Join us for a moderated panel discussion on the role of digital technologies and disinformation in global elections in 2024. Our guests include Oliver Marsh (AlgorithmWatch) and Pamposh Raina (Misinformation Combat Alliance).
Disinformation goes beyond unintentional misinformation—it is a deliberate and powerful tool designed to mislead, manipulate, and disrupt. With the rise of digital technologies, the spread of disinformation has become faster and more pervasive, particularly in the context of elections, where it can distort public discourse, amplify false narratives, and erode trust in democratic processes. From undermining public trust to polarising societies and destabilising democracies, its impact is far-reaching. Whether it’s influencing electoral outcomes, deepening societal divides, or fostering widespread distrust, understanding and combating disinformation in the digital age is essential to preserving democratic integrity.
With our guests, we will explore the challenges experienced in the context of elections in India, Europe, and the United States. From the role of digital platforms in shaping public opinion to the influence of disinformation on electoral integrity, we will examine what these regions experienced and how they’re navigating the evolving digital landscape.
The event will be moderated by Student Advisory Board Member Corbin Cerny (Hertie School MPP and MDS ‘26).
Registration is required for this event.
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Speakers
Oliver Marsh: As Head of Tech Research at AlgorithmWatch, Oliver Marsh leads the research work and partnerships on policy areas including the Digital Services Act and the AI Act. He is also responsible for integrating our research strategy into campaigning and advocacy. Oliver previously worked on platform and data governance as an official in Downing Street in the UK, and as an analyst of online harms for CASM Technology, The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Demos, and The Tony Blair Institute. He holds a PhD in sociology of social media from University College London and a degree in Natural Sciences & History and Philosophy of Science from Cambridge University.
Pamposh Raina is a journalist based in New Delhi. She has written on policy, politics, gender, and child rights for international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, News Deeply, and Women in the World. Pamposh has been a reporter with The New York Times and was the deputy editor for India Ink, which was NYT’s first-ever country-specific blog. She has also been a special correspondent, South Asia, for AFP. Her recent work has focused on analysing misinformation and disinformation on social media and closed messaging apps in India. She led a research project commissioned by WhatsApp that analysed the misinformation trends natively on the messaging app during the 2019 Indian parliamentary election.
Valerie Wirtschafter is a fellow in Foreign Policy and the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Her research falls into two thematic areas: (1) democratic resilience and democratic erosion; and (2) artificial intelligence, technology, and the information space, often with a regional focus on the Western Hemisphere. Using a data driven approach, Wirtschafter’s work has helped to reframe discussions around underexplored media and novel challenges to the information space, provided new tools and methods for academic and policy research, and reshaped policy at leading tech companies.
Moderator
Corbin Cerny is a Master's of Public Policy and a Master's of Data Science student. He is a graduate student associate with a Washington, D.C. based international development firm, assisting the digital and SME portfolios. Previously, he worked with the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at their US embassy, where he coordinated the visit of a delegation from the Ministry of Digital Transformation. He is interested in the role digital services can play in addressing challenges faced by rural communities.