Jun 28 2022 29 mins
In Memes, Bots and Algorithms, we talk with the incredible Renée DiResta, a true expert at the forefront of this research through her work at Stanford Internet Observatory. In one of her many “no big deal” moments, Renée testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) about Russian disinformation campaigns in the lead up to the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Renée is particularly interested in understanding how platform algorithms intersect with user behavior and factional crowd dynamics. She studies how actors leverage the information ecosystem to exert influence, from domestic activists promoting health misinformation and conspiracy theories. She has studied influence operations and computational propaganda in the context of pseudoscience conspiracies, terrorist activity, and state-sponsored information warfare, and has advised Congress, the State Department, and other academic, civil society, and business organizations on the topic. Recently, she appeared in a longform podcast interview with Joe Rogan and is featured in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. Editorial note: Renée is awesome and worth following across many platforms. Her Twitter page is @noUpside.