Roundtable: Understanding the Relationship Between Foreign Mis- Dis- and Mal- Information and Terrorism and Targeted Violence - CANCELLED

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract/Description

Mis- Dis- and Mal- Information is a significant challenge to the prevention of targeted violence and terrorism. Disinformation campaigns can have deleterious impacts including but not limited to undermining trust in institutions, sowing division among communities, and spreading foreign propaganda that hinder efforts to bridge these gaps. In recent years, disinformation has spread across the U.S. Violent extremist networks and contributed to attacks against Asian-Americans, healthcare workers, and the U.S. Capitol to name a few. To understand and address disinformation and its myriad challenges, coordination among government, private sector, and academia is essential—and must be grounded in the protection of privacy, free speech, and civil liberties of all U.S. persons. In this round table, experts from government and multiple academic disciplines and perspectives will discuss disinformation in this context. While work in this area is rapidly unfolding, our aim here is to discuss the state-of-science-and-practice in a few key areas: 1) What is disinformation; 2) Where disinformation comes from; 3) What is disinformation’s impact on targeted violence and terrorism, as well as prevention efforts; and 4) What are promising approaches to respond to disinformation?

Sub Unit

• Area XV. Roundtable Sessions

Chairs

• Nadine Frederique, Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate

• Richard Legault, Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate

Discussants

• Erin M. Kearns, University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Danielle Crimmins, University of Baltimore

• Kurt Braddock, American University

• Priyam Joshi, Violent Extremism Research Group, Georgia State University