Election internet influence ops: a reminder that HRC's campaign ran an astroturf troll operation. As the LA Times described it: "In effect, the effort aims to spend a large sum of money to increase the amount of trolling that already exists online."

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-clinton-digital-trolling-20160506-snap-htmlstory.html
Election internet influence ops: a reminder that HRC's campaign ran an astroturf troll operation. As the LA Times described it: "In effect, the effort aims to spend a large sum of money to increase the amount of trolling that already exists online." http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-clinton-digital-trolling-20160506-snap-htmlstory.html
Election internet influence ops: a reminder that HRC's campaign ran an astroturf troll operation. As the LA Times described it: "In effect, the effort aims to spend a large sum of money to increase the amount of trolling that already exists online." http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-clinton-digital-trolling-20160506-snap-htmlstory.html
Election internet influence ops: An important study of Silicon Valley's role in the election reveals embedded teams that made companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter extensions of political campaigns — and a hidden form of influence and lobbying.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/26/facebook-google-twitter-trump-244191
Election internet influence ops: An important study of Silicon Valley's role in the election reveals embedded teams that made companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter extensions of political campaigns — and a hidden form of influence and lobbying. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/26/facebook-google-twitter-trump-244191
Election internet influence ops: An important study of Silicon Valley's role in the election reveals embedded teams that made companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter extensions of political campaigns — and a hidden form of influence and lobbying. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/26/facebook-google-twitter-trump-244191
This is the original study, which deserves a lot more attention. It shows a total merging of Silicon Valley with the campaign apparatus of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Really amazing work. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2017.1364814
This is the original study, which deserves a lot more attention. It shows a total merging of Silicon Valley with the campaign apparatus of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Really amazing work. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2017.1364814
This is the original study, which deserves a lot more attention. It shows a total merging of Silicon Valley with the campaign apparatus of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Really amazing work. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584609.2017.1364814
Election influence flops: Russian tweets did not cause Brexit, study finds. What a surprise. https://www.ft.com/content/fbf8ab4c-e41d-11e7-97e2-916d4fbac0da
Election influence flops: DHS officials says no one hacked the election systems of "21 states." https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4700287/dhs-official-denies-russia-hack-21-state-voting-systems (HT: @MaxBlumenthal )
Source: https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/942872934837899264
Election influence ops: Got money? Facebook's political propaganda machine is here to help. https://mobile.twitter.com/yashalevine/status/943885143047114753
Election influence ops: Facebook is a global political campaign shop.
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/women-bridging-tech-and-politics-the-2016-election-katie-harbath
Election influence ops: Facebook cites its work for far-right Ted Cruz's PAC as a success story.

"Cruz-ing to a win"

https://www.facebook.com/business/success/keep-the-promise-3
Election influence ops: Facebook cites its work for far-right Ted Cruz's PAC as a success story. "Cruz-ing to a win" https://www.facebook.com/business/success/keep-the-promise-3
Election influence ops: Facebook cites its work for far-right Ted Cruz's PAC as a success story. "Cruz-ing to a win" https://www.facebook.com/business/success/keep-the-promise-3
Election influence ops: Facebook cites its work for far-right Ted Cruz's PAC as a success story. "Cruz-ing to a win" https://www.facebook.com/business/success/keep-the-promise-3
Election influence ops: Reminder that @Snowden's theory as to why the NSA will not offer evidence that Russia hacked the DNC is because "there were probably six or seven groups" inside that leaky server.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/edward-snowden-interview-there-is-still-hope-a-1166752-2.html
Election influence ops: This WaPo story is nuts, complete with CIA proposals to create fake websites and fake personas. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kremlin-trolls-burned-across-the-internet-as-washington-debated-options/2017/12/23/e7b9dc92-e403-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html
Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options

The Russian disinformation threat went uncontested as it metastasized.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kremlin-trolls-burned-across-the-internet-as-washington-debated-options/2017/12/23/e7b9dc92-e403-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html
Election influence ops: https://mobile.twitter.com/notifications/1514242251319
In 1972, Senator Fulbright wanted to shut down America's government-fnded propaganda radio stations RFE/RL: "I submit that these radios should be given an opportunity to take their rightful place in the graveyard of cold‐war relics."

They weren't shut down, but expanded.

NYT:
In 1972, Senator Fulbright wanted to shut down America's government-fnded propaganda radio stations RFE/RL: "I submit that these radios should be given an opportunity to take their rightful place in the graveyard of cold‐war relics." They weren't shut down, but expanded.NYT:
In 1972, Senator Fulbright wanted to shut down America's government-fnded propaganda radio stations RFE/RL: "I submit that these radios should be given an opportunity to take their rightful place in the graveyard of cold‐war relics." They weren't shut down, but expanded.NYT:
In 1972, Senator Fulbright wanted to shut down America's government-fnded propaganda radio stations RFE/RL: "I submit that these radios should be given an opportunity to take their rightful place in the graveyard of cold‐war relics." They weren't shut down, but expanded.NYT:
Election Influence Ops: say hello to Trump State Department’s new lavishly funded propaganda division.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/13/state-department-answer-russian-meddling-funded/322992002/
More USG influence ops: https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/968171197891600384
More on HRC's troll farm: https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/970371971937529856
Election influence ops: Global surveillance company Facebook bans insignificant "Trump-affiliated" data firm Cambridge Analytica

https://www.sfgate.com/business/technology/article/Facebook-bans-Trump-affiliated-data-firm-12760657.php
Global surveillance corp Facebook doesn't like it when little spy goons like Cambridge Analytica try to muscle in on its turf:

"...the firm harvested private information from the Facebook profiles of more than 50 million users without their permission" https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-trump-campaign.html
How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions (Published 2018)

Cambridge Analytica harvested personal information from a huge swath of the electorate to develop techniques that were later used in the Trump campaign.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-trump-campaign.html
Remember: Facebook supports rightwing politicians, including those backed by Trump/Analytica sugar daddy Robert Mercer.

Exhibit A: Facebook's election ops for Ted Cruz.

https://www.facebook.com/business/success/keep-the-promise-3
Internet influence ops: Cambridge Analytica has contract with State Department to fight Russian propaganda...on Facebook. You can't make this up, folks. https://mobile.twitter.com/yashalevine/status/975026767848202247
Remember, the internet was designed by the Pentagon in the 1960s to be a info-weapon — a weapon of surveillance, influence and control. And it continues to be that today.

From Surveillance Valley...

https://surveillancevalley.com/buy 
Remember, the internet was designed by the Pentagon in the 1960s to be a info-weapon — a weapon of surveillance, influence and control. And it continues to be that today. From Surveillance Valley... https://surveillancevalley.com/buy 
Remember, the internet was designed by the Pentagon in the 1960s to be a info-weapon — a weapon of surveillance, influence and control. And it continues to be that today. From Surveillance Valley... https://surveillancevalley.com/buy 
So Cambridge Analytica's whistleblower says they had a team of photographers and writers creating individually-targeted online articles based on voters' personalities. That would be a huge, costly effort. Seems a bit improbable, no?

Do we have evidence?
interesting detail about CA whistleblower Christopher Wylie: he learned his data-based people manipulation craft from President Obama's election campaign.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/data-war-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump
Just popped by @TheWarNerd bunker to briefly talk about big data snake oil and Cambridge Analytica.

Remember: Cambridge Analytica’s scary sophisticated data weapon was first used to get Ted Cruz elected president. How did that work?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cruz-campaign-credits-psychological-data-and-analytics-for-its-rising-success/2015/12/13/4cb0baf8-9dc5-11e5-bce4-708fe33e3288_story.html
Cruz campaign credits psychological data and analytics for its rising success

Different ads on guns and other issues targeted to voters based on their psychological profiles.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/cruz-campaign-credits-psychological-data-and-analytics-for-its-rising-success/2015/12/13/4cb0baf8-9dc5-11e5-bce4-708fe33e3288_story.html
Guess when we knew Cambridge Analytica grabbed Facebook data?

2015. It is 2018 now.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/11/senator-ted-cruz-president-campaign-facebook-user-data
https://surveillancevalley.com/buy 
Buy

United States Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Audible Walmart • Target • Books-A-Million Powell's • Indiebound RUSSIA Individuum • Bookmate UK Amazon.co.uk • Waterstones • Hive Book Depository • Apple...

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American election influence ops help the German far-right: https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/976879624629219329
Domestic Internet influence ops: boosting war with Iran. https://mobile.twitter.com/tparsi/status/1023570762538672128
Just throwing another one on top of my domestic internet influence ops thread. So many influence ops to keep track of! https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1029181898319450112
And of course who can forget the Koch-backed Tea Party movement, one of the earliest and most successful internet influence ops: https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/965273090862149632
What about the global internet-based influence op run for the Pentagon by military contractor VendorX?

https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/932311597024006144
What about this Google internet influence ops targeting the European Union? https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1027418093369344000
Amazon's influence ops. Flooding Twitter with bots that pretend to be employees in order to counter criticism of Amazon's working conditions. https://mobile.twitter.com/bornwithatail_/status/1032674364427251712
And then one from the archives: https://mobile.twitter.com/yashalevine/status/933063862236209153
Just another internet influence op — run by the United States Cyber Command and the NSA: https://mobile.twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1055105713838739456
While Cambridge Analytica—a two bit player in political influence ops— was an international scandal, oligarch Charles Koch runs a much bigger influence ops, profiling just about every American with as much precision as his $100 billion fortune can buy. https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/11/13413/koch-brothers-are-watching-you-and-new-documents-reveal-just-how-much-they-know
Koch Brothers Are Watching You: And New Documents Reveal Just How

Billionaire brothers have built personality profiles of most Americans, and use them to push right-wing propaganda.

https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/11/13413/koch-brothers-are-watching-you-and-new-documents-reveal-just-how-much-they-know
You won't see it blow up into a scandal because the Republican political establishment uses this Koch-funded political influence tech to run its campaigns. But also because Democrats have their own similar voter surveillance and influence platforms.
I wrote about this for the Baffler: https://thebaffler.com/latest/cambridge-analytica-con-levine
The Cambridge Analytica Con | Yasha Levine

So far, much of the mainstream coverage looks at Cambridge Analytica in isolation—almost entirely outside of any historical or political context.

https://thebaffler.com/latest/cambridge-analytica-con-levine
2018 will be remembered as the year social media megacorps like Twitter, Facebook and Google were fully synced and integrated into our two party political system.

Russiagate was a dud that helped normalize and entrench domestic internet influence ops: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1N72FA?__twitter_impression=true
Exclusive: Twitter deletes over 10,000 accounts that sought to discourage U.S. voting

Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) deleted more than 10,000 automated accounts posting messages that discouraged people from voting in Tuesday's U.S. election and wrongly appeared to be from Democrats, after the...

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1N72FA?__twitter_impression=true
Reminder that the US intel-tied firm that advises the government on rooting out Russian internet influence ops ran a false flag op pretending to be a Russian bot network. https://grayzoneproject.com/2018/12/25/senate-report-on-russian-interference-was-written-by-disinformation-warriors-behind-alabama-false-flag-operation/
Senate report on Russian interference was written by disinformation warriors behind Alabama ‘false...

Hailed by Congress and the media as defenders of democracy, high-tech Russiagate hustlers Jonathon Morgan and Ryan Fox have been exposed for waging “an elaborate ‘false flag’ operation” to swing the...

https://grayzoneproject.com/2018/12/25/senate-report-on-russian-interference-was-written-by-disinformation-warriors-behind-alabama-false-flag-operation/
More internet influence ops, courtesy of Trump’s State Department: https://lobelog.com/is-the-state-department-funding-attacks-on-activists/
Is the State Department Funding Attacks on Activists?

by Derek Davison Considerable evidence emerged late this week connecting the U.S. State Department to a Twitter account that has engaged in online attacks against human rights organizations, Irania…

https://lobelog.com/is-the-state-department-funding-attacks-on-activists/
Influence ops/cyber war? Just don’t tell the president about it! https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1140126297928036352
Some more good ol’ American internet influence ops: FBI agent outs himself trying to pin shooting at Chabad synagogue near San Diego on the Kremlin.

https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1140480488873709569
Some more good ol’ American internet influence ops: FBI agent outs himself trying to pin shooting at Chabad synagogue near San Diego on the Kremlin. https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1140480488873709569
Some more good ol’ American internet influence ops: FBI agent outs himself trying to pin shooting at Chabad synagogue near San Diego on the Kremlin. https://twitter.com/yashalevine/status/1140480488873709569
You can follow @yashalevine.
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