Misinformation

• "This study equips news organizations with actionable insights to fortify their credibility and empower the public to distinguish fact from falsehood."
• The in-person eye-tracking experiment, led by DMAC Lab Director Bart Wojdynski and Senior Research Associate Charlotte Varnum, was designed to better understand how people interact with the Trust Project's Trust Indicators® in online news articles.
• In a landscape where much of the existing research serves only to highlight the loss of trust in news media, this study revealed tangible, research-backed solutions.
• Design Matters: The way transparency elements and labels are designed - especially their prominence on the page - played a crucial role.

• Taking Place 2-3 October in Washington, D.C., the Forum Will Tackle Challenges around Hate Speech; Extremism and Exploitation; and Misinformation and Disinformation
  LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the IEEE Computer Society (CS) announced the addition of key global government leaders to its slate of speakers for its 2023 Tech Forum on Digital Platforms and Societal Harms.
• The 2023 Tech Forum, taking place 2-3 October in Washington, D.C., will bring together global technology leaders, government officials, policy makers, researchers, and computer science professionals to tackle the challenges around Hate Speech; Extremism and Exploitation; and Misinformation and Disinformation.
• "The harm inflicted through hate speech, extremism, misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms is staggering," said Dr. Andre Oboler, CEO, Online Hate Prevention Institute, Australia, and 2023 Tech Forum Co-Chair.
• To access the full program and information on all speakers for the 2023 Tech Forum on Digital Platforms and Societal Harms, visit https://tech-forum.computer.org/societal-harms-2023/ .

• This report is groundbreaking in its call for corporate responsibility for education technology and in its recognition for the need for enhanced literacy curriculum.
• What “ban” means may vary: In 2019, Ontario introduced restrictions (sometimes called a “ban”) on using cellphones or personal mobile devices during instructional time.
• Despite UNESCO’s many nuanced recommendations, some media are simply reporting UNESCO is calling for a ban on smartphones in schools.

Looking at youth online life

• Surgeon General’s recent Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health acknowledged many young people find communities of affinity online and forge connections to new interests that are not available to them geographically.
• Banning cellphones in schools does little as a standalone solution to such a complex relationship between youth online life and education.
• The solutions proposed to address such problems must not ignore how youth engage with these spaces outside the school and how pervasive online life is for youth identity formation.

Downloading responsibilities to schools

• Surgeon General’s advisory on social media is that technology companies bear the weight of consumer responsibility, and governments must play a role in regulating these companies.
• As the UNESCO report authors note, “The commercial sphere and the commons pull in different directions.
• This includes enacting and enforcing age limits for social media apps, curtailing access to children’s data and curbing technology companies’ presence as the education technology industry in schools.

Implications for teaching and learning

• Online learning cannot replicate or replace the merits of being together in classrooms in person.
• But it also notes that the push to individualize learning through digital technologies and online learning environments “may be missing what education is all about.” That is, education is largely a social and relational practice that requires us being together in space and time.
• Educational institutions need to know that investing in ed-tech alone won’t solve long-standing inequities or challenges in education.
• Neither should educational technology be employed as a means for cutting in-person learning education budgets.

• It’s a tricky problem and hard to police because of the sheer amount of misinformation online.
• The COVID-19 pandemic taught us not to be complacent, as fake news about COVID treatments led to deadly consequences.
• It offers more stick (hefty penalties) and less carrot (voluntary participation) than the current approach to managing online content.

Following an EU model

According to the draft, disinformation is spread intentionally, while misinformation is not. But both can cause serious harms including hate speech, financial harm and disruption of public order, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). To date, research shows countries tend to approach this problem in three distinct ways:
The Albanese government’s draft bill will bring us closer to the European Union-style model of mandatory co-regulation.

Platforms remain responsible, not government

• To be clear, under the proposed Australian bill, platforms continue to be responsible for the content on their services – not governments.
• Content of private messages, authorised electoral communications, parody and satire, and news media all remain outside the scope of the proposed changes.
• This followed government recommendations arising out of a lengthy Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) inquiry into digital platforms.
• The obvious being that not all platforms decide to participate, and some cherry-pick the areas of the code they will respond to.

The proposed changes

• Under the proposed changes, ACMA will be given new information gathering powers and capacity to formally request an industry association (such as DIGI) vary or replace codes that aren’t up to scratch.
• Platform participation with registered codes will be compulsory and attract warnings, fines and, if unresolved, hefty court-approved penalties for noncompliance.

Questions remain

But the draft bill raises important questions to address before it’s legislated as planned for later this year. Among them are:
While aiming to mitigate harmful mis- and disinformation is noble, how it will work in practice remains to be seen. An important guard against unintended consequences is to ensure ACMA’s powers are carefully defined along with terms and likely circumstances requiring action, with mechanisms for appeal. Public submissions close August 6.