With the call 'Getting a grip on desinformation' SIDN Fund invited proposals for projects involving the development of tools and instruments for getting a grip on disinformation (deliberately misleading information distributed with a view to manipulating public opinion).

The coronavirus doesn't exist, 9/11 never happened, and Bill Gates wants to control all of us through a 5G cell tower. Disinformation, and especially its online scalability, may pose a threat to our open, democratic society. The concern is that the deliberate dissemination of misleading information feeds widespread mistrust: of the media, government and among citizens. The rise of disinformation is a potential threat in relation to a well-informed society, democratic processes, polarisation and healthy public debate.

It's important that we get a better grip on disinformation. We therefore called for proposals involving the development of tools and instruments that can help in that regard – by, for example, shedding light on questions such as:

How does the technology that amplifies opinions on platforms work?
Who is engaged in the production, dissemination and amplification of disinformation?
How do the algorithms used by the various platforms work, and who controls them
What motivates certain groups of people to disseminate disinformation and how do they go about it?
What tools can internet users and journalists employ to improve their grip on the disinformation phenomenon?

In this session we will showcase a couple of funded projects and would like to discuss what else is needed to tackle this wicked problem.

This session is being livestreamed and can be viewed from the main page of the MozFest Plaza.