TechdirtHow MAGA Killed Foreign Influence Research, But Now Demands Social Media Stop Foreign Influence Campaigns
Nonilex#Stanford University spox Dee Mostofi said in a statement that much of the Observatory work was continuing under new leadership….
“Stanford remains deeply concerned about efforts, including #lawsuits & #congressional investigations, that chill #freedom of #inquiry & undermine legitimate & much needed #academic #research — both at Stanford & across #academia,” Mostofi added.
#disinformation #NationalSecurity #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #propaganda #ElectionIntegrity #CyberSecurity #FarRight
It follows Harvard’s dismissal of #misinformation expert #JoanDonovan. A Dec whistleblower complaint alleged she used the university’s close & lucrative ties w/ #Facebook parent #Meta led the university to clamp down on her work, which was highly critical of the #socialmedia giant’s practices.
#law #election #ElectionIntegrity #disinformation #NationalSecurity #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #propaganda #Policy #CyberSecurity #ViralFalsehoods #Congress #propaganda
2 ongoing lawsuits & 2 #congressional inquiries into the Observatory have cost #Stanford millions of dollars in #legal fees. Students & scholars affiliated w/the program say they have been worn down by online #attacks & #harassment, amid the heated #political climate for #misinformation #research, as #legislators threaten to cut #FederalFunding to #universities studying #propaganda.
#law #disinformation #NationalSecurity #FarRight #extremism #MAGA #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #propaganda
US stops helping #BigTech spot foreign meddling amid #GOP #legal threats
The US federal govt has stopped warning some #social #networks about foreign #disinformation campaigns on their #platforms, reversing a years-long approach to preventing #Russia & other actors from interfering in #American #politics less than a year before the US presidential #elections, acc/to company ofcls.
#ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #SocialMedia
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/11/30/biden-foreign-disinformation-social-media-election-interference/
…The #5thCircuit 3-judge appeals court panel subsequently broadened its order this month to extend to government officials w/ the #Cybersecurity & Infrastructure #Security Agency #CISA, saying those ofcls *probably* acted improperly in trying to coordinate w/ #SiliconValley to protect #elections from #online #hoaxes.
#SCOTUS #PublicHealth #SocialMedia #PublicSafety #Election #Disinformation #ConspiracyTheories #MediaLiteracy #UninformedElectorate #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #manipulation
…In asking #SCOTUS to intervene in the matter, SG Elizabeth #Prelogar wrote in a filing that the order issued by an appeals court last month would impose “unprecedented limits” on the admin’s ability to “use the bully pulpit to address matters of #public concern” & call attn to potentially #harmful #online #content.
#PublicHealth #SocialMedia #Election #Disinformation #MediaLiteracy #UninformedElectorate #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #manipulation
As is customary in emergency orders, the majority did not explain its reasoning for granting the #Biden admin’s request. But #conservative Justices Samuel #Alito, #ClarenceThomas & Neil #Gorsuch dissented from the decision not to leave the lower court order in place, calling the development “highly disturbing.”
#SCOTUS #PublicHealth #SocialMedia #Election #Disinformation #MediaLiteracy #UninformedElectorate #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #manipulation
…a volatile, months-long fight over #Israel’s #democratic future primed #conspiracies & #misinformation to spread…. Tech platforms, diminished from waves of layoffs, have receded from policing falsehoods, #disinformation & #HateSpeech…. Electricity outages & strikes on telecomm infrastructure in #Gaza threaten #Palestinians’ connectivity acc/to #HumanRights orgs.
#IsraelHamasWar #Hamas #influence #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns #manipulation #MediaLiteracy #Terrorism #HumanitarianCrisis
“When #Meta, which owns #Facebook & #Instagram, found accounts associated w/Russian & Chinese #StateBackedInfluenceCampaigns on its platforms last month, it tried to alert Twitter, said two members of Meta’s security team, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The two companies often communicated on these issues, since #ForeignInfluenceCampaigns typically linked fake accounts on Facebook to Twitter.