Tag Archives: Digital Deception

Will the Democratization of Information Destroy the Democracy?

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Ken Dowell

Personally, I want to celebrate the democratization of information, but I may have overlooked how scoundrels and profiteers would use it. Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Deception, Digital publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Digital Deception Redux: Is Fake News a Laughing Matter?

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Ken Dowell

Fake news — nothing new Continue reading →

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Digital Deception: Is Fake News a Laughing Matter?

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Ken Dowell

It is not just clickbaiters that use fake news to accomplish their goals. It has also reportedly been a tactic of both the FBI and the Republican Party. Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Deception, Digital publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Digital Deception: Social Media’s Identity Conundrum Pt. 2

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Ken Dowell

Both LinkedIn and Twitter have policies that reflect the way their services are being used. If, however, you want to be everything to everybody (Facebook) or if you are running from behind (Google+) the way forward is not so clear. Continue reading →

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Digital Deception: Social Media’s Identity Conundrum Pt. 1

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Ken Dowell

The major social media networks are in something of a quandary about how to deal with fake identities. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ have all taken different approaches. I don’t think any of them have found the solution. Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Deception | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Digital Deception and the Law

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Ken Dowell

From a legal perspective, sockpuppets are like guns. They aren’t illegal but many of the ways people use them are. As the number of unethical, fraudulent and criminal acts perpetuated by online imposters grows, state legislatures in the U.S. have … Continue reading →

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Digital Deception: Wikipedia’s PR Problem

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Ken Dowell

In June of this year a joint statement was issued by 11 PR firms promising to not try to edit Wikipedia articles about their clients without going through “proper channels.” Some of the biggest names in the business were part … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Deception, Digital publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Digital Deception: Catfish

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Ken Dowell

So far in my Digital Deception series I’ve encountered phonies who used their fake identities to promote their products or business, to trash their competitors, to catch criminals or spy on ideological enemies, to spread propaganda or to enhance their reputation. … Continue reading →

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Digital Deception: Sockpuppeteers

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Ken Dowell

Wikipedia defines a sockpuppet as an online identity used for the purposes of deception. The Urban Dictionary has some more colorful definitions: “A fake personality, usually a ‘friend’ or ‘sister’ created by a drama queen/king for the sake of defending … Continue reading →

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Digital Deception: Astroturfers

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Ken Dowell

There are times I’ve been traveling and looking for a decent dinner option, so I checked the listed local restaurants that got a five-star rating on Yelp. The last time I purchased a TV, faced with numerous choices that all seemed pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Deception, Digital publishing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments