ASSIGNMENT
In large-scale crises (think of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the attacks of 911, the bombings in World War II), people are often remarkably united and there is no shortage of people who make an effort to help others. Helping others and contributing to society is the rule rather than the exception, despite all the reports of looting and violence. This also happens in the cyber domain, specifically in countering disinformation.
Indeed, although pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and hate speech seem to have free rein online, spontaneous counterforces are also often clearly visible; many citizens join hands to counter disinformation campaigns (e.g. from "state actors"), and do so in a more or less organized context (grassroots citizens' initiatives), such as hacker collective Anonymous and Bellingcat. It is to be expected that this social trend is most clearly visible in countries that are currently receiving the full brunt of state disinformation campaigns, such as, of course, Ukraine, but also Moldova, Finland, the Baltic states, etc. The so-called Elves in Lithuania are a case in point.
The project requires you to provide an inventory of (predominantly) citizen-led anti-disinformation initiatives in various parts of Europe. The questions we would like to answer are: What can we learn from the various initiatives to defuse disinformation campaigns by state actors? Which strategies deployed, which are successful, and which are less so? How are they organised? …? And what could the government, police, and defence do to support citizens in this development?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ORGANIZATION
The section Psychology of Conflict, Risk and Safety at the University of Twente has a distinctive and unique profile in the areas of risk perception and risk communication, conflict and crisis management and the antecedents of risky, antisocial and criminal behaviour. It currently includes 15 research staff members and 6 PhD students. We work from both a psychology and an engineering perspective and cooperate with other scientific disciplines, based on the “high tech, human touch” profile of the University of Twente.
INTERESTED?
Please contact the PCRS internship coordinator Miriam Oostinga (m.s.d.oostinga@utwente.nl).
LITERATURE
- https://www.disinfo.eu/resources/initiatives-tacking-disinformation/
- https://time.com/6155060/lithuania-russia-fighting-disinformation-ukraine/
- https://time.com/6151578/russia-disinformation-ukraine-social-media/
- https://time.com/5168202/russia-troll-internet-research-agency/
- https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/online-disinformation