Observatory on Social Media

10/18/2026

Would you consider these political deepfake ads a form of manipulation or just a new editing tool?

$137 Million in A.I.-Generated Ads Flood the Midterms

Republicans have used A.I.-generated content more often than Democrats, ranging from subtle enhancements to convincing deepfakes.

10/14/2026

Some coverage of our recent Nature Health perspective:

Addressing growing risks of AI-generated health information is the focus of a Nature Health paper co-written by Luddy School Distinguished Professor Filip...

10/11/2026

Policy going in the wrong direction: TikTok Quietly Gutted Its Advertising Rules. Scams Have Exploded Ever Since.

Last year, TikTok’s executives quietly defanged its advertising rules, opening the floodgates to fraudsters that target American users with fake sales of products that never arrive. Sources told Forbes the change was understood internally as a way to make more money.

10/09/2026

Don't miss James Shanahan as our next OSoMe Awesome Speaker!

🗓️ Monday, October 26
⏰ 12pm ET

Title: Historical Fears About Media, The Case of TV Violence

Concerns about the effects of new media are nothing new. Long before today's debates over digital and social media, researchers and the public grappled with questions about television violence and its potential influence on viewers.

In this talk, James will revisit the case of TV violence as a historical precedent for today's concerns about digital and social media. He'll explore the parallels between past and present research trajectories — and ask what valuable lessons the history of television might offer for understanding today's media landscape.

James is a Professor in The Media School at Indiana University, where he served as Founding Dean from 2015–2021. His research focuses on media effects, cultivation theory, public opinion, and communication around science and the environment.

Don't miss this opportunity to put today's debates about social and digital media into historical perspective.

🔗 Register here: https://iu.zoom.us/meeting/register/GbWqxHAQQDqf7s7b3STzKA

10/04/2026

1-2 punch: How to cheat in the election with AI's help:

https://thefulcrum.us/media-technology/ai-disinformation-2026-midterm-elections-threats-election-integrity

And how AI-generated campaign ads are not being labeled, in violation of state laws:

https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-campaign-ads-midterms-d375801e10821b3e6ac776ffc77e1f28

The 2024 U.S. presidential election was supposed to be the “first AI election.” Experts warned that generative AI could flood voters with deepfakes and fabricated evidence of fraud, U.S. intelligence officials declassified intel reports on foreign influence operations already experimenting with ...

09/29/2026

Hijacking Trusted Media Brands: Russia’s Favorite Disinformation Tactic Against the West Surged by 850 Percent in the Last Year

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian influence operations have churned out 906 fake news reports mimicking established media outlets by falsely claiming they had published the reports. The Russian campaigns sought to undermine Western support for Ukraine by making their f...

09/28/2026

Electoral AI poisoning, as predicted:

‘Pink Slime’ Is Infecting AI Chatbots Ahead of the Midterms
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/09/25/midterms-partisan-ai-chatbots-01092138

09/24/2026

What a pleasure to chat about misinformation in the age of AI with Anita Nowak for her podcast series on how AI will impact empathy!