Section 230 is vital to free speech on the internet, and its critics are often misguided or wrong about the law.
Why repealing or weakening Section 230 is a very bad idea
Tag: Instagram
International leaders push social media companies to ban anti-Zionist speech
The international effort to criminalize criticism of Israel is hitting new strides. Bringing the weight of numerous Western governments, the so-called Interparliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism has renewed efforts to label criticism of Israel as antisemitism and to thereby enable online censorship of any such criticism.
International leaders push social media companies to ban anti-Zionist speech
Google to expand misinformation ‘prebunking’ in Europe
Google to expand misinformation ‘prebunking’ in Europe
The tech giant plans to release a series of short videos highlighting the techniques common to many misleading claims. The videos will appear as advertisements on platforms like Facebook, YouTube or TikTok in Germany. A similar campaign in India is also in the works.
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Google will announce its new German campaign Monday ahead of next week’s Munich Security Conference. The timing of the announcement, coming before that annual gathering of international security officials, reflects heightened concerns about the impact of misinformation among both tech companies and government officials.
Perfect timing!
Fakebook ‘Fact-Check’: Conservative commentators, politicians distort Biden’s remarks on tanks for Ukraine
Conservative commentators, politicians distort Biden’s remarks on tanks for Ukraine
“The President’s remarks mentioned planes and tanks and trains going in with American pilots and American crews, not giving Ukraine tanks to help them defend themselves against Russia’s invasion,” Sean Savett, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, told AFP in an email.
Savett said that, in line with his 2022 comments, Biden’s recent announcement that the US will supply tanks to Ukraine included language about “how giving Ukraine tanks will help Ukraine defend themselves and how they are not an offensive threat to Russia.”
What Biden said:
But, look, the idea — the idea that we’re going to send in offensive equipment and have planes and tanks and trains going in with American pilots and American crews, just understand — and don’t kid yourself, no matter what you all say — that’s called “World War Three.” Okay? Let’s get it straight here, guys. That old expression — “Don’t kid a kidder.”
Facebook Protects Nazis to Protect Ukraine Proxy War
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on January 19 that the company no longer considers Ukraine’s Azov Regiment to be a “dangerous organization.” The far-right paramilitary group grew out of the street gangs that helped topple Ukraine’s president in the US-backed 2014 coup. Originally funded by the same Ukrainian oligarch that backed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rise to power, Azov was on the front lines of civil war in Eastern Ukraine, and was later fully integrated into the Ukrainian national guard.
Facebook Protects Nazis to Protect Ukraine Proxy War
I thought that this was old news but I guess I was wrong.
Privacy nightmare: FTC claims Drug Discount App GoodRx was leaked user data to Facebook and Google
FTC alleges that GoodRx, a drug discount site, has sold user data to Facebook. The Masters of the Universe are known for their insatiable desire for all personal information, but medical data is especially valuable for advertising purposes and in other ventures.
Privacy nightmare: FTC claims Drug Discount App GoodRx was leaked user data to Facebook and Google
H/T: Steve Lehto
This is disturbing because it means that the pharmacies are giving people’s information to GoodRX! You don’t have to enter your personal information on the GoodRX site (unless they’re using information from cookies)—you just print out the discount coupon to give to your pharmacist! The pharmacies should be penalized, as well!
A new bill would ban anyone under 16 from using social media
A growing number of U.S. policymakers and federal officials are angling to keep children and young teenagers off social media entirely, citing mounting concerns that the platforms may harm their well-being and mental health. It’s a notable escalation in the rhetoric around keeping kids safe online, which has largely focused on setting new digital protections.
A new bill would ban anyone under 16 from using social media
U.S. Press Starts To Figure Out College TikTok Bans Are A Dumb Performance
U.S. Press Starts To Figure Out College TikTok Bans Are A Dumb Performance
One, the bans are generally designed to agitate a xenophobic base and give the impression the GOP is “doing something about China.” But the party that couldn’t care less about rampant corruption or privacy violations isn’t doing much of anything meaningful to thwart China. In fact, letting adtech, telecom, and app companies run rampant with little oversight runs contrary to any such goal.
Two, the bans distract the public and press from our ongoing failure on consumer privacy and security issues. Banning TikTok, but doing nothing about the accountability optional free for all that is the adtech and data-hoovering space, doesn’t actually fix anything. China can just obtain the same data from a universe of other international companies facing little real oversight on data collection.
Three, the ban is really just about money. Trump gave the game away with his proposal that TikTok be chopped up and sold to Oracle and Walmart. That cronyistic deal fell through, but it’s pretty clear that this moral panic is designed to either help TikTok’s competitors (Facebook lobbyists are very active on this front), or force the sale of the most popular app in modern history to GOP-allies. At which point they’ll engage in all the surveillance and influence efforts they pretend to be mad about.
Related:
Read More »Politicians and commentators are blocked online in Brazil after censorship order targets Bolsonaro support
The censorship power lies with a single judge, Alexandre de Moraes.
Politicians and commentators are blocked online in Brazil after censorship order targets Bolsonaro support
Related:
Tech companies under fire after Brazilian riots repeat Jan. 6 pattern
[SumOfUs] Researchers analyzed five livestream broadcasts from far-right YouTubers taking part in the riots and mapped how the content was posted across other platforms, mainly Facebook.
How Meta and Google enabled and profited from the terrorist attacks in Brazil’s capital (PDF)
Stop the Steal 2.0: How Meta and TikTok Are Promoting a Coup (PDF)
THOSE RUSSIAN TWITTER BOTS DIDN’T DO $#!% IN 2016, SAYS NEW STUDY
There is “no evidence” Russian Twitter bots had any meaningful effect pushing voters to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
THOSE RUSSIAN TWITTER BOTS DIDN’T DO $#!% IN 2016, SAYS NEW STUDY
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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