast about the similarities and differences between regulating cigarettes and social media.

Groups launch "How to Stop Facebook" effort

The 30+ nonprofits want laws "to end Facebook’s current business model.”

Illustration of a pattern of Facebook thumbs down.

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

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