We are witnessing a “firehose of falsehood” on the internet and in the media: mis- and disinformation that attempts to overwhelm the truth.  As deepfake and synthetic media technologies become more sophisticated and their use more prolific, it is becoming more and more vital to develop tools and systems to identify when media has been manipulated - often through fake or deceptive audio and video - to increase trust in our information ecosystem.

This fourth installment of our Global Digital Rights Challenges series features Sam Gregory @SamGregory, Program Director at WITNESS @witnessorg and three Promise Fellows, Nick Levsen, Aya Dardari and Ani Setian. Hear Sam outline the work he is doing at WITNESS, including in consultation with actors in the Global South who have lived-experience of the impact of mis- and disinformation, and learn more about preparing for and pre-empting future deepfake crises by developing detection skills and ensuring equitable global access to media forensic tools.

P.S. We have a small housekeeping note: The fifth conversation in this series is titled “Life Interrupted: the Impact of Internet Shutdowns” and in a way that is both oddly fitting and also unfortunate, the audio for that talk was throttled by - you guessed it - poor internet connectivity and is best enjoyed while watching the speakers in real time. It’s a fascinating exploration of the power of ISPs, government’s role in securing internet access, and the vulnerabilities when daily life relies on connectivity. Head over to our Promise Institute YouTube channel to watch Tomiwa Ilori speak with Mark Verstraete, and to round out our Global Digital Rights Challenges series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgqbQmIRMnM