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THREAD: Let's talk about what @Twitter/ @Jack SHOULD do about Russian propaganda on their platform.
First, they should STOP DISAPPEARING Russian propaganda. Instead, they should unhide, highlight, freeze, filter, & educate their users about content detected thus far, like so: /1
First, they should STOP DISAPPEARING Russian propaganda. Instead, they should unhide, highlight, freeze, filter, & educate their users about content detected thus far, like so: /1
The current @Twitter approach is to flush its Russian propaganda problem down the memory hole, by suspending detected accounts... While vaguely notifying users that they interacted with it, but not showing what it was. This is BAD. /2
The first reason why Twitter's current approach is bad is... Moral:
The American people DESERVE to see ALL Russian propaganda content targeted at them, on social media & elsewhere. We deserve to see what we got hit with, full stop.
Anything else is fundamentally unjust. /3
The American people DESERVE to see ALL Russian propaganda content targeted at them, on social media & elsewhere. We deserve to see what we got hit with, full stop.
Anything else is fundamentally unjust. /3
Also, America can't build up an effective distributed immune system against Russian propaganda unless we learn to recognize it, & we can't learn to recognize it unless we see it, highlighted as what it is & in context as it was deployed! /4
The research is clear:
A CRITICAL part of inoculating the public against "fake news", disinformation, & propaganda generally is making sure that the victims of Russian propaganda can see it for EXACTLY what it.
That means not hiding or censoring it. /5 http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2018/02/how-inoculate-public-against-fake-news/146092/
A CRITICAL part of inoculating the public against "fake news", disinformation, & propaganda generally is making sure that the victims of Russian propaganda can see it for EXACTLY what it.
That means not hiding or censoring it. /5 http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2018/02/how-inoculate-public-against-fake-news/146092/
The most effective defenses against enemy propaganda are SOCIETY-WIDE.
Public awareness of what enemy propaganda looks like gives us defense in depth.
All Americans should be armed with the knowledge they need to help defend
against these kinds of attacks. /6
Public awareness of what enemy propaganda looks like gives us defense in depth.
All Americans should be armed with the knowledge they need to help defend
against these kinds of attacks. /6
Another reason Twitter's current approach is bad is that it looks like censorship. Nevermind that Russian propagandists have no right to use US platforms, operate in the US, or target Americans at all: We should be clear that censorship is what THEY do. /7 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/25/how-russia-independent-media-was-dismantled-piece-by-piece
Further, @Twitter's current approach to Russian propaganda, of just disappearing it down the memory hole, makes it look like they're engaging in a coverup!
Like, why are they just hiding everything? Are they afraid we'll be mad if we see it!? We are & should be, at Putin etc! /8
Like, why are they just hiding everything? Are they afraid we'll be mad if we see it!? We are & should be, at Putin etc! /8
Unhiding Russian propaganda as detected also helps independent researchers hunt down even more content that Twitter itself might miss. Sure, they're good, but they're not omniscient. They shouldn't try to be publicly unaccountable, or fight this alone. /9 https://twitter.com/josh_emerson/status/965244479979622400
Rest assured: Independent researchers WILL keep hunting down Russian propaganda, wherever it appears, simply because it's so damn fun - as well as being critically important! We'd like to give @ushadrons a big shoutout here, for his incredible archive: /10 https://medium.com/@ushadrons
We'd also like to thank @conspirator0 for his excellent work highlighting Russian propaganda trolls & tropes on Twitter. Him & @ZellaQuixote are killin' it, & this thread is partially inspired by previous discussions with him & his mockup of this. /11 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/965430423491837952
Professional journalists also smell blood, are on the hunt, & are getting increasingly sophisticated. We'd like to give a big shoutout to @bpopken at @NBCNews for his team's work on this, but there are many others. Thank God for the actual media! /12 https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/now-available-more-200-000-deleted-russian-troll-tweets-n844731
We got hit by an ecosystem: Bots, trolls, YouTube channels, fake news sites, spies, hackers, cutouts, media conglomerates, front groups (Wikileaks), proxy political actors (Jill Stein), & more. We need an ecosystem to fight back.
Twitter should aspire to be a team player. /13
Twitter should aspire to be a team player. /13
So, Twitter's current approach is bad for everybody, but they can get out ahead of the rising tide of JUSTIFIED public anger at Russian propaganda's use of their platform.
How? They should unhide, highlight, freeze, filter & educate their users about propaganda they detect. /14
How? They should unhide, highlight, freeze, filter & educate their users about propaganda they detect. /14
Let's go over the elements of this approach one at a time:
It should be UNHIDDEN, & that means detected Russian propaganda Twitter accounts should instead be unsuspended & assigned a special status: "Frozen". Their profile & tweets etc should be visible, but not retweetable! /15
It should be UNHIDDEN, & that means detected Russian propaganda Twitter accounts should instead be unsuspended & assigned a special status: "Frozen". Their profile & tweets etc should be visible, but not retweetable! /15
Russian propaganda should also be HIGHLIGHTED as exactly what it is. That's what the bar on the top, modeled after the one on suspended accounts, is for.
It's also what the little flags by each post are for: Consider them the OPPOSITE of the blue-checkmark "verified" icon. /16
It's also what the little flags by each post are for: Consider them the OPPOSITE of the blue-checkmark "verified" icon. /16
Please all note the prominent mention of an official Frequently Asked Questions document in the top bar. This should include descriptions of/links to public-record evidence used to identify these accounts as Russian propaganda, like this RBC reporting: /17 https://www.rbc.ru/magazine/2017/11/59e0c17d9a79470e05a9e6c1
Twitter's Russian propaganda FAQ is also a valuable opportunity to educate the public. It should also include key historical context, like the State Department reports on Russian active measures from the 1980s, here - read them! /18
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP84B00049R001303150031-0.pdf
https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1987/soviet-influence-activities-1987.pdf
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP84B00049R001303150031-0.pdf
https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/1987/soviet-influence-activities-1987.pdf
We also said that @Twitter should "filter" Russian propaganda, like spam.
This means restricting it to its own special feed/"inbox" where people can see it if they want to, but won't be bothered by it otherwise - unless they explicitly want to opt-in! /19 https://twitter.com/propornot/status/946299268062572544
This means restricting it to its own special feed/"inbox" where people can see it if they want to, but won't be bothered by it otherwise - unless they explicitly want to opt-in! /19 https://twitter.com/propornot/status/946299268062572544
In general, propaganda should be treated like spam, with its mix of regulatory (CAN-SPAM Act) & technical (Spamhaus). Analogies to fighting black-hat SEO, kiddie porn, & propaganda from ISIL apply too - which we effectively fight already. It's doable. /20 https://twitter.com/propornot/status/935043724924534784
Finally, Twitter's current approach emails a vague notice to users that engaged Russian propaganda, without showing them what it was!
Instead, Twitter should send an email to them with a link to their propaganda/spam "inbox" & FAQ, as described above, so they can see it all. /21
Instead, Twitter should send an email to them with a link to their propaganda/spam "inbox" & FAQ, as described above, so they can see it all. /21
This approach (unhide, highlight, freeze, filter & educate the users) applies to all social media platforms - not just Twitter.
Yes, they're going to have to pick a side, but they'll have to at some point regardless. They should side with America.
/END https://twitter.com/propornot/status/951763794224603136
Yes, they're going to have to pick a side, but they'll have to at some point regardless. They should side with America.
/END https://twitter.com/propornot/status/951763794224603136
