Thread by @SophieTrevitt

Fascinating (and disturbing) to hear how Cambridge Analytica was set up as a front .org by a company undertaking social media research for military purposes. It then used the same kind of military techniques to target US citizens to influence US election @chrisinsilico #antidote

Incredible. Targeted people they’d identified as susceptible to their messaging, got them to turn out and meet up, until they created a political insurgency that could grow organically @chrisinsilico #antidote @IdeasattheHouse

Colonialism still exists, it’s just digital. Big powers still go into resource rich countries, they just undermine their democracy now, instead of invading them, so they can tap into their resources @chrisinsilico #antidote

.@AndreiSoldatov explains Putin’s bizarre motivation for interference in the US election was less about Trump and more about revenge on Clinton for her perceived involvement with the Padama Papers (and a personal gripe because of a friend who was named in them). Wild. #antidote

.@chrisinsilico if we think of the internet as architecture it’s easier to see the need for regulation. (You can’t just build a building that’s actually a maze with no fire escapes and then lock the door behind people if they sign the terms & conditions) #antidote

Should the internet have building standards? Should engineers who build the internet have a code of conduct? @chrisinsilico #antidote

We need to work out ways to make these huge companies prioritise safety e.g. make them take insurance out against data breaches

Extraordinary - @AndreiSoldatov talks about Russian technology to take voice samples being used in Mexico for surveillance and identification. Mexican ppl are then forced to give over a sample of their voices when they apply for their drivers license #antidote

We’re on the journey to creating ‘aware spaces’ where your living room talks to your fridge and your TV and your car and your office. With AI these spaces become ‘motivated spaces’ where they then make decisions based on that information @chrisinsilico #antidote

Eg you steal something and do a stint in juvvie, the detention centre sees you and makes judgments about your behaviour. It communicates with other parts of the city. The grocery store is programmed to be to be risk adverse. You are not allowed to enter.

Tech works in a unique way because it pervades ~other~ industries as ‘disrupts’ them, so every aspect of your life is being touched by these companies (your car, your appliances, your media outlets etc) that’s an enormous amount of power. @chrisinsilico #antidote

So what do we do? @AndreiSoldatov suggests we could install public councils or boards in these companies to install some community accountability. They would need powers inside these companies #antidote

.@chrisinsilico highlights the absurdity that its unlawful for the postie to read your mail but not a messenger service etc

Tech should be regulated like a utility. Can we impart a status on big companies that reflects their responsibility & can we regulate safety standards?

We are seeing the re-segregation of society, but instead of say racial segregation (for eg) it’s now cognitive. The internet’s architecture is allowing for different realities to be created for diff ppl. How can you have a functioning democracy like this? @chrisinsilico #antidote

(Many synergies with @mariaressa’s analysis of the destructive role social media can play in proliferating lies and misinformation and concentrating power in the hands of particular govt or corporate interests) #antidote

When we have these enormous powerful companies with such limited self awareness you get situations like Myanmar where Facebook rolled out and people’s data was used to facilitate ethnic cleansing #antidote @chrisinsilico