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The internal company documents offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the federal agencies distorted the public debate one of the world’s largest social media platforms.
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https://reason.com/video/2023/01/09/did-every-conspiracy-theory-about-twitter-turn-out-to-be-true/
CORRECTION: This article originally described Nostr as a “blockchain-based social media site.” Nostr is an open protocol that allows users to transmit a post over a decentralized network of relays using cryptographic keys.
The so-called Twitter Files, written by a group of independent journalists given access to internal company documents, offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the federal government shaped the flow of information on one of the world’s largest social media platforms.
Some tech pundits say that the Twitter Files contain no secrets: they knew about the thousands of takedown requests the company receives every month from law enforcement agencies and the courts, or they had already opined about the immense challenges of content moderation. However, the Twitter Files have brought important new information to light. They show that the company stifled debate over important policy issues by shadowbanning certain accounts for no good reason and then misleading the public. They show that Twitter was routinely strongarmed by the White House and the FBI into complying with frivolous takedown requests. And they provide evidence that the intelligence community likely influenced the decision to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story during Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
“Almost every conspiracy theory that people had about Twitter turned out to be true,” Elon Musk said on the All-In Podcast in late December. “Is there a conspiracy theory about Twitter that didn’t turn out to be true?”
Conspiracy theorists are often sloppy with the facts and exaggerate what actually happened. But the information brought to light by the Twitter Files should be alarming to anyone who cares about free speech and a free society. Is the government meddling similarly with YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Google search? How can we prevent the internet from becoming a centralized apparatus through which state actors shape and censor public debate? Here are three major takeaways from the Twitter Files:
#1 Twitter distorted the conversation and misled the public
Twitter had a system of “whitelists” that allowed its algorithms and human moderators to turn engagement dials up and down based on what a user said. It used this power to limit the ability of certain groups and individuals to reach an audience, including conservative commentator Dan Bongino, Stanford economist and medical school professor Jay Bhattacharya, mRNA vaccine critic Alex Berenson, and the Libs of TikTok account.
#2 The government is secretly policing speech.
The most troubling thing about the Berenson de-platforming isn’t Twitter’s decision per se, but whether it made that decision freely. Was it done at the behest of the federal government? The Twitter files provide circumstantial evidence that the White House played a role.
#3 Twitter permitted covert state propaganda on its platform.
The U.S. ran sock-puppet accounts on Twitter and then may have tried to shut them down secretly when it looked like it was caught in the act.
Produced by Zach Weissmueller; edited by Regan Taylor; sound editing by John Osterhoudt.
Photo credits: PIERRE VILLARD/SIPA/Newscom; Adrien Fillon/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Al Drago – Pool via CNP/SIPA/Newscom; Alisdare Hickson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; CelebrityHomePhotos/Newscom; Daniel Oberhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Dominick Sokotoff/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Dylan Stewart/Image of Sport/Newscom; Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; I, Aude, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image of Sport/Newscom; imageBROKER/Markus Mainka/Newscom; Jarek Tuszyński / CC-BY-SA-3.0 & GDFL, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Kyodo/Newscom; Kris Tripplaar/Sipa USA/Newscom; Lordalpha1, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons; LiPo Ching/TNS/Newscom; Michael Ho Wai Lee/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom ;Ministério Das Comunicações, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; New Media Daysderivative work: — Cirt, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Oliver Contreras – Pool via CNP/picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Newscom; Paul E Boucher/ZUMA Press/Newscom; picture alliance / Frank Duenzl/Newscom; Ron Sachs/picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Newscom; Ser Amantio di Nicolao, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Tesla Owners Club Belgium, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom; Whoisjohngalt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Yichuan Cao/Sipa USA/Newscom; ZUMAPRESS/Newscom
Music Credits: “Fleeting Wave,” by Palm Blue via Artlist; “Quiet Pull,” by Tamuz Dekel via Artlist; “Ripples,” Tamuz Dekel via Artlist; “Particles,” by Nobou via Artlist; “From Above,” by Dan Mayo via Artlist
I've got Hunter's laptop data dump. Doesn't look like Russian fabrications to me. Seen the dudes cock and him smoking crack – that's not controversial, anyone can grab the torrent. Whether it matters is another issue. What does matter is that it was suppressed during an election. I'm not a fan of Trump in particular, but I am a fan of government keeping their dick far away from The People's internet.
Confirmation for who the enemy really is. What would life be like if we didn't have to constantly battle our own tribe?
It's not that there was little evidence Russia created or hacked the laptop, there was zero evidence of it. Stop prettying up the language of the crimes of govt. and cover ups of those crimes. Like it's really no big deal, when in fact these are all big things. Twitter was a defacto arm of the govt., not a private company.
I’m completely flawed by the people who still refuse to believe any of this. Even this information (these actual facts) is getting censored. Only appearing on certain platforms. I haven’t seen a single MSM outlet ( Fox News doesn’t count in this instance) covering this with the questioning it deserves. The responses on Elons tweets, divulging this, still talk about him as a conspiracy theorist… PS…need to say I’m left leaning so not coming from this as a right winger.
Where can I download these twitterfiles
A woke organization latched itself to power and lied about what its motivations and actions were? Twitter banning the word groomer while doing nothing about CP is an example of this.
and not just about twitter, most other stuff too, I remember when they were telling us it was all just antisemitic tropes, it's a canard they'd say.
at 2:32 a edit was put in after he asked if Twitter shadow bans republicans it was cut to have him say no. that's sketchy. why not let us hear his actual full response of the question instead of editing it.
edit: went back to look at the original video and saw that all he did was answer the question the way it was portrayed on here but the way you have it edited to make it look like his answer could have been edited from a different response makes it look not genuine
I'm just glad I never set up a Twitter what a shitty place it always was
The worst thing is that reason keeps saying that free speech will result in untruths being told. Ignoring that is exactly what the government has been up to. They are the ones spreading the most misinformation to the greatest number of people, and actually being taken seriously.
The alternatives are not free speech with misinformation or censorship with correct information. It is whether Americans are allowed to tell the truth or not.
Get it right.
It's just the tip of the Big Tech Government Complex
Still crickets from corporate media.
As Jim Morrison once said; "Whoever controls the media controls the minds."
There is a website we all use, you're using it to read my comment, also does this.
Hence my chosen syntax. I've tested it with smurf accounts some of what I write won't be able to be seen
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Where did that money come from that was paid to twitter to do that censoring? Is that my money?
FUN FACT: WE got shut down (SUSPENDED) as well.
Thankfully, Musk & his team quickly restored us. SANITY prevails !!!!
There were a lot of revelations from TF, and they're ongoing. I missed the one about the AI generated fake accounts.
Is this different than older work with newspapers?
Elon should just re hire Jack D. Take all the nostr people along for the ride.
I'm going to say not really. Most of the people complaining about shadowbanning are regular folks who don't have a ton of followers in the first place.
Elon spent 44 Billion just to uncover the truth about 2020 and Covid. A true hero
A small tip of the iceberg.
I'd be elon musk level rich if I had a fuckin dime for every dbag on social media that called me a conspiracy theorist, cult member, skitzo or other derogatory term for pointing out what we know now is an objective fact. Don't let the npc's steer you in the wrong direction.
Thanks!
There are those that believe that strict censorship of ideas in order to bend thought will bring about a morally superior society?
Its always been this way the internet opened a window on it and Elon has raised the veil.
yes, AND Elon Musk should buy Reddit next and purge the scum that are running the place
This is absolutely terrifying. I'm scared for the future of our country.
Lying to Congress is illegal. He should be charged with lying to Congress. That too seems to be selectively applied…
Debate and better speech must prevail over speech policing and censorship
The founders were handed twitter when DARPA was finished and ready to go live. Dorsey is a douchbag.
Dorsey didn't "mislead Congress" he outright lied!
Outsourcing tyranny
the censorship of debate concerning the origins of covid “red-pilled” more friends and colleagues than i could ever imagine. and yet, where is this twitter file at?
I think we all owe Richard Nixon an apology. What he did is nothing compared to what regularly goes on today.
Saddest fact is nothing will come from any of this information. No one at the FBI or WH will be held accountable.
Conspiracy theory is just a word used to badmouth spoilers, and those who constantly spew them. ;3
TBF, I wasn't spoiled. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together know that big companies run the goobernment, and that the goobernment uses them to bypass their own constitutional restrictions.
As far as I notice, all conspirators turn out to be true. Sure.
While the average ppl delays to get there, the 15 % of all people are intuitive. That is it.
They don’t deduce anything. Intuition just make them KNOW about the thing – proves are not needed bc this is downloaded in your brain by who knows who or what. The thing is that this download is downloaded to many people and globally when the subject is global. Period.
Theres a reason why theyre called conspiracy theorists, and not liars…
This video is so redundant even to the average Joe. So tiring… Nothing new and nothing happens and IT IS VERY OLD THING.
What's the difference between a modern conspiracy theory and reality? Timing.
Everyone already knows the materialistic 1st rule is to deny everything that he is not programmed to approve. Another thing that they had suppressed is the “critical thinking”. So, why mention them?
2:32– That's not "misleading" bro. That's a straight up lie.
If I was a propaganda minister that valued free speech, I would be clowning anti-vaxers and making them look like light-hearted fools.
Taking them seriously only legitimizes them.
Only reason no one took the other vax stuff seriously, was because the anti-vaxers back then looked like morons.
If the federal government legitimizes them, the situation is only gonna get worse.
Dude, Musk banned journalists and a competitor (Mastodon) out of Twitter for no reason, just because he felt like it that morning.