Digital Cultures blog
DeepFakes: From Porn to Politics
An insidious fake story. An anti-migrant narrative. A protest followed by foreign political interference in Germany. Yes, these are all consequences of fake news. In the cold month of January 2016, a fake news story concerning a 13-year old Russian-German girl went viral on digital media. The girl falsely reported a rape accusation on twoContinue reading “DeepFakes: From Porn to Politics”
On Anonymous and Anonymity
Anonymous Hacktivist collective Anonymous gained notoriety in the late 2000s and early 2010s through a number of high-profile and highly effective campaigns against targets as varied as the Church of Scientology, Monsanto and the Bay Area Rapid Transit service, or in support of movements and organisations including the Arab Spring uprisings, Occupy and Wikileaks. WhilstContinue reading “On Anonymous and Anonymity”
Identity and Representation in Social Media Emojis
Since its inception, the role of the virtual social networks has evolved gradually. This evolution has contributed to changing the social fabric in terms of how we interact with our surroundings, and perceive and present our own identities. According to José van Dijck, over time, the role of the social networks has shifted from beingContinue reading “Identity and Representation in Social Media Emojis”
Deleuze & Data on the Loose
In the ‘Postscript on the Societies of Control’, philosopher Gilles Deleuze recognises an apparatus of control that penetrates society, moving forward from the societies of discipline coined by Michel Foucault. Foucault said that the individual passes from one enclosed environment to another, each having its own laws: first the family; then the school; then the barracks; thenContinue reading “Deleuze & Data on the Loose”
Can Wikipedia Save the World?
The unnerving rise of ‘fake news’ and digital manipulation has called into question how we evaluate truth. While political deception is far from new, the Internet permits ‘false’ or corrupting information to circulate with ease, threatening the ideals once promised by the World Wide Web at its launch: free-flowing knowledge, connectedness, and global understanding. However,Continue reading “Can Wikipedia Save the World?”
An ‘Infodemic’ as Dangerous as a Pandemic
Fake news and misinformation are not a novel phenomenon linked exclusively to coronavirus. Laclau (2005) defines fake news as “a floating signifier, used by different and opposing, antagonistic, hegemonic political projects as part of a battle to impose the “right” viewpoint onto the world” (Farkas and Schou 2018:302). In that sense, fake news is aContinue reading “An ‘Infodemic’ as Dangerous as a Pandemic”
ZoomBombing: the 2020 Hacking Trend that Disrupted our Coronavirus Confinement
Working and studying from home has increased the exposure to cyberthreats to unprecedented levels, opening doors which had always remained closed or that didn’t even exist. Hackers of all levels – from bored teenagers to the very elite – have targeted people’s increased dependence on digital tools.
Hate Speech, Fake News, and Whatsapp
Introduction: “Hate speech” or “extreme speech” are terms that can be heard daily around the world, but particularly, on many news channels in America. Hate speech is defined by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI, 2020) as “ …covering many forms of expressions which spread, incite, promote or justify hatred, violence, and discriminationContinue reading “Hate Speech, Fake News, and Whatsapp”
The Darknet! A Journey to the Digital Underworld
I recently watched Deep Web: The Hunt for Dread Pirate Roberts, which is based on real life events about the creator of the underground black-market website Silk Road. Prior to this documentary I was unfamiliar with the deep and the dark web and little to my knowledge there is a whole field of research dedicatedContinue reading “The Darknet! A Journey to the Digital Underworld”
Lost in translation
Language serves as a measure of culture and inclusion in the world of Wikipedia. Yet this is trickier than we think.
Civic spaces as the Panopticon, AI as the invisible surveillant
Not only do these surveillance mechanisms violate the fundamental right of privacy by thwarting people’s freedom of expression, dialogue and redressal, they have other far reaching implications as well.
Blocks, Censorship and Wikipedia
In this day and age, accessing specific information couldn’t be easier. Whether its research, a school project or even a quick search on your favourite celebrity, all the information you seek is only a few clicks away. Twenty years ago looking up a specific topic would be a frustrating process, going through encyclopedias page byContinue reading “Blocks, Censorship and Wikipedia”
“Wikipedia is not a reliable source!?”*
When we’re doing research, at some point we probably all land on this well-known platform called: Wikipedia. But each of the articles has a disclaimer that says that “the article published may not have accurate information completely.”
Is this true? And does this really exclude Wikipedia for academic research completely like it’s ususally suggested? Let’s find out!
AI and the media
There was a time when journalists knew their sources, personally. The day at a local newspaper would begin with a visit to the police station to look, with the chief inspector, through the list of crimes. That might be followed by a trip to the nearby fire and ambulance stations to do something similar. ThenContinue reading “AI and the media”
Human Rights Framework and AI Regulation: Transparency of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad discipline in computer science that focuses on creating smart machines with the ability to do tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence. Ed Burns Nicole and Laskowski, notes that AI is the imitation of human intelligence to create computer systems and machines with the capacity to carry out intelligence conventionallyContinue reading “Human Rights Framework and AI Regulation: Transparency of AI”
Social Media, Performance, Identity and Resistance
Behind the Screens: A Digital Debacle As the use of social media continues to rise in present time, individuals possess an active online presence where they are free to engage in “self-expression, communication and self-promotion.” (Dijck, 2013) It is interesting to observe the role and power of identity construction in this context. Users continue toContinue reading “Social Media, Performance, Identity and Resistance”
The Quantified Self Myth
The Quantified Self Movement refers to a method of self-tracking that makes use of wearables and technology to produce data on everyday activities, which can be used to make positive changes and become the best version of yourself. There are various fields that can be tracked and assessed like weight, sleeping patterns, cravings, mood andContinue reading “The Quantified Self Myth”
Social media, performance, identity and resistance to it
Some may assume that social media and identity construction work hand in hand, but it is becoming more apparent that the platform itself and audience play a larger role in how and what we choose to share of ourselves. To fully express ourselves and how we shape our online self-presentation and identity tends to beContinue reading “Social media, performance, identity and resistance to it”
Algorithm Accountability: The Incoming Technocratic Age
Fake news, propaganda and questions about the credibility of information continue to cloud political and cultural developments that are shaping our world. Although fake news has always existed in one form or another, the current hype serves as a red herring that hides the deep political dysfunction in societies in the post-truth environment. The primaryContinue reading “Algorithm Accountability: The Incoming Technocratic Age”
AI and International Protection – Is “Good AI” Boring?
In between the dilemmas of freedom of expression and untrodden privacy issues, AI regulations have been widely argued among stakeholders. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)’s clear position to admit the past failure is showing us the complexity. “Domestic and international export control measures and corporate self-regulation have wholly failedContinue reading “AI and International Protection – Is “Good AI” Boring?”
