Presented by League of Women Voters of Maine in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Alaska

5 p.m. EDT // 4 p.m. CDT // 3 p.m. MDT // 2 p.m. PDT // 1 p.m. AKDT

We'll be joined by Renee DiResta, until recently, the technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, a cross-disciplinary program of research, teaching and policy engagement for the study of adversarial abuse in current information technologies. She is the author of the new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality (If you make it trend, you make it true.)

From the book jacket: "Power and influence have been profoundly transformed. A virtual rumor mill of niche propogandists increasingly shapes public opinion. Positioning themselves as trustworthy Davids, their reach, influence, and economics make them invisible rulers who create bespoke realities to revolutionize politics, culture, and society. Democratic validity, scientific proof, and leaders can be bulldozed. What to do? - while these propogandists bear no responsibility for the consequences, there are ways to rapidly adapt and fight back."

Suggested reading:

• What Happened to Stanford Spells Trouble for the Election, NY Times op-ed
• Online manipulation expert Renée DiResta: ‘Conspiracy theories shape our politics in extremely mainstream ways’, Interview in The Guardian

About the series:

Disinformation. Conspiracy theories. Extremism. Surveillance. Our democracy is threatened as never before by toxic online content. The social media giants seem unable, or in some cases unwilling, to control the flood of lies and manipulative practices. The staggering — often hidden — reach of Big Tech into our lives endangers civil society, our civil rights, and our privacy. In a "post-truth" world we risk losing the shared understanding that underpins our democracy. 

Each month, we explore a different facet of this crisis with guest experts. Join us to learn, discuss, and work on possible solutions. 

For future events and past recordings, visit https://www.lwvme.org/digitaldemocracy.