Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
@sanjanah.bsky.social
Studying confluence of influence operations, disinfo, truth decay, information integrity & policies addressing online harms. Many thoughts, sometimes prayers.
Pinned
A ‘War of Stories’: Humanitarianism in the Disinformation Age | @heatherleson.bsky.social from the @theifrc.bsky.social invited me to pen this article mid-2024. I sent it to her months ago, and finally got around to publishing it.
Important for those here who aren't on Twitter. Some very important, and interesting questions to consider. | The New Zealand MFAT’s seeking public views on next Strategic Foreign Policy Assessment. Complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/J7J8P9V #nzpol
December 3, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Important for those here who aren't on Twitter. Some very important, and interesting questions to consider. | The New Zealand MFAT’s seeking public views on next Strategic Foreign Policy Assessment. Complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/J7J8P9V #nzpol
Folks in New Zealand should pick up latest copy of Listener magazine. Peter Bale's long form journalism is excellent, and comprehensively captures pulsating far-right landscapes, and what it all risks evolving into given Govt's platforming of, & dalliance with thinly-veiled extremist ideologues.
December 3, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Folks in New Zealand should pick up latest copy of Listener magazine. Peter Bale's long form journalism is excellent, and comprehensively captures pulsating far-right landscapes, and what it all risks evolving into given Govt's platforming of, & dalliance with thinly-veiled extremist ideologues.
Some would argue this assessment also mirrors the NZ government. | FBI ‘is rudderless ship’ with director Kash Patel ‘in over his head’, damning report by agents claims www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
December 1, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Some would argue this assessment also mirrors the NZ government. | FBI ‘is rudderless ship’ with director Kash Patel ‘in over his head’, damning report by agents claims www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
I wish Disinfo Project had ¼ of the funding, & resources he had to continue work we did. Examples like this make it harder for other folk to access philanthropy. | The transparency project that went dark: Inside the collapse of Bryce Edwards’ Integrity Institute www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
The transparency project that went dark: Inside the collapse of Bryce Edwards’ Integrity Institute
A million-dollar political integrity project has imploded with little transparency, revealing a tangle of broken promises, stalled research and an institution unwilling to explain what went wrong.
www.thepost.co.nz
November 30, 2025 at 1:46 AM
I wish Disinfo Project had ¼ of the funding, & resources he had to continue work we did. Examples like this make it harder for other folk to access philanthropy. | The transparency project that went dark: Inside the collapse of Bryce Edwards’ Integrity Institute www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Compelling warning by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, originally posted to Instagram. The risks, and threats are progressively, and exponentially worse as generative AI is used against material featuring (your/our) children, incl. in production of CSAM/CSEM. www.instagram.com/reel/DRcD5Fi...
November 27, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Compelling warning by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, originally posted to Instagram. The risks, and threats are progressively, and exponentially worse as generative AI is used against material featuring (your/our) children, incl. in production of CSAM/CSEM. www.instagram.com/reel/DRcD5Fi...
Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
Despite DOGE's failure at the domestic level, as noted in slate.com/news-and-pol..., the US is pushing for DOGE-style cuts at the UN.
www.newsweek.com/us-ambassado...
www.newsweek.com/us-ambassado...
US ambassador pledges 'we're going to clean house' at UN
Mike Walz said 'we have to reform' and make the UN "work better" in a video recorded outside the Manhattan headquarters
www.newsweek.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Despite DOGE's failure at the domestic level, as noted in slate.com/news-and-pol..., the US is pushing for DOGE-style cuts at the UN.
www.newsweek.com/us-ambassado...
www.newsweek.com/us-ambassado...
Make this make sense.
November 26, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Make this make sense.
Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
Sadly this also seems increasingly relevant to academics in Aotearoa.
cc @hendysh.bsky.social @siouxsiew.bsky.social @sanjanah.bsky.social
cc @hendysh.bsky.social @siouxsiew.bsky.social @sanjanah.bsky.social
I always try to talk up the great work of my colleague Jen Lundquist (not on bsky) who developed UMass’ Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit, as a public resource, especially to help guide faculty who face online harassment, doxxing, weaponized FOIA… www.umass.edu/faculty-deve...
Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit : Office of Faculty Development : UMass Amherst
Academic Freedom Crisis Toolkit
www.umass.edu
November 26, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Sadly this also seems increasingly relevant to academics in Aotearoa.
cc @hendysh.bsky.social @siouxsiew.bsky.social @sanjanah.bsky.social
cc @hendysh.bsky.social @siouxsiew.bsky.social @sanjanah.bsky.social
I see this New Zealand citizen is making the news again. www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/new-jd-van...
November 25, 2025 at 5:34 AM
I see this New Zealand citizen is making the news again. www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/new-jd-van...
No other way to put it other than an absolute clusterfuck | Court Filings Allege Meta Downplayed Risks to Children and Misled the Public time.com/7336204/meta...
7 Allegations Against Meta in Newly Unsealed Filings
Court filings allege Meta tolerated sex trafficking, hid harms to teens, and prioritized growth over user safety for years.
time.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
No other way to put it other than an absolute clusterfuck | Court Filings Allege Meta Downplayed Risks to Children and Misled the Public time.com/7336204/meta...
Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
“Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a lawsuit by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.”
Meta buried 'causal' evidence of social media harm, US court filings allege - The Economic Times
Meta reportedly halted internal research into the mental health impacts of Facebook and Instagram after finding causal evidence of harm. Internal documents revealed users reported lower depression and...
m.economictimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:46 PM
“Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a lawsuit by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.”
Modern South Asia Workshop macmillan.yale.edu/southasia/mo...
November 23, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Modern South Asia Workshop macmillan.yale.edu/southasia/mo...
The friendship illusion: China’s influence operations, and strategic erasure of India
A study of Facebook posts from 1 October to 21 November 2025
www.linkedin.com/pulse/friend... (on LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/t... (on WordPress)
#China #InfluenceOperations #India
A study of Facebook posts from 1 October to 21 November 2025
www.linkedin.com/pulse/friend... (on LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/t... (on WordPress)
#China #InfluenceOperations #India
November 23, 2025 at 2:07 AM
The friendship illusion: China’s influence operations, and strategic erasure of India
A study of Facebook posts from 1 October to 21 November 2025
www.linkedin.com/pulse/friend... (on LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/t... (on WordPress)
#China #InfluenceOperations #India
A study of Facebook posts from 1 October to 21 November 2025
www.linkedin.com/pulse/friend... (on LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/t... (on WordPress)
#China #InfluenceOperations #India
Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
At New Zealand's Kawaiican cybersecurity convention, organizers hacked together a way for attendees to track CO2 levels throughout the venue—even before they arrived. www.wired.com/story/this-h...
This Hacker Conference Installed a Literal Anti-Virus Monitoring System
At New Zealand's Kawaiican cybersecurity convention, organizers hacked together a way for attendees to track CO2 levels throughout the venue—even before they arrived.
www.wired.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:06 AM
At New Zealand's Kawaiican cybersecurity convention, organizers hacked together a way for attendees to track CO2 levels throughout the venue—even before they arrived. www.wired.com/story/this-h...
Sad, from the perspective of a country losing good people, & esp. wāhine Māori, at pace. Also entirely unsurprising, given the study of hate targeting former Mayor of Wellington. | Tory Whanau says harassment ‘ongoing’ as she outlines reasons for moving to Melbourne www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Sad, from the perspective of a country losing good people, & esp. wāhine Māori, at pace. Also entirely unsurprising, given the study of hate targeting former Mayor of Wellington. | Tory Whanau says harassment ‘ongoing’ as she outlines reasons for moving to Melbourne www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
when I was young, i used to wonder how people like this would fare in life, as they didn't seem suited for gainful employment. it turns out, the internet allowed them to accumulate a massive audience of similar idiots, enriching them and turning them into a presidential advisor
November 20, 2025 at 12:58 AM
when I was young, i used to wonder how people like this would fare in life, as they didn't seem suited for gainful employment. it turns out, the internet allowed them to accumulate a massive audience of similar idiots, enriching them and turning them into a presidential advisor
How Gemini 3 transforms video into structured, searchable datasets: Implications for human rights, and digital forensics
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ge... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/19/h... (WordPress)
@samgregory.bsky.social
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ge... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/19/h... (WordPress)
@samgregory.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 8:25 AM
How Gemini 3 transforms video into structured, searchable datasets: Implications for human rights, and digital forensics
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ge... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/19/h... (WordPress)
@samgregory.bsky.social
www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ge... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/19/h... (WordPress)
@samgregory.bsky.social
New article by me in the International Catalan Institute's Peace (ICIP)'s 'Peace in Progress' publication. The other contributions are fantastic too. | Mediation in the Age of Algorithms: Risks and Opportunities for Peace Processes www.icip.cat/perlapau/en/... #ICT4Peace #Peacebuilding #PeaceTech
Mediation in the Age of Algorithms: Risks and Opportunities for Peace Processes - Peace in Progress magazine
Sanjana Hattotuwa reflects on how the digital environment affects mediation processes.
www.icip.cat
November 19, 2025 at 5:38 AM
New article by me in the International Catalan Institute's Peace (ICIP)'s 'Peace in Progress' publication. The other contributions are fantastic too. | Mediation in the Age of Algorithms: Risks and Opportunities for Peace Processes www.icip.cat/perlapau/en/... #ICT4Peace #Peacebuilding #PeaceTech
"New Zealand saw a record number of citizens depart in the 12 months to September as a sluggish economy forces more people to look offshore for better paying jobs." www.straitstimes.com/asia/austral...
New Zealand citizens depart in record numbers as economy stalls
About 58 per cent of all citizen departures were to Australia. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
www.straitstimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:02 AM
"New Zealand saw a record number of citizens depart in the 12 months to September as a sluggish economy forces more people to look offshore for better paying jobs." www.straitstimes.com/asia/austral...
Reposted by Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa
In a crowded field of evil corporates, Elsevier is unethical and antisocial enough to really stand out. Fully support unis across our part of the world refusing to bow to them.
Elsevier should be made to eat it at every opportunity.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Elsevier should be made to eat it at every opportunity.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Universities in 'battle of the century' with journal publisher Elsevier
One New Zealand university told its staff all universities in New Zealand and Australia would "lose some degree of access" to the publisher's 1600 titles from the start of next year.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 15, 2025 at 6:50 AM
In a crowded field of evil corporates, Elsevier is unethical and antisocial enough to really stand out. Fully support unis across our part of the world refusing to bow to them.
Elsevier should be made to eat it at every opportunity.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Elsevier should be made to eat it at every opportunity.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Steve Bannon’s fascist rhetoric as blueprint: Transnational extremism’s entrenchment in New Zealand
www.linkedin.com/pulse/steve-... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/s... (WordPress)
#nzpol
www.linkedin.com/pulse/steve-... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/s... (WordPress)
#nzpol
November 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Steve Bannon’s fascist rhetoric as blueprint: Transnational extremism’s entrenchment in New Zealand
www.linkedin.com/pulse/steve-... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/s... (WordPress)
#nzpol
www.linkedin.com/pulse/steve-... (LinkedIn)
sanjanah.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/s... (WordPress)
#nzpol
It's remarkable how much quieter hatescape I study is with him behind bars. Even more remarkable is how through voice notes uploaded to social media *while in jail*, Arps issues chilling death threats to Police, judges, lawyers, & others through 'One Policy' trope, which telegraphs death by hanging.
November 14, 2025 at 2:09 AM
It's remarkable how much quieter hatescape I study is with him behind bars. Even more remarkable is how through voice notes uploaded to social media *while in jail*, Arps issues chilling death threats to Police, judges, lawyers, & others through 'One Policy' trope, which telegraphs death by hanging.
Created Google NotebookLM instance on IPCA Report 'Review of Police handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming'. notebooklm.google.com/notebook/13f... Has a number of resources for New Zealanders to grasp what's in 135-page PDF. Important to render this material accessible to widest audience.
November 12, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Created Google NotebookLM instance on IPCA Report 'Review of Police handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming'. notebooklm.google.com/notebook/13f... Has a number of resources for New Zealanders to grasp what's in 135-page PDF. Important to render this material accessible to widest audience.
Because it is. Ask any Māori.
November 12, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Because it is. Ask any Māori.