Can you outsmart a troll (by thinking like one)? - Claire Wardle

翻译人员: Ameerah Arjanee 校对人员: Yu Xie

Your town is holding a mayoral election and the stakes have never been higher:

你所在的城市要举行市长选举， 这场选举的赌注达到了历史性的高点：

the outcome will decide the fate of a local movement

这一结果将决定当地

to rely on 100% renewable energy.

一项 100% 依赖 可再生能源运动的命运。

One mayoral nominee, Joanna B. Greene, is a champion of this movement,

一位市长候选人，乔安娜·格林， 是这项运动的拥护者，

while the other, Stannis Quo, staunchly opposes it.

而另一位候选人，史坦尼斯·阔， 则坚决反对这项运动。

He’s announced he’ll use whatever tactics are necessary to win the election.

他已经宣布了，为了在选举中获胜， 他将采取一切必要的手段。

As the municipal cybersecurity expert, you’re on high alert.

作为市网络安全专家， 你正处于高度戒备状态。

Election day is near and you suspect that Quo

选举临近， 而你怀疑阔会开始

will begin pushing false information to swing the election in his favor.

通过传播假情报来 为自己选举增加筹码。

Your job is to inoculate the townspeople against false information

你的任务是 避免市民在选举前

before the election.

受到假情报的影响。

One of the most effective ways to tackle disinformation

引导人们去思考 那些制造和传播假信息的人

is to encourage people to think about the strategies

使用什么样的手段

used by those who create and spread it.

是对付虚假信息 最有效的方法之一。

This might seem counter-intuitive— and potentially dangerous—

这看起来可能违反直觉， 而且有潜在的危险，

but as long as you don’t create a “how-to manual,”

但是只要你不写出 一本“操作手册”，

active inoculation is an effective option.

主动免疫就是一种有效的方法。

A study conducted in 2019 used an online game to train people

2019 年进行的一项研究， 使用了网络游戏来训练人们

to think like a disinformation producer.

像制造虚假信息的人一样去思考。

When the participants were next shown the disinformation,

之后再给参与者 提供这些假消息时，

their perception of its reliability dropped significantly.

他们对其可靠性的看法 明显地下降了。

But before you can teach your own townspeople,

但是在教你的市民这类技巧之前，

you need to figure it out for yourself.

你首先需要自己弄明白这个问题。

What strategies would you employ if you were Stannis Quo?

如果你是史坦尼斯·阔， 你会采取什么手段？

In order to launch a successful disinformation campaign,

为了发动一场成功的 假情报运动，

you must use evocative, and convincing content that will spread quickly

你必须使用具有煽动性 和令人信服的内容，

and create confusion.

并且这些信息必须能够 迅速传播而造成混乱。

It’ll also help to take advantage of confirmation bias.

这也会让确认偏误发挥作用。

People are intuitively more inclined to believe information

人们直觉上更倾向于相信

那些支持他们 已有世界观的信息。

that supports a worldview they already have.

Many young voters in your town are in favor

你所在城市的 许多年轻选民

of transitioning to renewable energy and sympathize with Greene.

都因赞成向可再生能源过渡 而支持格林。

Rather than trying to change their minds,

比起一味地改变他们的想法，

Quo will likely focus on suppressing the youth vote.

阔会集中精力 压制年轻人的投票。

If you were him, how would you start?

如果你是他，你会怎么开始呢？

You might create fake user accounts to spread disinformation

你可能会创建虚假的用户账户，

on popular social media platforms.

在主流社交媒体平台上 传播虚假信息。

You could even make one that impersonates a trusted figure.

你甚至可以创建一个账户 来模仿一个值得信赖的人物。

From these accounts, you can deliver highly shareable, engaging visual content,

通过这些账号，你可以发布 高度可共享的、引人入胜的视觉内容,

like memes relating to the imminent election.

比如与即将来临的选举 有关的迷因。

That’s how you would like to go about spreading disinformation,

这就是你散播假消息的方式，

but what kind of disinformation would be effective

但是，什么样的虚假信息才能有效

in manipulating young Greene supporters?

操纵格林的年轻支持者呢？

First, you could direct people to vote via text, a webpage, or an app,

首先，你可以通过文本、网页 或应用程序引导人们投票,

none of which are viable voting platforms in your town.

这些在你所在的城市 都不是可行的投票平台。

The claim isn’t too far-fetched.

这种方式并不牵强。

An encrypted digital platform could actually seem safer to young people

对年轻人来说， 一个加密的数字平台似乎

than the traditional ballot system.

比传统的投票系统更安全。

Perhaps you could also tell them that the voting day

另外你也可以告诉他们

is one day after it actually is.

投票日是在实际日期之后的一天。

You could then pair this approach with a more emotion-driven one.

然后，你可以将这种方法 与更情绪驱动的方法结合起来。

How about vilifying Greene and appealing to the young voters’ values?

比如诋毁格林并迎合 年轻选民的价值观，听上去如何？

You want to share information that taps into people’s sense of civic duty

你想要分享那些 能触及人们公民责任感的信息，

and makes them feel that the election depends on their sharing it

让他们觉得选举的结果取决于

as widely as possible.

他们是否能快速分享这些信息。

Your fake accounts could circulate false accusations that Greene takes money

你的虚假账户可以散播谣言，

from local, somehow corrupt renewable energy facilities;

说格林从当地腐败的 可再生能源企业拿钱；

treats her staff poorly; or abuses stray kittens for fun.

苛责员工；或者通过 虐待流浪小猫来取乐。

These inflammatory claims could lead people to question

这些煽动性的主张可能会导致 人们质疑格林作为领导的诚信，

Greene’s integrity as a leader and even initiate further conspiracy theories.

甚至引发进一步的阴谋论。

After you’ve introduced these disinformation campaigns,

在你推出假情报运动之后，

your fake users should keep repeating them so they stick in people’s minds.

你的虚假用户应该不断重复这些信息， 这样它们就会铭刻在人们的心中。

Finally, media coverage would further spread your claims

最后，媒体报道 会进一步传播你的主张，

and give them perceived legitimacy.

并赋予它们公认合法性。

You could message a few local journalists

你可以联系一些当地记者，

asking whether these rumors are true and express your concerns.

询问这些传闻是否属实， 并表达你的关切。

By the time an article comes out debunking the rumors,

等到一篇文章出来 揭穿谣言的时候，

people’s experiences of the truth will have become so warped

人们对真相的看法可能 已经错得根深蒂固，

that convincing them otherwise will be difficult.

真相将很难再说服他们。

A disinformation campaign like this would pit citizens against one another

像这样的假情报运动 将挑起公民间的对立情绪，

and exploit their values and fears.

挑战他们的价值观， 激发他们的恐惧心理。

You can't personally protect each individual from disinformation,

你不能亲自保护每个人 不受虚假信息的影响，

but you can equip them with the insights you have—

但是你可以 用你的洞察力武装他们，

and encourage them to pass these tools further along.

并且鼓励他们 进一步传递这些工具。

After all, community organizing is what elections often call for.

毕竟，社区的组织 往往是选举的重要因素。