Thread by @SimonOak3

Tories today are in power and the UK's feeble democracy was the first of the high standing Western systems to die.

There is no longer an informed electorate.

The digital political advertising industry controls their behaviour.

Big money owns the best mass mood manipulators.

Here's how it works:

1. Collect big data about the people and their behaviour

2. Put your computers at work

3. Ditch your principles about decency

4. Do what your computers tell you works best.

You will be surprised how well the predictions work.

ad 1) Facebook admits 85m user profiles have been stolen, which could well be more, but there's much much more than FB and they're all collecting our data. This data will be used to make you enjoy a better service, but the fact that it's there means it attracts gold miners.

ad 1)
A. Don't be naive
B. Don't panic

ad 1A) As a good start: they know everything about you. Faking with your identity helps, but make no illusions. Only inferior computers are unable to link two or more identities to one, but nobody really cares, unless you are a journalist.

ad 1B) Don't start deleting your history (already copied) or abandon all the fun and good things FB, Twitter bring us. Block trolls, don't accept anyone, set your privacy higher. It makes you feel better, but it won't help. Enjoy ID cards when buying.

Just don't be apathetic.

ad 1B+) Please worry & determine for yourself who you can trust to protect your data & not make money out of selling it to bad actors in politics. If it's to sell you shoes, no problem. Support journalists about to reveal that there's child labour or slavery in it. Support rules.

ad 2) Computers are rapidly getting smarter, they work non-stop & don't need to be fed or entertained. Can be activated with one button. Perfect aides when timing is important, like in elections. They recognise faces, voices, predict the weather, and yes ... predict your choice!

ad 2+) Computers spy & learn. While at work computers optimise their algorithms by monitoring the effects. If you spend money on ads selling shoes, you want to know if it's good value. Guess what? It is key to success and computers know where & when to place ads to maximise it.

ad 2++) No surprise that those with big money hire the best computers, but hey, campaign spending laws protect us, isn't it? Not against shady political advisers who get their instructions from their shady network. The EU's #GDPR, proposed in 2012, does its bit, but not enough.

ad 2++) Don't trust that GDPR will make a level political playing field, because law abiding campaigners are bound to lose. Blind fanatics, like Lance Armstrong, cheat as long as they don't get caught. But even then, there's no rule to ban cheaters from democratic races. Fines?🤣

ad 3) So you're a hopeful Tory, big money & high-tech behind you, knowing you're on the winning team. Don't be too principled. Be nice, witty, entertain. Stick to the vague #GetBrexitDone narrative because smart computers selected from various scenarios that as the best message.

ad 4) Trust the 'Cambridge Analytica' computers like you trust your satnav & the weather forecast. CA is gone, but the nerds with their algorithms are still servicing the global mafia. Do what they say or quit. The message couldn't be clearer when BJ ditched 21 Tory MPs in sept.

Finally, we still have the streets.

Tories will have a problem if only half of the 6.1 million that signed the petition "Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU" take to the streets and refuse to go away.

Please, support my #StopBrexit hero Steve Bray!

#Brexit is a crime.

Hup!

https://twitter.com/snb19692/status/1205531903878713349

P.S. for more on this, read Jamie Bartlett's

"The People vs Tech"

I'm only at 5%, but he's spot on.

Ask Amazon if you wish to microtarget readers like me with a fake news item that defames Jamie, so that I might take his warning less seriously and read another book first.

For the record, a screenshot of the petition.