1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 2: It is about having this narrative that democracy only leads 3 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 2: to chaos and democracy never delivers. That is the overarching 4 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: narrative for the authoritarian attacks. So I think one lesson 5 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 2: is to let the people know that this has happened. 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: Any If you'll let everybody know that this is the narrative, 7 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 2: they're going to push the people built immune system and 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 2: hype bodies in their mind even before that attack actually happens. 9 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 3: Welcome to Voteronomics, where politics and markets and everything else collide. 10 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 3: This year, voters around the world have the ability to 11 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 3: affect markets, countries, and economies like never before, so it 12 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 3: created this series Photonomics to help you make sense of 13 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 3: it all. I'm Stephanie Flanders. 14 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 4: I'm Adrian Wooldridge, and I'm Allegra Stratton. 15 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 3: And you heard at the top of the show the 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: former recently stepped down Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan, 17 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 3: Audrey Tang. Now you might wonder why on earth, you know, 18 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 3: we have all these illustrious people on this podcast, not 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 3: least people I'm talking to right now, why would we 20 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 3: have a recently stepped down Minister of Digital affairs. But 21 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 3: Audrey Tang for the last several years has been absolutely 22 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 3: the front line of the misinformation war, which of course 23 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 3: we're all worried about being above and beneath the surface 24 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 3: of these big elections that we're facing in the UK 25 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 3: and the US and other countries, because Taiwan, as she 26 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 3: says herself, has been the country most subjected to cyber 27 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 3: onslaught on all fronts, whether it's around the senior US 28 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 3: politician Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and most recently the 29 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 3: election where China clearly didn't want to have someone win 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 3: the president see in Taiwan who was considered to be 31 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 3: sort of pro independence or some form of independence for Taiwan. 32 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 3: I mean, allegra you and I spoke to her and 33 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 3: it was just a fascinating conversation. 34 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: About It was fascinating and it was quite chilling as well, 35 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,839 Speaker 1: because when I was asking her if she the incidences 36 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 1: that we've seen in the UK of possible disinformation and 37 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: Russian bots stirring up division and so on, and you know, 38 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: and she said yeah, and some like you know, yes, 39 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: and it will have been much more than that. A 40 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: And then the other thing that I that really resonated 41 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: and I liked a lot was this idea of jury 42 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: service on social media, so you could we as citizens 43 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: should all be dipping into various different pieces of social 44 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: media and kind of observing in quite an intense way. 45 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm very much looking forward to hit to hearing it. 46 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 4: Absolutely fascinating subject. 47 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 3: But of course we're interested in these things, even more 48 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 3: interested in elections right now because we have one. And 49 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: actually we had that was a snapcast that we did 50 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: earlier this week of voting when we had first got 51 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 3: that news the announcement for Rissi Sinek of the election 52 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 3: in early July. And I think that's the one thing 53 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 3: we didn't talk about, actually, is the risk of misinformation. 54 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: Well, it's interesting. I think that experts are divided. I 55 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: think that they feel that actually, in the elections that 56 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: we've already seen in twenty twenty four around the world, 57 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: that it hasn't actually played a huge role, but it 58 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: is certainly right to be vigilant. 59 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 4: I think there's absolute truth in that. But I think 60 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 4: the extent to which this is going on is increasing 61 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 4: all the time, and the extent to which the sort 62 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 4: of the Russian model of deliberately spreading its spreading misinformation 63 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 4: and agit prop is being taken up by China, and 64 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 4: push forward is really quite important. And also I think 65 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 4: if you look at the what you might call the 66 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 4: states that are but Russia, you know, the Baltic States 67 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 4: and the rest of them, you see it. It's a 68 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 4: lot more of a problem it has been here. So 69 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 4: I think the future is it's quite dark when it 70 00:03:58,200 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 4: comes to misinformation. 71 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 3: It's very hard to say definitively what's happening. And that's 72 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 3: part of the issue is that you have this sort 73 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 3: of echo chamber of different forms of social media, self 74 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 3: selected groups who are then having damaging messages amplified. And 75 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: Audrey Tang talks about it. But actually I was struck 76 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 3: by Anne app Obama's done this fantastic big story for 77 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 3: The Atlantic and this month's June issue of The Atlantic magazine, 78 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 3: the New Propaganda War, where she just maps out how China, 79 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 3: Russia and other sort of semi rogue nations are making 80 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 3: common cause with sort of make America great again Trumpian 81 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 3: Republicans to spread a message around sort of undermining liberalism 82 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 3: and undermining kind of normal democrats. 83 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 4: I think one of the many fascinating things that she 84 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 4: said is that these countries are collaborating with each other. 85 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 4: I mean both and said this, and Audrey Tang said this, 86 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 4: And I think we should be looking certainly to what 87 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 4: Taiwan has been doing. But again, I also think we 88 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 4: should be looking to what some of the Baltic states 89 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 4: or some of the states on that are closest to 90 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 4: Russia have been doing. I think a really interesting example 91 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 4: of that is Finland, which has in its schools a 92 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 4: civic education program which teaches people how to resist foreign 93 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 4: propaganda because they're being constantly bullied and acted by the Russians, 94 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 4: and that's actually woven into their education system. So I 95 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 4: think when we're thinking about what our defenses should be, 96 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 4: we shouldn't just be thinking about the military. We should 97 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 4: also be thinking about a much broader set of defenses 98 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,799 Speaker 4: against foreign interference, which include public opinion, public education. 99 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: Do you think it would work here? 100 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 3: Yes, well, I think it's just and I'm also just struck. 101 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 3: We had our guest last week who was saying, when 102 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 3: he goes to talk to students, and they all are 103 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 3: sort of many of them are parroting the same sort 104 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 3: of somewhat sympathetic to Russia line about Ukraine, and she 105 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 3: actually Anne Applebam sites having had talking to other Western 106 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 3: diplomats who have sort of been been in Africa and 107 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 3: then are sort of shocked by everywhere they go people 108 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 3: with a completely different narrative around the war in Ukraine, 109 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 3: and many of them believing this particular story around the 110 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 3: US using biological warfare early on in helping Ukraine to 111 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 3: commit biological warfare at the beginning of the war. So 112 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 3: I think it is there is a fear that even 113 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 3: if you're doing all these things within your core core 114 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 3: education system and on your mainstream media, the segmentation of 115 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 3: the voices that people. 116 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 4: Are getting you just have there's an enemy agate problem. 117 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 4: But there's also just rumors and just nonsense that that 118 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 4: that is there on that we have Arnold's and I think, 119 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 4: you know, as this British election unfolds, I think it's 120 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 4: very important that we take a pretty broad view of 121 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 4: public opinion, not just reading the Times, but also looking 122 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 4: at some of the weirdest stuff coming out on the 123 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 4: Internet or gb News and the rest of it. 124 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 3: While we're talking about you know, there's the risks of 125 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 3: what might happen in the UK election I think you know, 126 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 3: we also have that US election. We've been running a 127 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 3: swing state pole because as you as you both will know, 128 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 3: the seven swing states, they are the ones that will 129 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 3: decide the outcome of this election. And actually the latest 130 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 3: poll has just come out had some quite interesting results, 131 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 3: particularly on this subject of foreign interference and also the 132 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 3: risk of violence in and around the elections. We can 133 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 3: go back to a friend of voter nomics, Nancy Cook, 134 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 3: our top reporter in Washington covering all things campaign and 135 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 3: economic qualicy and much else. Nancy, I know you've we've 136 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 3: had quite a few of these swing state poles, but 137 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 3: what are the top lines from this one? 138 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 5: Well, the taplines are that former President Trump still leads 139 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 5: Biden about forty eight percent to forty four percent across 140 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 5: the seven swing states that we have been surveying for 141 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 5: the last several months. And you know, this sort of 142 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 5: builds on the success that we have seen in other 143 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 5: polls with him where he has been leading Biden. I 144 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 5: think what's interesting is that about forty six percent of 145 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 5: the people we surveyed expressed some concern about foreign interference. 146 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 5: And then the other sort of big takeaway is that 147 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 5: Trump is leading in states like North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, 148 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 5: which is a state with a lot of African Americans, 149 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 5: which will be key for Biden to win, and then 150 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 5: they're tied in Nevada, Nancy. 151 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: One of the things we're picking up on during this 152 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: voter nomics is this idea of echo chambers and that 153 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: different voter groups are sort of talking to with themselves 154 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: and not really straying outside. And the poll underscoores that 155 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: it's deeply partisan. So you have nine out of ten 156 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: Republicans saying the economy was better off under Trump and 157 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: only one out of ten Democrats thinking that. So you've 158 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: got this very very strong expression of how partisan this 159 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: election is. 160 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 5: Absolutely and you just see that across the board with 161 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 5: almost every policy area. I mean, you see that, you know, 162 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 5: Trump really earns high marks on the economy from you know, 163 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 5: all Republican voters. You see that also with foreign policy, housing, immigration. 164 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 5: It's just it is so polarized that it's almost like 165 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 5: two different countries at this point, the Democratic States and 166 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 5: the Republican States. And that's why we have focused on 167 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 5: these swing states, because you know, there's so much of 168 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 5: the US that's basically you already know how people are 169 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 5: going to vote, and these states are the ones that 170 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 5: are kind of up for grabs. 171 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 4: Nancy, are you surprised that the current Trump trial hasn't 172 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 4: had more of an impact on voting intentions so far? 173 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 5: I I'm actually not because I think that one, we're 174 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 5: still many months away from the election. Two, I think 175 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 5: Americans are very disengaged right now from this particular election. 176 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 5: I think most Americans don't want either President Biden or 177 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 5: former President Trump to be their candidates, and so I 178 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 5: think people aren't paying a ton of attention to the trial. 179 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 5: The fact of the matter is is that the first 180 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 5: indictment that Trump had actually was great for him. It 181 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 5: helped him with fundraising, It helped him with Republican base, 182 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 5: it was something that boosted him actually, So you know, 183 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 5: I just think it hasn't hurt him at all. And 184 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 5: I think if there is a conviction, which we have 185 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 5: to wait and see, it will only help him. 186 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 3: But that is interesting, Nancy, because as you know, polls 187 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 3: of Republicans had suggested that around a third of his 188 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 3: support would consider it material if he got a fatherly conviction. 189 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 3: You think that's just gone away now. 190 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 5: I'm just not sure that that will hold and that 191 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 5: will be the thing that will sway people on election 192 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 5: day versus things like immigration and the economy. I think 193 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 5: that people's sense of the economy, in their dismay with 194 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 5: it is so strong that I'm just not sure that 195 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 5: that will overshadow a conviction. 196 00:10:57,679 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 3: The very top line I saw in one of the 197 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 3: headlines around the poll is that you know, a half 198 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:08,439 Speaker 3: and that's Democrats and Republicans fear violence around the election, 199 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 3: which I'm not sure whether we were asking people that 200 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 3: in the last election or certainly you know, last twenty years, 201 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:17,959 Speaker 3: but that seems very striking. 202 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 5: It is striking, and I think that's all because of 203 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 5: January sixth and the violence and the attempted insurrection that 204 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 5: happened after the last election. It has been so interesting 205 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 5: covering politics in the week of that because a ton 206 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 5: of the Republican Party has basically rewritten history on that 207 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 5: and come to see them as a protest. You know, 208 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 5: not that big of a deal. But I think that 209 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 5: regardless of who wins in November, Democrats or Republicans, there's 210 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 5: a fear that whoever is the loser, there will be 211 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 5: a lot of protests and there will be violence. And 212 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 5: I think it's really a stark data point in this poll. 213 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 3: I did notice we had a fascinating piece by Josh 214 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 3: Green earlier the last couple of days that the posters 215 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 3: and focus people taking focus groups on both sides weren't 216 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 3: looking for it, but kept on tripping up over people 217 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 3: concerned that President Trump, if re elected, would then try 218 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 3: to stay in office beyond the four years and violate 219 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 3: the constitutional limit on two terms. 220 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 5: Yeah. I love that piece as well, and I think 221 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 5: that it is a concern among particularly Independents, and it's 222 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 5: something that Trump keeps joking about. I mean, it's not 223 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 5: really something that's just in voter's minds. It's something that 224 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 5: he keeps talking about. He spoke before the National Rifle 225 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 5: Association in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, and he joked about, 226 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 5: you know, winning a third term. You know, in the 227 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 5: US you can only win two terms. That's what the 228 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 5: law says now, and so he joked about serving even 229 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 5: beyond that. I mean, he has made these comments before, 230 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 5: so it's not really out of left field that this 231 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 5: is something that is on the minds of American voters. 232 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 5: But I thought it was interesting that it's coming up 233 00:12:58,040 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 5: in these focus groups. 234 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: Now as Joshua, it's NANSI. Do you enjoy the TV 235 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: debate spin rooms? 236 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 5: I think they're fine. I mean, you know, it's interesting though, 237 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 5: is that the debates that they recently agree to, you know, 238 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 5: they will have the spin rooms, I'm sure, but they're 239 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 5: not going to be before an audience, and so it 240 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 5: will be interesting to see, you know, how those ended 241 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 5: up looking on TV, but then also what they look 242 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:22,479 Speaker 5: like afterwards. 243 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,079 Speaker 1: Why have they not going for an audience? 244 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 5: I think that they It was one of the conditions 245 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 5: that Biden and his team put forward to debate Trump. 246 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 5: I think Trump is so masterful at sort of owning 247 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 5: the media, owning the room, sort of overtaking a situation, 248 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 5: and we saw that in a CNN town hall that 249 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 5: he did just with him and a CNN moderator. He 250 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,359 Speaker 5: kind of just flipped the whole situation to his advantage. 251 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 5: And it was a very sympathetic audience and they kept 252 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 5: sort of interrupting the moderator, interrupting the follow up questions, 253 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 5: and I think the Biden people wanted to feel like 254 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 5: it was you know, President Biden really had a fair 255 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 5: shot to make his points, and that people stuck to 256 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 5: the time limits, and they felt like if there was 257 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 5: a studio audience that person, you know, it would have 258 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 5: just been even more disrupted. 259 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 3: But it's a huge gamble which we will be looking 260 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 3: at to see how it turns out. Nancy Cook, thank 261 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 3: you so much, thanks for having me. So now onto 262 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 3: that interview with Audrey Tang, Taiwan's former Minister of Digital Affairs. 263 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 3: She's literally just stepped down and she feels Taiwan has 264 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 3: been many years ahead of the rest of the world 265 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 3: in having to respond to the threat of misinformation and 266 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 3: cyber wars influencing elections. So I started by asking her 267 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 3: how does she think we're doing so far and what 268 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 3: do we need to learn before going to the ballot 269 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 3: boxes later in the year. 270 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 2: Taiwan has been on the forefront because we're the most 271 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 2: heavily targeted according to v them for the past decade. 272 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 2: Every year, we're at the top of the world in 273 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 2: terms of the our information manipulation received, and we know 274 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 2: something about information manipulation and it's not just elections. When 275 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 2: the Ministry of Digital Affairs first started in August twenty 276 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 2: twenty two, a few weeks before that, Sensi Pelosi, then 277 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 2: US Speaker visits the Taiwan in historic visits, and we 278 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 2: saw the whole spectrum of destructive attacked, tack and leak, 279 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 2: encouraging physical protests and all that in a very coordinated way. 280 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 2: It's about creating a information vacuum. It is about having 281 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: this narrative that democracy only leads to chaos and democracy 282 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 2: never delivers. That is the overarching narrative for the authoritarian attacks. 283 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 2: So I think one lesson is just to pre bunk, 284 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 2: to let the people know that this is happening. This 285 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 2: is not about pro a candidate or against a candidate. 286 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 2: This is about an overarching narrative that says democracy never delivers, 287 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 2: democracy only leads to chaos. And if you pre bunk it, 288 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 2: if you'll let everybody know that this is the narrative, 289 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 2: they're going to push the people built immune system antibodies 290 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 2: in their mind even before that attack actually happens. 291 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 3: So just to explain that Nancy Pelosi visit, you know, 292 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 3: obviously the Chinese government had not wanted any senior US 293 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 3: politician to visit Taiwan, so that's why you had that 294 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 3: kind of concerted attack. And the more recent time when 295 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 3: people were concerned about Taiwan was around the time of 296 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 3: the election at the start of this year, were you 297 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 3: applying some of the same lessons for that. 298 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. For example, in every election, we already know 299 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 2: that the counting process is going to be the main 300 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 2: attack for not just every attack, but mostly information operation. 301 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 2: People would accuse that the counting was rigged. People would 302 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 2: accuse the election officials of siding with one particular candidate, 303 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 2: People would dispute the result of the election, and so on. 304 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 2: These are all traditional information operation targets. In Taiwan, we 305 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 2: countered that by participatory counting. So for the past few 306 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 2: years we restructured our accounting process. We have a paper 307 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 2: only ballot, and so when people count those paper only ballots, 308 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 2: they take each and everyone out, they show it to 309 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 2: three different angles, and the three major parties, their YouTubers, 310 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 2: their quarders, their participatory counters, they all film the process, 311 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 2: and so each and every paper ballot was counted this way. 312 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 2: So we didn't use digital technology to speed up the 313 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 2: tallying process. Even though maybe electronic talenting can finish what 314 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 2: used to take four hours in forty minutes, we conclude 315 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 2: it's not worth it. The participation is important because when 316 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 2: the inevitable information operation happens right after the counting process 317 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 2: concluded that there was rigged counting and so and so forth. 318 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,679 Speaker 2: Actually it didn't spread very far, even though we have 319 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 2: evidence that foreign information manipulators put a lot of resource 320 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 2: in getting all those conspiracy theories to spread. All the 321 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 2: three party leaders, they have their YouTubers and their campaign 322 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 2: people in that particular counting station. It's all documented. So 323 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 2: all they can say after the fact is that there's 324 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 2: no riaking of the election. So it limits the basic 325 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 2: reproduction number that are zero value of those information manipulations. 326 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 2: So even though they threw a lot of resources into 327 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,640 Speaker 2: spreading this particular message, we fixed this problem by inviting 328 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 2: everybody into the counting process. This is something that extronic 329 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 2: tally cannot do as easily, oh do. 330 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: The way you're describing recent events is very sophisticated digital literacy. 331 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 1: Tell us your observations looking at these huge elections in 332 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,360 Speaker 1: the UK in America and how resilient you think those 333 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 1: electorates really are. 334 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 2: In Taiwan, we don't even use the word digital literacy 335 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 2: or media literacy anymore in our curriculum. We always say 336 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 2: digital media competence because literacy is when you are viewing 337 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 2: the news, maybe with a critical eye, but still mostly 338 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 2: as a consumer, whereas competent is when you're a co 339 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 2: producer of information. And the great thing about getting high 340 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 2: schoolers or even primary schoolers into the collaborative fact checking 341 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 2: is that it changes their family dynamic, usually the children 342 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 2: when they introduce a new platform, a new ecosystem, and 343 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 2: so the parents and grandparents are sympathetic to it. And 344 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: what we have found is that it is not the 345 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 2: check facts that inoculates the mind. It is the act 346 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 2: of going through fact checking, a thinking like a journalist 347 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 2: that inoculates the mind, which is why it's so important 348 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 2: to combine that with the curriculum and with this or 349 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 2: family exercise. 350 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: When you look at America and the UK and the 351 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: many many other polls taking place this year around the world, 352 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: do you think people know what's coming? 353 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 2: I think what's really needed is that it comes from 354 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 2: not just credibly neutral sources, which I understand in the 355 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 2: US it's difficult to combine now, but rather from each 356 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,679 Speaker 2: and every party, from each and every denomination, from each 357 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 2: and ever even religion and so on, community leaders and 358 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 2: so on, such as published a book on this is 359 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 2: about collaborating across people who were like ideologically or politically 360 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 2: opposite of each other, but each side agreed that democracy 361 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 2: is a process that requires some commonly agreed facts, and 362 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 2: for that we need cross checking instead of just taking 363 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 2: one institute and upholding it as the most rigorous. So 364 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 2: a cross checking ecosystem is always superior to just a 365 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 2: single like this Information Overside institute or things like that 366 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 2: when it comes to pre bunking and debunking issues. And 367 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 2: the other thing, especially for career public servants, is that 368 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 2: even if you didn't anticipate something and you cannot pre 369 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 2: bunk it, as long as you respond within an hour, 370 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 2: it's as good as if you've pre bunked it. So 371 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,479 Speaker 2: we ensure in Taiwan that if we missed some pre 372 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 2: bunking targets, we always respond with a hopeful, slightly humorous 373 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 2: message mes media sixteen minutes or less after we detected 374 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 2: that it is going to trend. And the reason why 375 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 2: is that the career of public service through the press 376 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 2: release channels, actually reaches more people than conspiracy theories, and 377 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 2: if it's a little bit humorous, it also spreads faster 378 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 2: than the conspiracy theories. So for everag person they actually 379 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 2: received the clarification first before they received this information. 380 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 3: You were a pioneer, Audrey, developing open source technology before 381 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 3: going into government. But also you've been a force for 382 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 3: this very collaborative, transparent process which you were just describing. 383 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 3: I mean, I think that's built up a level of 384 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:48,360 Speaker 3: trust which you're not always going to get with other 385 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 3: kinds of government fact checking in other countries. In fact, 386 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 3: I was struck by a recent example in Senegal where 387 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 3: there'd been a fake news law that actually was associated 388 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:02,439 Speaker 3: with the cumbent government in effect trying to prevent a 389 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 3: lot of opposition discussion on TikTok and in other places. 390 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 3: And funny enough, that law backfired because this opposition leader 391 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 3: had been somewhat silenced by those laws, but there was 392 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 3: so much curiosity about him that people went out and 393 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 3: found out about him and they ended up voting him 394 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 3: into office. But in a lot of cases, you know, 395 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 3: don't we see that it is in fact quite authoritarian 396 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 3: governments that are then using the language of fake news 397 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 3: and talking about citizens needing to be protected from it. 398 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 3: So how do you develop trust and avoid that problem? 399 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 2: Yes, I think this is a great observation. How one 400 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 2: is the tub of Asia when it comes to not 401 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 2: just freedom on the net, but also journalistic freedom. And 402 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 2: because my parents were both journalists, I would never say 403 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 2: the words fake news to them or to anyone really, 404 00:22:54,480 --> 00:23:00,399 Speaker 2: because to me, information manipulation is fundamentally about getting people 405 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:04,439 Speaker 2: to distrust the democratic process. This is not about pro 406 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 2: or anti establishment pro or any parties and so on, 407 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 2: or the polarization attacks that we have seen for most 408 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 2: of this year. After the generative AI capabilities getting enjoyed 409 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 2: by all the information manipulators, the easiest way is not 410 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 2: to push for fake narratives, but just to amplify the 411 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 2: parts of the opinions that looks like hate messages across 412 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 2: party lines, across ideological lines, and just put a lot 413 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 2: of resource in amplifying those polarized messages and then the 414 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 2: polarization person the democracy by yourself and fact checks can 415 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:46,880 Speaker 2: do little about such polarization attacks because it's not factually wrong, right, 416 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 2: So I think a lot of the work that we're 417 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 2: now doing is again pre bunking. We introduce new laws 418 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 2: like the Anti Fraud Act currently in the Parliament that says, 419 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 2: if you want to have freedom of reach through everard, 420 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 2: you have to digitally sign your message, and not just 421 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 2: the people paying it, but also the people appearing in it. 422 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 2: It's from a celebrity, the celebrity need to sign it digitally, 423 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 2: and that applies to foreign advertisements too, so there's no exceptions. 424 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 2: It wants to ensure the authenticity of the actor without 425 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 2: saying anything about the content. We've seen more and more 426 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 2: that the content level laws do a lot of collateral harm, 427 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 2: even with the best intentions, exactly as you pointed out, 428 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 2: because it also interferes with the journalistic work. And I 429 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 2: understand that there are similar laws in the works in 430 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 2: both US and the UK, and my sincere hope is 431 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 2: that these can be passed before the election, because otherwise 432 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,479 Speaker 2: it's not just fake versus true anymore. It is a 433 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 2: lot about just inauthentic portrayal of celebrities and so on. 434 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 3: Audrey, I would say, when we've spoken in Taipei the 435 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 3: end of last year, I would say you were quite 436 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 3: calm about some of the sort of straightforward deep fakes 437 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 3: that people have talked a lot about here in the 438 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 3: context of the election, Things coming out just before the 439 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 3: election that show one of the candidates saying something or 440 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 3: doing something but I noted that you were much more 441 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 3: concerned about the potential for Ai to produce very kind 442 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 3: of individualized fakes. So you know, not just a fake video, 443 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 3: but technology allowing manipulator to build up a relationship with 444 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 3: an individual person. So maybe just talk us through talk 445 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 3: us through that so we too can be frightened. 446 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 2: So after the election in January, I think I was 447 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 2: right in not worried about the polarization attacks because the 448 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 2: effective polarization, how people hit each other cross party line, 449 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 2: went into a historic love All three parties felt that 450 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 2: they have won a little bit, so there's no winner 451 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 2: takes all, loser loses all dynamic and it's very good 452 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 2: for the health of our democracy and mental health for 453 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 2: everyone involved. But I do see that this direct communication, 454 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 2: this precision persuation as an ongoing threat. The idea is 455 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 2: that if you have an addictive app that people use 456 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 2: in Taiwan, for example, the short form videos, people like 457 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 2: it just like any other country. We're a little bit 458 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 2: fortunate in that we've been seeing for quite a few 459 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 2: years that TikTok is a harmful product for cybersecurity. So 460 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 2: it only has about a quarter of installation based in Taiwan. 461 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 2: And only about one tenth of that use it as 462 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 2: their primary platform. So we're not as addicted as some 463 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 2: other jurisdictions are to TikTok. But TikTok is just one 464 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 2: example because what it does is already has a reward model, right, 465 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 2: it knows what takes you and what addicts you. And 466 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 2: so instead of just spreading one single message to try 467 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 2: to get people to retweet or whatever, that was like 468 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 2: the previous wave of information manipulation, nowadays decision targeting AI 469 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 2: can just push a series of messages, let you feel 470 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 2: a little bit more disenfranchised, a little bit more disempowered, 471 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 2: a little bit more empathy around the democratic process. But 472 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 2: if you are addicted to it, and if you watch 473 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,959 Speaker 2: it hours and hours every day, then the end result 474 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 2: is that you lose energy to participate in the democratic processes. 475 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 2: So it is even more insidious and chronic than polarization. 476 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 2: And I think this is something that we need really 477 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 2: to watch out for. 478 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 3: Talk us through that. But how can one pre bunk 479 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 3: or pre inoculate against that. It just feels so sophisticated. 480 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, one way is simply to let people know that 481 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:43,199 Speaker 2: this form of addiction, everything else being equal, is not 482 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,439 Speaker 2: good for him. In the US, of course, as we know, 483 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 2: or TikTok in particular, they are now setting a timeline 484 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 2: so that it needs to divest right and need to 485 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 2: sell to a US operator who hopefully will instill a 486 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:02,400 Speaker 2: more digital democracy capabilities into the app, because if they're 487 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: already addicted to it. Nowadays, there's research that says if 488 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 2: you adjust the sorting algorithm a little bit to promote, 489 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 2: for example, authentic self disclosure, or promote a little bit 490 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:19,159 Speaker 2: more vulnerability, a little bit more ideas of communicating across 491 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 2: society differences, a little bit more collective sense making and 492 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 2: all that instead of the addictive entertainment stuff, it actually 493 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 2: results in the same amount of engagement, whereas it makes 494 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 2: people care more about democracies or maybe OI techs is 495 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 2: a few hyper parameter changes and then it gets people 496 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 2: on social media to be more pro social rather than antisocial. 497 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 2: So maybe that's another experiment that whatever cause TikTok can try. 498 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,479 Speaker 3: Got it. I love the idea of after an election, 499 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 3: all parties feeling like they want a bit and feeling 500 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 3: like they hate each other less. We can only hope 501 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 3: you mentioned the US approach. There's obviously been a specific 502 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 3: bill there addressing to which may end up applying to 503 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,719 Speaker 3: other platforms. The EU has had its own package of 504 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 3: digital services legislation which it brought out at the end 505 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 3: of the year. I mean, how would you compare the 506 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 3: EUSE approach to that of say the US or the UK. 507 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that you approach of assigning more liabilities 508 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: and more duties to the gatekeepers is definitely a robust 509 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 2: approach because as soon as some platform reaches a certain 510 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 2: protest percentage of the people, it doesn't matter where it 511 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 2: comes from, it now has to comply with these duties. 512 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 2: In fact, in our INTI Fraud Act, that's precisely the 513 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 2: approach that we take. So even if you're a foreign operator, 514 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 2: as long as you hit x percent of active Tawanese 515 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 2: user space and new advertisements, you're required. 516 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: Audre, you've been really eloquent describing all the different policy 517 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: leavers and mechanisms that democracy can put in place to 518 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: try and protect itself or in your phrase, inoculate itself 519 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: against the the problems. But can you just reflect for 520 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 1: us just taking a step back on the threat, the enemy, 521 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: the stimulus, the people that are seeking to spread these untruths, 522 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: and I want to give you an example in the 523 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: UK a few years back. There's obviously been incidents since, 524 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: but there was a very high profile example where our 525 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: footballers missed a bunch of penalties in the Euros a 526 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: few information I prov on football tournament. There was abuse 527 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: and they huge abuse. Some of that abuse may have 528 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: come their way anyway from domestic social media accounts, but 529 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: equally there was evidence that some of it was also 530 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: stirred up from abroad. It seemed to be compounded, whipped up, 531 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: amplified by foreign social media accounts. Can you just describe 532 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: for us? Is that kind of phenomenon here to stay? 533 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: Is it going to get worse? Is it already very 534 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: bad and we just don't realize it. Just give us 535 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: a stock take. 536 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 2: So when it comes to elections, we can always start 537 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 2: from the ordinary, right, the classic sever trusions so we're 538 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 2: enabled to vote, Tempering and authorized access data theft and 539 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:08,719 Speaker 2: things like that, and ransomware and so on, all all 540 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 2: these are still here to stay. They're not going away. 541 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 2: What worries us is that it's now evolving into what's 542 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 2: called hybrid capabilities. So instead of just addos attack denying 543 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 2: the service of governmental agencies, websites, coupling that with amplifying 544 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 2: information operation material so that when fact checkers want to 545 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 2: access the source of truth they found the source of 546 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 2: truth is denied service, whether it's a media outlet or 547 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 2: whether it's a ministrial website or as we mentioned, a 548 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 2: heck and leak about a campaign and so on, but 549 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 2: then using the leak material to do AI abuse and 550 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 2: defaikes and so on, as literally putting words into the 551 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 2: heck victim that they didn't say. But because the heck 552 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: material contains maybe videos or sufficient amount of sound files, 553 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 2: it sounds and looks very real and so on. So 554 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 2: these are the new capabilities new as of last year 555 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 2: or so that were extra word because then the severate 556 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 2: intrusions are bad enough. But previously it would take a 557 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 2: very resourceful adversary and many different trines before it reaches 558 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 2: the common people. But now amplified by this precision persuasion 559 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 2: and abuse and defails, they can afford to do each 560 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 2: try with minimal or negligible cost, and so they can 561 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 2: just keep trying until a narrative hits and then we 562 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 2: have a viral information manipulation. So which is why it 563 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 2: is so important to have this digital signature scheme because 564 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 2: it means that one person can only have one account. 565 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 2: If you want to open pseudonyms, that's fine, but you 566 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 2: sign it in a way it's called zero knowledge that 567 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 2: still lets people know that it is just a single person, 568 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 2: maybe anonymous, a single person behind it. No longer can 569 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 2: one simply register ten thousand accounts and wait for most 570 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,200 Speaker 2: of them getting fund or whetherver it, but still activate 571 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 2: the rest of the account to look like it's astroturfing 572 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 2: and so on, look like there's a ground swell support 573 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 2: and so on, and all these are going to be 574 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 2: very difficult to tell from actual groundswell support because if 575 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 2: you click into each account's profile, live history, interaction, it 576 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 2: looks completely real. It's now generative AI made. So I 577 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 2: think digital signature really is one of the new bedrocks 578 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 2: that we need to instill into those larger platforms this year. 579 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: At the time, there was a debate, you know, on 580 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 1: the one hand, with suggesting that this has been uniquely 581 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 1: whipped up abroad and that this would never have happened 582 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: if it weren't for foreign media accounts making things worse. 583 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 1: But equally we have to focus and analyze ourselves, don't we. 584 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 2: That is certainly true. And also if you're on x 585 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 2: dot com or Twitter, there's this jury duty that you 586 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 2: can enter called community notes, and I participate in the 587 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 2: community notes just to improve my media competence. And if 588 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 2: you participate in the community note community, very quickly you 589 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 2: can see all sort of information manipulators going on, trying 590 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 2: to weigh the public opinion one way or another. And 591 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 2: I attended the Google Jigsaw conference a couple months ago, 592 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 2: and there were a lot of conversations around these and 593 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 2: Google Jigsaw did release a new set of capabilities, a 594 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 2: new set of API. Instead of just detecting the toxicity 595 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 2: and so on, it now also measures democratic bridge making abilities. 596 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 2: So for each and every note, you can actually gauge 597 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 2: how much pro social it is compared to your ordinary 598 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 2: hate messages and so on. So it's not just weeding 599 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 2: out the toxic or the hate, but actually nudging people 600 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 2: to provide pro social services online. And I think this 601 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 2: is also very helpful if it can be applied to 602 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 2: more social media platforms. 603 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 3: So I guess I mean, before we finished that, just 604 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 3: there's one fundamental thing which comes out of what you 605 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:55,240 Speaker 3: said right at the beginning, and you said the common 606 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,800 Speaker 3: feature of a lot of these attacks. What you're trying 607 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 3: to pre bunk is the idea that democracy doesn't deliver, 608 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 3: that it produces chaos. I mean, I guess you know 609 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 3: you have to then also, as well as doing all 610 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 3: the things you're talking about as a government, you have 611 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 3: to work on that not being true, actually on actually 612 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:16,759 Speaker 3: delivering for people, because if their lived experience is chaos 613 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 3: and political dysfunction we've seen in many places, you know, 614 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 3: there's no point trying to debunk that if actually people 615 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 3: are feeling in their daily lives like democracy is not delivering. 616 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:36,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think exactly as you observed. If people think 617 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 2: of democracy only as voting every two years or four years, 618 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:45,440 Speaker 2: very small bandwidth, just a few bits, very long latency 619 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 2: for change to happen or to see it to actually 620 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:52,919 Speaker 2: not happen, then obviously there's going to be a pathy. Right. 621 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 2: But I think a lot of the online ecosystems, the 622 00:35:56,680 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 2: fact checking ecosystem, the covacs, the participatorying, the initiatives of 623 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:06,080 Speaker 2: not just referenda but community initiatives and so on, they're 624 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 2: there because it's a continuous democracy. It is something that 625 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:14,000 Speaker 2: people can feel every day. As long as people employ 626 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 2: those democratic tools in their lives more, maybe in their community, 627 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 2: in their schools, in their churches. I think the word 628 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:25,280 Speaker 2: democracy will have a much more nuanced meaning. The more 629 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:30,720 Speaker 2: people have the stage to show affinity, compassion, curiosity, newance, 630 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 2: sharing personal stories, reasoning, and respect of each other, the 631 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,759 Speaker 2: more people are going to associate the word democracy with 632 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:41,359 Speaker 2: some lived experience that is actually pro social. So I'm 633 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 2: not saying that let's just protect the election. I'm saying that, 634 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 2: leading up to the election, let's protect our lift experience 635 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:52,239 Speaker 2: around democracy on a smaller scale, lowercase the democracy. 636 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 3: But yeah, but the elected politicians actually have to deliver 637 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:58,120 Speaker 3: on things people care about, like education and health. 638 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 2: Yes, which is why we need to do both. We 639 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:04,399 Speaker 2: need to build a grassroots legitimacy that's hopefully higher than 640 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 2: any of the particul parties, and then we need to 641 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 2: hold those parties into accounts actually delivering what the people want. 642 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 3: So, Audrey, you've now stepped down. I think you were 643 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,880 Speaker 3: one of the youngest ministers when you joined the government, 644 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 3: and you're now we're hearing from you going to be 645 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:21,000 Speaker 3: traveling a lot more outside Taiwan, so I hope you're 646 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 3: going to be able to spend lots of time with 647 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 3: our governments and help them protect everyone against protect ourselves 648 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 3: against some of the things that you're talking about. 649 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, how I can help and stand ready to help. 650 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 2: In fact, I'm going through a bunch of European countries 651 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:47,840 Speaker 2: as we are airing this episode, going across seven different 652 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 2: countries in just twenty two days. The idea is that 653 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 2: trying to come to each jurisdiction like three or four 654 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,400 Speaker 2: months before they are having a election, and just connect 655 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 2: with the officials, societyal leaders to share what worked in Taiwan, 656 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 2: and also to share the kind of community grassroots toolkits 657 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 2: that everybody can just adopt and if people coordinate, I'm 658 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 2: sure that this year will be not a democratic setback, 659 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 2: but rather a democratic rebatalization. 660 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:21,879 Speaker 3: I hope so too. Maybe in a few months we'll 661 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:24,399 Speaker 3: have to we'll have to find out from you how 662 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,879 Speaker 3: you mark each of these countries that you've met. 663 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:29,640 Speaker 2: Great, happy to be back on the podcast. 664 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:31,200 Speaker 3: Audrey Tang, Thank you so. 665 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:32,760 Speaker 2: Much, Thank you Liveline Prosper. 666 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 3: Okay, that is more than enough for this week's second 667 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 3: episode of Voter Nomics. Thanks for listening. This episode was 668 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 3: hosted by me Stephanie Flanders, Alegra Stratton and Adrian Woodridge. 669 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 3: It was produced by Sammasadi with help from Chris Marklu 670 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 3: and Julia Manns, editorial direction from Victoria Wakely. Brendan Francis 671 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 3: Newnan is our executive producer, and Sage Bowman is Head 672 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,960 Speaker 3: of Bloomberg Podcasts. With special thanks to Nancy Cook and 673 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 3: Audrey Tank. Please, if you like it, subscribe, rate, and 674 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 3: review this show wherever you listen to your podcasts.