Speaking

Highlights and Testimonials

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“I found Dr. Briant an insightful speaker and her talk helped us understand the dangers of big tech to Democracy, the role of whistleblowers and the next steps that companies and policy makers need to take. Our students found her compelling, easy to understand and an expert in the field.”

Prof. Anya Schiffrin, Director of Technology, Media, and Communications at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs 


“”I recently hosted Dr. Briant for a webinar and other dialogues regarding how disinformation actors profit financially and politically from sowing confusion in information channels. Her presentations are very informative because she delivers with urgency and candor, leveraging her deep research expertise and networks. I found her engagement highly credible because she offers authentic and independent assessment of the Kafkaesque information environment we currently face, with some ideas for how to mitigate the risk. She has made tangible impact in our audiences, which include current and future global business leaders, because she has helped communicate the vastness of the disinformation threat, the incentives that underlie disinformation agents’ efforts, and the depths to which some agents will go to disrupt business practice, sometimes by undermining global economic and political stability. We are migrating her knowledge into our curriculum because it has resonated with our community who is responsible for assessing, reporting, and protecting against core business risks. Much of the prior focus has been on forecasting traditional business risk exposure. Emma has helped clarify that traditional risks, like climate or cybersecurity, are amplified by disinformation actors. She has also helped clarify that businesses are not fully prepared for their own direct exposure to disinformation and that some businesses are even responsible for contributing to societal harm from their own disinformation practices.”

Prof. Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting, University of Cambridge, Judge Business School 2023.

“Your keynote was very well received and from comments I got from a survey to staff it has people thinking much more deeply about propaganda and misinformation.”

Renee Raume, University of Calgary.

Dr Emma L Briant is “one of the bravest brightest women I know…”

Julie Ward MEP 

SPEAKING INVITATIONS

For a selection of embedded videos see bottom of page

European Parliament 2022: ‘Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising’

 

 

  1. December 2022 Keynote: Central European University, Vienna, AustriaTechnology, Transparency, and New Closures in Open Society Conference ‘Rediscovering the Dark Artists Creating our Digital Age,’
  2. November 2022 Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies, Vancouver, BC ‘West Coast Security Conference’, Canada.
  3. November 2022 European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium – Invited to speak at European Parliament, Brussels on ‘Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising’
  4. September 2022 University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA ‘Mercenaries of Deceit’
  5. May 2022 Keynote: University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada ‘Propaganda: Mercenaries of Deceit’
  6. April 2022 Shuttleworth Foundation. Tuesday TalkDisinformation for Hire’
  7. April 2022 Carnegie New Leaders. Extensively interviewed for podcast on ‘Decoding the Ethics of Propaganda’
  8. January 2022 Institute of Government and Public Policy, London, UK ‘Tackling Online Misinformation & Disinformation’ conference, talk on ‘Uncovering The Cambridge Analytica Scandal: Disinformation As A Threat To Democratic Processes’ .
  9. September 2021 Political Studies Association, UK, Media and Politics Group, Panel on ‘Power, Politics and Media’ – paper on ‘Neurotargeting and Influence Operations’
  10. September 2021 US Government Accountability Office – I designed and ran a workshop on ‘Tackling Disinformation and Extremism in DOD and the Military: Key Issues & Proposals’ administered by Syracuse University
  11. June 2021 DFR Lab, Atlantic Council, ‘360/Open Summit: The World in Motion’ – panel on ‘Disinformation for Hire’, USA, June 2021
  12. April 2021 International Law Section – panel on “Section 230 Beyond Borders: Comparative Intermediary Liability in the U.S., E.U., and Brazil – Part II”, USA
  13. January 2021 American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security & Georgetown School of Foreign Service ‘Disinformation & Next Generation Social Media’
  14. November 2020 CASIS: Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies, Vancouver, BC ‘West Coast Security Conference’ – ‘Lessons from the Cambridge Analytica crisis: confronting today’s (dis)information challenges’
  15. November 2020 Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, (invited by Prof Jen Grygiel)
  16. November 2020  Department of Communication, American University, Washington DC (invited by Prof Aram Sinnreich)
  17. November 2020  University of Southern California, Department of Communication, The Dark Side of Public Diplomacy.
  18. October 2020 Charles Sturt University, AustraliaData and Disinformation (and what we do about it)’.
  19. October 2020  Goldsmiths, University of London ‘Trump: Data and Disinformation’ (invited by Prof Des Freedman)
  20. September 2020 National Press Club, DC, USA ‘Dark PR: Disinformation for Hire’
  21. September 2020 Keynote 24th DiscourseNet conference, Université Saint-Louis, Bruxelles, Belgium: ‘Fear and Loathing in Cyberspace: Taking on the Digital Influence Industry’
  22. August 2020  Internet Society DC, American University, School of Communication, DC, US – Moderated Debate on “Is Cambridge Analytica snake oil? Why or Why not?”
  23. November 2019 University of Sussex, Sussex Salon, UK: ‘Can elections be made fairer by regulating fake news?’
  24. November 2019  Department of Communication, American University, Washington DC (invited by Prof Aram Sinnreich)
  25. October 2019  National Voting Rights Task Force, Annual Conference, Berkeley, CA.
  26. May 2019 Center for Innovation, Growth and Society, Institute for New Economic Thinking, San Francisco, CA: Freedom of Speech/Freedom from Speech conference.
  27. April 2019  Data Privacy Symposium, American University Internet Governance Lab in partnership with the Internet Society Washington, DC Chapter
  28. April 2019 Department of Sociology, New York University, New York, NY, USA: ‘Propaganda in a Digital Age’ (invited by Prof. Steven Lukes).
  29. March 2019 Human Rights Program, Bard College, Annenberg on Hudson, New York, USA ‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
  30. March 2019 Department of Communication, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA: ‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’ (invited by Prof Andrew Rojecki)
  31. March 2019 Cyber Innovation and Society Institute & Department of Media Studies – Distinguished Speaker Series, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA: ‘Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
  32. March 2019 Columbia Journalism School Graduate Seminar Lecture Series, New York, NY, ‘Propaganda in a Digital Age’ (invited by Prof. Anya Shiffrin).
  33. February 2019 European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium: Strengthening Democracy Panel (invited by Molly Scott Cato MEP)
  34. February 2019 School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University, USA:Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
  35. January 2019 Internet Governance Lab Roundtable Speaker Series, American University, Washington, DC, USA:Propaganda Machine: The Hidden Story of Cambridge Analytica and the Digital Influence Industry’
  36. November 2018 InfoWarCon, Leesberg, VA, USA: ‘Government Contracting and the Influence Industry: Responses to the Problem of Digital Propaganda’
  37. October 2018 Europe for the Many, LSE, London, UK: ‘Resisting the data oligarchs: digital rights and the digital commons’
  38. June 2018 International Communication Association Annual Convention, Prague, Czech Republic: ‘Competing Propagandas: Russian and US mutual representation of propaganda efforts’
  39. May 2018 ‘Databites’, Data & Society, NY, USA: ‘SCL and Cambridge Analytica: Studying the propaganda machine’
  40. April 2018 Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA: ‘SCL & Cambridge Analytica: inside the Propaganda Machine’
  41. April 2018  ‘New Agendas’ Conference, University of Texas, Austin TX, USA: ‘The Democratic Elite: Inequality and Communication Failure in 2016’
  42. April 2018 International Studies Association Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, USA: ‘SCL, Cambridge Analytica and Researching the Field of Propaganda’
  43. January 2018 University of Essex, UK Department of Sociology: The Democratic Elite: Inequality and Communication Failure in 2016
  44. October 2017 2nd Annual Take Back The Vote Conference, Berkeley, CA, USA ‘Political Communication and Propaganda during #Election2016’
  45. April 2017 George Washington University, Washington DC, USA: Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia Workshop, ‘Russian and US propaganda and representing identity’
  46. April 2017 Political Studies Association Annual Convention, Glasgow, UK: ‘Legitimating propaganda: narratives of peace v war’
  47. March 2017 George Washington University, Washington DC, USA: School of Media and Public Affairs: ‘Pentagon Ju-jitsu’ – Changing Field in Production Of US Counter-terrorism Propaganda’
  48. February 2017 International Studies Association Annual Convention, Baltimore MD: ‘Iraq for the Iraqis’ Coalition Propaganda & Iraq Reconstruction 2003-2004′ & ‘Competing propagandas: Russian & US representation of propaganda’
  49. October 2016 Lund University, Sweden: Workshop on CVE & Information Warfare
  50. June 2016 Media Education in Scotland, UK: ‘Reporting the Refugee Crisis’
  51. June 2016 Free University Berlin, Germany: ‘Propaganda and Counter-terrorism’
  52. April 2016 University of Glasgow, UK: Human Rights & Media Conference: Reflections for Policy Makers, NGOs and Journalists
  53. March 2016 International Studies Association Conference Atlanta, GA: Distinguished Scholar Panel in Honour of Prof Robert Entman & Presented at ISA International Communication Pre-Conference on: ‘Interviewing and Ethnography in Propaganda Research: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions for ‘Risky’ Methods’
  54. January 2016 Coventry University, UK, School of Media and Communication: ‘Propaganda and Counter-terrorism’
  55. January 2016 Cambridge University Union, UK: Debate Proposition: ‘This House Believes The Media’s Reporting Is Detrimental to Humanitarian Crises Around The World’.
  56. December 2015 US Department of Defence: Strategic Multilayer Assessment Research Team, Special Speaker Series via Telecon.
  57. November 2015 University of Aberystwyth, Wales, UK: Annual Lecture of Security Research Group at Department of International Politics.
  58. August 2015 NATO Strategic Communication Centre of Excellence, Riga, Latvia, StratCom Dialogue: ‘Perception Matters’.
  59. July 2015 IAMCR Convention, Montreal, Canada, ‘Paternalism and Structures of Legitimacy in post 9/11 US Propaganda’.
  60. July 2015 Brunel University, UK: DATA-PSST! Media Agenda-Building, National Security, Trust & Forced Transparency.
  61. May 2015 University of California, Davis, USA ‘The Iraq War: New Perspectives’
  62. April 2015 Thinking Media, Glasgow, UK, ‘Shock and Awe to Liberation;: Iraq 2003 the Media’.
  63. July 2015 Kings College London, UK: Seminar for DATA-PSST! ESRC Seminar Series on ‘Debating the Technical and Ethical Aspects of Privacy and Transparency’.
  64. March 2015 University of Sheffield, UK: Teaching Excellence in Social Sciences Conference, ‘Developing innovations in my Journalism Studies academic teaching’.
  65. March 2015 Lord Skidelsky: Symposium on ‘Power and Economics’ at House of Lords.
  66. March 2015 St Agnes School, Chester, UK: First International Conference for School-age Children on Media & Propaganda.
  67. March 2015 Debating the Technical and Ethical Aspects of Privacy and Transparency (part of DATA-PSST! ESRC Seminar Series)
  68. November 2014 South Yorkshire Muslim Community Forum, Rotherham, UK:
    Panel on ‘Muslims in the Media’.
  69. October 2014 Off the Shelf Festival, Sheffield, UK, ‘Propaganda and Counter-terrorism’
  70. June 2014 Keynote: Loughborough University, UK, Conference on Communication, Culture and Citizenship: Immigration: ‘Refugees in the News: Scapegoats for Austerity’.
  71. April 2014 University of Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Media and Crises: The Art of Manipulation and Propaganda; ‘Pentagon Ju-Jitsu: the PSYOP and Public Affairs Propaganda War’
  72. February 2014 Sheffield Hallam University, UK ‘Migration ‘Facts & fictions’ Conference’.
  73. January 2014 Lancaster University, UK. Sociology Seminar Series, ’Refugees in the News: Scapegoats for Austerity’.
  74. November 2013 Bournemouth University, UK PSA Media and Politics Group Conference ‘Media Representation of Refugees’ and ‘Media Coverage of Disability in Support of Austerity’
  75. December 2013 University of Sheffield, UK Launch Event: Bad News for Refugees
  76. October 2013 Center for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, UKLaunch: Bad News for Refugees
  77. November 2012 University of Leicester, UK ‘Mediating Disability in ‘Broken Britain’’.
  78. May 2011 DeMontfort University, UK “Mediation of Security” Conference.
  79. June 2008 Culture & Conflict Symposium, Cranfield University, UK ‘Information Operations during the ‘War on Terror’: Anglo-American Negotiation of British Policy in Afghanistan’.
  80. October 2006 Maastricht Centre for Transatlantic Studies, Netherlands 4th Biennial Transatlantic Studies Conference Transatlantic Conflict & Consensus: Culture, History and Politics ‘Anglo-American Relations in Contemporary Wartime Propaganda and Information Operations’.
  81. June 2006 NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Centre for Defense Against Terrorism, Ankara, Turkey MEDIA: Vital Ground For Terrorist Operations, ‘Struggle for Influence over Public Opinion within the Media & Information Context of the War on Terror”.
  82. April 2005 Political Studies Association Conference, University of Leeds, UK Propaganda during the War in Afghanistan’

 

SELECTED VIDEOS

 

January 2020 Democracy Now, Facebook Is a Crime Scene: “The Great Hack” Documentary Details Big Data’s Threat to Democracy

April 2019 Interviewed in ‘Attack on Democracy’ – this is the short 30min documentary on #brexit crimes and lies by ZDF (big TV in Germany), they filmed my talk at the European Parliament on Facebook with interviews Nigel Farage, Carole Cadwalladr, Arron Banks, whistleblowers too. This is an English language subtitled version the final cut is a 45 minutes version. It will be aired @ZDFinfo on April, 25 th at 7:15 pm GMT

 

May 2018 Invited Speaker ‘Databites’, Data & Society, NYC: ‘SCL and Cambridge Analytica: Studying the propaganda machine’:

 


17/04/2018 Here is an Interview with me on the BBC radio 4 Today Programme talking about the Cambridge Analytica evidence, Trump, Brexit and ‘What’s wrong with the Democrats?’ – starts at 2:33:00


October 2017 Invited Speaker 2nd Annual Take Back The Vote Conference, Berkeley ‘Political Communication and Propaganda during #Election2016’


January 2016 Invited Speaker; Cambridge University Union, UK. Proposition: ‘This House Believes The Media’s Reporting Is Detrimental to Humanitarian Crises Around The World’.