In Indonesia, Facebook and Twitter Are ‘Buzzer’ Battlegrounds as Elections Loom
Reuters in the New York Times, March 13th, 2019
Almost every day, “Janda”, a self-described Indonesian housewife with 2,000 Twitter followers, dispenses lifestyle tips, complains about city life, and praises how the government of President Joko Widodo has improved her life as a young mother.
Why China Silenced a Clickbait Queen in Its Battle for Information Control
Javier C. Hernandez, New York Times, March 16th, 2019
She was known as China’s clickbait queen, an irreverent blogger who prescribed shopping to combat sadness (“better than sex, orgasms, strawberry cake”) and makeovers to win back cheating husbands (“men are visual animals”).
Russia Mocks US Collusion Probe Ahead of Mueller’s Report
The Asssociated Press in the New York Times, March 13th, 2019
U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller has yet to release his report about Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but the Kremlin has been rehearsing its response for months.
As Mark Zuckerberg Tightens Grip on Facebook, 2 Top Deputies Leave
Mike Isaac, March 14th, 2019, New York Times
Two of Facebook’s top executives — one regarded as the company’s No. 3, and the other the head of its WhatsApp messaging service — are leaving after disagreements with Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive, over the social network’s future direction.
Spain Fights Cyberattacks, Fake News Ahead of Key Elections
The Asssociated Press in the New York Times, March 15th, 2019
Spain is joining Europe-wide efforts to fight disinformation and online sabotage with new resources ahead of elections.
Indonesia Says Cyber Attacks Won’t Disrupt Elections
Reuters in the New York Times, March 13th, 2019
Presidential and legislative polls in Indonesia next month are not at risk of disruption from cyber attacks, the head of the election commission said on Wednesday, even though regular hacking attempts had been detected on the agency’s website.
Facebook Plans More Fact-Checking Ahead of European Parliament Election
Reuters in the New York Times, March 18th, 2019
Facebook plans to ramp up efforts to fight misinformation ahead of the European Parliament election in May and will partner with German news agency DPA to boost its fact-checking, a senior executive said on Monday.