Dewey Defend
What is it?
Dewey Defend is a software-as-a-service tool that detects and reports fake social bot activity and offers countermeasures to disable attackers and repair the damage they have done.
The Scale of the Problem
Our information marketplace itself is under attack and is being skewed.
Facebook has publicly announced that it is taking down billions of accounts per quarter, Twitter is removing 6 million to 7.5 million per day and yet the volume of disinformation and fake accounts continues to grow: and this impacts our political communications, how key public policy issues are skewed, and how brands are impacted.
“The information systems that people use to process news have been rerouted through Facebook, and in the process, mostly broken and hidden from view… [this is] the most significant shift in the technology of politics since the television.”
-Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic
“I would like to understand much, much better how big the impact of bot networks is. How much of the fake news distribution that we see is real people consuming fake news, and how much is it bot networks gaming algorithms and social media rankings? I think that we have only started scratching the surface there.”
-Katharina Borchert, Mozilla, Chief Innovation Officer
“Twitter [stated that] …bots and fake accounts represent approximately 5 percent of the total number of users, or about 15 million accounts. But researchers have calculated that as much as 15 percent of the company’s user base is made up of fakes, which would put the total closer to 50 million.”
-Mathew Ingram, Columbia Journalism Review
How Does It Work?
Dewey Defend uses the latest peer-reviewed AI and robotic detection algorithms to scan for artificial, manufactured messaging and distortion on social networks.
Dewey Defend has been deployed on multiple national and statewide campaigns, and has the capacity to scan millions of accounts. Our tools analyze both account activity and related discussions, topics, and hashtags. They currently scan Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Youtube, and Gab.
Dewey Defend draws on unparalleled datasets of disinformation to identify bad actors and to suggest countermeasures that will protect your accounts and correct misinformation.
3 Tiers of Service
Dewey Defend Basic
Allows for mass monitoring of accounts for early signs of message distortion and a simple alert at signs of abnormal activity or active attacks. Think of it like a fire detector for your social media.
Dewey Defend Pro
Allows for an on-going deep scan that includes reporting on all social media followers of accounts and the full online conversation around a candidate or issue. Beyond automated alerts, Dewey Defend Pro includes human-generated “Threat Reports” and suggested actions. Think of it like an MRI scan, providing a complete diagnostic analysis.
Dewey Defend Countermeasures
Includes the above monitoring services, plus advanced tools for blocking, removing, and reporting suspicious accounts. Countermeasures also includes micro-targeted advertising tools to counter-message those who may have seen misinformation. Think of it like a personal security detail for your online presence.