Cybersecurity summit at Google tackles election threats

Cybersecurity experts convened at Google’s Boulder, Colorado, campus to address election threats, particularly the challenges posed by advanced technologies like deepfakes, CBS News reports.

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At the summit, Google emphasized its commitment to ensuring election integrity through AI-driven monitoring and mandatory disclosures for political ads that use deepfakes.

Vice President Karen Courington likened the 2024 elections to the “Superbowl of global elections,” underscoring the high stakes involved and the advanced tools at hacktivists’ disposal with which to disrupt elections, sow confusion, and steer public perceptions.

“For voters in particular, who are turning to Google for information about the elections process, we want them to be able to trust the information that they’re seeing,” explained Thao Nguyen Kelly, global elections integrity lead at Google.

The company has also partnered with the nonpartisan group Defending Digital Campaigns and trained thousands of campaign workers in cybersecurity, advocating for a collaborative approach involving government, civil society, and the tech sector.

Colorado has also taken legislative steps, passing a bill requiring deepfake disclosures to enhance transparency and accountability.