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Facebook VP of Ads Criticised For Tweeting that Russian-bought Ads Had Not Been Designed to Sway the US Election (bbc.com)

Facebook's vice-president of adverts has been criticised for tweeting that Russian-bought ads had not been designed to sway the US election. From a report: Rob Goldman's tweet was retweeted by President Donald Trump. His view contradicted special counsellor Robert Mueller's recent indictments, in which 13 Russians were charged with meddling in the election via social media and other means. Mr Goldman is reported to have apologised to Facebook staff. In a series of tweets, Mr Goldman said that Russia's misinformation activity had been designed to "divide America" but added that "the majority of the Russian ad spend [on Facebook] happened after the election." However according to the indictment, the ads were only part of Russia's activity on the social-media platform. In the document, Facebook is mentioned 35 times. According to Wired, he sent a message to staff that read: "I wanted to apologise for having tweeted my own view about Russian interference without having it reviewed by anyone internally. The tweets were my own personal view and not Facebook's. I conveyed my view poorly. The special counsel has far more information about what happened [than] I do -- so seeming to contradict his statements was a serious mistake on my part."

23 of 263 comments (clear)

  1. Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by Kunedog · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Stop trying to make excuses for the Democrats' horrible candidate who couldn't win even though the entire establishment was behind her.

    1. Re: Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by ScentCone · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So you disagree, but can't trouble yourself to explain why. Meaning, what ... you think that Russians buying a few tens of thousands of dollars of social media ads (compared to the tens of millions Hillary bought) cost her the election? Is that really what you think? Then say so.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    2. Re: Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by RedK · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The Russians actively prevented the Clinton campaign from going to Wisconssin.

      Let's face it, the Clinton campaign was built around the message of "It's all about her and being a woman president". They had no message, didn't bother even bringing their no message to most of America, and basically acted like they were owed the presidency. They got rejected and now are doing what they accused Trump supporters of when Hillary tweeted this :

      https://twitter.com/hillaryclinton/status/790612127996403712?lang=en

      Are the Democrats a threat to democracy with their #Resist and #NotmyPresident BS ? Bunch of hypocrites.

      --
      "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
      Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
    3. Re: Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Oh StinkyDome, you don't realize something do you? It doesn't matter whether or not they succeeded in doing anything, or even what their intent was, the mere attempt is criminal in itself. An unlawful act by parties who surreptitiously concealed their identities, who acted in the interests of a foreign power, and you pretend that it's not important. Right. Sure. Whatever you say.

      But go ahead, report back to your Russian masters that you've uselessly protested in their defense yet again, collect your shiny plastic ruble and your chocolate ration.

    4. Re: Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by Train0987 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "Ended up being nothing"? Classified emails sent to her illegal server and then deleted suddenly showed up on the laptop of a pedophile? I wouldn't call that "nothing".

    5. Re:Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by hey! · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Here's the thing about 2016 -- it was a very close thing. Just 1/2 of 1% of the turnout in three states (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin) would have flipped those states. That's 78,000 strategically based voters -- not even 1/10 of 1% of the total US votes cast -- and the Electoral College would have gone the other way.

      The flaw in nearly every 2016 postmortem analysis I've seen is that they all look for the explanation. It's a situation tailor made for advancing pet theories: an idea that has any truth at all in it can quite plausibly be claimed to have flipped the results.

      So you can't rule out Russian meddling by citing Clinton's (unquestioned) weaknesses as a candidate. They could *both* have been decisive.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    6. Re: Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Oh StinkyDome, you don't realize something do you? It doesn't matter whether or not they succeeded in doing anything, or even what their intent was, the mere attempt is criminal in itself. An unlawful act by parties who surreptitiously concealed their identities,...

      You mean just like Christopher Steele did?

      Foreign entity who tried to influence an election without registering as a foreign agent nor reporting to the FEC how much he was paid?

      I'm betting you don't have the balls to reply.

    7. Re:Clinton Lost Because of Clinton by HornWumpus · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You can't answer that question because you don't know the dirt that Hillary succeed in hiding.

      I bet that keeping those emails on her private server was the right choice, given that she has skated so far.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  2. Rightfully So... by SwashbucklingCowboy · · Score: 1, Insightful

    He should have known better than to wade into a political debate. My guess is that he did know better, but wanted to curry favor with the Trump administration.

    1. Re:Rightfully So... by RedK · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or you know, man wanted to tell the truth about get the facts out, and now he's being criticized because the truth doesn't align with the agenda one side wants to push.

      People are being used as pawns and acting like tools, not even realising how they are being manipulated.

      --
      "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
      Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
    2. Re:Rightfully So... by ScentCone · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How is telling the truth about when and how an insignificant number of Russian-bought pot-stirring social media ads were purchased "currying favor?"

      If he'd remained silent and allowed the left to continue to mischaracterize the situation, THAT would have been an example of currying favor - with the politically liberal monoculture that runs his entire industry.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    3. Re:Rightfully So... by RedK · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Your post is the definition of irony

      If you think so, you're truly living in the post-fact world. The indictment and Rosenstein were clear. The data on the ads was clear. The post by the Facebook VP was clear. Unless you're implying he was lying and that the data is forged.

      You are a Russian pawn at this point if you keep pushing for division and hate towards a dully elected President.

      --
      "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
      Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
  3. Re:Something to bear in mind by Train0987 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    From the indictments:

    "In or around late June 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators used the Facebook group "United Muslims of America" to promote a rally called "Support Hillary. Save American Muslims".

    "Defendants and their co-conspirators, through another organization-controlled group, organized a rally in New York called
    "Trump is NOT my President" held on or about November 12, 2016. Similarly, Defendants and their co-conspirators organized a rally entitled "Charlotte Against Trump" in Charlotte, North Carolina..."

    They were trying to help Trump by supporting Progessive causes? Face it, they were just trying to create confusion and unrest - a trap you have fallen right into.

  4. The Russians Didn't Care Who Won by newdsfornerds · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They didn't want Trump. They didn't want Clinton. They wanted discord and wow did they ever get it.

    --
    Damping absorbs vibrations. Dampening is caused by moisture.
  5. Re:Something to bear in mind by ScentCone · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The left has this entire narrative either muddled and wrong, or sometimes precisely backwards. And they're hanging onto their inverted interpretation of reality because they simply cannot accept what a horrible choice they made in a candidate, and how their general take on things has cost them a thousand legislative seats, most of the governorships, both houses of congress, the White House, and indirectly the Supreme Court. To say nothing of the millions of two-time Obama voters they ran off with their unhinged vitriol. Pointing out that their self-perception as the smartest people in the room is in danger because they've turned out to be not only total suckers for the Clinton Machine's manipulations but also shown themselves willing to be led around by the nose by Russian trolls is so painful that all they can do is sputter about how much a racist you probably are for pointing it out.

    --
    Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
  6. Re:Something to bear in mind by Train0987 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    They're too stupid to realize that THEY are the Russian's useful idiots in all of this.

  7. A whole lot of nothing by Virtucon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This whole "Russian Interference" paranoia is nothing new. The platforms have changed from Radio Free Europe/Voice of America to NGOs and Social Media. They do it to us, we do it to them and it's extremely cheap to do it because of social media. Take out an ad, program a few bots.. you have a disinformation campaign. The fact that this was overblown into the need for a special prosecutor is that we have a government run by idiots who were raised by TV programs and not by parents. Our new so-called leaders are caught up in endless tirades looking for anything that'll get them that 2 minute soundbite on the news but screw that, there's social media which greatly democratizes anyone's opinion no matter how ridiculous it is. Shit, 90% or more of what news puts out there is now social media generated or comes from so called journalists. Hey podcaster, blogger out there. Journalism, real journalism requires that you investigate, question and then publish not publish and hope it sticks.

    Yes, I'm an older American and the way our political system, our FBI, our DOJ, Congress, the WH and especially traditional media, all of it has been thoroughly adolescent and they all need to grow the fuck up. Our peaceful transition of government has now been forever affected because regardless of what party wins or who gets to sit in the WH, the other side will resort to crybaby, seditious tactics to get their way. Instead of being constructive and working on finding common ground we're all about lunatic has-been comedians holding up beheaded effigies for shock value.

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
  8. You are correct by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    1. Failed to register as foreign agent
    2. Attempted to affect a US election
    3. Failed to report to the FEC who paid them to influence the US election

    That is why the Russians were indicted, also shows how corrupt Muller is... Because...

    Chris Steele did all of the above to a MUCH greater degree. Muller is pointing out $1.2 million total in multiple countries, about $3000 total per swing state in FB ads. Steele dossier was about $13 million, paid by a campaign that failed to report to the FEC, and used a law firm to attempt to hide what they were doing, showing intention to break FEC laws.

    Worse is Muller's buddy Comey ALSO paid Steele and failed to report it to the FEC, then used what he called "unverified" information in a FISA court where under oath he testified it was factual.

    If Muller were truly interested in looking for Russia Collusion, he has a long list of targets, some of which I have heard audio recordings of them colluding.
    State Dept
    DOJ
    FBI
    Comey
    Adam Schiff (D) Senate
    Mark Warner (D) Senate
    Hillary Clinton
    Chris Steele

    It appears just about everyone in DC other than Trump was colluding with Russia, but Muller is refusing to look at anyone else other than Trump. He is a disgrace.

  9. Re:Summary is incorrect, again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "being too stupid to know you are being used, does NOT mean that you were not involved it just means you are stupid AND a participant."

    And that goes for half the country.

    There is a half of the country that is doing exactly what the Russians wanted, and that is be mad at the other half and not be behind the president. That's exactly what they wanted, a weakened president. They just thought it would be Hillary. Doesn't really matter to them as long as the country is divided.

  10. Squirm, Trumpkins, Squirm! by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1, Insightful

    LOL your god-emperor is guilty as sin and it's just so hilarious to watch you all squirm as law enforcement slowly but surely closes in on him. The hypocrisy is staggering. Can you imagine if anyone on Team Blue had done anything remotely like Donald Jr's bald-faced influence-peddling in India? Just look at how they flipped their lids at the Clintons' charity foundations.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  11. Re:Americans are stupid. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The rest of the world should care. Putin is willing to use his propaganda capabilities to tear apart any and every Western democracy from the inside if he thinks it could buy him even a tiny morsel of regime survival. Forget Kim Jong-Un, Putin is the #1 threat to free societies across the world right now.

    Turns out that Mitt Romney was only wrong about the nature of the threat Russia poses, not the magnitude. It's a threat that needs to be fought with improved education and regulation of advertisements rather than battleships from Romney's pal...but I sure wouldn't complain about some propaganda return-fire aimed at ousting Putin and his cronies.

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  12. Re:Something to bear in mind by fredrated · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Two terms? My God, I hope you are wrong. Neither America nor the world can take two terms of this narcissistic sociopathic moron.

  13. Technically true, but... by Millennium · · Score: 5, Insightful

    According to the most recent public intelligence, this assertion is technically true as far as it goes. The goal was to call the election's legitimacy into question and undermine the Hillary presidency that basically everyone thought was inevitable. The Russians got half their wish: they did indeed call the legitimacy of the election into question. The Trump victory was an accident: unanticipated, unintended, and frankly undesired (because they spent all this effort to delegitimize an enemy, but wound up delegitimizing an asset instead).

    And if you think about it, Trump's collusion with the Russians makes more sense in this light. It is a very poorly kept secret that Trump didn't want to win: he got into the election for the lulz, but didn't want the responsibility. He had no reason to collude with people who wanted him to win, because that wasn't his goal. But undermining a seemingly inevitable Hillary presidency? That's something Trump would be 100% on board for. This brings the goals of Trump and the Russians into alignment, and then collusion makes sense again.

    It has another effect, too. If we look at the goals in this way, Trump wasn't a mere colluder, giving aid and comfort to someone who might or might not qualify as an "enemy" depending on legal definitions. These circumstances would make him an active participant in the operations: a centerpiece of the psyops that went along with the hacking and fake news. That means he personally committed acts of war against the US, which is treason whether or not the people helping you count as an "enemy" for legal purposes.

    In other words, sure; the fake news and meddling wasn't architected to help Trump win. This is actually worse for Trump than if they had been, because it leads to a more solid argument for a treason charge: one that doesn't let him hide behind technicalities.