CDD Releases E-Guide to Help Protect Voters From Online Manipulation and False News

CDD Releases E-Guide to Help Protect Voters From Online Manipulation and False News Washington, D.C.: September 12, 2018 To help fight online political misinformation and false news, which has already resurfaced in the 2018 midterm elections, CDD has produced a short e-guide to help voters understand how online media platforms can be hijacked to fan political polarization and social conflict. Enough Already! Protect Yourself from Online Political Manipulation and False News in Election 2018 describes the tactics that widely surfaced in the last presidential election, how they have evolved since, and deconstructs the underlying architecture of online media, especially social networks, that have fueled the rise of disinformation and false news. The e-guide tells voters what they can do to try to take themselves out of the targeted advertising systems developed by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other big platforms. The guide also describes the big picture issues that must be addressed to rein in the abuses unleashed by Silicon Valley’s big data surveillance economy and advertising-driven revenue machine. The e-guide is available for free download at the CDD web site. Journalists, activists and interested voters are urged to spread the guide to friends and colleagues. Contact: Jeff Chester, jeff@democraticmedia.org (link sends e-mail) 202-494-7100