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How Facebook's Political Unit Enables the Dark Art of Digital Propaganda (bloomberg.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Under fire for Facebook Inc.'s role as a platform for political propaganda, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has punched back, saying his mission is above partisanship. "We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas," Zuckerberg wrote in September after President Donald Trump accused Facebook of bias. Zuckerberg's social network is a politically agnostic tool for its more than 2 billion users, he has said. But Facebook, it turns out, is no bystander in global politics. What he hasn't said is that his company actively works with political parties and leaders including those who use the platform to stifle opposition -- sometimes with the aid of "troll armies" that spread misinformation and extremist ideologies.

The initiative is run by a little-known Facebook global government and politics team that's neutral in that it works with nearly anyone seeking or securing power. The unit is led from Washington by Katie Harbath, a former Republican digital strategist who worked on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign. Since Facebook hired Harbath three years later, her team has traveled the globe helping political clients use the company's powerful digital tools. In some of the world's biggest democracies -- from India and Brazil to Germany and the U.K. -- the unit's employees have become de facto campaign workers. And once a candidate is elected, the company in some instances goes on to train government employees or provide technical assistance for live streams at official state events.

65 comments

  1. His mission is "above partisanship" by XXongo · · Score: 2

    His mission is "above partisanship" because, simply put, his "mission" is to make heaps and gobs of money by any and every means possible.

    1. Re:His mission is "above partisanship" by Glock9mm · · Score: 4, Insightful

      His mission is for power and wealth first, but ultimately he wants to push his ideas of what you should think, believe and do. His track record of extreme political bias and invasion of your privacy speaks for itself.

    2. Re:His mission is "above partisanship" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only thing worse than a rich, greedy, son of a bitch is a rich, greedy, son of a bitch who thinks he has the right to tell you what to think.

    3. Re:His mission is "above partisanship" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      conservative persecution complex

  2. Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas,"

    Translation:
    "Punch me. Punch me in my stupid, buzzword spewing head."

    1. Re: Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless you are Russian.

  3. How may reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How many reasons and examples do we need to see that FB is an out of control behemoth of global control and influence?
    Do we need anymore reasons to see that FB is wrong on so many levels.

    1. Re:How may reasons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  4. Less evil interpretation by Nidi62 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So....Facebook basically offers a service to organizations that will guide and train them to use features of Facebook. Don't a lot of large companies offer training services to users of their product(s)?

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    1. Re:Less evil interpretation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      So....Facebook basically offers a service to organizations that will guide and train them to use features of Facebook. Don't a lot of large companies offer training services to users of their product(s)?

      Leftists - Get in a snit over IBM selling punch card tabulators that wound up used by Nazis, but excuse any organization that leans "progressive" - even if it kills millions. Literally.

    2. Re:Less evil interpretation by geekmux · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So....Facebook basically offers a service to organizations that will guide and train them to use features of Facebook. Don't a lot of large companies offer training services to users of their product(s)?

      (Customer) "How does your product work?"

      (Facebook) "Your advertising will be seen by 2 billion idiots daily, the largest in the known universe. We specialize in viral manipulation of the masses. Fact-checking is optional."

      (Customer) "I believe a blank check is too slow. Here's my bank routing number, account number, and password. Take whatever you need."

      Evil is subjective, but when revenue is all that matters, ethics goes out the fucking window.

    3. Re:Less evil interpretation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      God, have AC trolls become boring... *yawn*

    4. Re:Less evil interpretation by jbmartin6 · · Score: 1

      Yes, there is a lot of "some" and "sometimes" in the article. In other words, they try to stay neutral. Sometimes their users are morally questionable. Since Jesus isn't on Earth anymore, we have to assume that means all of the users are morally questionable.

      --
      This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
    5. Re: Less evil interpretation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the muh poltical spectrum is universal stupidity is especially pitiful

    6. Re:Less evil interpretation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, plus they hire campaign workers and give them special access to internal Facebook tools/processes to better distribute their message. Plus they manipulate the ads and special notices that go out to users (without telling anyone that this is occurring).

      According to the article, these Facebook-campaign cooperation programs helped push several fake news articles in India that led directly to mob riots that killed seven people, FFS.

      Facebook is evil. Pretty much everyone knew it before, but this is proof. Kill it now, before it is too late!

  5. Zuckerberg has lied since day one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...when he uttered the words, "look what I created!"

  6. I loathe facebook but.. by the_skywise · · Score: 2

    the unit's employees have become de facto campaign workers. And once a candidate is elected, the company in some instances goes on to train government employees or provide technical assistance for live streams at official state events.

    Any communications company, be it Facebook or TimeWarner or even printing companies that have to act as service agents for the campaign (here's how you get the message on our system) are going to become de-facto campaign workers. Broadcast companies in the US do this to a certain extent as well as part of advertising campaigns but that's a little fuzzier when they're both reporting the news of the candidate on one hand and taking the money from the political candidate with the other. Which is why there are laws about how those relationships work. Is Facebook considered a :"news generator" though that they'd breach that line? Sure they curate the news to a certain extent but is that the same thing?

    The latter statement doesn't seem to be a major issue at all. Unless facebook refuses to train government employees if the opposition won... That seems to me just part of doing business.

    1. Re:I loathe facebook but.. by thoughtlover · · Score: 1

      Any communications company, be it Facebook or TimeWarner or even...

      **gasp** /.

      I've rarely had a need to say anything disparaging about our beloved Slashdot, but was interested when I couldn't tag a story with the word 'fascism'.

      --
      No sig for you! Come back one year!
  7. True 100% net neutrality would solve this problem. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Net neutrality has been a big issue lately. But the problem is that the 2015 approach to "net neutrality" that is being promoted is limited to only the bottom 3 of the 7 layers of the OSI model. That's only about 43% of the layers!

    So while neutrality is being forced on the providers of the physical telecom infrastructure, those organizations offering communication services on top of this physical infrastructure resist the idea of themselves having to act in a neutral manner regarding the comments, submissions and users communicating via their communication platforms.

    What we need is 100% net neutrality that extends from layer 1 of the OSI model up to layer 7.

    That means there would be neutrality at the Network layer, when it comes to packets. It would also mean that there'd be neutrality at the Application layer, as well, where we classify social media platforms.

    This in turn means that social media platforms would not be allowed to delete, hide or censor any comments/articles/submissions that are legal. Likewise, they would not be allowed to ban, shadow-ban, or censor users who aren't violating any laws.

    A social media discussion platform shouldn't be treated any differently than a physical Internet connection. The expectations are the same for both: content is put into the network, and it's expected to reach any and all destinations without any special consideration or treatment from the service provider(s) involved.

    Just as ISPs should be neutral conduits for moving data from one computer to another, social media platforms should be neutral conduits for moving ideas from one user to another.

    We do need net neutrality. But we need real net neutrality that covers 100% of the OSI model, not this flawed 2015 approach that only covers the bottom 43%, while leaving the top layers vulnerable to partiality and censorship.

  8. Wait until he runs... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's planning to run for President.

    Just watch in a few years when he manipulates things to make it look like everyone thinks he's the greatest.

    1. Re:Wait until he runs... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's a Jew; he won't get elected.

    2. Re:Wait until he runs... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's a Jew; he won't get elected.

      You seem to forget how the last idiot became the US President; he bought it by funding his own election.

      And needless to say, there's no shortage of fucking money coming from Zuck. At this rate, he'll be running against a Kardashian.

    3. Re: Wait until he runs... by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      Zuckerberg is a cartoonish villain. He's one of the few people in America who's more widely hated than Hillary Clinton. The only way he can win an election is through outright fraud.

  9. Re:Ultimate knockout punch to ZionistSuckerberg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Take your copy pasta trash and fuck off lying Nazi shill.
    While I dislike Israel, Im not anti semetic.

  10. US has NO RIGHT to complain about Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    meddling in election. You just got caught doing it ALL OVER THE WORLD.

    1. Re:US has NO RIGHT to complain about Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You clearly don't know how US and other, non-authoritarian countries are organized in terms of corporations and the government. Ignorance is a bliss in this case, isn't it?

    2. Re: US has NO RIGHT to complain about Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hahahahahahahaha - you think the US gubmint is non-authoritarian! That's rich!

  11. The Translation of Greed by geekmux · · Score: 1

    "The initiative is run by a little-known Facebook global government and politics team that's neutral in that it works with nearly anyone seeking or securing power."

    Translation: We're as biased as a drug dealer. We'll take money from anyone and everyone, because revenue is all that matters.

    Needless to say the government that runs on that capitalism wouldn't dare interfere. They recognize the hand that feeds them.

    1. Re:The Translation of Greed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All governments run on capitalism. In DC it is political capital.

  12. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by geekmux · · Score: 2

    What we need is 100% net neutrality that extends from layer 1 of the OSI model up to layer 7.

    That means there would be neutrality at the Network layer, when it comes to packets. It would also mean that there'd be neutrality at the Application layer, as well, where we classify social media platforms.

    I classify all social media platforms equally just fine now. They're nothing more than portals that feed the look-at-me generation of social media junkies addicted to narcissism. I wouldn't dare consider them a "news" outlet by any means. Intelligent people understand this, and do not need more regulation.

    Besides, only 0.001% of society would even be able to grasp what the fuck you're talking about as you petition for "Application-layer Net Neutrality". Championing that would fall on deaf and dumb ears.

  13. Re:Ultimate knockout punch to ZionistSuckerberg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm not racist, I just hate black people.

  14. Hit Zuckerborg Where It Hurts by DatbeDank · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If everyone were to download adblock plus and use it, companies like Facebook wouldn't have the power that they think they have.

    Same goes for every other company whose lifeblood is advertising. Stop giving them attention and block their crap.

  15. Facebook, politics, proll-feed . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Facebook delenda est

  16. Re: Ultimate knockout punch to ZionistSuckerberg by Type44Q · · Score: 1

    Zionists aren't anti-Semitic; they just hate Arabs.

  17. Facebook is an ad company by Botnet-of-People · · Score: 1

    Yes, and its best selling product, besides its moonshots and occasional forays into hardware and social work, is its users. Just like that other big ad company that we use to find those Face-less other things on the Net.

  18. Censorship is necessary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... become de facto campaign workers.

    That's not being the messenger or being the trainer, it's picking sides.

    ... who use the platform to stifle opposition ...

    Censorship is necessary but as its vocal opponents fear, it's often, and quickly, diverted from protecting the people to protecting the powerful. It's inconceivable that we can hold the bureaucrats who take our money at gunpoint, the government, accountable but not the corporations who take our privacy. That is the reality of modern society filled with 'free' products. How do we change that?

    1. Re:Censorship is necessary by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      AC Re "How do we change that?"

      Good people are creating new products and services away from the party political SJW of the existing social media brands.

      Services that support the freedom of speech and allow for freedom after speech.

      No account bans for party political reasons.
      No reporting users to their governments for talking about politics.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  19. Facebook evenhandedly by hey! · · Score: 1

    brings out the worst in everyone.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  20. Re: B-b-b-but RUSSIA!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know. Had there been anything remotely similar to Hillary found on Trump, they would have already announced it.

  21. No voice for all people by nyri · · Score: 1

    "We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas."

    This is a blatant lie. Facebook is making concentrated effort to silence ideas that they consider aboninations. The usual suspects are to be expected. That is to say, you only need to see what ideas liberals are opposing for virtue signaling purposes. Like idea that there are two sexes or the idea that transsexuality, or gender dysphoria in medical terms, is a form of mental illness.

    1. Re:No voice for all people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So... tinfoil hat and comment that would be thought provoking if not for the obvious paranoia behind the examples used. Thanks :l

  22. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by lucasnate1 · · Score: 2

    Are social networks as much as a necessity as ISPs? Would this also be a requirement for social networks designed for specific political groups? For small,forums of 30 people?

  23. Re: Ultimate knockout punch to ZionistSuckerberg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Solly Bosco can't just kick Juboiz around ! Any reasonable Scottsman hates Arab/Muzzi-wogs as retro 13-th Century savages. Each and every one !! Any reasonable Christian condemns ( and has condemned ) Jews as Christ-killaz ! But, any Aryan doubly condemns Semites for assigning (predicating) law before culture ... an ansatz serving as damnable source of most modern tyranny yet often inferior-by-efficiency in justice to a wandering, myopic yet creative warlord cult.

  24. Record Label Name FACEBOOK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    HO HO HO MARY CHRISTMAS
    UMG is behind facebook so here's how it breaks down
    Lady Gaga and Elton John get to stay on Universal, because if they really believed,

    "Universal -- home to some of the biggest names in music from The Beatles to Elton John and Lady Gaga -- billed the agreement as its latest success in securing more revenue from songs in an age of round-the-clock Internet sharing." -yahoo

    then they would insist on signing their new label contracts with FACEBOOK. But you don't see "Lady Gaga on Facebook Records" (show me)
    Now Trust me, you don't want your album art to have that ugly boycotted police state "F"

    it's nearly as embarrasing as it is hysterical and jinxed
    Your a band, you just need a UPC label wrapping plastic parts. A promotion video every so often. Someone arranging venues.

    Why not move along?!

    Should you want to STICK with UMG, You want to be "cool" an have a "UMG" without the BMG and ASCAP, yes producers will need to PAY UMG (1000's, is umg still cool?) to use your stupid music vid, but if your no good, your going to be a caged animal wearing bedbug'd hotel sheets, producers won't want to interview your stinky butt, meanwhile Elton John, and Lady Gaga remain PILLARS OF UMG. It's what gives the label it's secret power. They are the special sauce. Don't be mad these are forces of nature. I have my differences with UMG but I can be adult about it.

    Now granted if your a talented soul, UMG has muscle to make you an over the top #1 video. But if your not this facebook frontman... then your part of facebook's psychological police state experiment. nevermind, your still part of the experiment.

    Century Media's nice, got deth metal?

  25. Facebook must die by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    Facebook is a cancer on the world and the internet.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  26. Ultimate knockout punch to Zionist Suckerberg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jews believe this of all they call goyim/gentiles (non-jews): Jews = biggest racists of all (which they "jew guilt" you for no less! They're hypocrites known as thieves all thru history or were Argentines in the 1940 under Perrone, Spanish inquistion, France (1306), Egypt (despoiled/robbed by jews), Arabs (pre & post 1948), England (1330 Edward longshanks), Romans under titus, Russia pogroms and Germany who got rid of them from their nations nazi german's too? No. Driven into DESERTS ages ago! Don't wonder why after all those exilings above. Should anyone doubt any of this see Jacob Javits' crony Rosenthal spill the beans on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4zMVZ8HnFI/ where he called all Christianity fools for helping Israel and the biggest scam of all time per their beliefs below from their Talmud. This is the province of the synagogue of Satan (Khazar/Pharisees whom Jesus Christ himself kicked to the curb out of the temple & they killed him for it. Jeremiah did the same to them also + the Essenes could not stand them either breaking away from the pharisee corruption):

    Barbara Spectre, a jew, tells everyone it's jews orchestrating the muslim migrant problem in Europe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFE0qAiofMQ/ . No migrant raping of women in Poland. Tons in Sweden. Do the math. Use common-sense. This is to get muslims and other goyim/gentiles to wipe one another out as incompatible cultures that will clash and always have.

    George Soros who funds groups to create division in the USA?? A jew. One who sold his own jew people into death for the nazis. Zucker @ CNN is another frying publicly for lying about "russians" and John Bonifield a producer @ CNN said it is bs. Van Jones did also.

    What World-famous Men have said About the Jews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MYPzKNQUE0/

    Harvey Weinstein the sexual predator tops it all off.

    There are 4 types of people who call themselves Jews:

    1. True Torah Jews = Descendants of Prophet Jacob-Israel (Jacobites or Israelites) (about 5%-10% of all Jews)

    2. Khazarian or Ashkenazi Jews: these are the descendants of a Turkic idol/phallic worshiping tribe who migrated to Russia in the 7th Century A.C. and whose nobility converted to Judaism in the 8th Century A.C. and now inhabit mostly Europe. (about 90%-95% of all Jews)

    3. Sephardic Jews = Persian descent.

    4. Zionist Jews: these are the ones from the 2 above who are pretending to be Jews for political reasons but whoâ(TM)re are actually Illuminists-Luciferian-Masonic-Satanists as Harold Wallace Rosenthal admits in this interview.

    They are led by the neo-Pharisees (occult-priest-banklords). They want to establish a Zionist Luciferian state from the Nile to the Euphrates from where they plan to rule the Earth. The new Israeli Supreme Court funded by the Rothschilds Banklords is full of Masonic Symbols, just like the B.I.S. Bank of International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, which is the Mother of All Private Central Banks.

    The hexagram symbol on the Israeli flag is the ancient Star of Moloch, a Satanic-Baal deity to which people were sacrificed. There is no such thing as a Star of David which the modern Jews have been fooled into believing; however, the True Torah Jews are not fooled by the Zionists Illuminatis and you can visit their websites for more info .

    1. Sanhedrin 59a: "Murdering Goyim is like killing a wild animal."

    2. Abodah Zara 26b: "Even the best of the Gentiles should be killed."

    3. Sanhedrin 59a: "A goy (Gentile) who pries into The Law (Talmud) is guilty of death."

    4. Yebhamoth 11b: "Sexual intercourse with a little girl is permitted if she is three years of age."

    5. Schabouth Hag. 6d: "Jews may swear falsely by use of subterfuge wording."

    6. Hilkkoth Akum X1: "Do not save Goyim in danger of death."

    7. Hilkkoth Ak

  27. Re: Ultimate knockout punch to Zionist Suckerberg by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

    How much does Facebook's public relations firm pay you to disrupt discussion of Facebook's perfidy by posting this annoying, racist wallotext?

  28. Processed Voice of the People by spiritwave · · Score: 1

    "We hope to give all people a voice and create a platform for all ideas"... and process them (including censor them) through our Facebook algorithm for selfish reasons.

    No thank you, Zucker.

    --
    Sines of Impending Sines
  29. Window? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'll take the non-fucking window then, thankyou :-)

    (Basically I agree. This bunch of sociopaths is what I think the jails should be for).

  30. Re:Ultimate knockout punch to ZionistZuckerberg by slashrio · · Score: 1

    So hard that I wonder where it's coming from.
    Citations needed.

    --
    "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  31. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

    Are social networks as much as a necessity as ISPs?

    As necessary, no. But are you saying that opting out doesn't impose costs, both social and professional?

    Are social networks as much as a necessity as ISPs?

    I think the NN rules required 50k or 100k users to be effected.

    --
    Your ad here. Ask me how!
  32. Addons=inferior/inefficient/faulty vs. hosts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hosts protect when addons can't (or as well):

    Bad sites (past ads)
    Botnet C&Cs
    DNS down/poisoned
    Trackers (dns logs/ads/transparent ISP proxy)
    Dns blocks
    Spam/phish payload
    Slowdown 2 ways: adblocks & hardcodes
    Hosts = Ez edit.

    AB+ 151mb https://www.google.com/search?q=Adblock+memory+consumption&btnG=Search&hl=en&gbv=1/

    UBlock 64MB https://www.google.com/search?q=UBlock+memory+consumption&btnG=Search&hl=en&gbv=1/

    Hosts~6mb

    Addons = ClarityRay defeatable & crippled http://www.businessinsider.com/google-microsoft-amazon-taboola-pay-adblock-plus-to-stop-blocking-their-ads-2015-2/

    NoScript tag parses. Hosts block script prior to it!

    No 1 addon does as much.

    Stacked addons slowup.

    ADDONS = EXPLOITABLE https://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11166303&cid=55266729/

    APK

    P.S.=> APK Hosts File Engine 10++ 32/64-bit https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=%22APK+Hosts+File+Engine%22+and+%22start64%22&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=1/

  33. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by lucasnate1 · · Score: 1

    I believe that government should guarantee our health and communication needs, not our online social needs. Regarding professional, I admit that i live in a country where you can get a good job without fb. I heard it is different in the US.

  34. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

    Yeah, FB seems to have (in the US) moved more into the communication than social bucket. As in, some people only communicate via FB (not even by the fucking phone they have in their hand they use to check FB).

    At any rate, the US government clearly disagrees, so I'm looking forward to the health care system imploding now that Obamacare is set to go away in 2019.

    --
    Your ad here. Ask me how!
  35. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by lucasnate1 · · Score: 1

    I am curious, why do you think FB has become so dominant in the US? In Israel FB is considered something for communication between friends, the only people who use it professionally are artists and professional content writers. When I spent some time in Berlin I saw that they use it even less, using facebook mostly for publishing events and photos of themselves, communicating via whatsapp or phones. Can you explain what makes the US special in this regard?

  36. Re:True 100% net neutrality would solve this probl by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

    Well, as a corollary to your Berlin experience: thanks to unlimited texting, WhatsApp has almost 0 penetration in the US.

    As to why people in the US use FB... I actually have no idea. I suppose partly its that it started here? And also that news media pushes FB/Twitter involvement (now Instagram as well) as a way to seem cool and hip. Which in turn makes it cool and hip. (I mean, the "Twitter Revolution" is what they called the democracy rallies in Iran, and I think post analysis showed only like 10-20 people in Iran were on Twitter, the rest were Americans pretending to be Iranian.)

    But it could also be an accident. Orkut was popular in... Brazil I think. Because it was popular in Brazil, it became more popular in Brazil. It's a feedback loop. Maybe it just was popular because it is popular?

    But it falls into the strange world of things I never understood why people would get involved in. It seems strange to give a for-profit corporation complete control of your life, the right to read all your messages, and track your phone.

    --
    Your ad here. Ask me how!
  37. 'Above partisanship' simply means... by sydbarrett74 · · Score: 1

    ...work for the one paying the most money. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

    --
    'He who has to break a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom.' -- Gandalf to Saruman