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Alex Howard Profile picture
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8 Oct, 6 tweets, 8 min read
Early yet, but I hope we see this @potus @vp @whitehouse @PressSec @statedept @usaid @StateDRL hailing the @NobelPrize going to journalists, drawing a contrast with authoritarians who undermine #PressFreedom by calling the press enemies & spies, & lying about how journalism works
There’s @USAmbUN on the #NobelPeacePrize2021. There is sure to be pushback (nuanced & bad faith) on US government record on #pressfreedom (use of the Espionage Act & response to @JKhashoggi’s murder) if the @WhiteHouse speaks out, but hailing this moment is important, @SecBlinken
A beautiful, true statement about @mariaressa & #DmitryMuratov & the America by @WHAAsstSecty, whether tweeted en Español, or English.
"I congratulate @MariaRessa of the Philippines & Dmitry Muratov of Russia for the much-deserved honor of being named this year’s winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. Like so many journalists around the world, Ressa & Muratov have pursued the facts—tirelessly & fearlessly."-@POTUS
"Ressa, Muratov, & journalists like them all around the world are on the front lines of a global battle for the very idea of the truth, & I, along with people everywhere, am grateful for their groundbreaking work to '#HoldTheLine'"-@POTUS @JoeBiden
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
Statements by @SecBlinken on Ressa: & Muratov: amplified by @StateDRL, & @PowerUSAID: all stand in contrast to Duterte's silence, & Russia designating journalists as foreign agents: rferl.org/a/russia-forei…

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Alex Howard Profile picture
5 Oct
When @Facebook added a civic integrity @policy & team, it created an insoluble structural conflict with far-right, authoritarian regimes.

This wasn't an acute problem in the USA until 2016, when FB helped elect a corrupt, far-right autocrat who lies like a fish breathes water.
Limiting the reach of toxic BS about a stolen election or conspiracy theories designed to undermine democracy or public health is a core function of a civic integrity @policy, as is inoculating people with facts
e-pluribusunum.org/2021/01/26/why…
Ban accounts if they incite offline violence
“We need to focus more on how the platforms can enable an extremist minority to foment harm & not on how the average person might be brainwashed by a piece of content"- @BrendanNyhan …saging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/template/oakv2… Ergo, limit reach of QAnon, Trump's lies, Russian anti-vaxx BS, etc.
Read 8 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
5 Oct
Just pointing out the fact that a whistleblower does not have to have firsthand experience with the criminal conduct, fraud, waste, or abuses of power that they file a complaint on:
You nay recall this came up in Congress, regarding @POTUS45's corruption.
@POTUS45 In a statement, @Facebook doubled down on trying to undermine the credibility of @FrancesHaugen, instead of refuting the core facts of the whistleblower complaints she filed with the SEC, which cite the company's own internal research: Downright Trumpian.
🚭@finkd posted a note he sent to all @facebook staff: facebook.com/4/posts/101139…
Zuckerberg says “coverage” (@WSJ!) misrepresents & mischaracterizes internal research, & that it’s “just not true” that Facebook prioritizes profits over safety & well being.

How about over democracy?
Read 4 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
4 Oct
I just came back online & found @Facebook is offline, & it's not just for me: downforeveryoneorjustme.com/facebook

@Instagram, too.
That's going to release an immense cognitive surplus, boost to productivity, & based on what we've learned, may be a net positive for the world.

#KeepItOff?
@Facebook @instagram Still need to learn more about the root caus (BGP config error? ) but it's fair to observe how shutdowns, outages, & blackouts reveal single points of failure, particularly in centralized systems.
@Facebook @instagram Reports of wider technical disruption at @Facebook proper could reflect a more widespread issue than public access.
Read 7 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
29 Sep
The US government requires government-funded & controlled outlets like @RT_America to register with @TheJusticeDept as foreign agents.
@Twitter & @YouTube label them.
In Germany, YouTube went further, suspending 2 RT channels for spreading medical misinfo:
theguardian.com/technology/202…
Now Russia is threatening to block @YouTube entirely unless it restores the 2 RT channels:

washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/…

Frustrated that @washingtonpost put “misinformation” in quotes.

It reports clips with “misleading info” about “unproven COVID-19 treatments were on RT channels.
At a meta level, it’s fascinating to see @RFERL report on RT & the escalating conflict between Russia, and US tech companies: rferl.org/a/youtube-dele…
RFERL noted the US & EU have “accused Russia of spreading false info about COVID-19 & vaccines” — without confirming that truth.
Read 8 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
25 Sep
"A Member of Congress shall behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House." ethics.house.gov/publications/c…
@RepMTG's tweets calling Democrats "evil" & @RepDebDingell💩violate House Ethics Rules.

Danger sign: far-right calls for people be be "wiped clean"
Does @RepMTG's behavior "reflect creditably on the House," @SpeakerPelosi? @RepTedDeutch?

Either sanction any Member of Congress who debases public discourse with lies of fraud, dehumanizing speech, "cheap fakes" or deepfakes, or remove the standard from the Code of Conduct.
January 6th showed far-right partisans believed @POTUS45 (& @RepMTG's) lies of fraud & viewed violence as just. Millions of disinformed Americans still believe the election was stolen, & many support violence: theconversation.com/21-million-ame…

Congress (& @Twitter) must not sleep on this.
Read 4 tweets
Alex Howard Profile picture
23 Sep
Just tuned into the livestream in time to hear @Baratunde introduce @nabihasyed's discussion with @RamaswmySridhar & @robreich.
This is a fantastic program, full of remarkable people speaking to the hardest questions about tech, industry society, & #UnfinishedLive is free online.
I am now experiencing some breathtaking FOMO.
Haven't been to a good conference like this since before the pandemic.
Best part of events is always the hallway discussions.
(#UnfinishedLive COVID-19 protocols look solid: mandatory vaccination + masks indoors. Nothing on testing.)
What does a Freedom of Information Act for corporations & platforms look like, asks @nabihasyed?

Such a wonderful question, & important idea.

It seems these #UnfinishedLive folks aren't the right folks to answer, but the US FOIA Advisory Committee does:
Read 14 tweets

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