Category: Updates

13 September 2023 Disinformation Project discovers invasive tracking technology used by New Zealand political parties, raising concerns about privacy and ethics ahead of the election.  Independent research group The Disinformation Project is concerned about the use of invasive user tracking and micro-targeting technology by four major political parties ahead of the 2023 General Election. The…

Thursday, 7 September 2023 For immediate release Independent research group The Disinformation Project welcomes greater media scrutiny on claims made by candidates ahead of the 2023 General Election. Kate Hannah, Founder and Director of the Project, says that it’s important that politicians provide accurate information to New Zealanders when disinformation is at an all-time high.…

Friday, 5 May 2023: Independent research group The Disinformation Project has today released evidence that hatred towards transgender people in Aotearoa New Zealand has increased significantly this year. A new working paper titled ‘Transgressive transitions; Transphobia, community building, and community bridging within Aotearoa New Zealand’s disinformation ecologies March-April 2023’ outlines a measurable rise in both…

Since April 2022, we have become particularly concerned about the rise of violent misogyny online and the way it impacts women’s willingness to participate in public life. Dangerous speech, misogyny, and democracy: A review of the impacts of dangerous speech since the end of the Parliament Protest by Kayli Taylor, Kate Hannah, and Dr Sanjana…

Speech by Kate Hannah, Director, The Disinformation Project, delivered at New Zealand International Science Festival (NanoFest) 2022, on 14 July 2022.

By Kayli Taylor Content warning: This piece discusses violence against the LGBTQ+ community, including the recent incident against Rainbow Youth in Tauranga. It also discusses violence of a sexual nature, including threats of rape.

Aotearoa New Zealand is experiencing an infodemic, where the Covid-19 pandemic furthered the spread of misinformation and disinformation, impacting social cohesion and over the longer term, the country’s democratic fabric and electoral integrity. In our new working paper, Aotearoa New Zealand’s mis- and disinformation ecologies and the Parliament Protest, we help social media companies, journalists,…