Dear Friends and Colleagues, I am writing to share my latest article published by Brookings TechTank, which is on the Kremlin's ongoing war in Ukraine. My article, "How Russia benefits from ill-informed social media policies" <https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2022/04/28/how-russia-benefits-from-ill-informed-social-media-policies/> responds to Glenn Greenwald's recent claims that Russian perspectives are 'censored' in a social media information war that operates only in one direction. The arguments of Kremlin defenders like Greenwald not only distort what is really going on with the platforms, but seek to misleadingly portray an imperialist aggressor with zero tolerance of dissent as a suppressed voice. Please read and share, I critique the social media companies policies which, contrary to Greenwald's claims are actually inadvertently advancing the Kremlin's framing. The issue is especially important as new Twitter owner Elon Musk argues Russian propaganda should be protected 'free speech' - we will see policies change on the platform and it raises questions of just what might be allowed? Falsehoods about war crimes? Trust is declining because of ill-informed responses and a failure of most research and policy to centralize the actors involved in influence operations, research on this is an area in which I specialize. Rising public distrust is unfortunately not helped by the launch today of US Department of Homeland Security's latest effort - a 'Disinformation Governance Board' which prompted an array of paranoid push-back and sent 'Ministry of Truth' trending on Twitter. Whether or not the paranoia is justified, the US has hinged its efforts to respond to 'falsehood' on the weak conceptual framework of 'MDM' <https://www.cisa.gov/mdm>. This risks conflating misinformation with intentional influence operations in ways that are unhelpful for restoring trust and may raise genuine speech concerns. It also fails to understand and miscommunicates the problem of deliberate influence operations. I would argue the many missteps we are seeing are actually advantaging the Kremlin and result from failing to form nuanced responses based on an understanding of differences between different actors. I also want to let you know about an upcoming event a moderated conversation with me on 'Disinformation for Profit: the dark business behind disinformation <https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/insight/events/cfra-webinar-disinformation-for-profit/>.' It is part of the Cambridge Disinformation Summit, hosted by the Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability at University of Cambridge, of which I am an Associate. I also am delighted to share some news, as I join as a Fellow <https://cmds.ceu.edu/article/2022-04-27/emma-l-briant-joins-cmds-fellow> at the Center for Media, Data and Society at Central European University. I hope you will continue to check out Afternoon Tea and Truth Biscuits <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXqESkk8Ex6vjSIRkfJBNNA/featured> - this week we had a special <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8wFdD8RMIQ>on the use of geolocation and satellite imagery to prove war crimes and debunk propaganda in Ukraine. Thank you all for your interest in my work. Best wishes, Emma -- Dr Emma L Briant Owner: Maven of Persuasion LLC Fellow at Central European University's Center for Media, Data and Society Associate at University of Cambridge, Center for Financial Reporting & Accountability Website: www.emma-briant.co.uk Author of: *Propaganda and Counter-Terrorism: Strategies for Global Change *from Manchester University Press Co-Author of: *Bad News for Refugees* with Prof. Greg Philo and Dr. Pauline Donald from Pluto Press. Sign up for my Newsletter <http://emma-briant.co.uk/sign-up-for-important-updates/>! Follow me on Twitter @emmalbriant