I'm so tired of being in rooms where people whisper about the absolute ARMY of Big Tech-funded people (most, but not all, ex-Googlers) that have popped up in nearly every corridor in DC where people are working on literally anything to do with AI. So let's talk about it! 1/12 First, this vulnerability exists because we don't properly fund our government anymore. So if some org can fund expertise getting into Congress or agencies, it would be irresponsible to say no because the government can't afford to hire the experts it needs otherwise.2/12

Tech companies are threatening to sue researchers who study them, and I have some first-hand experience surviving this! But researchers shouldn't shy away from this research, and at least this attack vector is less powerful than it appears. Quick 🧵/11 apnews.com/article/elon-m… Some background: If you're old enough (I'm not, but so my parents tell me), it used to be unclear if smoking gave you cancer. Big Tobacco figured out the link first, and then spent decades trying to discredit outside researchers who discovered it and tried to warn people.2/11

Let's talk about the Facebook Election studies that came out yesterday! Contrary to the headlines, there are interesting findings here that show the polarizing impact of FBs algorithms both on what content users see *and on their behavior*. TL;DR 'Wired to Split' is right. 1/15 First of all, the researchers deserve a ton of credit for this important work that points in some interesting directions for future research. h/t to @j_a_tucker , @TaliaStroud, @RebekahKTromble, @davidlazer, and many more that I can name hear. Thank you. 2/15

In 2022, I achieved one of my life goals since childhood: I finished my PhD. Grad school & learning how to do research was... not what I was expecting! It's not for everyone, but it's much better than the horror stories I'd heard. A 🧵 on what it *is*, if you're considering it. First of all, PhD programs are fundamentally apprenticeships. Your experience is entirely dependent on not just how good your advisor is, but how good a match the two of you are. You take classes, but you learn how to do research and how to write papers from your advisor.

If you weren't paying attention to Ukraine over the last week.. you should. Aside from a stunning collapse of the Russian military (which has been rotting for decades, apparently), it is managing to show both the limits of disinformation and the power of the information war. 1/8 First, the limits of disinformation: Yes, I know Russia never had success at this in most of the west, but they were effective in the Russian-speaking diaspora, and in Africa, the ME, and Asia. That is now running into the brick wall of reality, for some interesting reasons. 2/8

This is starting in 10 minutes, with @brandonsilverm, @persily, @daphnehk, @JonHaidt, and Jim Harper, and I will be live tweeting🍿🍿🍿: judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/platf… Ok, it started a little late, but here we go: @SenAmyKlobuchar : You're not allowed to yell 'Fire' in a crowded theater. I think if the theater was amplifying the person yelling, 'Fire' we would have a problem with that.

As someone who studies misinformation, the past week has been a masterclass in how positive actors with a strong information operation and tech platforms being (somewhat) sensible can create an environment in which misinformation struggles to take hold. A 🧵. First, we have to acknowledge the role of fortune. I'm wary of lionizing leaders, but Zelenskyy certainly is a man made for the moment. His personal bravery and outstanding communication skills have made it possible for the other stuff I'm going to talk about to work.1/8

This evening, Facebook suspended my Facebook account and the accounts of several people associated with Cybersecurity for Democracy, our team at NYU. This has the effect of cutting off our access to Facebook's Ad Library data, as well as Crowdtangle. 1/4 Over the last several years, we’ve used this access to uncover systemic flaws in the Facebook Ad Library, identify misinformation in political ads including many sowing distrust in our election system, and to study Facebook’s apparent amplification of partisan misinformation. 2/4