Contextual Multi-armed Bandits for the Prevention of Spam in VoIP Networks

In this paper we argue that contextual multi-armed bandit algorithms could open avenues for designing self-learning security modules for computer networks and related tasks. The paper has two contributions: a conceptual one and an algorithmical one. The conceptual contribution is to formulate -- as an example -- the real-world problem of preventing SPIT (Spam in VoIP networks), which is currently not satisfyingly addressed by standard techniques, as a sequential learning problem, namely as a contextual multi-armed bandit. Our second contribution is to present CMABFAS, a new algorithm for general contextual multi-armed bandit learning that specifically targets domains with finite actions. We illustrate how CMABFAS could be used to design a fully self-learning SPIT filter that does not rely on feedback from the end-user (i.e., does not require labeled data) and report first simulation results

Democracy and Fake News

This book explores the challenges that disinformation, fake news, and post-truth politics pose to democracy from a multidisciplinary perspective. The authors analyse and interpret how the use of technology and social media as well as the emergence of new political narratives has been progressively changing the information landscape, undermining some of the pillars of democracy. The volume sheds light on some topical questions connected to fake news, thereby contributing to a fuller understanding of its impact on democracy. In the Introduction, the editors offer some orientating definitions of post-truth politics, building a theoretical framework where various different aspects of fake news can be understood. The book is then divided into three parts: Part I helps to contextualise the phenomena investigated, offering definitions and discussing key concepts as well as aspects linked to the manipulation of information systems, especially considering its reverberation on democracy. Part II considers the phenomena of disinformation, fake news, and post-truth politics in the context of Russia, which emerges as a laboratory where the phases of creation and diffusion of fake news can be broken down and analysed; consequently, Part II also reflects on the ways to counteract disinformation and fake news. Part III moves from case studies in Western and Central Europe to reflect on the methodological difficulty of investigating disinformation, as well as tackling the very delicate question of detection, combat, and prevention of fake news. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of political science, law, political philosophy, journalism, media studies, and computer science, since it provides a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of post-truth politics

Democracy and Fake News

This book explores the challenges that disinformation, fake news, and post-truth politics pose to democracy from a multidisciplinary perspective. The authors analyse and interpret how the use of technology and social media as well as the emergence of new political narratives has been progressively changing the information landscape, undermining some of the pillars of democracy. The volume sheds light on some topical questions connected to fake news, thereby contributing to a fuller understanding of its impact on democracy. In the Introduction, the editors offer some orientating definitions of post-truth politics, building a theoretical framework where various different aspects of fake news can be understood. The book is then divided into three parts: Part I helps to contextualise the phenomena investigated, offering definitions and discussing key concepts as well as aspects linked to the manipulation of information systems, especially considering its reverberation on democracy. Part II considers the phenomena of disinformation, fake news, and post-truth politics in the context of Russia, which emerges as a laboratory where the phases of creation and diffusion of fake news can be broken down and analysed; consequently, Part II also reflects on the ways to counteract disinformation and fake news. Part III moves from case studies in Western and Central Europe to reflect on the methodological difficulty of investigating disinformation, as well as tackling the very delicate question of detection, combat, and prevention of fake news. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of political science, law, political philosophy, journalism, media studies, and computer science, since it provides a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of post-truth politics

From cyber-utopia to cyber-war: normative change in cyberspace

This dissertation analyzes a normative change in state perception and political action towards the Internet. This change is currently reflected in certain measures aimed at the exercise of control and state sovereignty in and over cyberspace. These include phenomena such as the total surveillance of data streams and the extensive collection of connection data by secret services, the control (political censorship) and manipulation of information (information war) as well as the arms spiral around offensive cyber capabilities to disrupt and destroy information infrastructures. States face a loss of control that they want to compensate for. The phenomenon of the perceived loss of control and the establishment of a norm of control (filter and monitoring technology) is equally evident in various democratic and non-democratic states, as various studies show. This militarized perception of the Internet is remarkable in so far as Western politicians used to perceive the same Internet technology in the 1980s and 1990s in a completely different way. Back then the lack of state control was seen as desirable. Instead of controlling and monitoring all aspects of the Internet, a "hands-off" and laissez-faire idea dominated political behavior at the time: the possibilities of democratization through information technologies, the liberalization of authoritarian societies through technology and the free availability of global knowledge. The idea of national control over communications technology was considered innovation-inhibiting, undemocratic and even technically impossible. The topic of this work is the interaction between state power and sovereignty (e.g. political control through information sovereignty) and digital technologies. The research question is: Which process led to the establishment of norms of control and rule (surveillance, censorship, cyber-war) with regard to the medium Internet? Furthermore, the question arises: What are the implications of this change in standards for the fundamental functioning of the Internet? The aim is to examine in detail the thesis of the militarization of cyberspace empirically on the basis of a longitudinal case study using the example of Internet development in the USA since the 1960s. An interdisciplinary and multi-theoretical approach is chosen from constructivist norms research and the Social Construction of Technology approach

Play as an indicator of public opinion in online political commentary : a content analysis of online news forums leading up to the 2014 South African General Elections

This study seeks to look at play as an indicator of public opinion in online political commentary of online news forums leading to the 2014 South African general elections. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyse viewers’s comments about 2014 South African general elections posted online. The concepts of critical discourse analysis, frame analysis play theory and network analysis were applied to extend and inform the study. A corpus of all commentary appended to 2014 South African general election news reports published online by Media24, Times Media Group, Mail &Guardian, Independent Newspapers, Caxton CTP, and TNA Media were selected. The study employed a purposive sampling technique and 1000 comments were extracted. The sample began four weeks before the election and ended two weeks after the event. NVIVO 11 was utilized to code these readers’ comments into their respective categories. The core findings of this thesis reflect that online readers do not just engage in play but are more interactive and participative on these online public forums and their political discourse echo political affiliations with different political parties, bearing in mind that South Africa has 13 political parties that participated and are represented in parliament. In addition, the findings revealed that, play cannot be parted with and remains inseparable with "what is real"; instead, play renews the real world by giving it sense and meaning. Play does not "re-present" nor falsify certainty but it enunciates certainty. The findings also revealed that most participants identify themselves with the ANC as the ruling party, the DA as the main opposition, the EFF as the most vocal party and then other parties. The findings further revealed that participants have different perspectives on different economic and socio-political matters such as, entertainment, slate politics, and political affiliation, cadre deployment, political bias, economic meltdown, diaspora, and western influence, abuse of power by those in high places, land reform programme, political power struggles, leadership change and corruption