<![CDATA[perspicacity: Media & Disinformation]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/s/media-and-disinformation-updatehttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X5VU!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F198ea8fd-2174-4c26-8d0a-e5e4225dde17_1280x1280.pngperspicacity: Media & Disinformationhttps://www.perspicacity.media/s/media-and-disinformation-updateSubstackFri, 25 Sep 2026 17:50:03 GMT<![CDATA[Media & Disinformation Update: AI & Manipulation]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/disinformation-and-ai-jun-2026https://www.perspicacity.media/p/disinformation-and-ai-jun-2026Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:30:58 GMTAI has become both a tool for manipulation and a challenge for those trying to verify what is real. From image detection systems that incorrectly label authentic images as fake, to leading chatbots repeating state-backed propaganda, reliability of information is under pressure from both humans and machines.

This edition of the Media & Disinformation Upda…

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]]><![CDATA[Media & Disinformation Update: Weaponized Disinformation]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-junehttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-juneThu, 04 Jun 2026 11:22:58 GMTThis latest update focuses on investigations highlighting how information is weaponized to skew how people see the world.

At scale, such practices are often referred to as influence operations. Influence operations can be carried out by governments or by non-state actors, and can target people’s opinions on anything from a domestic political figure or a …

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]]><![CDATA[Media & Disinformation Briefing: The Politics of Information]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-briefinghttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-briefingTue, 12 May 2026 11:31:32 GMTRecent weeks have seen a series of developments highlighting the intensely politicised nature of today’s information environment.

In Europe, elections in Hungary and Bulgaria were accompanied by disinformation campaigns involving AI-generated content and networks of fake social media profiles.

Meanwhile in the US, the Pentagon is facing legal challenges o…

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]]><![CDATA[Media & Disinformation Briefing: Online Harms]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-bulletinhttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-bulletinThu, 07 May 2026 11:31:31 GMTCourts, regulators and governments have in recent weeks increased pressure on technology platforms to take responsibility for some of the negative outcomes of their products, particularly around child safety, addictive design, disinformation and online abuse.

Landmark verdict in social media addiction trial

Mary Rodee holds a photo of her son Riley after the verdict in a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children, at Los Angeles Superior Court
Mary Rodee holds a photo of her son Riley after …

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]]><![CDATA[ChatGPT: Platform, Publisher, or Something Else?]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/chatgpt-platform-publisher-or-somethinghttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/chatgpt-platform-publisher-or-somethingThu, 23 Apr 2026 11:31:28 GMTWe’ve all heard of AI hallucinations: when an AI platform confidently produces information that turns out to be wrong. But when a chatbot produces false, or defamatory, content, who is responsible?

In the blink of an eye, AI has fundamentally changed how we use the internet. Ask ChatGPT a question, and rather than a list of links or references, you often…

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]]><![CDATA[The Fog of War]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/the-fog-of-warhttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/the-fog-of-warSun, 05 Apr 2026 11:03:12 GMTIf you find this newsletter of value, please click the ❤️ to help the algorithm recommend it to others 🙏🏻☀️

Propaganda and deception have always been features of warfare, used by those seeking to sell their version of events to gain support at home and an edge on the battlefield.

The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on 28 February, is no exception. T…

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]]><![CDATA[Media & Disinformation Briefing: Distorted Incentives]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/distorted-incentiveshttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/distorted-incentivesSun, 22 Mar 2026 12:41:45 GMTHere are three pieces I came across this week that are worth a look.

They offer an insight into how AI models operate, and the incentives for social media platforms to promote misinformation.

perspicacity is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #12]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-12https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-12Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:45:59 GMTIf you find this newsletter of value, click the ❤️ above 🙏🏻☀️

Welcome to Edition #12 of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update. This edition features:

  • the criminal investigation into social media platform X by French prosecutors on allegations of its manipulation by owner Elon Musk for ‘foreign interference’

  • the AI-enabled impersonation of US Sec…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #11]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-11https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-11Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:30:49 GMTIf you find this newsletter of value, click the ❤️ above 🙏🏻☀️

Welcome to Edition #11 of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update. In this edition you’ll read about the US government report on children’s health that referenced fake reports among its sources, disinformation propagated by chatbot ‘fact-checks’, and a study that found more than half of mental health advice on TikTok contained misinformation.

Also covered are X’s concerns about its own AI ‘community notes’ system, the exodus of journalists fleeing repression in El Salvador, and the pro-Scottish independence accounts on X that suddenly went dark during an internet blackout in Iran…

Please show your support for independent journalism and investigative reporting by becoming a free or paid subscriber.

perspicacity is committed to fact-based reporting that meets the highest standards of journalistic integrity. No content is AI-generated. To access the full stories summarised below, click on the headline.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Hey chatbot, is this true? AI 'fact checks' sow misinformation

France24 / AFP, 2 June 2025

As misinformation exploded during India's four-day conflict with Pakistan, social media users turned to an AI chatbot for verification, only to encounter more falsehoods.

Grok – under scrutiny for inserting ‘white genocide’, a far-right conspiracy theory, into unrelated queries – wrongly identified old video footage from Sudan's Khartoum airport as a missile strike on a Pakistan airbase during the country's recent conflict with India. Unrelated footage of a building on fire in Nepal was misidentified as “likely” showing Pakistan's military response to Indian strikes.

The issue is a global one. When AFP fact-checkers in Uruguay asked Gemini about an AI-generated image of a woman, it not only confirmed its authenticity but also fabricated details about her identity and where the image was likely taken.

Related:

Meta’s suit against Hong Kong firm was just the beginning: more companies linked to CrushAI ‘nudify’ apps

Bellingcat, 18 June 2025

On the surface, Crushmate appeared to be one of many artificial intelligence “girlfriend” or “companion” apps. Its multiple websites said it specialised in “crafting the AI girl of your dreams.” On Google and Apple’s app stores, it was described as an “AI chat product designed to provide users with a comprehensive emotional support and communication experience.”

But ads linked to the app on popular social media platforms, including thousands on Instagram and Facebook, showed it was offering an entirely different service: making non-consensual nude images of real women.

EL SALVADOR

At least 40 journalists have fled El Salvador, fearing imprisonment

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, 25 June 2025

Women hold signs demanding freedom for pictured detainees at a rally organised by Movement of Victims of the Regime in San Salvador on 27 March 2025. Credit: Marvin Recinos / AFP via Getty Images, via ICIJ

Dozens of journalists from El Salvador have gone into exile in the face of escalating government harassment, intimidation and arbitrary press restrictions, according to the Journalists Association of El Salvador.

The organisation estimates that 40 journalists, fearing arrest, have had to leave in the last month as President Nayib Bukele has escalated the crackdown on his critics.

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NIGERIA

Violent extremist disinformation: Insights from Nigeria and beyond

International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, 28 May 2025

The intentional spread of false or misleading information to inflict harm raises unprecedented challenges in today’s digital age. Drawing on findings from a multiyear project, this brief seeks to raise awareness of the complex dynamics and potential harms associated with disinformation propagated by extremist actors. Focusing on Nigeria, and in particular Boko Haram, it outlines the enabling conditions, defining features and potential harmful impacts of such disinformation.

SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok deploys Czech election task force amid disinformation fears

Euractiv, 6 June 2025

TikTok is taking pre-emptive action ahead of the Czech parliamentary elections in October by deploying a 53-member team of local moderators to monitor content on the platform.

The move comes amid growing public concern about manipulation through social media, a sentiment shared by 78% of Czechs, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Czech Interior Ministry.

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #10]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-10https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-10Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:30:34 GMTIf you find this newsletter of value, click the ❤️ above to let the world know and help Substack’s algorithm show it to more people. 🙏🏻☀️

Welcome to Edition #10 of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update. This edition features a new low for global press freedom, the ongoing inaccuracy of AI chatbots, and state propaganda efforts in Russia and th…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #9]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-9https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-9Thu, 12 Jun 2025 11:53:31 GMTIf you find this newsletter of value, click the ❤️ above to let the world know and help Substack’s algorithm show it to more people. 🙏🏻☀️

Welcome to Edition #9 of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update. This edition features the debunking of an article lead-authored by Grok 3 that claimed to prove that humans are not responsible global warming;…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #8]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-8https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-8Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:23:52 GMTWelcome to Edition #8 of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update. This edition features an investigation demonstrating just how confidently AI search tools present incorrect information to users, including where they are sourcing their information, and research indicating right-wing bias on X and TikTok – and the outsize influence of Elon Musk – …

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #7]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-7https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-7Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:05:30 GMTWelcome to edition #7 of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update. Featuring in this edition are Meta’s move to end fact-checking in the US, the shortcomings of Chinese AI tool DeepSeek, and interference by Russia and China in elections in Europe. Also covered are Apple’s decision to pull its AI-generated notifications, How Meta accepted Russian p…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #6]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-6https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-6Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:49:46 GMTWelcome to the sixth edition of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update!

Included in this edition are the annulment of the first round of presidential elections in Romania following apparent state-backed cyberattacks, Albania’s decision to shut down TikTok, Apple’s capitulation to Russian censors, and Australia’s ban on under-16s using social medi…

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]]><![CDATA[To err (a lot) is human]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/to-err-a-lot-is-humanhttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/to-err-a-lot-is-humanThu, 06 Feb 2025 14:05:53 GMTFollowing my November post about AI and the liar’s dividend, this second post from #Disinfo2024 in Riga, Lativa, deals with the unexpected unreliability of eye witnesses.

People, as we well know, make mistakes. But even with that knowledge, it seems likely that we underestimate the extent to which we err.

perspicacity is a reader-supported publication. To…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #5]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-5https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-5Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:55:48 GMTWelcome to the fifth edition of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update!

This edition includes news of the journalist in Burundi who faces a 12-year prison sentence for sharing information in a private WhatsApp group, the participant in Russia’s disinformation campaign in the Central African Republic who has lifted the lid on how Moscow’s propagan…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #4]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-4https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-4Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:15:45 GMTWelcome to the fourth edition of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update!

In this edition you’ll read about the Trump-aligned dark money network that ran a fake campaign championing misrepresentative Kamala Harris policy positions, the introduction of a bill in Kyrgyzstan proposing to fine or jail people posting content discrediting public officia…

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]]><![CDATA[AI and the liar's dividend]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/ai-and-the-liars-dividendhttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/ai-and-the-liars-dividendThu, 28 Nov 2024 13:36:42 GMTWhen 2024 comes to a close, almost half the world’s population will have had the chance to vote in elections in their country in a single year. The incentive for disinformation campaigns as a tool of political influence has never been stronger.

Coupled with exponential advances in technology - and particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) - disinforma…

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]]><![CDATA[Time to break up with your X?]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/time-to-break-up-with-your-xhttps://www.perspicacity.media/p/time-to-break-up-with-your-xFri, 15 Nov 2024 12:09:05 GMTAs of today, 15 November, a new Terms of Service document comes into effect that gives X owner Elon Musk the right to use your tweets, photos and videos to train his AI bot, Grok.

If you don't want Musk feeding your tweets to Grok, now might be the time to leave the app formerly known as Twitter.*

perspicacity is a reader-supported publication. To receive…

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]]><![CDATA[Media and Disinformation Update #3]]>https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-3https://www.perspicacity.media/p/media-and-disinformation-update-3Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:49:08 GMTWelcome to the third edition of perspicacity’s Media and Disinformation Update!

This newsletter brings you the most penetrating reports and investigations published in September 2024 on media freedom and disinformation issues across the world.

In this newsletter you’ll read about attempts to influence the US election by China and Russia, the arrest of Tel…

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