This month's violence in Brazil did not happen overnight. It was the culmination of months/years of anti-democratic messaging — fueled by social media.

Let's unpack the anatomy of a failed (digital) coup 👇

<<cue thread>>

politi.co/3Wh7m2g First, all credit to @edekeulenaar and her colleagues who have tracked partisan social media content in Brazil — across 6 social networks — since late 2021. It's arguably the largest repository of independent social media data on the country that I've come across. Kudos.

Let's be clear: if your strategy is to rely on fact-checkers for content moderation and/or election integrity on social media, you might as well just give up and go home.

<<cue thread>> This is not to knock the work of all of fact-checking groups out there. It is a noble aim: to debunk falsehoods. But they are understaffed, under-resourced and, increasingly, faced financial pressures to pump out as many fact-checks as possible vs making a notable difference

One to watch: UK will introduce new online content rules tomorrow that will force social media companies to police 'legal, but harmful' material online — a legal quagmire that will not end well, for anyone It includes hefty fines — and potential criminal sanctions against tech executives — for failing to comply, and gives @Ofcom massive new powers to police online content.

It's arguably the farthest any Western country has gone in this area (sorry, Germany and rest of EU)

Very quick snapshot on how Russian (and Chinese) state-backed media reporting on #Ukraine is performing on @Facebook.

In total, major channels have garnered, on average, 169k social media interactions in terms of likes, shares & comments, in last 7 days @Facebook What does that look like? Well, here are some screenshot (with interactions displayed) for RT Mundo, Globat Times & RT

POLITICO was one of several news organizations w/ access to internal @Facebook docs that outlined the tech giant’s role in everything from Jan 6 riots to fomenting violence worldwide. We’ve just published our first set of stories.

A thread <<cracks knuckles>> @Facebook .@JohnHendel delved into how Facebookers weren’t happy w/ how the company had handled things over the years. “We really need to get over our reluctance to stand on the side of truth and reality,” one said in late 2020. politi.co/3mbCeCE

I find this point from @FrancesHaugen telling in terms how US social media companies (and, frankly) US-based reporters and others view #misinformation. It’s as if they haven’t looked beyond their noses to the wider world & lack of support for tackling this problem elsewhere. I won’t pretend to understand the intricacies of Myanmar or the Philippines. But again and again, #misinformation across Europe has gone unchecked. politico.eu/article/qanon-…, politico.eu/article/us-nat…, politico.eu/article/corona…

Seeing ongoing difficulty in getting ANYTHING passed through Congress & can’t help but think: none of the digital rulemaking linked to #antitrust, #contentmoderation or, already a long shot, #privacy is going to happen before the midterms, if not the 2024 presidential election This is frustrating in some many ways (and, tbf, I’m a cynic on US rulemaking anyway). I wonder if @FrancesHaugen’s testimony will change the dynamics, but I doubt it. Digital policymaking and the fight against “Big Tech” is just not a priority

And so it's done. After almost a year, my three-part series on the murky world of undercover lobbying in Brussels is out. (Whoop!)

Here's my on our podcast talking about the whole operations. Enjoy politico.eu/podcast/macron…

https://twitter.com/markscott82/status/1381553388647817216

Part One looks at EU Reporter, a Brussels-based media organization and its undisclosed ties to foreign governments and companies eagerly promoting themselves within the EU halls of power politico.eu/article/brusse…

ICYMI -- a deal to fundamentally overhaul the global tax system is expected to be announced tomorrow. It would rewrite domestic laws & international treaties, forcing the likes of @google & @facebook to pay more, globally, where they operate.

<<Cracks knucles>> cue thread This comes down to who gets the right to tax the world's largest companies on their global operations: these firms' home jurisidictions, or countries that are home to these companies' actual customers.

In short, it's a question of sovereignty.

Anyone in DC looking for suggestions on what to do about social media companies’ harm on society? Want to police algorithms and increase transparency on what everyone sees online. Here’s a quick guide to EU’s Digital Services Act proposals that do just that 👇 Reminder: these rules will likely get passed in first half of 2022. They have changed since first being announced in December, 2020, but hit on everything @FrancesHaugen touched on today in terms of algorithmic and data accountability

US & EU senior officials meet today in Pittsburgh to talk tech & trade. It's part of efforts to rebuild the transatlantic relation after Trump's 4 years.

Here's a thread on what you need to know about today's meeting and what it means for US-US relations.

<<cracks knuckles>> First, the basics. The EU-US Trade and Tech Council was an idea dreamed up by @EU_Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to pigeonhole US thinking about digital policymaking and trade. The goal: to get DC to follow Brussels' lead

After talking to folk today, two things have become very clear: UK govt is willing to walk away from its adequacy deal w/ EU; almost no one with power in London understands how privacy regulations work

https://twitter.com/markscott82/status/1430798501194182660

There is a feeling within part of UK govt that GDPR has been a hindrance to growth (it has not); and that business wants more freedom to “innovate” (most do, but not at expense of privacy rights)

Current scenes in Brussels after London announces it wants to reach a international data deal w/ the US (and Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, South Korea, India & Singapore) Fun fact: while the UK is pursuing these post-Brexit deals (as is its right), if such agreements leads to EU data being transferred to third-party countries that don't have adequacy deals w/ EU, then the UK's own deal w/ the EU could be in jeopardy

Two things are pretty clear. 1) Taliban continue is all over social media. 2) Western far-right groups have embraced the militants' message as their own.

Read all about how that's shaking out in this week's Digital Bridge newsletter 👉 politico.eu/newsletter/dig… .@Facebook's publication of a new (US-focused) transparency report has again got people talking about how to hold these companies to account.

FWIW, both EU & US officials are (finally) putting pen to paper 👇

Happy Schrems-iversary! It’s been a year since Europe’s highest court stuck down EU-US data transfers.

Where are we on getting a deal done? Not close at all. Here’s why politi.co/3idBCt2 w/ @vmanancourt @vmanancourt Reminder: the underlying issues haven’t really changed since 2015 — when the previous “Safe Harbor” agreement was similarly struck down nyti.ms/3eoZx7G

There's a growing drumbeat (in Washington) that China's new #privacy laws give Chinese citizens' greater protections than in the US -- and that's good enough reason for DC to pursue federal #dataprotection laws.

Let's unpack why that argument doesn't make sense.

<<cue thread>> So it's true that Beijing is rolling out a comprehensive national #privacy standard that, in its very basic levels, is based on Europe's General Data Protection Regulation. You can read a translation here newamerica.org/cybersecurity-…

#BREAKING Two #antitrust investigations into @Facebook from @EU_Commission & @CMAgovUK bit.ly/2S085Kh & bit.ly/3cjf1Jf @Facebook @EU_Commission @CMAgovUK Focus is on social networking giant’s collection & use of data and if that gave it an unfair advantage.

This is just the start of the investigations, and we’re still months, if not more than a year, away from any specific charges

For everyone wading into the global tax overhaul as G7 ministers meet today — hi, welcome, glad you could make it.

Let’s break down where we are, what are the sticking points, and what may — and may not — be accounced in coming days.

<cue thread>> OK, first things, first. This is not about tax. At its core are unanswered questions over which govts have the right to tell large (digital) companies what they can and can not do within their jurisdictions.

In short, it's a power play (but I would say that, as a POLITICO hack)

BREAKING: Trump banned from @Facebook bit.ly/3eko3r1

https://twitter.com/markscott82/status/1389876876450086912

@Facebook Major caveat: @OversightBoard wants FB to review its Trump ban within 6 months and come up with another penalty other than lifetime ban.

So we might be back here in the Fall.

Fun.

In a couple of hours (9am EST), we'll know if Donald Trump is allowed back on @Facebook. It represents a watershed moment of online content rules -- and shines a spotlight on how FB has de facto power over much of our lives.

A thread on what to expect and this ruling means: So let's do the basics: Trump's account was suspended after Jan 6 riots and FB referred that decision to @OversightBoard in late Jan to determine if that was correct decision or not oversightboard.com/news/175638774…

Giddy up: Eurpoean Comission’s @BrunoGencarelli & @CommerceGov’s Christopher Hoff (the men in charge of getting a EU-US data deal done) are chatting.

Live thread coming up.

<<Cracks knucles>> 👇 Back story: Privacy Shield negotiations are ongoing to keep data flowing across Atlantic. It’s a big deal (here’s why politi.co/3u0625Z).

Biggest issue: Allowing EU citizens greater judicial redress when their data is shipped to the US.