Latest news with #JohnMarkDougan
Press and Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Press and Journal
Earthquakes, mistaken identity and a 14-hour wait for a ride: Hitchhiker lifts lid on journey from Aberdeen to Hong Kong
Despite only being halfway through his journey, John Dougan has already been mistaken multiple times for a Russian-American defector, survived an earthquake and forced to wait 14 hours for his next ride. John left the Granite City two months ago to set out on his epic hitchhiking route that will span over 14,000km and up to 25 countries – his final destination, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. The 32-year-old recently found himself worn out and struggling with his mental health. John was seeking a more independent life, which led him to quit his corporate job and create his social channels. He wanted to share honest content with users, highlighting the highs and lows of his trip. His journey across the globe has thrown up various challenges beyond the regular hurdles of hitchhiking. John, originally from Glasgow, has been stopped multiple times at borders and mistaken American-Russian defector John Mark Dougan. Not only do the two share the same first and last names, but they both have the same birthday. John Mark Dougan is a former U.S. Marine who fled to Russia in 2016, accused of running websites that spread Russian propaganda. He said: 'At the borders, they are a little bit worried we are the same person, so it became a problem 'But because Turkey is such a big country I haven't had to deal with it in a few weeks, thankfully' said John. John Mark Dougan now follows the hitchhiker on Instagram and often likes and comments on his posts. John spoke about the troubles he faced with getting from place to place. He said: 'It can become quite a challenge, but it depends where you are. Cities are very difficult to get out of and its all about positioning. It becomes a bit of a skill that you pick up and you learn techniques.' He told The Press & Journal that cultural differences have played a huge part in his journey so far, explaining that some cultures are more open to hitchhiking than others. 'You see countries through a different lens, and you get to know the people and the culture of a country much better,' John added. However, it hasn't all been plain sailing for John. While at the German-Austrian border, he was left waiting 14 hours for a lift as nobody stopped. He continued: 'It was hard because it was still relatively early into the trip, and it was one of those moments where I thought, is this even going to be possible?' While in southeastern Turkey, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the area John was passing through. At least one person has died in the quake. John said: 'I've been in a couple of earthquakes before but when you wake up during the night and the whole building is shaking, its quite scary.' On top of waiting for a ride and navigating an earthquake, John has also had to balance his budget. Having travelled before, he's no stranger to the cost of seeing the world. Money was a topic that came up in most conversations on his journey towards Hong Kong. Many drivers have discussed inflation and how it has affected countries in Europe as well as Turkey and Albania. He said: 'Countries that were once inexpensive to travel and live in are now almost equivalent to European prices.' John is currently in southeastern Turkey and plans to go on to the Caucasus region, across the Caspian Sea and into Kazakhstan and China. To follow John's journey, visit his TikTok and Instagram, where he shares the highs and lows of his trip. He is also using the platforms to raise awareness and funds for mental health charities, another reason for his expedition. John is hoping to reach Aberdeen, Hong Kong by October but is now hoping to extend his travels into a bigger trip around the world – minus the hitchhiking.
Axios
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Exclusive: Russian disinfo floods AI chatbots, study finds
A Russian disinformation effort that flooded the web with false claims and propaganda continues to impact the output of major AI chatbots, according to a new report from NewsGuard, shared first with Axios. Why it matters: The study, which expands on initial findings from last year, comes amid reports that the U.S. is pausing some of its efforts to counter Russian cyber activities. Driving the news: NewsGuard says that a Moscow-based disinformation network named "Pravda" (the Russian word for truth) is spreading falsehoods across the web. Rather than directly sway people, it aims to influence AI chatbot results. More than 3.6 million articles were published last year, finding their way into leading Western chatbots, according to the American Sunlight Project. "By flooding search results and web crawlers with pro-Kremlin falsehoods, the network is distorting how large language models process and present news and information," NewsGuard said in its report. Newsguard said it studied 10 major chatbots—including those from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, xAI, Anthropic, Meta, Mistral and Perplexity—and found that a third of the time they recycled arguments made by the Pravda network. Zoom in: NewsGuard says the Pravda network has spread at least 207 provably false claims, including many related to Ukraine. The Pravda network launched in April 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and has since grown to cover 49 countries and dozens of languages, NewsGuard said. Of the 150 sites in the network, about 40 are Russian-language sites using domain names referencing various regions of Ukraine. A small number are more focused on themes than regions, it said. Pravda is not producing original content itself, NewsGuard says, but instead is aggregating content from others, including Russian state media and pro-Kremlin influencers. The big picture: Deliberate falsehoods (disinformation) as well as inadvertent misinformation have both been called out as significant — and pressing — risks of generative AI. NewsGuard's findings build on a report from February by the U.S.-based American Sunlight Project that warned that the network appeared aimed at influencing chatbots rather than persuading individuals. "The long-term risks – political, social, and technological – associated with potential LLM grooming within this network are high," the ASP said at the time. Between the lines: NewsGuard said the strategy "was foreshadowed in a talk American fugitive-turned-Moscow-based-propagandist John Mark Dougan gave in Moscow last January at a conference of Russian officials." Dougan told the crowd: "By pushing these Russian narratives from the Russian perspective, we can actually change worldwide AI."
Reuters
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Exclusive: Russian-linked bots sow fear, distrust ahead of German vote
BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Russian-linked online disinformation networks are spreading faked spy agency warnings of terrorist attacks in Germany ahead of this month's election in an apparent attempt to sow fear and depress voter turnout, cybersecurity experts say. The networks were also spreading unfounded rumours aimed at discrediting Friedrich Merz, the conservative leader whom polls place ahead of the second-placed, Russia-friendly Alternative for Germany in polls, said the researchers. The experts, working with German human rights organisations Civil Society Forum and Robert Bosch Foundation, are veterans of efforts to combat Russian influencing operations who did not wish to be identified for security reasons. Reuters was able to review the full database of posts and confirm the thrust of the campaign of posts, mainly originating on X, containing videos which were then shared on a wider range of social media platforms. The posts had been interacted with some 2.5 million times so far, the researchers found. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the posts on its platform. Their volume tripled this week, when a group named Storm 1516 joined a campaign which had previously been dominated by the Doppelganger and Matryoshka disinformation networks. In a text message, John Mark Dougan, a Russian-resident American who has been linked in the media to the Storm 1516 network, declined to comment on the specific allegations. Doppelganger and Matryoshka could not be reached, and messages to the Russian embassy in Berlin were not immediately returned. The Russian government has consistently denied running disinformation networks. One post reviewed by Reuters contained a fake video purporting to be from broadcaster France 24 relaying a warning from French security services to avoid public places in Germany because of the risk of terrorist attacks. Other posts contained similar warnings purporting to come from the CIA and Mossad. No such warnings have been issued. Reducing turnout and the conservatives' lead would likely make it harder to form a stable coalition and would increase the likelihood that the AfD and another Russia-friendly party could together hold enough seats to gum up parliamentary business. The bot networks' messaging seemed designed to help the AfD, said Felix Kartte, a misinformation specialist at the Mercator Institute. "A scared society is much more sensitive to authoritarian narratives," he said. Another set of posts made unfounded allegations that Merz, whose bloc's lead over the AfD has shrunk from 15% to 8% over the course of campaign, suffered from a mental illness that had been covered up.
