Sometimes, bad actors use tactics that are not as obvious as we imagine. An example: bogus copyright complaints made to Google to get legitimate information removed from its search results.
A new report produced by the Department of Media and Communications on behalf of the Mediterranean Digital Media Observatory (MedDMO), of which it is a partner, looks at a recent and seemingly coordinated barrage of bogus copyright claims made to Google that targeted Maltese journalists and newsrooms writing about the infamous hospitals concession.
Explaining the what, how and why, the report breaks down the disinformation tactic and explains how the investigation into this particular case was carried out, ultimately showing how such bogus complaints are used to censor journalistic work and discredit legitimate reporting.
The Department of Media and Communications at the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, has previously produced reports on narratives surrounding the hospitals scandal, claims that are symptomatic of attempts to whitewash the dire state of the country’s infrastructure and construction industry, and narratives about migration and population statistics .
MedDMO, the Mediterranean Digital Media Observatory, is an EU-funded project bringing together journalists, media literacy experts and researchers from Malta, Greece and Cyprus – as well as the AFP – who work to foster a healthier information space in the Mediterranean and beyond.
