Rolli Information Tracer
Social media intelligence gathering and anomaly detection
Built in collaboration with the International Center for Journalists LEAP Innovation Lab
Read the announcement
Rolli Information Tracer tackles two critical challenges: the spread of misinformation on social media and maintaining journalistic integrity in the digital age. These issues, though distinct, are deeply interconnected and significantly impact public discourse and democratic processes.
The core features include:
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Advanced Anomaly Detection
Utilizing cutting-edge algorithms, the tool scans social media platforms for patterns and anomalies that typically indicate misinformation campaigns. This includes tracking sudden spikes in activity, identifying bot-like behaviors, and monitoring coordinated content sharing.
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Cross-Platform Analysis
Rolli Information Tracer is equipped to work across various social media platforms, enabling a comprehensive view of how misinformation campaigns may spread from one platform to another, ensuring a holistic understanding of the misinformation landscape.
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Collaborative Intelligence
The tool combines machine learning with human expertise. We partner with research institutions and linguistic experts to contextualize the data, ensuring that cultural nuances and language-specific subtleties are accurately interpreted.
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Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting
Journalists receive real-time alerts and detailed reports about potential misinformation campaigns, enabling them to respond swiftly and effectively. This feature is particularly crucial in fast-moving news environments.
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User-Friendly Dashboard
The platform is designed to be accessible to journalists with varying levels of technical expertise, featuring an intuitive interface that simplifies the complex process of data analysis.
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Educational Resources and Support
We provide comprehensive training and ongoing support to journalists, ensuring they can maximize the tool's capabilities and stay updated on the latest trends in misinformation.
Use Case I: Expose Coordinated Campaigns
We develop an ensemble of technical signals to identify inauthentic behaviors behind online campaigns. We work with research institutions and humanitarian agencies to monitor misinformation narratives across the globe. By combining our intelligence with people who understand local politics and languages, we can effectively identify emerging false narratives.
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Use Case II: Detect Online Hate Speech
We collaborated with Worldie, a Social Media for Good organization, to investigate cyberbullying operations targeting Amber Heard, actress and human rights activist. Using data collected by Information Tracer, we gathered evidence of hate speech campaigns targeting prominent women figures including Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Use Case III: Discover Scam and Fraud Sites
To discover a scam on social media, we search for posts containing suspicious keywords (like 'download crypto', 'forextrader', 'free coupon'), and detect suspicious accounts or risky URLs based on information sharing patterns.
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Awards
Information Tracer won the Future Technology Award at the 2023 Next Challenge for Media and Journalism. The Award is given to "tech finalist advancing the public interest".
Information Tracer took 1st place at 2022 Twitter Developer Challenge, "Conversation safety tools" Category. The total number of participants for the Challenge was 1623.