1. After learning that Twitter employs at least 15 former FBI agents, I searched Facebook. What I found is alarming
Facebook currently employs at least 115 people, in high-ranking positions, that formerly worked at FBI/CIA/NSA/DHS:
17 CIA
37 FBI
23 NSA
38 DHS
Thread🧵
2. All, but a few, of the former intelligence agents were hired, by Facebook after the 2016 Presidential Election & after the FBI established their social media-focused task force FTIF.
3. As @mtaibbi detailed in #TwitterFiles Part 6, we know there was massive coordination of censorship between the FBI & Twitter during 2020-2022.
Who is controlling “misinfo” censorship at Facebook?
Is there similar coordination between Facebook & the Intelligence community?
4. The following is a list (obtained through PUBLICLY available LinkedIn profiles) of former CIA/FBI/NSA/DHS that are currently working at Facebook, at least 10 work in the Trust & Safety (Misinfo) department. Many of the LinkedIn profiles are private so those will not be posted.
5. Aaron Berman (He/Him) leads the Misinformation Policy team at Facebook.
6. Aaron states that his experience at the CIA included writing President’s Daily Brief, leading briefings for Cabinet members, senior NSC officials & members of Congress.
7. On Twitter, Aaron is followed by Yoel Roth & admits he is friends with Trust & Safety people at Twitter.
Was Facebook coordinating with Twitter on info-sharing to censor posts they deem as ‘misinfo’? archive.vn/7r2vX
9. On a YouTube discussion, with Stanford, Aaron admits that Facebook works with a ‘Global network of over 80 fact checker Organizations” who direct Facebook on which posts to reduce distribution, add warning labels & shadowban
10. Aaron discusses in detail the lengths Facebook goes to in censoring what they deem as COVID19 misinfo, specifically on Vaccines
11. Here is the entire YouTube video where Aaron and members from Twitter & Google discuss misinformation censoring
18.Deborah B. (She/Her). Current Facebook Trust & Safety. Former CIA Analyst 15 years. linkedin.com/in/deborah-b-2…
19.Scott S. (He/Him) current Facebook Senior Manager Trust & Safety. Former CIA 7 years. linkedin.com/in/scottbstern/
20.Bryan Weisbard. Current Facebook Trust & Safety. Formerly 9 years of “multiple senior level leadership positions in US Government Intelligence Community.” Former Twitter Online Safety & Security Analysis 4 years. Former Youtube Trust & Safety 1 year. linkedin.com/in/bryanweisba…
21.Hagan Barnett. Current Facebook Trust & Safety Operations Lead. Former Self Employed Contractor CIA 1 year, Booz Allen 4 years, US Department of Treasury 3 years. linkedin.com/in/haganbarnet…
22.Jeff Lazarus. Current Facebook Trust & Safety. Former Apple Trust & Safety 1 year. Former Google Trust & Safety 4 years. Former CIA 5 years. linkedin.com/in/jeff-lazaru…
23.Chon Rosa. Current Facebook Trust & Safety. Former US Army Intelligence & Security Command 4 years. linkedin.com/in/chon-c-rosa/
30. Shawn Turskey. Current Facebook Global Director Security Investigations. Former NSA 19 years. Former US Cyber Command 4 years. linkedin.com/in/shawnturske…
31. Mike Torrey. Current Facebook Security Engineer Investigator. Former NSA 3 years. Former CIA 9 years. linkedin.com/in/mike-torrey…
32. Corey Ponder. Current Facebook Senior Strategist. Former Policy Consultant DHS 7 months. Former CIA 6 years. Former Policy Advisor Google 2 years. linkedin.com/in/coreytponde…
33. John Papp (He/Him). Current Facebook Infrastructure ASIC Sourcer. Former DIA 4 years. Former CIA 12 years. linkedin.com/in/johnpapp/
34. Nick Lovrien (He/Him). Current Facebook Chief Global Security. Current Board Director US State Department. Former CIA 5 years. linkedin.com/in/nick-lovrie…
37. Travis M. Current Facebook Technical Investigator. Former NSA 10 years. linkedin.com/in/travis-m/
38. Keith Pridgen. Current Facebook Program Manager. Former NSA 2 years. Former US Navy Information Warfare Officer 7 years. linkedin.com/in/keithpridge…
40. Jerrod Lowmaster. Current Facebook/Instagram Data Scientist. Former NSA 5 years. linkedin.com/in/jerrodlowma…
41. Gabrielle Johnson (She/Her). Current Facebook Platform Investigator. Former NSA Deputy Office Chief 2 years. linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-t…
42. Michael Khbeis (He/Him). Current Facebook Director of Operations. Former NSA 10 years. linkedin.com/in/michael-khb…
43. Josh Bulluck. Current Facebook SPARQ Manager. Former NSA Signals Intelligence Analyst 2 years. Former US Army Intelligence Analyst 7 years. linkedin.com/in/jsbulluck/
44. Eric Gonzalez. Current Facebook Systems Project Manager. Former NSA 3 years. Former US Navy Cryptologic Warfare Officer 2 years. linkedin.com/in/erictgonzal…
45. Seth Summersett. Current Facebook Head of Security Partners. Former NSA 8 years. linkedin.com/in/seth-summer…
46. Brian McFarland (He/Him). Current Facebook Security Partner. Former NSA Cryptographer 3 years. linkedin.com/in/brian-mcfar…
49. Jennifer A. Current Facebook Global Intelligence Lead. Former Foreign Affairs Officer US Department of State. Former FBI 6 years. linkedin.com/in/jennifer-a-…
50. Steven S. Current Facebook Director & Associate General Counsel. Former DOJ Trial Attorney 5 years. Former FBI Deputy General Counsel 8 years. linkedin.com/in/steven-s-36…
51. Cynthia Deitle (She/Her). Current Facebook Director, Associate General Counsel. Former FBI 19 years. linkedin.com/in/cynthia-dei…
52. Tromila Maile. Current Facebook FIU Investigator. Former FBI Intelligence Analyst 3 years. linkedin.com/in/tromila-mai…
1. 🧵Google & Meta function as extensions of the US Intelligence Community. With Jacqueline Lopour, Google's Head of Trust & Safety, and Aaron Berman, Meta's Head of Elections Content/Misinformation Policy, both being career CIA officers, it underscores the CIA's substantial control over online censorship.
Why is this CIA-Big Tech revolving door, where career CIA officers wield power to censor & decide what misinformation is, purposefully suppressed in the broader conversation about censorship?
Why are career CIA officers like Jacqueline Lopour & Nick Rossmann, who both have a history of spreading misinformation & promoting the RussiaGate conspiracy theory, now in senior roles in Trust & Safety at Google, deciding what is misinformation & overseeing content moderation?
The cumulative number of former Intelligence Community personnel hired by Meta & Google since 2018 is staggering. Before 2018, there were only a handful. Here are the combined hires by both companies:
CIA-36
FBI-68
NSA-44
DHS/CISA-68
State Dept-86
DOD-121
2. Why would Google specifically choose these six senior executives to attend an @ISF_OSAC event in DC?
Everyone in this picture, alongside former CIA Director Robert Gates, is a current senior executive at Google & a former career CIA officer, except for the attorney from Perkins Coie (2nd from the left).
3. Jacqueline Lopour spent 10 years at the CIA before joining Google in 2017. She is currently Head of Trust & Safety, where she not only determines what constitutes misinformation but also wields considerable power in content moderation on Search & YouTube.
In this interview, Lopour is promoting the RussiaGate conspiracy theory. I wonder if she believes her own propaganda.
1. THREAD: MIKE BENZ – FROM PROUD BOYS TO FRAME GAME’S ANTISEMITISM
@mikebenzcyber has disclosed, that in 2016, he was a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group.
Benz admits to being 'Frame Game', a prominent alt-right & antisemitic account on Gab from 2016-2018. Although he describes it as a “Jewish project to deradicalize the alt-right,” a thorough examination of over 200 videos suggests otherwise.
Is Mike Benz an FBI informant?
It's concerning that despite Benz's antisemitic rhetoric & Holocaust denial, influential figures continue to support him, especially after NBC's @BrandyZadrozny unveiled these revelations. In his response to the NBC story, Benz showed no remorse for his antisemitic rhetoric; instead, he expressed pride in his 'Frame Game' operation.
I hope that after reviewing this thread & the audio evidence, individuals like @elonmusk, @shellenberger, @KyleSeraphin, & @Timcast will reconsider their endorsement of Benz & publicly condemn his antisemitism.
Recently, Elon Musk declared his stance against any form of antisemitism. Does this sentiment extend to Mike Benz?
2. @mikebenzcyber’s Frame Game also had a blog on Steemit. One entry titled “A Jewish Perspective on Jewish Influence” offers interesting insights into the psychology of Mike Benz.
In the blog, Mike blames Jews for “white decline”, acknowledges reading Mein Kampf, & in section 51 he says, “Hitler actually had some decent points.”
3. @mikebenzcyber is misrepresenting his work history & even deleted his LinkedIn profile prior to joining Twitter, making it extremely difficult to validate his work experience. He worked as a corporate attorney between 2010-2017 & later tried to launch a dance company, @MyArtYourArt.
In 2019, he joined HUD in the White House. While he brags about being a “Cyber Expert” & diplomat at State Department, records indicate he joined the State Department on November 24, 2020, & left 2-3 weeks, not even staying long enough for an official profile picture.
Benz held the title of “Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Policy” at the State Department. Notably, this specific position neither existed before Benz’s appointment nor continued after his brief tenure. This is a red flag.
By the end of 2020, he moved from DC to Florida.
Currently, Benz claims to lead the Foundation for Freedom Online. However, this organization hasn't released any research since May 2023, & there's no evidence of IRS filings for this non-profit.
2. In February 2023, I flagged concerns about the ODNI's Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC).
FMIC is a functional clone of the now-defunct Disinformation Governance Board & was launched in September 2022 under Director Jeffrey Wichman, who is a 30-year CIA veteran.
1. 🚨Jai Retter currently serves as the Policy Lead for Violent Extremism at @YouTube
Shockingly, a tweet from Ms. Retter in 2017 openly praises Hitler & includes the use of a swastika
@elonmusk - would you categorize this as anti-semitic?
Does anyone think this tweet is appropriate or even funny?
Is this the conduct fitting for someone in her position as a content moderator at @YouTube ?
Jai Retter previously worked for @DeptofDefense & is an active member of @CFR_org & @AtlanticCouncil
After the public scrutiny generated by this revelation, it is anticipated that Retter will:
1- Make her 𝕏 account private- @jjrett 2- Block me 3- Delete the Hitler tweet- (archived- ) 4- Make her LinkedIn profile private (archived- ) 5- Continue to moderate YouTube content for 'hate speech' & ‘violent extremism’
3. Here's another post from Jai Retter (@jjrett), who claims that the spread of 'misinformation & harmful content' by anti-vaxxers is a dangerous trend
2. GEC was established in the 2017 NDAA. Its primary objective was not only to identify misinformation and disinformation targeted at the US and its allies but also to develop and distribute "fact-based" narratives to counter propaganda.
GEC was granted the authority to provide… https://t.co/g1HA40STZ6 https://t.co/VCjCYj2tYjtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
3. Aaron Berman possesses an extensive background at the CIA, spanning two decades, before joining Meta in July 2019. He built the Misinformation Policy team & wrote content policies, overseeing censorship during the 2020 US Election & COVID-19.
1. 🚨VIDEO - FACEBOOK EXECUTIVE ADMITS TO CENSORSHIP OF COVID MISINFORMATION, INCLUDING TRUE CONTENT LEADING TO VACCINE HESITANCY
Former CIA Operative, Aaron Berman, currently Head of Meta’s Misinformation Policy & Head of Elections Content Policy, is interviewed by “CIA Renee”… https://t.co/hxvbNhXK8D https://t.co/Ub1jwe1QgJtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
2. Aaron Berman spent over 17 years with the CIA before joining Facebook in 2019. He built their Misinformation Policy department and wrote most of the misinfo policy. Additionally, Berman says he 'represented Meta with external stakeholders.' This would include The White House,… https://t.co/7KMloZRJpRtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
3. Aaron Berman is very active on his LinkedIn, with over a 100 posts. Here is a post from 3 years ago, while Trump was President.
Berman expressed his frustration with COVID 'misinfo' about Hydroxychloroquine and mentioned that Meta was working hard to counter COVID-19… https://t.co/qe1p6cCqzVtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…