FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on Online Imposters and Disinformation

Original title: ONLINE IMPOSTERS AND DISINFORMATION

January 1, 2020

disinformation cybersecurity social media election integrity technology policy

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing established a formal legislative record on the mechanics of digital disinformation, which informs future federal policy regarding social media regulation and election security.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Social media users

Users are the primary targets of disinformation campaigns designed to influence their political views and social interactions.

Technology researchers

Researchers are tasked with identifying and analyzing the technical methods used to create and spread digital disinformation.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript from a 2019 House Subcommittee hearing regarding the rise of online disinformation and the use of fake identities to manipulate public discourse. Experts and lawmakers discussed how coordinated efforts are used to deceive the public, influence political opinions, and create social instability.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on September 26, 2019, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The Subcommittee defined misinformation as false information shared sincerely, and disinformation as false information shared with the intent to deceive.
The hearing focused on the evolution of online scams from simple email hoaxes to coordinated disinformation campaigns.
Lawmakers highlighted the use of fake identities and troll farms to influence political discourse and elections.
The hearing included testimony from experts in computer vision, machine learning, and digital information analysis.
A report on disinformation was submitted for the record by Camille Francois of Graphika.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

According to the hearing, misinformation is false information shared by someone who believes it is true, while disinformation is false information shared with the deliberate intent to deceive.

What was the primary focus of this hearing?

The hearing focused on how online imposters and coordinated disinformation campaigns are used to manipulate public opinion and create social division.

Why It Matters

This hearing established a formal legislative record on the mechanics of digital disinformation, which informs future federal policy regarding social media regulation and election security.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Evolution of Online Deception

The hearing marks a shift in legislative focus from individual online scams to systemic, state-sponsored disinformation campaigns.

Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight

Connected Entities

personCamille Francois“Witness, Chief Innovation Officer at Graphika”Map →

organizationSubcommittee on Investigations and Oversight“The body conducting the hearing”Map →

personMikie Sherrill“Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight”Map →

personSiwei Lyu“Witness, Director of Computer Vision and Machine Learning Lab at SUNY-Albany”Map →

personHany Farid“Witness, Professor at UC Berkeley”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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