TikTok signs deal to give U.S. operations to Oracle-led investor group
Read More »Tag: content moderation
YouTube to Couches Everywhere: Put Some Pants On!
In a stunning display of algorithmic prudishness, YouTube has yanked yet another meme—this time for ‘violating sex and nudity policies,’ despite the only thing stripped bare being the literal couch. Bravo, content overlords, for protecting us from the scandalous threat of… upholstery. 🤦🏼♀️
Read More »NewsBreak Under the Microscope: Ownership, Al, and Data Privacy
The Wikipedia entry for NewsBreak is poorly written and lacks comprehensive information about the app. It claims that the Pentagon included NewsBreak on a list of companies allegedly working with the Chinese military—a claim IDG Capital, the company’s Chinese backer, refuted in a statement to Bloomberg. This assertion is based on a Reuters article.
The information provided below was collected by ChatGPT and summarized by Gemini AI. I chose not to use my preferred DeepSeek to avoid any potential accusations of bias.
Read More »Vietnam News Agency and Twitter

Telegram’s CEO sold out!
Telegram will now provide authorities with user data, including individuals’ phone numbers and IP addresses, in response to valid legal requests, CEO Pavel Durov said Monday.
Telegram will provide user data to authorities if requested in major policy change
Personal post 06-10-24
I haven’t logged into Facebook in weeks. I reverse-searched a photo and came upon this. I tried to reverse search it, but no memes came up. Just the original poster showed up. Even when I do login, I don’t use any of the features that are restricted!
I need to get some sleep, soon. I don’t want to take any Melatonin, but I might end up doing so. It’ll make me drowsy for days! I hate insomnia!
US government asset, from PH, calling for censorship of US citizens
Maria Ressa is calling for the revocation of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Revoking Section 230 would increase social media censorship and remove competition for Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and YouTube (Google). Why? Due to threats of being sued, social media companies could ‘hold’ your posts until approved by artificial intelligence or a human. They’d also be inclined to remove more content. As for competition, smaller companies can’t afford the legal teams and/or fees that large companies can. The lawsuits could bankrupt a smaller company. Considering that Rappler is also funded by Big Tech, I’m not surprised that she’s on their side. This isn’t about hate speech, or ‘disinformation’, it’s about controlling the narrative!
In this clip, she complains about being criticized for appearing with Clinton and for being accused of being a CIA agent and a Communist. Of course, she’s not going to mention why she’s been accused of being a CIA agent (because she’s been funded by the CIA-cutout National Endowment for Democracy and other front organizations)!
Related:
AI Briefing: Hillary Clinton and Google’s Eric Schmidt both suggest Section 230 reform
Some speakers — including Clinton, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa — also called on Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Ressa, a journalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, also noted it’s hard for people to know what it’s like to be a victim of online harassment or misinformation until they’ve been attacked.
Maria A. Ressa, LL.D. ’24, Harvard Commencement Address 2024
Communications Decency Act – Section 230
WikiSpooks: Rappler (Sponsored by Facebook, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Google, Internews, National Endowment for Democracy, Open Society Foundations, Omidyar Network)
U.S. Funds Ukraine Groups Censoring Critics, Smearing Pro-Peace Voices + More
American taxpayers are footing the bill for Ukrainian NGOs focused on smearing proponents of a diplomatic solution as “Russian disinformation” agents.
U.S. Funds Ukraine Groups Censoring Critics, Smearing Pro-Peace Voices
Related:
U.S. Helps Pro-Ukraine Media Run a Fog Machine of War + Supporting Front Orgs
Pro-Russian “disinformation” network
Ukraine’s ‘Press Freedom’ Score Increases Despite Martial Law, Banned Media
Read More »Brazilian lawyer exposes deceit at heart of “Twitter Files Brazil”
An interview with Estela Aranha, who forced Michael Shellenberger to apologize after exposing his manipulation of data to build a false narrative about “totalitarian” Brazil
By Brian Mier
On April 3, Michael Shellenberger tweeted a series of excerpts from emails by X executives dubbed, “Twitter Files Brazil”, which alleged to expose crimes by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes, he claimed, had pressed criminal charges against Twitter Brasil’s lawyer for its refusal to turn over personal information on political enemies. Elon Musk quickly shared the tweets and they viralized and were embraced by the international far right, to the joy of former President Bolsonaro and his supporters. A week later, Estela Aranha, former Secretary of Digital Rights in the Brazilian Justice Ministry, revealed rot at the heart of Shellenberger’s narrative. The only criminal charge filed against Twitter Brazil referenced in the leaked emails was made by the São Paulo District Attorney’s Office, after the company refused to turn over personal data on a leader of Brazil’s largest cocaine trafficking organization, the PCC. Shellenberger had cut the section of an email about a São Paulo criminal investigation and mixed it with communications complaining about Moraes on unrelated issues. Pressed by Brazilian reporters, Shellenberger wrote, “I regret my my mistake and apologize for it. I don’t have evidence that Moraes threatened to file criminal charges against Twitter’s Brazilian lawyer.”
Brazilian lawyer exposes deceit at heart of “Twitter Files”
Inside Mnuchin’s far-fetched plan to rebuild TikTok from scratch + Controversial former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could buy TikTok with help from Sam Altman
Inside Mnuchin’s far-fetched plan to rebuild TikTok from scratch
Mnuchin said he has discussed his pitch with an assortment of billionaires and big businesses, including the tech giant Oracle and the former head of the Activision Blizzard video game empire Bobby Kotick, the two people said.
…
Dan Wang*, a visiting scholar at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center who studies Chinese tech and policy, said Mnuchin’s proposal would probably hit a dead end in China, which has shown no interest in consenting to a forced sale and could use its “highly discretionary” political system to block the deal.
Related:
Controversial former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could buy TikTok with help from Sam Altman
Bobby Kotick spent 33 years as CEO of Activision, during which time he faced plenty of controversy. His departure from the company in December following Microsoft’s acquisition was met with celebrations from gamers and developers. There were tales of his interference with the development of Activision games over the years and his role in killing off Blizzard titles in China.
Kotick was also accused of leaving a voicemail threatening to kill an assistant in 2006 and was the subject of a flight attendant’s sexual harassment lawsuit in 2007. He faced allegations of incidents involving rape and harassment stretching from the mid-2010s through 2021, and Kotick and Activision had to pay a $35 million settlement last year after failing to maintain adequate controls to report and address misconduct within the company. Activision Blizzard also paid $54 million in 2021 to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit in California.
The alleged $15 million golden parachute Kotick received upon leaving Activision did little to endear him to the public, too.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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