Information disorder surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, in combination with the proliferation of mis/disinformation around the protests against ongoing police brutality, including the murder of George Floyd, has created an unprecedented landscape of digital hate and racialized disinformation. Extremists have capitalized on COVID-19 uncertainty, leveraging white racial resentment about the economy, unemployment, public health, and an uncertain future to stoke chaos and violence. Hateful content and speech across the internet has further fueled xenophobia and racism targeting Asian, Black, and other vulnerable communities. Moreover, social media platforms from Facebook (Instagram, Whatsapp) and Twitter to Google and YouTube, face increased pressure to quickly respond to disinformation, fraud, and online hate. What is the state of protest and COVID-19 related information and news on social media? And what are the platform companies doing to combat racialized disinformation and other harms?
Speakers
Imran Ahmed, Center for Countering Digital Hate
Becky Monroe, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Tarso Ramos, Political Research Associates
Claire Wardle, First Draft
John C. Yang, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Moderator
Amber French, Media Democracy Fund
Video archive
Password: SPEECH
One-sheet summary
Co-sponsored by Ariadne Network, Human Rights Funders Network, Neighborhood Funders Group, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
