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Facebook, Twitter and Google Berated by Senators on Russia (bbc.com)
From a BBC report: Russian operatives, likely working from St Petersburg, provoked angry Americans to take to the streets, a US Senate committee heard on Wednesday. The May 2016 protest, arranged by a group named Heart of Texas, was one example of Kremlin-backed efforts to destabilise the American electoral process. Lawyers for three technology companies -- Facebook, Twitter and Google -- were told they were grossly underestimating the scale of the problem. "You just don't get it," said California Senator Dianne Feinstein. "What we're talking about is a cataclysmic change. What we're talking about is the beginning of cyber-warfare." She added: "We are not going to go away, gentlemen. This is a very big deal." [...] Several senators suggested that more hearings and consultation would be needed, expressing their frustration that the companies were not being represented by higher-ranking executives. "I'm disappointed that you're here, and not your CEOs," said independent senator Angus King. From a FastCompany report: Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) had one specific and simple question for Facebook's Colin Stretch. He wanted to know about 30,000 fake accounts Facebook discovered earlier this year that were trying to influence the French election. At the time, Facebook bragged that it was able to discover these accounts and swiftly took them down. Warner wanted to know if Facebook, after discovering these accounts, cross-checked to see if these same accounts also tried to tamper with the U.S. election. "Your leadership bragged about how proactively you were in the French election process," said Warner, "Did you check those accounts [with the U.S. election]?" Stretch couldn't give a straight answer. "The system that ran to take down those accounts -- which were fake accounts of all type and any purpose -- is now active worldwide," he said. Warner wasn't amused. "Just answer my question," he said. "Have you reviewed the accounts you took down in France that were Russian-related to see if they played any role in the American election?" Once again, Facebook couldn't answer.
All these silicon valley people skewing things around to help Trump!
I'm sure the celebrities and college professors are right behind the tech firms.
Facebook, Twitter and Google Berated by Senators on Russia
Took a bit to parse this.
Logically it feels more like the subjects are just swapped. "Russia Berated by Senators on Facebook, Twitter, and Google"
Then it looks like the senators that are doing the berating are Russian.
It would need to read something like, "Senators berate Facebook, Twitter, and Google on Russian Interference"
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I'm confused. They got MORE Americans to get out and vote. That's practically the holy grail of democratic elections. In a country that historically has dismal voter turnout!
Or are we all just pissed that the 'wrong' people voted? Maybe next time the 'right' people can get out and vote instead...
.. i'm sure they can see and understand the evidence a whole lot better than Feinstein.
Who secured that deal?
Why would any top Silicon Valley CEO waste a day being lectured by the incompetents in Washington, D.C.? Even a lower executive is too much. Next time they should send the summer interns to just take notes and deposit them to the suggestion box (read : trash can) on the way out.
"I'm disappointed that you're here, and not your CEOs," said independent senator Angus King. "If we go through this exercise again we should appreciate seeing the top people."
They are not there to be berated. They are there to testify. Congress has the authority to subpoena people to answer questions. Congress does not have the authority to force people to appear before them and get yelled at.
I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
Did "Russian" propaganda compel YOU to vote for Trump?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Who is the US government to say who a private company takes business from? The Citizen's United verdict states that money is free speech, and thus is protected by the 1A, even if it may be a foreign government.
Looks like the luddites are witching the tech companies out of spite.
That's a nice company you've got there, sure would be a shame if something happened to it...
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
That they are agents of different state, while always being agents of a fascist state.
Epic Fail.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
They can berate all they want. They can't get any meaningful legislation through. This is all just deck chairs on the Titanic. Meanwhile the Republicans are 3 seats away from holding a Constitutional Convention. That should end well.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
here's the deal: Would any of these Democrats care about Russian influence if Hilary had won due to it? I mean, no one cared back in the 90's when China was buying the Clintons the White House.
Contempt of Congress is a dangerous game that threatens millions of dollars in lobbying and hundreds of lobbyist jobs. After all, we're just a few short votes from requiring that every US corporation store all of its data in the United States, breaking transnationals apart left and right.
"provoked angry Americans to take to the streets"? How? By exposing what the Democrats have been doing?
If the people are that easy to "provoke", then obviously there is something there to provoke them. Something more than a Facebook post. This is another example of the Democrats looking for an exterior reason for why their continuing indulgence in identity politics is not working for them. If you don't want Russia (or Israel) to have such an easy time "manipulating" elections, stop making it so easy for them.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
Yes. They really should say, "You don't get it! The internet is a GLOBAL network, that fortunately you don't get to control."
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
This was just a bunch of grandstanding and none of it will go anywhere, too easily to run into 1st amendment issues.
So the Russians basically whipped up already very angry and divided Americans. Much of this can be attributed to our paralyzed and ineffective Senate and law makers in general. I imagine these tactics would have been much less successful if you didn't already have such an angry populace. They need to take some of the blame and not just point fingers at others.
I'm not sure what was more fun to watch; a bunch of old dummies asking useless questions or highly paid corporate lawyers squirm in their chairs.
Strangely enough twitter can't tell how fat its users are! And -of course- only US dollars can be the trusted source of meme funding. Don't forget to text your votes to #5555!
Ahh good times, good times...
Check it out, a politician is demanding that a citizen give a straight answer!
So if some site in Russia is posting divisive crap to try to manipulate American opinions, that's bad. But if some idiot in Boulder creates an opaque network of sites posting divisive crap to drive ad revenue, well that's just fine?
Some tools are just tools, and you need to look at the users to figure out if the tool is being used badly. The tools in question are DESIGNED to divide us and influence us to do things we wouldn't choose to do if we actually thought about it. Russia having access to these tools is a relatively minor problem in the overall scheme of things, but I guess it's easier to blame Russia, throw in some stupid "fixes" which don't address the underlying problem, and claim victory.
That's a nice office you've been elected into, sure would be a shame if a corporation with more money than you can comprehend decides to buy the next election for your competitor.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein said: Nothing of value.
When in danger
When in doubt
Run in circles
Scream and shout
Doesn't change the fact that Moscow Donald is protecting Russia, not America...
Have you reviewed the accounts you took down ...
So, taken-down Russian accounts can still post fake news? Or, Feinstein (and friend) is yelling "Danger, US voter, Danger" again. Her involvement almost proves it's not important.
No, that involves deliberate damage of data on a computer. Making a bunch of dumb yanks think there's a child prostitution business under a pizza shop is social engineering, or plain ol' propaganda.
The creators of Heart of Texas not only targeted the sociopolitical tensions within the United States. They also exploited our gullibility, which turned out to be far greater than I could have ever imagined. And by assisting them in this massive lie, Facebook has enabled one of the greatest frauds in recent American history.
-- Washington Post
Don't blame Americans for a lack of cultural unity, don't blame Americans for their small-minded gullibility, blame Facebook for "enabling". Alas, the problem with teaching the villagers to scream "witch", is the Salem witch trials.
Facebook also enabled stories from Clinton, Trump and Fox News, but that shit don't get a mention because it was made in the USA.
Overall it seems to cause more problems than the alleged 'benefits' it provides. Twitter, Facebook, etc, please just die.
Two words speak louder than anything. Google, Facebook and Twitter get it. They did it for the Ad Revenue. Plan and simple. The online advertising industry is wild wild west and it is a joke. Anything can be stated without any facts as long as you pay for the ad campaign.
Realistically you're there to sit and take whatever they say because otherwise they'll put your ass in a sling.
No. We're saying the British should not have been running psy-ops on Americans in order to influence elections and destabilize our political system. Which the British weren't. So that's good.
Unfortunately yes Congress does have that power. Yelled at and worse.
Do you need more Salve for you Buttocks?
See Kevin Spacey
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
You are delusional and need psychiatric help. You practice the same thing that delusional, paranoid schizophrenic, and religious people do, namely unshakable belief without any proof. You don't even express faith, as you have no doubts at all, which means you have no faith.
You are just stuck, like a broken clock. It is unfortunate you possess a human brain. With all of that certainty you don't even get to use any of it. It would be much easier to simulate your rigid experience of reality with matchsticks and marbles. No synapses necessary!
When the only tool you have is a claw hammer every problem starts to look like the back of someone's skull.
That's how the world SHOULD work. But not how it does.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
No, I just need to stand up for my country against all the traitors who deflect and lie as she is attacked by a hostile foreign adversary.
So in other words you absorbed and spread Russian propaganda as an unwitting tool of the KGB.
Well the issue at hand is that it was assumed that the vast majority of US citizens were good people who generally did not desire the total destruction of the country followed shortly by the world and possibly the entire planet through global thermonuclear war. Unfortunately, baked into this admittedly possibly naive but up until recently provably true assumption was the additional and quite fatal assumption that hostile foreign entities weren't participating in the conversation at all so it didn't need to be validated or secured in any real way from such a threat.
I think if you were to call the GP "poopyhead", that would really make your argument airtight. BTW, just what is the point that you are making?
Realistically you're there to sit and take whatever they say because otherwise they'll put your ass in a sling.
Realistically if it were me I would simply smile and walk out. Oh, you mean they will hold me in contempt of congress? Let's see how that will pan out in front of the supreme court
Congress has the right to subpoena anyone to answer questions that are important to pending legislation. Congress does (or individual senators/representatives do) not have a right to force me to listen to their political speeches or campaigning. That is not the intent of Congress' right to subpoena. Doing so would violate my civil rights and the supreme court, however much they like to stay out of Congress' business, will be quick to recognize that.
They can ask questions, listen to my answers, and then create, amend or abolish laws. That's what they're there for. Which, funnily enough, is the one thing they have been doing a piss-poor job at lately, dems and reps.
I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
The 2016 election is a massive data point against the assumption that companies can just "buy" an election. All the corporate interests were aligned with Clinton. She raised and spent twice as much as Trump. All after Trump beat out better finances candidates in the GOP primary.
Posting as AC again Hillary?
I do hope you realise that you're addressing a bunch of ideologists and opportunists who frequently name their companies, kids, projects, etc., after Ayn Rand and titles and characters from her novels. They don't believe in big gubbermint, except for a source of very lucrative contracts, and so really don't believe they have to listen to you. Freeze their big gubbermint contracts and then ask them your questions. You'll get a much more sincere response from them then. Then again, they may just turn around and tell you to pry their computer keyboards from their cold dead hands :P
Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
Remember all those who called Obama a traitor?
Remember all those who called Bush a traitor?
Remember all those who called Clinton a traitor?
Remember all those who called Bush a traitor?
Remember all those who called Reagan a traitor?
Remember all those who called Carter a traitor?
Yeah, you are one of those people.
Forget his useless point, we must take to the streets! Let our anger be heard, fellow American.
If you're subpoena'd to appear yes, your ass will sit and not speak while you are being lectured for as long or as many days as they want to drag it out. They do have the power to have you arrested and held until you agree to testify, yes they sure as hell do. They would never use it except in extremely unifying circumstances.
You could try to get the attention of SCOTUS after the fact, sure. Good luck with that, they drop any challenge they don't want to touch like it doesn't exist.
And then it doesn't.
Creimer, you illiterate ameba,
My first name is: Lill
My last name is: Yayako
You definitely have to get your meds input regulated. You are furtherly loosing it as we speak, just as Silvia Bunge and Nancy Guerrero have mentioned here.
Creimer lives in the imaginary world of mangas. That's why he thought that Ayako was more common than Yayako.
---
Silvia Bunge
Psychology Department
University of California, Berkeley
I don't believe any of those folks were working with Russian criminals to get elected. Or at least I hadn't heard anything about it.
How out of touch are the Senators that they think having the CEO come talk with them would be of any real value? They're clueless of how business works. It's best to have the actual experts come and give answers than the CEO. Do they want actual information or just a dog and pony show?
Team Creimer appreciates the free advertising that you provided with extra mod points and 30+ comments today. Keep up the great work!
Hillary? Is that you?
We found you chris.Tread lightly
Chris.
Or not show up to the summons at all, much like what Bryan Pagliano did. The House did hold a vote whether or not to hold him in contempt, which failed to pass, where the partisan hacks gave up all the excuses why he should be allowed to flip Congress the bird. It'd be amusing to see those same excuses tossed back into their faces.
I have noted that Chris uses child psychology to convince his so called trolls to give up by pretending they just give him free publicity. That's adoring! ;-)
Anyway, Chris would have a hard time to learn anything above child level matters, including psychology.
https://childdevelopmentinfo.c...
---
Silvia Bunge
Psychology Department
University of California, Berkeley
If you're subpoena'd to appear yes, your ass will sit and not speak while you are being lectured for as long or as many days as they want to drag it out. They do have the power to have you arrested and held until you agree to testify, yes they sure as hell do.
See, you contradict yourself. I will have no problem agreeing to testify. Testifying is a matter of them asking questions, and my answering them to the best of my ability.
Testifying does not include being lectured to like I'm a toddler that stole a cookie. Unless I break the law, or congress needs my input in developing legislation, congress has no business summoning me, let alone arrest me. If they do, they are the state-mandated terrorists, for depriving me of my liberty without a just cause. A just cause does not include some dumb-ass politician that got elected on a bunch of lies that needs ears to spread her propaganda to.
I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
If they were able to create this much division with that little money, maybe these morons-on-the-hill should be looking at their own actions. As far as I can tell, this is the readily predictable end-result of focusing on identity politics (both sides), but there's no introspection going on at all. It's like you have to be pathologically incapable of self-reflection and accepting blame to rise to this level of politics.
A fat man sees Lilly everywhere
he doesn't need help though
His name is Chris
We found you chris.Tread lightly
Chris.
Seriously, Lilly? Creimer has been in business for 10+ years and has public documents at the city, county, state and federal levels. The background investigative file for his security clearance got stolen by the Chinese. Hackers from who knows where got his credit report from Eqiufax. He's been on the Internet for 20+ years and wrote 12,000+ comments on Slashdot. This information broker has nothing that no one else already has.
If you post the floor plan for his apartment, be sure to get the right one. That wrong floor plan pisses him off.
I'm amazed how they all earn BILLIONS yet I don't pay them.
I give them my information for free.
Why?
Ummm, I dunno, maybe that supporting an unwavering, unchanging story that came out before any investigations were done is incredibly naive, even delusional?
The fact that no facts were known, but that every factoid that is revealed fits the story perfectly in some people's minds is uncanny to the point that it is unrealistic. The facts keep changing, but the story and what the facts mean keep staying the same. That's delusional.
The only other choice is it's intentional. A story repeated so often becomes the justification of an investigation and everything learned from the investigation is somehow definitive proof of the story. Don't bite the hand that feeds, I guess.
Personally, all I can think of is "Methinks thou dost protest too much" when it comes to this subject. Since before any evidence we have heard the same thing from the same people. When I am force fed something like this I always look at it with scrutiny and objectivity. Drinking the kool-aid is a great way to allude to what happens to people who can't think for themselves. They are used for someone else's purposes and then left for dead. Sorry, I won't be that guy. I would prefer others were as circumspect, but alas, too many fanbois.
You can spin this into "He's a Trump supporter" if you like. It would be an intentional lie on your part and the accusation would be a small price to pay for me to learn exactly who I am dealing with. If you want to know the facts, it is simply this: I don't trust our government leaders, their hanger's on in the politico-sphere, the media pundits, or anyone else who has been trying to sell me this story for months now. I don't even trust the ones that haven't been trying to sell this story. I mistrust and pity anyone who has bought into this as wholeheartedly as ye olde AC has. They are obviously compromised in either their integrity, their mental capacities, or both.
When someone is so easily programmed by voices from a box (pick one: their TV, their computer, their phone) to spout other people's propaganda, it is also easy to visualize their mental processes as a simple mechanism rather than an emergent phenomena demonstrating the infinite complexity capable of the human mind. They don't seem to be aware of the fact they have awareness, or possessing the knowledge that they can observe themselves during their observation of themselves observing something. They merely parrot and regurgitate on command. No synapses necessary...
When the only tool you have is a claw hammer every problem starts to look like the back of someone's skull.
A fat man has an overactive imagination
it's all public, China not required
His name is Chris
Just remember a few things ... Hillary approved a sale that gave the Russian government control over 20% of America's uranium, and nearly 100% of Kazakhstans, and a good chunk elsewhere from Australia to Africa. RosAtom essentially is the world's source for quantities of Uranium. And received related 145 million in "donations" to the Clinton Foundation. The Donald has not been shown to be in collusion with the russians by any agency. Comey said he wasn't, and the only intelligence agency comment with any implications was one US agency saying he might be in collusion, and that was then copied to 26 other agencies statements under Obama with zero fact checking. br>
...
And most importantly, the demographics of the liberals that took to the streets are also the pro gun control demographics, so the Trump (and rule of law BTW) supporters, the ones that support a constitutional process to look at the problem, they line up with the gun owner demographics.
Choose your battles wisely. just say'n
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
No mod points or I'd upvote. Yes, the liberals depend on The Big Lie tactic, and their sycophants rely on ad hominem attacks. The interesting thing about the Internet is you can do research and discover the roots of The Big Lies. Like the intelligence community opinions regards Trump and Russia being traceable to one agency, which other agencies under Obama then adopted without rigor. The Russians were involved, sure, Facebook, Google, Twitter and likely many more, took money for ads from Russian led groups. Early on a GOP primary group asked for a Russian group to prep a dossier on Trump's real estate dealings regards Russia, and Hillary took it up through the Democratic National Committee after Trump emerged the candidate. Russia prepared a fake incident with Trump and a Golden Shower act on a bed in a hotel where Obama stayed. They also prepared a sex tape with a black man and a Hillary look-a-like. So far the provable collusion lies with the DNC. You can't be an isolationist as president or president elect. Do recall Obama told the Russian president he could be more flexible after he won the election.
We know now that the likely chat in October was in regards to the Magnitsky Act on behalf a her client. Not about Hillary even though there was email to that effect it wasn't what the actual discussion concerned itself with.
Not to mention the greatest hypocrisy, that of the US government representatives meeting with all sides of elections in other countries.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
The democrats and their news organizations keep lipping Trump alongside election meddling and Russia. What they do not get is that no one cares. America is way past the Russian bogeyman shit. We want to get along with Russia, trade with Russia, and work with Russia. Fuck all this flag-waving bullshit and fear mongering that is being used to stoke fear so that we run to our government and the military-industrial complex for safety. It is sooooo old. My son and kids his age (15) see right through it, I yawn and long for the days when its over, and most people just straight don't give a rat's ass. Keep right along assholes--right along to irrelevancy.
I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
When Democrats win people are well informed. When Republicans win people were duped. Duh!?
Your implication is that only one choice is the "correct, informed" choice.
FUCK YOU CREIMER!
I'm really pleased that you've added my posts to your ball of copypasta. I'm slowly working my way through all his posts to compile a creimer wall of shame
I don't believe any of those folks were working with Russian criminals to get elected.
And neither was Moscow Don!
This isn't the work of Russian "criminals," but of Russian intelligence services.
I'm really pleased that you've added my posts to your ball of copypasta. I'm slowly working my way through all his posts to compile a creimer wall of shame
Team Creimer appreciates all the free advertising that you can provide. There's no such thing as bad advertising.
That IS the correct answer. Thanks for sharing!
These tools are not for the vast majority of Americans. They are for institutions to manipulate the public - that's what advertising is.
They are a bunch of liars.. who in order to misdirect the public, and provoking fear by hyping up what happens ACROSS THE WOLRD, BY EVERY COUNTRY.... ie.. the dark arts. The sad thing is the American public is dumb enough to fall for this shit.
You sound bitter, sweet tits.
1. Russia doesnâ(TM)t have a license to export uranium outside the United States,
So, Russiaâ(TM)s purchase of the company "had as much of an impact on national security as it would have if they set the money on fire," said Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute and former director at the New America Foundation, in an interview with PolitiFact last year. "Thatâ(TM)s probably why (CFIUS and the NRC) approved it." The sale was approved by multiple U.S. agencies.
Iâ(TM)m not sure thereâ(TM)s a meaningful difference in Russia
By that, it fails at being the United States of America.
A long talk needs to be had on this whole situation.
Also Feinstein is a fucking authoritarian cunt on the same level as many republicans, so I give fuck all about her opinion on this particular subject.
Both the Democrats and Republicans need a purge from their most incumbent Sentators to their least, with a VERY short list of exclusions, the most notable of which I can think of being Ron Wyden, one of the few senators who seems to consistently vote against the stupid shit congress tries to pass that is either pro-authoritarianism, pro-ip, or anti-freedom of the internet.
In order for America to survive the upcoming 'cyber warfare' as they say, we need to start raising a generation of free thinkers, not a bunch of mentally lazy toadies like we have since at least the 70s. I don't hold out much hope for the future in America however.
The interests of social media companies and the interests of politicians are divergent. What interests the public and the public interest are divergent. Very little of this is about the truth, it is about self interest.
What we are seeing is social media acting as a big multiplier of the Herman Chomsky media filters, aka group think.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
A fat man makes a joke
about as funny as User Friendly
His name is Chris
Your implication is that only one choice is the "correct, informed" choice.
Actually, no it isn't. I simply request that a rational argument be made by the voter in question. I don't have to agree with it. An *irrational vote* is as dangerous as flipping a coin.
There were rational arguments for all four major-ish candidates in the last cycle, IMO.
Hire a Linux system administrator, systems engineer,
I'm sure this is creimer doxing himself for sympathy.
Iâ(TM)m not sure thereâ(TM)s a meaningful difference in Russia
You might say that ... ;)
I just wanted to establish that Fancy Bear, if it is not directly housed within official intelligence offices and staffed, so to speak, by uniformed officers --the Kremlin might have wanted for the purposes of plausible deniability to keep this cadre at arms length -- is now clearly established to be at the very least an extension of Russian intelligence.
You rush to cram all the AlexJones talking points in, but won't answer a question