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Tag: social media
January 26, 2024
Culture
News
Politics
TECH

Florida Moves to Ban Under-16s from Social Media.

Republican lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives advanced legislation aimed at protecting minors from harmful content on social media. House Bill 1 requires a ban on social media platforms for users under 16. It also mandates age verification services by a third party.

State Rep. Fiona McFarland, a Republican cosponsor of the bill, compared social media to “a digital fentanyl.” The legislation would allow parents to sue social media companies that do not remove their child’s account.

Florida Republicans say the legislation is part of an effort to reduce bullying, depression, and suicide linked to social media use. The bill allows exemptions for websites primarily used for emails, texts, and streaming services. However, it has drawn criticism for its vague language and potential infringements on First Amendment rights.

Lawmakers have not specified which social media platforms might be impacted. If it becomes law, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube could be exposed to potential legal liabilities. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, believes its social media platforms fall outside the scope of House Bill 1. Before passage, language was added to the legislation limiting its applicability to social media apps that feature “addictive, harmful, or deceptive design features.”

The Florida State Senate will take up the legislation next. If adopted, it will be sent to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to sign into law.

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Republican lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives advanced legislation aimed at protecting minors from harmful content on social media. House Bill 1 requires a ban on social media platforms for users under 16. It also mandates age verification services by a third party. show more
January 24, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
TECH

Dem PAC Drops $1M on Chinese TikTok App ‘Influencers’ to Aid Biden.

Priorities USA, a Democrat-aligned SuperPAC supporting Joe Biden’s presidential re-election campaign, is dropping $1 million on social media influencers to increase the 81-year-old President’s standing among youth voters. The SuperPAC is pushing content creators and influencers to post on Instagram and the Chinese-owned TikTok app to shore up support among Zoomer and younger Millennial voters. Recent polling shows the Biden campaign has seen a collapse of support among the 18 to 34 age demographic.

Social media influencers whose usual content has focused on everything from skincare routines to cooking demonstrations to luxury travel have begun adding new, more political content. Priorities USA is paying these influencers to encourage thousands of followers to register to vote and support progressive candidates. The Democrat SuperPAC has pledged $1 million to the effort and claims they’ve recruited 150 social media influencers to push pro-Biden messaging.

Young voters in critical swing states have increasingly soured on Biden’s candidacy. Concerns over the octogenarian Democrat’s age, mental competence, and his government’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza have caused an erosion in support among the critical Democrat youth demographic. In 2022, other Democrat SuperPACs used paid social media influencers to push the youth vote with mixed results.

Additionally, the Biden campaign’s embrace of TikTok raises national security questions. Many state and local governments have banned using TikTok on work computers and smartphones. National security officials have warned the app has potential intelligence-gathering uses for the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, spent over $7 million in 2023 to influence U.S. lawmakers to oppose efforts to ban the app entirely.

“We look forward to working with TikTok throughout the cycle,” Jack Doyle, a spokesman for Priorities USA said when asked about the SuperPAC’s influencer campaign.

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Priorities USA, a Democrat-aligned SuperPAC supporting Joe Biden's presidential re-election campaign, is dropping $1 million on social media influencers to increase the 81-year-old President's standing among youth voters. The SuperPAC is pushing content creators and influencers to post on Instagram and the Chinese-owned TikTok app to shore up support among Zoomer and younger Millennial voters. Recent polling shows the Biden campaign has seen a collapse of support among the 18 to 34 age demographic. show more
December 29, 2023
News
TECH

CCP-Linked TikTok Demands Users’ iPhone Passwords.

TikTok users have been asked to input their iPhone passwords to view content. The video app, known to have been involved in controversial surveillance of journalists in the past, has yet to clarify the reasons for these demands.

The issue was first noticed in late November. Since then, an increasing number of users have voiced their concerns. Notably, it began around the same time Apple released two critical security updates for the iPhone. The most recent iOS update, rolled out on December 11, fixed a bug that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive user data.

Some benign reasons for the password demands have been posited, such as a glitch, implementing a security measure to address vulnerabilities, or enabling the “restricted mode” content filter. Cybersecurity experts warn these would be poor justifications, however, given the enormous security risks and the potential exposure to phishing and other scams.

An overtly sinister motive is also possible, given TikTok’s links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Beijing’s desire to access the personal data of citizens in rival states.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray warned in 2022 that “the Chinese government could use [TikTok] to control data collection on millions of users, or control the recommendation algorithm which could be used for influence operations if they so choose, or to control software on millions of devices.”

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TikTok users have been asked to input their iPhone passwords to view content. The video app, known to have been involved in controversial surveillance of journalists in the past, has yet to clarify the reasons for these demands. show more
December 1, 2023
Jack Montgomery
Politics
TECH

Whistleblower Says Obama White House Plotted Outgoing Censorship Plan to Avoid 2016 Redux.

The Cyber Threat Intelligence League (CTIL), including “former” military and intelligence contractors from the United States and the United Kingdom, helped government pioneer “anti-disinformation” tactics used to censor Americans, according to a whistleblower.

CTIL leader Sara-Jayne ‘SJ’ Terp, formerly of Britain’s Defence Research Agency, was allegedly “in the room” in Barack Obama’s White House in 2017, as the groundwork for a counter-disinformation project to stop a “repeat of 2016″ was laid.

The supposedly all-volunteer CTIL began working in earnest in 2020. It reported lockdown skeptics pushing messages such as “all jobs are essential” and “open America now” on social media. While notionally a private enterprise, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials were allegedly active in its Slack channel.

The whistleblower says the ultimate goal of CTIL ”was to become part of the federal government.”

“In our weekly meetings, they made it clear that they were building these organizations within the federal government, and if you built the first iteration, we could secure a job for you,” they claimed.

In April 2020, Chris Krebs, then-Director of the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) at the DHS, announced CISA was partnering with CTIL. He claimed this was “an information exchange.”

The whistleblower said CTIL was not concerned their censorship efforts may violate the First Amendment. “The ethos was that if we get away with it, it’s legal, and there were no First Amendment concerns because we have a ‘public-private partnership’,” they said.

The guiding belief was “[p]rivate people can do things public servants can’t do, and public servants can provide the leadership and coordination.”

Other “private” organizations are implicated in state censorship. The Center for Internet Security (CIS) operated under the supervision of CISA, helping to censor social media. It used tools funded by foreign-born Joe Biden donor Pierre Omidyar.

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The Cyber Threat Intelligence League (CTIL), including "former" military and intelligence contractors from the United States and the United Kingdom, helped government pioneer "anti-disinformation" tactics used to censor Americans, according to a whistleblower. show more
November 30, 2023
Jack Montgomery
TECH

Kamala Says ‘Many’ of Her Family Are on TikTok, Ignore Her Requests to Stop.

Vice President Kamala Harris has confirmed “many” people in her family are on the Chinese Communist Party-linked TikTok platform. She has also confirmed she cannot persuade them to leave it.

In a recent interview, Harris was asked: “What should happen to TikTok?” She immediately derailed the conversation, rambling about “Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.” Brought back to the topic at hand, she was asked if she had “a specific view on TikTok itself” and refused to comment. Asked if she was on TikTok, she said no – “but many of the young people in my family are, I’ll tell you that.”

“And you tell them to get off?” her interviewer asked.

“You know, you can tell young people in your family all kinds of things to do,” she replied, cackling nervously.

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has similar issues. In the GOP primary debates, she has attacked rival Vivek Ramaswamy for establishing a presence on TikTok to reach younger voters. It later emerged her own daughter uses the platform.

Haley was incensed when Ramaswamy raised this at one of the debates, branding him “scum”. Fellow primary candidate Ron DeSantis backed her, saying Ramaswamy’s comments were not “appropriate”.

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Vice President Kamala Harris has confirmed "many" people in her family are on the Chinese Communist Party-linked TikTok platform. She has also confirmed she cannot persuade them to leave it. show more
November 28, 2023
Jake Welch
TECH

Instagram’s Algorithm Promotes ‘Child-Sexualizing’ Content.

Social media platform Instagram‘s algorithm pushes adult sex content as well as child-sexualizing material alongside advertisements for major United States companies and brands, according to a recent investigation by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The investigation, which sought to determine what content the platform’s algorithm recommends by creating test accounts, consisted of following young gymnasts, cheerleaders, and other active teenage influencers.

The test accounts were quickly bombarded with “salacious content” such as inappropriate footage of children as well as “overtly sexual adult videos,” either above or below ads for brands including Pizza Hut, Disney, Walmart, and dating app Bumble.

Other footage recommended by Instagram involved a young girl with a digitally obscured face lifting up her t-shirt to expose her stomach, a man lying on a bed with his arms around what the caption described as a 10-year-old girl, as well as someone stroking a life-size latex doll.

Worse still, the WSJ’s investigation was not alone in discovering this trend, as the Canadian Center for Child Protection conducted its own testing with similar results over the past several months.

“Time and time again, we’ve seen recommendation algorithms drive users to discover and then spiral inside of these online child exploitation communities,” said the Canadian centre’s executive director Lianna McDonald, who voiced her disgust that major companies were subsidizing the process through advertisements.

Responding to the investigation, Meta – the owner of Instagram – Vice President of Client Council and Industry Trade Relations, Samantha Stetson, said, “Our systems are effective at reducing harmful content, and we’ve invested billions in safety, security and brand suitability solutions.”

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Social media platform Instagram's algorithm pushes adult sex content as well as child-sexualizing material alongside advertisements for major United States companies and brands, according to a recent investigation by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). show more
November 28, 2023
Politics
TECH

Pro-Ukraine Activists Aim to Destroy Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ Before 2024 Election.

The North Atlantic Fella Organization (NAFO) – an anonymous activist group created to combat pro-Russian information – has launched a series of internet raids on former President Donald Trump‘s social media platform “Truth Social” in an effort to bring the platform down before the 2024 presidential election.

NAFO, established shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, has attempted to take over trending topics on Truth Social and destroy the platform from within by so-called “shitposting.” Some of the group’s activities include misspelling themes such as “#stollenElection” or “#ErectionFraud.”

The pseudonymous chief of NAFO told one news outlet that combating the spread of pro-Trump and MAGA messaging on the social media platform is similar to “dealing with your racist uncle that nobody wants at the Thanksgiving dinner table because he’s just obnoxious and looking to fight with everybody.”

“The goal we have in mind, which is lofty, is to help bring the platform down ahead of the 2024 election,” he continued. “We know it’s going to be an aggregator for extremism and probably violence the way things are looking at this point.”

Truth Social recently filed a giant $1.5 billion lawsuit against multiple mainstream media outlets, including the Daily Mail, Axios, Reuters, and MSNBC, arguing they falsely reported a $73 million loss by the platform.

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The North Atlantic Fella Organization (NAFO) – an anonymous activist group created to combat pro-Russian information – has launched a series of internet raids on former President Donald Trump's social media platform "Truth Social" in an effort to bring the platform down before the 2024 presidential election. show more
Tlaib
November 15, 2023
Politics
TECH
War

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Exposed as Member of Secret Pro-Hamas Facebook Group.

Far-left U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib has been identified as a member of the Palestinian American Congress, a secret Facebook group known to glorify Hamas, the proscribed terror organization responsible for the October 7th terror raid on Israel.

Hidden from non-members and the platform’s search function, Tlaib has been a member of the ‘Palestinian American Congress’ for six years, and even used it to promote her election campaign in 2018.

Since the October 7th attacks, members have been posting pro-terror messages, including a picture of a Hamas fighters holding an elderly Jewish woman captive with the caption: “We don’t want to throw you in the sea… we want you to ride it back from where you came.”

Group founder Maher Abdel-qader, who has proven ties to Tlaib and links to other leftist politicians, has previously been exposed for sharing content questioning whether the Holocaust really happened and describing Jews as “Satanic”.

Tlaib herself was censured by the U.S. House of Representatives in a 234-188 vote last week.

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Far-left U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib has been identified as a member of the Palestinian American Congress, a secret Facebook group known to glorify Hamas, the proscribed terror organization responsible for the October 7th terror raid on Israel. show more
grooming
October 26, 2023
Crime
News
World

UK Pedo Cop Groomed and Blackmailed 200+ Minors on Snapchat.

British police officer Lewis Edwards, 24, has been handed a so-called life sentence for grooming more than 200 girls online and persuading them to share explicit images – though he will be eligible for release in just 12 years.

Edwards, who provided a false identity as a 14-year-old boy on Snapchat, was serving with South Wales Police force as he was grooming his victims. They included girls he made contact with during his work hours, with one instance involving a girl he met during his official duties.

Edwards was found to have over 4,500 indecent images of children aged between 10 and 16, and to have issued threats to his victims, including exposing the images or endangering their families if they resisted his demands. He told victims to write ‘Snapgod’ on their bodies on multiple occasions, in reference to a child pornography distributor from whom he had purchased material using cryptocurrency.

Edwards pleaded guilty to 161 offenses, including blackmail and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

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British police officer Lewis Edwards, 24, has been handed a so-called life sentence for grooming more than 200 girls online and persuading them to share explicit images – though he will be eligible for release in just 12 years. show more
October 11, 2023
Jake Welch
News
TECH

Utah Is Suing TikTok.

Utah has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the Chinese Communist Party-owned social media app uses its technology and algorithms to promote harmful content to children and minors.

Governor of Utah Spencer Cox announced the legal action on Tuesday afternoon in an effort to stop TikTok’s “illegal business practices” and to implement stronger protections for children across the state. Utah is also seeking corrective action and damages well in excess of $300,000.

“We will no longer tolerate TikTok misleading parents that its app is safe for children,” Governor Cox explained before adding, “Social media companies must be held responsible for the harms they are causing. The experts… all agree that social media is affecting our children’s mental health and it’s time to intervene.”

The lawsuit claims TikTok uses tools such as “filter bubbles” to feed consumers more extreme videos to pique their interest and keep them on the app as well as “infinite scroll,” which always provides a video tailored to the user’s interests.

“TikTok directly profited from addicting children to the app and continued to capitalize on the addictive nature of the app despite knowing the harm that addiction would cause Utah’s children,” the lawsuit states.

Utah is now the third state after Arkansas and Indiana to sue TikTok. Montana is pushing for an outright ban.

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Utah has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the Chinese Communist Party-owned social media app uses its technology and algorithms to promote harmful content to children and minors. show more