Sander van der Linden
Professor of Social Psychology in Society at the University of Cambridge and Author of FOOLPROOF: Why We Fall for Misinformation and How to Build Immunity (2023) + The Psychology of Misinformation (2024). Bad News Game.
www.sandervanderlinden.com
- Reposted by Sander van der LindenIt's disturbing to see many of the the major figures in moral cognition all over the Epstein files He was friendly with a huge number of the leading figures in the field, including giving millions to their labs, long after he pled guilty to sexually abusing young girls www.justice.gov/epstein
- The University of Cambridge has an exciting Assistant, Associate, and Full Professorship of Public Policy open in the new Bennett School of Public Policy. It's a fantastic group with great people, they have a focus on digital policy too! Area open. www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/term/De...
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- Reposted by Sander van der LindenOur latest paper in @science.org warns about malicious AI swarms, agents capable of adaptive influence campaigns at scale. We already observed some in the wild (picture). AI is a real threat to democracy. #SciencePolicyForum #ScienceResearch 🧪 Paper: doi.org/10.1126/scie...
- We have a new paper in Science today on how malicious AI swarms can threaten democracy. AI systems can already coordinate autonomously, infiltrate communities, and fabricate social consensus. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Led by @kunstjonas.bsky.social & @daniel-thilo.bsky.social!
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- New real-world field study *inoculating* against misinformation in live social media scroll feeds out in Harvard Misinfo Review @misinforeview.bsky.social We targeted +375k users with a short ad on Insta using a novel quasi-experimental method (1/3) misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/preb...
- We assigned users to a treatment or control group using birth month as a pseudo-randomization mechanism (assuming those born in e.g. May aren't more or less capable in spotting misinfo than those born in e.g. Dec). Those who engaged with the 19-sec ad were then targeted with a quiz vs control 2/3
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- We have a new paper in Science today on how malicious AI swarms can threaten democracy. AI systems can already coordinate autonomously, infiltrate communities, and fabricate social consensus. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Led by @kunstjonas.bsky.social & @daniel-thilo.bsky.social!
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- Reposted by Sander van der LindenOne of the issues that has come up again and again in my reporting on misinformation and social media is the massive influence social media companies have on research in the field. Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
- Reposted by Sander van der LindenSome coverage of our new findings, with perspectives and thoughts from @shelbygrossman.bsky.social, @cailinmeister.bsky.social, @naomioreskes.bsky.social, and @profsanderlinden.bsky.social
- Reposted by Sander van der Linden“While we cannot definitively show that industry funding in this area is redirecting attention from products to consumers, our results are consistent with this possibility.” Preprint suggests “industry influence in social media research is extensive, impactful, and often opaque.”🧪
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- It is quite something to even suggest that regulating an app that nudifies women and children on demand is an attack on free speech.
- Reposted by Sander van der LindenIf a website appeared overnight that gave hundreds of millions of users the opportunity to create CSAM you'd expect governments to shut it down quickly, so the question is why X gets a pass when it's done just that? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
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- Reposted by Sander van der Linden@profsanderlinden.bsky.social and his team uncovered real costs of creating a bot army. It's unnervingly low👀 Read @cam.ac.uk press release below👇 The story also featured in @reuters.com & @financialtimes.com The original article in @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- How cheap is it to build a bot army? 🤖 Find out using the first global index to track real-time prices for verifying fake accounts on 500 platforms, from TikTok to Amazon 👇 bit.ly/44s9QSu
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- Over 200 attempts in 2025 by the Trump administration to censor universities, judges, media, etc. Let’s hope for less censorship in 2026 www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
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- Reposted by Sander van der LindenThis should be a wake-up call for anyone who still dismisses the dangers of online disinformation. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/u...
- Legend Imran Ahmed (CEO of CCDH) just sued the U.S. Government for the wildly inappropriate visa sanctions. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York just granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against this inappropriate government action. What a Christmas gift!
- You can follow @counterhate.com here
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- Reposted by Sander van der LindenMerry Christmas everyone!!! A bit of real cheer for us all! 🎅🎄🤶🌲
- For Christmas, I wish this account develops proper hearing or reading skills. EU President von der Leyen describes MISINFORMATION as the virus and FREE SPEECH as the vaccine in the form of prebunking falsehoods as prevention is better than cure when it comes to the integrity of our democracies.
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- Reposted by Sander van der LindenSo the US administration considers hate speech and disinformation “American viewpoints“? 🙄 HateAid is an organization that also helps climate scientists to defend themselves against online abuse and threats. Its founder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 🇩🇪 this year.
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- As a Jew studying propaganda, I've been saddened by the rise of hate. I'm supporting the IRC's efforts in Gaza-a highly rated charity inspired by Einstein (check them out). Despite all the darkness, as we lit the last candle yesterday, I can only wish peace and light for all🕯🕎 ☮️ Happy holidays!
- What a mensch!
- It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn and their son, Gideon. As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love. youtu.be/KIxAKyioXng
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- "The US is in a particularly difficult situation because a lot of the misinformation is coming from official authorities,” said Sander van der Linden, a University of Cambridge psychologist who studies misinformation. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/17/m...
- Reposted by Sander van der LindenHow cheap is it to build a bot army? 🤖 Find out using the first global index to track real-time prices for verifying fake accounts on 500 platforms, from TikTok to Amazon 👇 bit.ly/44s9QSu
- If you’re in the business of facts and accuracy, you can forget entry into the United States. Apparently they want none of that. Makes sense for an emerging autocracy www.poynter.org/news-release...
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- WhatsApp responded to the findings of our new Cambridge Trust and Safety index: "WhatsApp said in a statement that it welcomed the research into an industry it said was "aiming to mislead internet services." Unsurprisingly, X did not return messages seeking comment www.reuters.com/business/med...
- Russia, US and UK emerge as lowest-cost hubs for fake online accounts, some of our findings in the @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/1210...
- New paper out in @science.org! We unveil the online manipulation market with the Cambridge Online Trust & Safety Index (COTSI). We show in real time the cost of purchasing fake accounts across every social platform around the world - so they can be held accountable www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Australia enacts the world’s first ban on social media accounts for those under the age of 16. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cw...
- For all this Trump and Elon talk about EU censorship let’s look at World Freedom of Expression rankings. I see lots of European countries but the USA is nowhere to be seen in the top 20.
