Information Monitoring System and Method

1 . A computer-implemented method executed on a computing device comprising:

monitoring information propagating within a communications network; and

identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the communications network includes one or more of:

one or more social media platforms;

one or more websites;

one or more video-sharing platforms;

one or more virtual reality platforms;

one or more gaming platforms;

one or more messaging platforms;

one or more financial platforms; and

one or more blog platforms.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the undesirable information includes one or more of:

malinformation;

misinformation; and

disinformation.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes one or more of:

determining a publisher of a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information;

determining a sentiment for a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information generally simultaneously appeared on multiple websites;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information originated on an unknown website;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information identifies the reasons for the conclusions drawn; and

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information is driven by logic or emotion.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes:

vectorizing a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information, thus defining vectorized suspect information; and

comparing the vectorized suspect information to a pool of vectorized known undesirable information and/or a pool of vectorized known desirable information to identify undesirable information included within the flow of information.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes:

determining a dissemination pattern for a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information, thus defining a suspect dissemination pattern; and

comparing the suspect dissemination pattern to a pool of known undesirable information dissemination patterns to identify undesirable information included within the flow of information.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

mitigating the impact of the undesirable information.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information includes:

prebunking/debunking the undesirable information.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information further includes one or more of:

identifying an original poster of the undesirable information;

identifying an original poster of the undesirable information; and

deplatforming the original poster of the undesirable information.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information includes:

delegitimizing the undesirable information.

11 . A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring information propagating within a communications network; and

identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network.

12 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the communications network includes one or more of:

one or more social media platforms;

one or more websites;

one or more video-sharing platforms;

one or more virtual reality platforms;

one or more gaming platforms;

one or more messaging platforms;

one or more financial platforms; and

one or more blog platforms.

13 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the undesirable information includes one or more of:

malinformation;

misinformation; and

disinformation.

14 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes one or more of:

determining a publisher of a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information;

determining a sentiment for a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information generally simultaneously appeared on multiple websites;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information originated on an unknown website;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information identifies the reasons for the conclusions drawn; and

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information is driven by logic or emotion.

15 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes:

vectorizing a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information, thus defining vectorized suspect information; and

comparing the vectorized suspect information to a pool of vectorized known undesirable information and/or a pool of vectorized known desirable information to identify undesirable information included within the flow of information.

16 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes:

determining a dissemination pattern for a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information, thus defining a suspect dissemination pattern; and

comparing the suspect dissemination pattern to a pool of known undesirable information dissemination patterns to identify undesirable information included within the flow of information.

17 . The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

mitigating the impact of the undesirable information.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information includes:

prebunking/debunking the undesirable information.

19 . The computer program product of claim 17 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information further includes one or more of:

identifying an original poster of the undesirable information;

delegitimizing the original poster of the undesirable information; and

deplatforming the original poster of the undesirable information.

20 . The computer program product of claim 17 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information includes:

delegitimizing the undesirable information.

21 . A computing system including a processor and memory configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring information propagating within a communications network; and

identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network.

22 . The computing system of claim 21 wherein the communications network includes one or more of:

one or more social media platforms;

one or more websites;

one or more video-sharing platforms;

one or more virtual reality platforms;

one or more gaming platforms;

one or more messaging platforms;

one or more financial platforms; and

one or more blog platforms.

23 . The computing system of claim 21 wherein the undesirable information includes one or more of:

malinformation;

misinformation; and

disinformation.

24 . The computing system of claim 21 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes one or more of:

determining a publisher of a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information;

determining a sentiment for a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information generally simultaneously appeared on multiple websites;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information originated on an unknown website;

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information identifies the reasons for the conclusions drawn; and

determining if a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information is driven by logic or emotion.

25 . The computing system of claim 21 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes:

vectorizing a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information, thus defining vectorized suspect information; and

comparing the vectorized suspect information to a pool of vectorized known undesirable information and/or a pool of vectorized known desirable information to identify undesirable information included within the flow of information.

26 . The computing system of claim 21 wherein identifying undesirable information included within the information propagating within the communications network includes:

determining a dissemination pattern for a piece of information suspected of being undesirable information, thus defining a suspect dissemination pattern; and

comparing the suspect dissemination pattern to a pool of known undesirable information dissemination patterns to identify undesirable information included within the flow of information.

27 . The computing system of claim 21 further comprising:

mitigating the impact of the undesirable information.

28 . The computing system of claim 27 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information includes:

prebunking/debunking the undesirable information.

29 . The computing system of claim 27 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information further includes one or more of:

identifying an original poster of the undesirable information;

delegitimizing the original poster of the undesirable information; and

deplatforming the original poster of the undesirable information.

30 . The computing system of claim 27 wherein mitigating the impact of the undesirable information includes:

delegitimizing the undesirable information.