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Google Investigates Facebook's Russian Political Operatives, Will Address Congressmen (recode.net)

An anonymous reader quotes Recode: Facebook has shared some details about the Russian-operated profiles it discovered on its platform with Google, as the search giant -- with the rest of the tech industry -- continues to probe the extent to which Kremlin-backed misinformation spread through their websites during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It is unclear if Google has found any suspicious ads or other content after evaluating Facebook's data, an exchange of intel confirmed to Recode today by three sources familiar with the matter. At the very least, Google's investigation appears to be much broader in scope than a similar one by Twitter, which had drawn the ire of Congress for appearing to be incomplete. A Google spokesperson declined to comment for this story, as did a Facebook rep.

For now, though, Google is slated to deliver a private briefing to U.S. lawmakers studying Russia's political tactics in the coming weeks, additional sources told Recode. A date does not appear to have been set. And the search-and-advertising giant has been asked to join Facebook and Twitter at two upcoming hearings in the House and Senate where the industry will face questions -- out in the open -- about its safeguards against Russian political interference in the future.

29 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Google is qualifed to investigate a competitor?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Yeah, that'll be unbiased.

  2. some of them on slashdot too, methinks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    You'll see them crying whataboutism and "but the NSA!" in each and every thread.

  3. Re: Google is qualifed to investigate a competitor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    The whole thing is absurd. The very idea that Russians are pretending to be other people on the internet, I mean who would believe that? Our great president Putin i mean Trump says it's nonsense and that should be enough for any rational person. Those Chinese though, I wouldn't trust them.

  4. Google by fustakrakich · · Score: 1, Insightful

    in private briefings, with government officials, about *Russia*... Sounds like a match made in heaven.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    1. Re:Google by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm told that both Democrats and establishment Republicans are already applauding Facebook's and Google's plans to combat Russian interference by banning all postings supporting Trump in 2020. "It's the only way to be sure," said company representatives.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re: Google by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      The Russians stole my dog! And cooked it!

    3. Re:Google by quax · · Score: 1

      Whereas your judgment is obviously completely unbiased.

  5. We must continue investigating Russia! by Nova+Express · · Score: 1, Insightful

    If we don't, Democrats might have to face the possibility that Hillary Clinton lost because she was a horrible, corrupt human being and that the Democratic Party's ideas are deeply unpopular with the American public.

    And we can't have that.

    Why cover the corruption trial of a sitting Democratic U.S. Senator when Trump's doorman's cousin might have talked to a Russian once?

    No, by all means let's talk about RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA! more, no matter how many anonymous leads turn out to be bunk, how many dead ends and retractions, no matter how many "smoking guns" that turn out to be neither smoking nor guns.

    Anything to avoid rethinking Democratic dogma and admit that Donald Trump will be President of the United States of America for the next 3+ years and there's absolutely nothing they can do about it.

    --
    Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)

    http://www.lawrenceperson.com/

    1. Re:We must continue investigating Russia! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If we don't, Democrats might have to face the possibility that Hillary Clinton lost because she was a horrible, corrupt human being and that the Democratic Party's ideas are deeply unpopular with the American public.

      The first never stopped anyone from becoming President before(and certainly didn't stop Trump), and the second is untrue, since at last count, the American public voted for her more than Trump, and as a party, the Democrats are hardly unpopular, certainly not by any great margin compared to the GOP.

      If they were, the GOP wouldn't need to engage in such gerrymandering and voter discrimination practices as they have been found guilty of committing numerous times.

      Why cover the corruption trial of a sitting Democratic U.S. Senator when Trump's doorman's cousin might have talked to a Russian once?

      Same reason you'll never talk about a Republican Governor resigning in disgrace when it's possible Hillary once saw somebody stealing a grape from CostCo and didn't report it.

      No, by all means let's talk about RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA! more, no matter how many anonymous leads turn out to be bunk, how many dead ends and retractions, no matter how many "smoking guns" that turn out to be neither smoking nor guns.

      Actually, it's getting more and more substantial every day. And the more shrill your cries for ignoring it, the more likely it is a problem.

      Unlike you know, Obama's birth certificate that you spent 8 years crying about from sea to shining sea.

      Anything to avoid rethinking Democratic dogma and admit that Donald Trump will be President of the United States of America for the next 3+ years and there's absolutely nothing they can do about it.

      What are you talking about? There are 435 members of the House, any one of whom could file for impeachment, there are dozens of state attorneys who could charge and arrest him, there are a number of people who could report him incompetent under the 25th Amendment, and of course, Trump could resign himself.

  6. The Royal Scam by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Then:

    In 2008, Trump took over the licensing and management of a Puerto Rican golf resort, the Coco Beach Golf and Country Club. But the resort filed for bankruptcy in 2015, leaving Puerto Ricans with nearly $33 million in outstanding bond payments.

    Now:

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/...

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  7. Nothing Burger with a side of Impeachment Fantasy by Noishkel · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I'll once again point out that no one has never been able to conclude that Facebook advertising even works at all, thanks to recent internal findings from Procter & Gambles. So if basic advertising on Facebook doesn't work, then how exactly do you expect a major election to be swayed by that same mechanism? Since we can't at all prove that anyone has been hacked, then how exactly is 'The Russians' going to do anything?

    Now please, tell me exactly how 'The Russians' are going to influence a US presidential election and more importantly: can that influence be explained without bringing up the extreme levels of corruption that took place within the Clinton campaign. Corruption that has been verified already by several third party as well as proven by the fact that the DNC had to fire just about everyone for said corruption.

    And that's before we have to have a discussion about recent leaked information about what the CIA can do with spoofing the originals of hacking attempts.

  8. Re:Nothing Burger with a side of Impeachment Fanta by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    whataboutism

  9. Re:Nothing Burger with a side of Impeachment Fanta by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    There is a big difference. When you see an ad for dish soap, fast food, or the newest SUV you're probably not emotionally invested and so those ads have little effect. But politics is like religion for many people, so the emotional response can be much greater.

    As an example, I'm sure we have seen someone who scoffs at ads in general get all worked up about a new Android/IOS ad IF they happen to be fanboys.

  10. Re:Russians helping the democrats so far by OYAHHH · · Score: 2, Informative

    $100k? That's it?

    Hell, I dropped a $1,000 personally out of my own down pocket advertising last year on politics. And the closest I ever been to Russia is New Hampshire.

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    Caution: Contents under pressure
  11. Re:Nothing Burger with a side of Impeachment Fanta by OYAHHH · · Score: 2, Informative

    > I'll once again point out that no one has never been able to conclude that Facebook advertising even works at all

    I don't give a rats ass what P&G says. I burned through $1k in FB ads last year and I averaged one page "Like" for every $0.06 I spent.

    Facebook even congratulated me and noted my ad performed in the top 92% of all ads on FB during that time.

    I created a good advertisement that interested people in a good product. P&G got nothing for their money because they have a BORING product.

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    Caution: Contents under pressure
  12. Re: How about CAIR? Chinese influence? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    How dare you say the Russians paid for ads? Where's the evidence? It's all MSM lies. Russia would never interfere in another country's affairs, that would be totally uncharacteristic and historically unpresidented.

    The Podesta emails reveal that this is all because of Hillary's hatred for Vladimir Putin, which has been festering in her icy heart ever since she tried to get jiggy with him at a party after the UN summit in 2012 and he spurned her advances.

    She had apparently seen some photos of the scantily clad Soviet sex god some time in 2011 as part of an intelligence briefing and had become inflamed with unrequited lust.

    "No Hillary, you mad witch," he is reported to have told her, "I can never love you, for my love is reserved for the Russian people, who love me in return with a passion unequalled in this world."

    She swore then to get even with him and tasked the CIA, NSA and FBI to bring him down by any means possible.

    Seth Rich was killed because Hillary overheard him say that Putin "looked a bit like a raccoon."

  13. I agree by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Well then, Trump and his apologists like yourself, will have nothing to worry about now, won't they...

    I agree with this sentiment entirely.

    I would *love* to have our two parties compete for leadership in this country, but by now I'm convinced that it's never gonna' happen.

    I'm dismayed that we (the government, through our taxes) are paying for an investigation with negligible chances of finding anything, but at the same time I realize it keeps "them" busy and out of trouble.

    I'm also dismayed that there's an apparent double standard in legal consequences, where James Comey can admit to leaking and gets to write a book about it, while Reality Winner (a commoner) sits in prison denied bond.

    I think we may be seeing the death of the Democratic party, to be quickly followed by the death of the Republican party.

    It used to be that "money buys votes", through advertising and endorsements, but the internet has managed to break through that barrier. Looking at the recent Alabama special election (to replace Jeff Sessions' vacant Senate seat), the "establishment" candidate spent about $137 per vote on the election, and still lost. Hillary Clinton spent about $1.4B against Trump's $1B and still lost.

    No longer can people get away with outright lies - it's too easy to look up the primary source. No longer can people get away with puffery or exaggeration - it's too easy to look up the primary source. News sources who have previously survived on making exactly those sorts of techniques are becoming irrelevant.

    We seem to be transitioning from "Republican vs Democrat" to "Populist vs Globalist".

    Let them have their investigation, it doesn't really matter. They're not taking responsibility for their actions, they're not making any change to *themselves* to compensate.

    They're not going to evolve, and we all know how that works out.

    1. Re:I agree by quax · · Score: 2

      Look, I admire Reality Winner, but what she leaked, and the personal notes that Comey passed on to the press, are classified very differently.

      The fact that you seem to be entirely ignorant of this, very much disqualifies your musing on that point.

  14. Re:Nothing Burger with a side of Impeachment Fanta by OYAHHH · · Score: 1

    Nobody should listen to a person who is so chicken shit he is afraid to post under his own name.

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    Caution: Contents under pressure
  15. Re: Russians helping the democrats so far by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Sure thing Ivan.

  16. Strife by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    From what I've been hearing Russian operations have been more to sow strife than to support either candidate. But don't trust me on that research it yourself.

  17. Re: How about CAIR? Chinese influence? by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    I'm for free speech, unsure about Net Neutrality, but don't consider myself on the traditional right moderate left line. I am a Pirate Ninja Zombie!

  18. Re: Google is qualifed to investigate a competito by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    You're just jealous that they outsmart you.

  19. Re: Google is qualifed to investigate a competito by saloomy · · Score: 1

    What I keep wondering is.... is this truely illegal? I can say anything I want.... âoeHillary Clinton used to be a man, and had gender reassignment surgery! Donâ(TM)t vote for her.â and that would be completely within my rights thanks to the first ammendmant.

    Iâ(TM)m free to say whatever I want. Now advertising.... that is just paying others to say it for you. But letâ(TM)s forget about that (for the moment). Letâ(TM)s assume Russia paid to advertise something online. Fine. Whatâ(TM)s the charge? Tampering with an election? No. They didnâ(TM)t. They didnâ(TM)t change peopleâ(TM)s vote? They changed peopleâ(TM)s mind. We donâ(TM)t get to decide what criteria people use to formulate their decision, or where they get their criteria. We only have the obligation to count the votes of those who are legally allowed to participate in the vote. So far, I havenâ(TM)t heard of anyone actually doing anything illegal. Shitty? Yes, but why are we investigating when we canâ(TM)t even identify the law that was broken?

    This is all just theatric, and with a president like Trump in the WH, the last thing we need is more theatrics. Stupid people watch the news, and believe what they are told. Other stupid people will read an ad, and believe what they are told.

    The only way you could have changed the outcome is to teach people critical thinking. Unfortunately, that doesnâ(TM)t seem to be happening.

  20. Re: Google is qualifed to investigate a competit by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    They managed to find their way here and into a job you seem to want.

  21. Re: Google is qualifed to investigate a competit by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    Look up the music video to "The World Is Not Enough" on You Tube. Carving it up, not building.

  22. Just to be clear... by dtmancom · · Score: 1

    There is a segment of American society that thinks:

    1. Illegal aliens should be allowed into the country in spite of there being laws against it.

    AND

    2. Foreigners shouldn't have free speech in America in spite of there being no laws against it.

    Seems to me the Russian goal of divide and conquer is working very well on that segment of society.

  23. Re: Google is qualifed to investigate a competito by rtb61 · · Score: 1

    So now every single IP in Russia is the Kremlin, every single one. No Russian individuals have IPs in Russia, no companies have IPs in Russian, no Foreign companies operating in Russia have IPs. Every single internet protocol address leads to KGB headquarters in Moscow controlled by Vladimir Putin himself personally, whilst he sits half naked astride a Kodiak bear, he needs no keyboard, he controls the entire internet more than Google, Twitter, Facebook, and all the other American media corporations and not to forget all those media stations in the rest of the world owned by US corporations, behold the power of Putin as he kicks all their asses, by the power of his mind alone.

    Just like NATO fears the Russia military with something like twenty times the funding of the Russian military (I know that's not really fair because the bulk of NATO military funding is stolen by corporate profits, so whilst they spend twenty times as much, they only get something like three or four times the military and a lot to that stuff doesn't work that well, because profits strip quality, reliability and durability and operational use of that equipment is demonstrating exactly how much usability corporate profits have stripped away, can't even hit the targets any more in the majority of instances).

    I think the US government has lost the plot entirely. You are meant to make them look powerful and evil, not just make yourself you pathetic, incompetent and corrupt. Obviously the corporations know full well they do not need to defend themselves from Russia or China, hence crap broken equipment with massive profit margins and a broken military (cruise missiles fall out of the sky, ships can't steer properly any more and run into things, they continually hit civilian families instead of the targets they are aiming at, their claim not mine and in the event of natural disasters the US military is completely and utterly incapable of assisting the public, simply too small and ineffective to be able to help).

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    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  24. Re:Russians helping the democrats so far by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    $100k? That's it?

    It might have been as much as $200,000!

    Seriously, though, the linked article is quite comprehensive (and long ... if the last 25% is awful, I don't know it yet).

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    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)