NBC Falsely Argues Disinformation Poses an Unprecedented Threat in 2024

“Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat to democracy in the United States in 2024, according to researchers, technologists and political scientists,” argues NBC reporter Brandy Zadrozny. In her piece, she cites four primary factors contributing to this unprecedented threat, which include:

1) Disinformation spread by Donald Trump and his allies

2) The ubiquity of artificial intelligence(AI) technology

3) Social media companies have slashed efforts to control misinformation on their platforms

4) Attacks on the work and reputation of academics tracking disinformation have chilled research

However, these claims have already been continuously debunked, including by FCA. In response to Zadrony’s claims, FCA’s previous fact-checks have discovered:

1. Democrats also routinely engage in election denial, and election denial is not an exclusively left or right-leaning phenomenon 

2. Studies show the threat of deepfakes and AI is overblown

3. Social media companies, academic institutions and government agencies have routinely directed or enforced content moderation decisions 

4. The mainstream media is falsely defending academic institutions that obfuscate their misinformation research and engage in censorship

Read More:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/disinformation-unprecedented-threat-2024-election-rcna134290   

• https://www.factcheckalliance.com/facts-checked/washington-post-exaggerates-threat-of-a-trump-dictatorship-in-2024 

• https://www.factcheckalliance.com/facts-checked/threat-of-deepfakes-and-ai-is-overblown-studies-shownbsp 

• https://www.factcheckalliance.com/facts-checked/stanford-group-helped-us-government-censor-covid-dissidents-and-then-lied-about-it-new-documents-show 

• https://www.factcheckalliance.com/facts-checked/new-york-times-and-other-mainstream-outlets-misrepresentnbsp-dhs-plot-to-violate-first-amendment