On 9 December 2020, UNICRI will held a specialized virtual course aimed at analysing how violent non-state actors, including terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups, are maliciously using social media during COVID-19 to spread misinformation and disinformation.
These actors have created and amplified misleading content on a large-scale by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the social media ecosystem and by manipulating people through conspiracy narratives and fake news.
The course, organized thanks to the support of the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) Initiative and by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, will describe how terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups are trying to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to expand their activities and jeopardize the efficacy and credibility of governments’ response measures.
In particular, the course will address the following questions:
- Who are the violent non-state actors that are spreading disinformation?
- What are their strategic objectives and targets?
- What type of messages are spreading?
- What can be the effect of disinformation?
- What can be the possible countermeasures?
The course is designed to assist countries to improve their knowledge and awareness about the risk posed by violent non-state actors during COVID-19.
Agenda
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First Part: The Threat |
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09.00 – 09.10 |
Introduction |
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09.10 – 09.30 |
Malicious use of social media Mr. Francesco Marelli, Head of Unit, UNICRI |
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09.30 – 09.50 |
Case study 1: Groups associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Ms. Carlotta Zenere, Associate Experts, UNICRI |
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09.50 – 10.10 |
Case study 2: Right-wing extremist groups Mr. Francesco Marelli, Head of Unit, UNICRI Ms. Mariana Diaz Garcia, Programme Assistant, UNICRI |
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10.10 – 10.30 |
Case study 3: Organized crime groups Ms. Mariana Diaz Garcia, Programme Assistant, UNICRI |
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10.30 – 11.00 |
Questions & Answers |
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Second Part: The Response |
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11.20 – 11.40 |
The role of social media in preventing and countering violent extremism: the case-study of Mali Ms. Elena Dal Santo, Associate Programme Officer, UNICRI |
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11.40 – 12.00 |
The role of social media in preventing and countering misinformation and disinformation on COVID-19 Associate Professor André Khoury from Saint Joseph University Beirut, Lebanon |
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12.00 – 12.20 |
Use journalism to fight unreliable news Ms. Anna-Sophie Harling, Europe Managing Director, NewsGuard Technologies |
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12.20 – 12.50 |
Questions & Answers |
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12.50 – 13.00 |
Conclusions |
Photo: @Martin Sanchez
