Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa

@sanjanah.bsky.social

1353 followers 227 following 1762 posts

Working at the confluence of studying influence operations, disinformation, truth decay, information integrity & meaningful policies to address online harms. Research Director at thedisinfoproject.org. Special Advisor at ict4peace.org.

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Very glad to read this. | Overstaying Tongan aunt and caregiver granted five-year clemency www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/05/o...

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Doxxing is serious, but the potential harms arising from the frictionless access of personal information on the NZ Companies Register is not something I've seen the consideration it demands from policymakers or even media. This is esp. so for transgender, GLBTIQA+ people, & others already at risk.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Since infodemic/pandemic, I've lost count how many times I've reached out to individuals I don't know, but have helped keep NZ safe, with details of doxxing, and request them to take immediate measures to strengthen privacy, safety, & security, incl. sometimes telling Police, & moving to a friend's.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Issue is that legislation to address the abuse/misuse of data in the Companies Register is like Samuel Beckett's Godot. Like the character in play, it's promised, but never comes about. Meanwhile, individuals who don't realise risks, & have forgotten about their home address here, risk doxxing.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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That's now completely changed. Addresses registered are very easy to view, & download. Details often include the residential addresses of individuals who have in the past registered companies in their name. The home address was just most convenient to use. I get it.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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The New Zealand Companies Register remains deeply problematic in the post-infodemic rise of doxxing individuals from academia, health sector, politicians, judiciary, media, & what I studied today - from the transgender community. For years, no one saw database as an issue in a high trust society.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Note too the very bounded nature of Japan's use cases. Collins' use of language here reminds of 'stochastic parrots' - a term coined by Emily Bender to capture what LLMs really do, which is to string words together through statistical probability, in the hope they make sense.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Kia ora Andrew. Only one example I know of, Japan - www.nec.com/en/global/in... - that's attempting to develop what Collins prima facie suggests. You can't just go about scraping everything. Major, all-of-government, whole-of-society, legal, ethical, constitutional challenges present themselves.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Quick list of issues Govt will have to think through if what Collins really means is adoption/adaptation of LLMs in government services, & touch points. Can NZ Govt do it? Last I heard, MFAT wasted millions of $'s, & was struggling to just get MS Office working. businessdesk.co.nz/article/tech...

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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"Collins has the same series of questions on this proposal as on a bespoke government LLM" A what now? No such thing called a 'bespoke government LLM'. It's unadulterated nonsense. You can (potentially) use LLM's in govt, & I suppose this is what she's talking about? newsroom.co.nz/2024/07/01/t...

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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“The first African-born MP to enter the German parliament has announced he will not be standing in next year’s federal election, weeks after he revealed the hate mail, including racist slurs and death threats, he and his staff had received.” www.theguardian.com/world/articl...

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Worth reposting here.

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Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa

Tyler King's avatar Tyler King @tylerking.bsky.social
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“Generative AI could ‘distort collective understanding of socio-political reality or scientific consensus,’ and in many cases is already doing that,’” according to a new research paper from Google’s own DeepMind lab.

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Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa

Unofficial Reuters (World) Bot's avatar Unofficial Reuters (World) Bot @reuters-world-rss.bsky.social
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UN rights chief warns about rise of far-right in Europe

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Thank you, and yes. Not in immediate aftermath (first 96 hours), but indubitably after May 2022. I mentioned this in article.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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To address just risks, and threats articulated by Aliya, you need to acknowledge they exist, morph, & grow. I see no evidence - none, whatsoever - the incumbent government understands this, and worse, is interested or invests in gaining an understanding of these challenges. Therein lies the rub.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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When some from NZ say disinfo didn't have much of an impact in New Zealand's Oct '23 general election, they completely miss out on influence operations w/ clear astroturfing pathologies. Inter alia, Facebook Pixel ad tech was central to this, but no one cares. sanjanah.wordpress.com/2024/04/20/a...

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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And for those of us who have only known authoritarianism’s succour through supine legislatures, & a pliant judiciary, what SCOTUS decision enables in US is a familiar experience. The West talks of history’s lessons. We can speak to lived experience, negotiated daily, of absolute power’s violence.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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What I study is a worsening context, at pace, but seemingly without any meaningful official response. And this is why Māori, Muslim led, gendered, high-touch, community-led, evidence-based, endogenous initiatives, offline, & online, vital to address the real harms resulting from this material.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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The author of SPLC's report, echoing all other research on this issue is very clear about the threat this content's accessibility, spread, & engagement poses. With socio-political, socio-technological guardrails absent or crippled in NZ, community-based action is urgently needed to counter VE.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Given Govt policies of late, incl. the Foreign Minister regularly appearing on, & partial to platform that amplifies ChCh killer's violent ideology, I openly ask if New Zealand's intelligence agencies are doing their job, & if they are, if political leaders are listening. I just can't figure it out.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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I flag two inflection points for the video's unprecedented global diffusion. Once in August '23 on Gab, & during X'Mas, & Boxing Day. Both don't find expression in SPLC's report. DIA (& frankly, most of NZ) were on holiday when I studied video's spread during X'Mas. It was so awful to see.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Seed, & spread of ChCh killer's video, year-on-year, shows *11X-12X* increases. Nuts. New copies had been uploaded just few days prior. Full length, unedited versions of video were on platform(s) the SPLC report hadn't flagged in its research/report - which means their software hadn't it picked up.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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A year hence, it's worse. I studied by order of magnitude more content in ~10hrs than DIA's 2023 DVE report flags around the ChCh livestream video. The point is a simple one. NZ's apex agency studying online harms, & by extension, NZ's govt, seemingly clueless how bad diffusion of video really is.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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For context, and as colleagues at The Disinfo Project know, in March 2023 - again on a single day - I studied more copies of the ChCh killer's video online than what NZ's Dept. of Internal Affairs in its 2022 Digital Violent Extremism Transparency Report said it had looked at for *ALL* of 2022.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Tuesday's capture brings out weaknesses of SPLC's analysis on just the Christchurch killer's livestream. SPLC relied on advanced software to detect violative content. I rely on grounded research based on years of looking at NZ's disinfo ecologies, every single day. The stark difference is evident.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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I wrote why this is important to understand the rapid evaporation of social cohesion in New Zealand founded on, in part, the seamless import, distribution, production, & promotion of violent extremism in networks strengthened by or created by anti-vaxx/anti-govt/anti-govt communities.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Because of Matariki weekend, didn't promote it - though I did send it through to @taipo.bsky.social. I encourage folks in New Zealand, esp. @alinasu33.bsky.social to read it. Though hard, it's imp. to grasp how outdated, & outmoded NZ's official institutions, & govt are in dealing with online harms.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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In 2021, & 2022, when she was Mayor, Reese was repeatedly targeted by Sov-Cit networks in NZ, & a particular Sov-Cit in Nelson for what she did to combat anti-vaxx disinformation. The violent home invasion speaks to offline consequences of online commentary, & content. NZ Police was told of this.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Going by what they've said recently, will New Zealand Police consider a violent home invasion a "nuisance", and not really a threat to anybody? Can someone ask them? | Former Nelson mayor Rachel Reese confronted by terrifying intruder who ‘claimed’ her house www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/former-ne...

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Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Good e.g. of why I told Asia New Zealand Foundation ‘22 hui that NZ’s visa regime is structurally racist, esp. against non-whites: Billionaires, whose criminal record is known, freely given PR. But in really tragic case of this Tongan family, the law, minister, & system are inflexible, & stentorian.

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Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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I’ve really enjoyed, and valued the output from @nzsciadvisor.bsky.social over the years, and especially in relation to my own work around the country’s truth decay, and role AI has played in it. The good Prof deserves her break. Thank you for all you did, led, fought for, and inspired.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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The office of Chief Science Advisor function to amplify the role of robust, evidence based policy making. It’s such a vital role for country. Tellingly, Prof Gerrard delivers a thinly veiled critique of NZ’s current phase relegating science, & research to populism.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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She stresses AI as one of the pressing issues facing NZ, alongside “adaptation to climate change, resilience to natural hazards, drinking water safety”. I’ve keenly followed her work, & leadership on AI for a long time, & what she’s supported in her time. Remarkable legacy.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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From what she addressed early on around conspiracies dealing with 5G to now direct attacks on science, and scientists, including in NZ, her time as Chief Science Advisor has been marked by epistemic threats no one could have foreseen. She notes this, & severe gender violence too.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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A real pity excellent interview with outgoing @nzsciadvisor.bsky.social Prof Juliet Gerrard is paywalled. What an incredible service to country, & community by her in this role, in 6 unprecedented, consequential years for country (and world). Lots she focusses on, with disinfo being one.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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What we talk about speaks to issues that are entrenched, and growing in severity in New Zealand too. | Sophie Achermann on online harms, and gendered violence on social media ict4peace.org/activities/d...

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Always projection. Always.

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Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa

Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara's avatar Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara @taipo.bsky.social
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My new years wish is for this country to endure through this period of difficulty, coming out the other side of all of this stronger together.

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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Lists are being drawn up for new C-19 inquiry. I expect these to expand, through frothing, fevered commentary. In the broader context of what I study, I'm worried for those who may be eventually called to testify. Very mindful of what @awaterevalley.bsky.social noted too bsky.app/profile/awat... 🚨

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Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa 's avatar Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa @sanjanah.bsky.social
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They haven’t. They won’t, & enjoy near total impunity. Something for country, & community to reflect on, as I study even more threats against her, & Ardern on my screen as I type this in. Something I mentioned to @byroncclark.bsky.social on Twitter related to known extremist, worth posting here too.

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