You can’t handle the truth

Why people do believe misinformation about everything from a flat Earth to Russian propaganda even when they’re told the facts?

Capturing the narrative

A new UNSW research project shows how the internet and social media have become a closed loop of AI slop in which bots invent lies to trigger emotional responses from humans, manufacturing a false reality in which they can shift votes as well as products.

The misinformation malaise

Many Australians are aware of the influence of misinformation and disinformation on elections, but there are more insidious ways it harms our democratic society.

Propaganda in the Pacific

Disinformation from hostile foreign states aims to influence opinions foreign policy in the Pacific, and there are signs it is working.

Dark ads and democracy

Political inaction and big-tech’s reluctance to protect users from ad-powered misinformation campaigns leave Australians vulnerable to a murky world of digital misinformation going into the Federal election.

Don’t be fooled

The upcoming federal election will see an influx of deepfakes, doctored images, and tailored narratives that blur the line between fact and fiction.

The year of fake news

Mis- and disinformation have once again been named the top global risk of the immediate term in the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report 2025.

Freedom of speech v freedom from deception

Disinformation threatens Australian democratic processes and the failure of the proposed Disinformation and Misinformation bill highlights the urgent need for balanced regulation ahead of the 2025 elections.

Meta-reality

Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook will replace fact checkers with “community notes” has as much to do with Meta’s embrace of AI as the re-election of Donald Trump.

Countering disaster disinformation

Disinformation can make it hard for people to distinguish and act on accurate advice. And this can mean life or death when it comes to natural disasters like bushfires.

Finding a cure for “digital flu”

Misinformation spreads like a virus online, but this model also offers hope for countermeasures such as ‘prebunking’.

Will AI memes sway US voters?

Fake images and social media posts created by bots could erode and undermine trust in democratic systems and communities, as the US is finding out.