1. EVENT: Will AI take over diplomatic reporting? (Diplo Foundation)
Reports are the lifeblood of diplomacy. Every day, thousands of reports, also known as diplomatic cables, are produced by diplomats around the world.
With the advent of AI, and in particular the release of ChatGPT, we have to ask ourselves: Will AI take over diplomatic reporting?
Tuesday, 7th February, 14:00 UTC (09:00 EDT | 15:00 CET | 19:30 IST)
2. EVENT: Youth and Digital Transformation: Challenges to media literacy and active citizenship
The webinar will explore issues related to media literacy and active citizenship, including the importance of formal education, trust and social media in fostering youth engagement.
Feb 8, 2023 03:00 PM CET
3. Russian War Report: Wagner Group fights French ‘zombies’ in cartoon propaganda (Atlantic Council)
As Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) is keeping a close eye on Russia’s movements across the military, cyber, and information domains. With more than seven years of experience monitoring the situation in Ukraine, as well as Russia’s use of propaganda and disinformation to undermine the United States, NATO, and the European Union (EU), DFRLab’s global team presents the latest installment of the Russian War Report.
4. Media Partnership – The Future of Data Flows and the Impact for Europe (Euractiv)
Data that flows between Europe and the United States underpins the countries’ $7.1 trillion economic relationship and helps solidify the broader transatlantic alliance. Protecting the fundamental rights of EU citizens with strong privacy protections is foundational to individuals’ confidence and trust, and a reliable data transfer mechanism is crucial for transatlantic businesses across all sectors of the economy.
As the EU and U.S. implement the new EU-US Data Privacy Framework, join global technology association ITI, EU policymakers, and other experts at this Hybrid Conference explored how the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework can support Europe’s economy and safeguard the privacy and civil liberties of Europeans.
5. 12 predictions for PR in 2023 (PR Moment)
Hoping for a better 2023, we asked PR pundits to look in their crystal balls – judging from their predictions, it looks like there will be plenty of work for PRs to do, so that’s one positive at least!
6. TikTok confirms that its own employees can decide what goes viral (The Verge)
That the company promotes certain videos, sometimes to enhance relationships with creators and businesses, is no longer just an open secret.
Information has long been used as a foreign policy tool by the Kremlin. Most recently, the Russian attack on Ukraine has prompted a new wave of research into the way pro-Kremlin messaging is spread in Western countries and to what effect. This study uncovers a specific form of information influence campaigns: Information Laundering (IL) and reveals that apart from increasingly amplifying Kremlin-official media since February 2022, like Sputnik, RT or RIA Novosti, the Baltnews Telegram channel has also increasingly spread cases of IL, by nature a more covert technique of audience manipulation.
8. The Slow Death of Surveillance Capitalism Has Begun (Wired)
Surveillance capitalism just got a kicking. In an ultimatum, the European Union has demanded that Meta reform its approach to personalized advertising—a seemingly unremarkable regulatory ruling that could have profound consequences for a company that has grown impressively rich by, as Mark Zuckerberg once put it, running ads.
9. Innovative Partnerships to Reconnect a Fragmented World (Diplomatic Courier)
As global leaders come together in Davos around the shared commitment of fostering “Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” we are reminded of the transformative and vital potential of partnerships to bring the world closer together, write APCO Worldwide’s Anna Tunkel & Jean de La Rochebrochard.
10. There’s a Wild Scramble for Control of the Dark Web Taking Place in Russia (Vice)
The closure of the world’s biggest single darknet market triggered a battle for succession, involving cyber attacks, PR stunts and even the war in Ukraine. The winner stands to claim a prize worth up to $1.37 billion.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has accelerated the process of states ‘weaponising information’ and disinformation and the EU needs to refocus its efforts on tackling attempts at disinformation and manipulation around elections, said an EU official at a recent event hosted by EURACTIV.