A high-level, evidence-informed guide to some of the major proposals for how democratic governments, platforms, and others can counter disinformation.
Dean Jackson is principal of Public Circle Research & Consulting and a specialist in democracy, media, and technology. In 2023, he was named an inaugural Tech Policy Press reporting fellow and an affiliate fellow with the Propaganda Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, he was an investigative analyst with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol and project manager of the Influence Operations Researchers’ Guild at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. From 2013 to 2021, Jackson managed research and program coordination activities related to media and technology at the National Endowment for Democracy. He holds an MA in international relations from the University of Chicago and a BA in political science from Wright State University in Dayton, OH.
A high-level, evidence-informed guide to some of the major proposals for how democratic governments, platforms, and others can counter disinformation.
This year’s Jan. 8 attack on Brazilian democracy drew quick comparisons to the storming of the U.S. Capitol almost exactly two years prior.
Lawfare senior editor Quinta Jurecic sat down with Dean Jackson, project manager of the Influence Operations Researchers’ Guild at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
It's important that the conclusion not be that there was no role that social media played, that companies were exonerated by our investigation, or that somehow a threat of a January 6th style attack or American demagogue who tramples on our democracy is somehow gone now that Trump is out of office.
In the waning days of 2022, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol released its final report.
Experts say they need established best practices in order to better counter influence operations. But first they need to agree on those practices.
The field of influence operations investigations is growing rapidly, and researchers need a better grasp of best practices and standards. Here, experienced researchers offer insights ranging from methods to data collection to team development.
Despite the shared nature of these challenges, investigators in the Global South face the greatest shortfalls of capacity, funding, attention, and other support. And those in unstable or authoritarian countries face unique threats to their safety and freedom.