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Shannon Bond Shannon Bond is a correspondent at NPR, covering how misleading narratives and false claims circulate online and offline, and their impact on society and democracy.
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Shannon Bond

Friday

Appeals court slaps Biden administration for contact with social media companies

An American flag flies on top of the White House, Feb. 12, 2022, in Washington. A federal appeals court Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, significantly whittled down a lower court's order curbing Biden administration communications with social media companies over controversial content about COVID-19 and other issues. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption

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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Untangling Disinformation

Appeals court slaps Biden administration for contact with social media companies

The panel of judges say that the administration's efforts to flag what it considered to be harmful content likely amount to a violation of the First Amendment.

Tuesday

Meta says Chinese, Russian influence operations are among the biggest it's taken down

Facebook's parent company, Meta, says operations linked to China and Russia used fake accounts across social media sites to spread messages Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

Meta says Chinese, Russian influence operations are among the biggest it's taken down

Facebook's parent company says both operations used fake accounts across social media sites to promote Chinese and Russian interests

Meta says Chinese, Russian influence operations are among the biggest it's taken down

Listen · 3:23
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Tuesday

Technology

How easy is it to make the AI behind chatbots go rogue? Hackers at Defcon test it out

Thousands of hackers probed AI chatbots for misinformation, bias and security flaws at the annual Defcon hacking convention in Las Vegas to see how easy is it to make the AI go off the rails.

How easy is it to make the AI behind chatbots go rogue? Hackers at Defcon test it out

Listen · 3:54
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What happens when thousands of hackers try to break AI chatbots

Participants at the 2023 Def Con hacker convention, trying to subvert AI chatbots as part of a contest to test the systems' vulnerabilities. Paul Bloch/Paul's Vegas Photography hide caption

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Paul Bloch/Paul's Vegas Photography

Untangling Disinformation

What happens when thousands of hackers try to break AI chatbots

In a Jeopardy-style game at the annual Def Con hacking convention in Las Vegas, hackers tried to get chatbots from OpenAI, Google and Meta to create misinformation and share harmful content.

What happens when thousands of hackers try to break AI chatbots

Listen · 3:53
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Saturday

Tuesday

Elon Musk sues disinformation researchers, claiming they are driving away advertisers

A newly constructed X sign is seen on the roof of the headquarters of the social media platform previously known as Twitter, in San Francisco, on July 29, 2023. Elon Musk killed off the Twitter logo on July 24, 2023, replacing the world-recognized blue bird with a white X. San Francisco city authorities forced the company to take down the sign right away for permitting reasons. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

Elon Musk sues disinformation researchers, claiming they are driving away advertisers

X, the company formerly known as Twitter, is suing the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has documented the spread of hate speech and viral falsehoods on social media.

Thursday

Facebook's logo on a smartphone screen in Moscow.

Facebook's logo on a smartphone screen in Moscow. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

New study shows just how Facebook's algorithm shapes conservative and liberal bubbles

Research conducted at the height of the 2020 election reveals new details about how Facebook's algorithms handle political content. But it suggests there are no easy fixes to political polarization.

New study shows just how Facebook's algorithm shapes conservative and liberal bubbles

Listen · 3:53
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Friday

Conspiracy Theories Are Having A Moment — It's Bad For Democracy

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a hearing with the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Capitol Hill on July 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The NPR Politics Podcast

Conspiracy Theories Are Having A Moment — It's Bad For Democracy

Democratic presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s embrace of conspiracy theories and famous last name have made him a guest in the contrarian podcast space. His bid has been boosted by the likes of Elon Musk and Steve Bannon.

Conspiracy Theories Are Having A Moment — It's Bad For Democracy

Listen · 25:01
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Thursday

Movies

Christian thriller 'Sound of Freedom' faces criticism for stoking conspiracy theories

Sound of Freedom is a surprise box office hit. But the Christian thriller is also fueling controversy over conspiracy theories and its depiction of human trafficking.

Christian thriller 'Sound of Freedom' faces criticism for stoking conspiracy theories

Listen · 3:55
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Wednesday

QAnon supporters are promoting 'Sound of Freedom.' Here's why

Mira Sorvino and Tim Ballard attend the premiere of Sound of Freedom on June 28 in Vineyard, Utah. Ballard is a former federal agent who went on to found the controversial anti-human trafficking organization depicted in the film. Fred Hayes/Getty Images for Angel Studios hide caption

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Fred Hayes/Getty Images for Angel Studios

Untangling Disinformation

QAnon supporters are promoting 'Sound of Freedom.' Here's why

The movie is being criticized as a vehicle for conspiracy theories and misleading depictions of human trafficking — landing it in the middle of the country's politically polarized culture wars.

QAnon supporters are promoting 'Sound of Freedom.' Here's why

Listen · 4:05
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Thursday

RFK Jr. is building a presidential campaign around conspiracy theories

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the latest member of the Kennedy dynasty to run for president, regularly shares a dizzying range of falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

RFK Jr. is building a presidential campaign around conspiracy theories

The latest member of the Kennedy dynasty to run for president regularly shares a dizzying range of falsehoods and conspiracy theories on podcasts and at other campaign appearances.

RFK Jr. is building a presidential campaign around conspiracy theories

Listen · 4:24
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Friday

Government Mostly Can't Talk To Social Giants — That's A Problem

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves a meeting with Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in his office on Capitol Hill on September 19, 2019 in Washington, DC. Samuel Corum/Getty Images hide caption

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Samuel Corum/Getty Images

The NPR Politics Podcast

Government Mostly Can't Talk To Social Giants — That's A Problem

The government's ability to fight disinformation online has suffered a legal setback that experts say will have a chilling effect on communications between federal agencies and social media companies.

Government Mostly Can't Talk To Social Giants — That's A Problem

Listen · 24:35
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Wednesday

U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Here's what it means

Visitors stand near screens displaying the Meta logo in Berlin on June 6. Under a U.S. judge's new ruling, much of the federal government is now barred from working with social media companies to address removing content that might contain "protected free speech." Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images

Law

U.S. is barred from combating disinformation on social media. Here's what it means

Under a judge's new ruling, much of the federal government is now barred from working with social media companies to address removing any content that might contain "protected free speech."

Politics

Judge limits Biden administration's communication with social media companies

A federal judge has restricted the Biden administration and some government agencies and officials from communicating with social media companies about certain content.

Judge limits Biden administration's communication with social media companies

Listen · 4:31
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Tuesday

AI-generated images are everywhere. Here's how to spot them
Photographs Unsplash; Collage by NPR

Life Kit

AI-generated images are everywhere. Here's how to spot them

It's easy to be fooled by AI-generated images and other content. We talk about how to identify them, how media literacy can help, plus how to use these tools responsibly.

AI-generated images are everywhere. Here's how to spot them

Listen · 20:56
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