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Newstweek: Online Manipulation

02:17

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March 26, 2012

Two Berlin-based artists interfere with the W-LAN of an Internet café to change the headlines of news websites. But the amateur hackers have no ill intentions.

On the contrary: Julian Oliver and Danja Vasilev want their "Newstweek" project to draw attention to how open WiFi networks are vulnerable to manipulation. They have devised an inconspicuous little device they call the "Paranoia Machine". It enables them to change webpages arriving on a computer screen. They can change the word "Assad” into "Obama”, for example - where the dubiousness of the resulting news headline should be readily apparent. The problem, they say, is that many users are too naïve and trusting of what they read online.

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