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New from me: Did you get a text from a friend who has a “close friend with incredibly reliable information,” “a source who works for DHS” or "the mayor's office" warning of martial law?

It isn't true—but academics are warning against "hidden viral" texts.
nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
"Hidden viral" texts are ones with massive reach via text message that are impossible to quantify, since they're privately to small groups, like chain letters.

They're even more effective, because they're sent from a friend with an emotional appeal.

nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
Don't shame friends family members for sending along these plausible (but wrong) texts that claim to be from "a friend's dad in the secret service" in a time of great uncertainty.

It's human.

Just check the news first before you send them along.

nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
As @CWard1e put it, hidden viral text message misinformation is "a manifestation of the game of telephone."

This has been around in other countries on WhatsApp for years. We've gotta work together to stamp it out in this moment.

nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
The good news: Part of the reason text message disinfo is prevalent right now is because social media networks have largely stepped up.

Stopping coronavirus misinfo is above politics and they're stepping up.

nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
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Ben Collins
@oneunderscore__
Scoop: Leaked Twitter Demo Shows Bright Red Banners to Indicate Lies, Disinformation Beneath Tweets

Twitter tells me it's a possible iteration of something that will roll out on March 5. Possible community moderation coming, too.

We've got screenshots.
nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
Here's what it might look like when a politician tweets "harmfully misleading" content after March 5th. Big red/orange flag underneath the offending tweet.

These are screenshots from that were left on a public testing site. Twitter confirmed they're possible iterations.
The test also shows a "Community Reports" feature for disinformation.

This could include "points" that would heavily weight useful "reports" of disinfo on the platform. The demo says it's "like Wikipedia."

Twitter reiterated this is just an option.
nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news…
Read 6 tweets
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Ben Collins
@oneunderscore__
Scoop: In a true shocker, the Iowa caucus hotline was posted to 4chan repeatedly on Monday night with directions to “clog the lines”

nbcnews.com/tech/security/…
This number was on Google.

At the end of the day, if you don’t plan for 4chan Googling your HQ hotline on caucus night, it’s on you. 4chan is gonna 4chan.
nbcnews.com/tech/security/…
Will be on with @HallieJackson and @bpopken in a couple minutes to break this down on MSNBC.
Read 4 tweets
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Ben Collins
@oneunderscore__
New from me: Dueling conspiracy theories swirl over canceled Iowa poll, pushed by Sanders and Yang supporters

This story and thread are a dive on the data that shows it.

nbcnews.com/tech/social-me…
Just two minutes after the Des Moines Register decided to scrap its poll on Saturday night, a conspiracy theory sprung up:

The poll was withheld by the establishment because Bernie had too big of a lead.

Supporters coalesced around #ReleaseThePoll.

nbcnews.com/tech/social-me…
This... isn't true.

The poll was scrapped because an enlarged font made it so the last candidate in a randomly ordered list was being left off, a pretty huge error.

This was flagged to the Buttigieg camp, who noted it to CNN/DMR.

nbcnews.com/tech/social-me…
Read 8 tweets

Related threads

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John Hayward
@Doc_0
Higher education was ruined the same way health care was. Politicians focus on the medium of exchange (student loans, medical insurance) instead of the underlying resource (education, medicine.) The resource gets worse as the currency which pays for it is endlessly manipulated.
Naturally, focusing on currency manipulation makes it harder for the public to see what's going on with the actual resource. Providers and consumers grow further apart, with a thick layer of bureaucracy and third-party financing between them.
This is by design, since the point of obfuscating costs with government subsidies, government-regulated loans, and third-party payers is to insulate the end product from market forces. The people are persuaded those sacred goods should not be treated as mere commodities.
Read 16 tweets
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Kong Tsung-gan / 江松澗
@KongTsungGan
With the 30th anniversary of the #June4 #TiananmenMassacre now 2 weeks away, today I start featuring profiles of #CCP murder victims from @hrichina's excellent 'Unforgotten'. I also change my profile pic to #DuanChanglong & encourage others to do likewise. truth30.hrichina.org/unforgotten.ht…
#HK journalists have made a new series of dozens of short video testimonies (w English sub-titles) about their coverage of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in China 30 years ago to commemorate #June4. #六四30 youtube.com/channel/UCaSjK…
The book to read for the 30th anniversary of the #June4 #TiananmenMassacre is @liaoyiwu1's Bullets & Opium about the ordinary people imprisoned in the crackdown's aftermath. Here's an excerpt. #六四30 qz.com/1593708/bullet…
Read 65 tweets
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XKeyscore
@XKeyscore1
.@FBI .@DHSgov .@NSAGov .@WhiteHouse .@HouseIntel .@HouseIntelComm @SenatorBurr .@POTUS .@ODNIgov .@CivilRights

We are so tired of the illegal surveillance, stalking, break-ins & theft by #FBI #DHS #NSA #JTTF & #ThreatFusionCenter personnel under the guise of "National Security"
(1) To those of you who are being targeted by the #FBI #DHS #NSA.

File a complaint with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

You can do it online or by mail.

Send certified, return receipt requested.

Then file the same complaint with the OIG at their agency
(2) The information should be mailed to:

Office of the Director of National Intelligence
ATTN: Office of Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency
Washington, DC 20511

Online Complaint:

dni.gov/files/ICIG/doc…
Read 14 tweets
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Cyrus Toulabi
@CyrusToulabi
#BREAKING: TRUMP DIRECTED COHEN TO LIE TO CONGRESS.

He told Cohen to give FALSE testimony about building a Trump Tower Moscow, aka the Moscow Project.

There's a reason Mueller had Cohen plead guilty to THIS crime.

It's #WitnessTampering + #Obstruction.
buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonl…
#WATCH: Barr said a President suborning perjury would be #Obstruction.

Q: "A president persuading a person to commit perjury would be obstruction. Is that right?"

Barr: "Yes."

Q: "...a president...convincing a witness to change testimony would be obstruction...?"

Barr: "Yes."
#REDFLAG: Mueller's Office takes the rare step of PUSHING BACK on Buzzfeed News' reporting.

They seem to dispute the "description" and "characterization" of corroborating documents and testimony in the article.

But not necessarily the central premise...

Read 9 tweets
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Ivan Katchanovski
@I_Katchanovski
A serious escalation of the #conflict between #Russia and #Ukraine over #Azov Sea and #Crimea telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/2…
strana.ua/news/173200-uk…
Radio communication of these #Ukrainian and #Russian #ships soundcloud.com/user6404565
Read 44 tweets
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Campaign
@realnews1234
This all started because the #MetPolice & #LBRUT couldn't do their day jobs properly & decided to take the law into their own hands. It started as a small cover up 12 years ago but has turned into British State Persecution.

#Skynews #BBCNews #DailyMail #Guardian #Euronews
My company was raided. It should have been a straightforward matter. But the #MetPolice & #LBRUT forgot to seize my computer & came back to do a 2nd raid. The search warrant didn't permit a second entry, however, #LBRUT entered unlawfully

#Guardian #Telegraph #DailyMail #GMB #UK
Complaints were then made to my MP #VinceCable. He liaised with the #Metpolice & #LBRUT. And then weeks later, the search warrant was completely changed & was passed off as the search warrant executed on the day of the raids.

#DailyPolitics #Libdems #Conservatives #labour #bbcdp
Read 147 tweets

Trending hashtags

#TheProgram #Twickenham #FBI #CPS #SurveillanceRolePlayers #BostonGlobe #theguardian #NEW #ThreatFusionCenters #JTTF #Careers #communication #New #InsuranceNews #Unroll #harassment #nbc #extrajudicial #MuslimAmericans #retailproblems #CONSPIRACY #itvnews #CNN #Nazi #TradeMark

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