La pandemia ha offerto nuove opportunità ai gruppi criminali? Decisamente tante, e tra queste anche la manipolazione delle informazioni rappresenta un problema da trattare con attenzione.
Questo rapporto descrive come i gruppi terroristici, estremisti violenti e criminali si sono organizzati
per sfruttare l’attuale pandemia da COVID-19, per espandere le loro attività e mettere a repentaglio l’efficacia e la credibilità delle misure di risposta da parte dei governi.
La disinformazione, in particolare sui social media, non è certo una novità, ma l’attuale periodo di crisi ha creato nuove opportunità, soprattutto per gli attori non statali.
Di seguito la presentazione del Report da parte degli uffici di UNICRI a Ginevra, che ringraziamo per la condivisione.
Stop the virus of disinformation: the malicious use of social media during the COVID-19 and the technology options to fight it
UNICRI has published a report that describes how terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups are trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to expand their activities and jeopardize the efficacy and credibility of governments response measures.
The COVID-19 crisis has amplified misinformation and disinformation on social media and has created new opportunities for violent non-state actors. In recent months UNICRI has detected an exponential increase of malicious use of social media to undermine trust in governments and, at the same time, to reinforce extremist narratives, recruitment strategies and control of the territory by criminal groups.
Terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups have successfully exploited vulnerabilities in the social media to manipulate people and disseminate conspiracy theories.
In this Report UNICRI analyses how technology can provide valid instruments to combat online disinformation and misinformation, highlighting both the advantages and the limitations.
It must be emphasized that technology can support but not replace human ability and skills to evaluate the veracity of online information. Moreover, the effective use of technology to detect and debunk disinformation should empower people using social media so that they can make their own informed decisions about what is verified and what is not. This, then, can empower people to build a closer relationship with truth and justice.
The report has been prepared by the UNICRI Knowledge Center Security through Research, Technology and Innovation (SIRIO).
