2024 is a busy year for democracy! More countries will hold elections this year that at any point in the next two decades to come. So perhaps more than ever, it’s critical that we take a look at the growing amount of misinformation that threatens to influence or subvert these elections.

In this episode of Click to Trust, we’ll hear from Katie Harbath, an expert in misinformation and election interference as well as the Chief Global Affairs Officer at Duco. In her interview with Tom Siegel, Katie shares her thoughts on the balance between freedom of speech and user safety and how the approaches taken by social media companies so far are not enough to safeguard their users. Katie’s insights highlight the role that individual responsibility plays in combating misinformation and that consumers simply can not wait for organizations to tackle the problem of misinformation for us.

Highlights:

• Takeaway One: Katie Harbath illuminates the growing necessity for government regulations to level the playing field in the tech industry and assist in funding trust and safety initiatives.
• Takeaway Two: There is a pressing need for ethical guidelines and responsible AI use, especially in critical areas like election integrity.
• Takeaway Three: The battle against misinformation is relentless as new tactics continue to surface. It’s imperative that tech companies adapt with innovative solutions.

Jump Into the Conversation:

[09:38] Misinformation caused by websites pivoting to claim 5G causes COVID.

[19:22] Algorithms designed to maximize inflammatory content consumption.

[24:45] What happened with Hertz Rent-a-Car inadvertently placed an ad on a misinformation website.

[31:26] The constant cat-and-mouse game with the accelerating pace of AI development.

Resources:

Anchor Change with Katie Harbath (newsletter)
Impossible Tradeoffs with Katie Harbath (podcast)