Dynamo
Recognizing and Combating Fake News in Messaging Apps
Misinformation and fake news threaten democratic societies and undermine political and social discourse. In the digital realm, fake news spreads rapidly through a wide variety of channels. In recent years, fake news has primarily been circulated via social media platforms such as Facebook or YouTube, as well as pseudo-news blogs. Increasingly, it is now messaging services like Telegram through which fake news is spread.
Project Objectives
The Dynamo project aims to understand the dynamics of disinformation campaigns and to develop tools to counter fake news and its spread. To this end, the researchers proceed as follows: First, they examine how fake news and disinformation spread through messaging services and how they subsequently reach or are shared via other distribution channels. Then, the researchers investigate whether and what patterns exist in the dissemination, and if so, what countermeasures can be derived from them.
To do this, the researchers are examining the specific characteristics of messaging services that make them so suitable for disinformation campaigns. This allows them to identify data sources for their investigations and develop technical tools and approaches to combat fake news.
Recommendations for Action for Citizens
The results of Dynamo will be made available to the public in the form of recommendations for action.
About the project
The Dynamo project—Understanding, Recognizing, and Combating Highly Dynamic Technical Forms of Disinformation—runs from September 2021 to August 2024.
Dynamo is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with a total of 1.6 million euros.
DYNAMO Policy Paper
Based on analyses and studies conducted as part of the DYNAMO project, this policy paper presents findings on the channels through which disinformation spreads, the strategies employed by those involved, the role of emotions, and possible countermeasures. Building on this, the paper highlights the challenges involved in legal regulation and how important—yet difficult—it is to distinguish between public and private communication in messaging services. This is particularly relevant in relation to the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU regulation designed to mitigate the risks posed by the spread of disinformation. The DYNAMO researchers explain why this regulation has so far been insufficiently effective against disinformation in messaging services. Subsequently, they formulate proposals for supplementary legal measures and suggest further countermeasures. The focus is on so-called “prebunking.” This refers to preventive measures taken prior to the spread of disinformation that either provide specific education about individual types of disinformation or train general media literacy.