Check First, with the help of Reset Tech, EU DisinfoLab and independent journalists Luiza Vasiliu and Victor Ilie publish the flash research note “Ads, Influence, and Democracy: Meta’s Role in Romania’s 2024 Presidential Election.” This note offers critical insights into the influence of digital platforms on public opinion and the electoral process in Romania during a politically pivotal moment.
CheckFirst and Faktabaari present their first report on the CrossOver Finland project—a significant milestone.
As we bid farewell to 2023, it’s time for us to take a moment and reflect on the incredible journey CheckFirst has experienced over the past year. From groundbreaking conferences to the launch of exciting projects, 2023 has been — thanks to you all — a year of growth, collaboration and achievement. Let’s take a look back.
In a landmark research collaboration, CheckFirst and AI Forensics publish a comprehensive study examining the intricate facets of Amazon’s recommendation algorithm, unveiling concerning content amplification and user entrapment in dubious narratives.
Last week, for the third year in a row, we had the pleasure to attend the EU Disinfolab’s 2023 conference. Leaving Brussels for the beautiful city of Krakow in Poland, the event remained a must to anyone looking to stay ahead of the game in the fight against disinformation.
A new Milestone reached thanks to EMIFund!
New EU regulations are reshaping internet user’s social media experience and how online advertisements impact them. This article aims at pointing out what changes the Digital Services Act (DSA) already caused on many platforms you may use. The legislation is targeting Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and search engines (VLOSs). Let’s dive in to understand what these changes mean for the users of those platforms.
Edmo Belux Lunch Lecture re-launched on 4 September, with Guillaume Kuster our CEO and Co-Founder as guest speaker.
In an extensive month-long investigation, our team has unearthed a large-scale scam operation, recruiting its victims on Facebook through ads. This eye-opening discovery not only reveals the sheer scale of the problem but also underscores the urgent need for platforms to take responsibility in enforcing their own rules, especially ahead of the implementation of the DSA. The scam, which involves over 1,500 ads and a network of deceitful media sites, targets unsuspecting users with the promise of lucrative investments, leading to significant financial and personal harm.
Keeping platforms accountable is at the core of Check First’s mission and values, particularly when evaluating the impact of algorithmic content recommendation on society. Recent changes in the way companies or brands like Twitter and YouTube are altering access to their data are just mere examples of how platforms are affecting civil society’s ability to hold them accountable.
Check First is a leading Finnish software and methodologies company, spearheading adversarial research techniques. We believe that everyone should be able to understand how and why content is presented to them. We advocate for online clarity and accountability, building solutions to attain this goal. Partnering with leading institutions, regulators, NGOs and educators, we aim at curbing the spread of disinformation and foreign influence manipulations.
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