The unprecedented decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court of 6 December to cancel elections on the basis of claims of alleged abroad influence of “disinformation” on voting results is part of the process of closing the global censorship system. Censorship, declared by President-elect Donald Trump. Romanian case is just the beginning. It announces what will be happening in the future, it is possible that besides in Poland, on the occasion of presidential elections, under the pretext of "defence of democracy", "integrity of information" and "integrity of elections".
In the book “Missinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation. How a global censorship strategy arises" I describe how a strategy of strict control of information is created under the pretext of fighting mis-, mal- and misinformation. I besides mention to the results of the investigation of a powerful US congressional committee on "an industrial complex of censorship", which includes a network of government agendas, renowned university centres, a network of organizations fact-checking and technology companies. They lead: Stanford University net Observatory, Washington University, Atlantic Council Forensic investigation laboratory and Graphika.
More about the various initiatives of “an industrial complex of censorship”, including those concerning “the integrity of elections”, the phrase late cited by the Department of State under Antony Blinken, praising the decision of the Romanian tribunal, I compose in this book. I am based on the findings of the committee on the mid-term study of 5 February 2024 (The weatherization of the national discipline foundation: how NSF is based the improvement of automated tools to censor online velocity “at scale” and trying to cover up its actions).
The congressmen who prepared the study showed that conservative statements were primarily censored, and organised actions in this area were taken by the "establishment" in consequence to the 2016 U.S. elections and the vote on the issue brexit of 2017. At that time, a number of teams and cells were created to combat "MDM information" (mission-, mal- and misinformation). Under the pretext of fighting abroad manipulations in various agencies, fresh influence and perception management cells were created. With taxpayers' money, they began to analyse “pseudonaukka misinformation“, as the congressmen expressed themselves, threatening “unfettered speech” on the Internet. This has become a origin of income for an expanding number of "industrial censorship" actors.
There are further findings made by the judiciary committee, which, along with another subcommittees, get classified material, continues its investigations, publishing mid-term reports all fewer months.
May 2024 report: how did they censor Facebook, Twitter and Amazon?
And so from the May 2024 study (The Censorship-Industrial Complex: how to top Biden White home Officials coerced large Tech to censor Americans, actual information and criticals of the Biden Administration) we find out how the top White home officials during the end of the presidential word forced large technology companies to censor Americans, real information and administration critics.
It was established that:
They tried to force large social media companies specified as Meta (the Facebook parent company), Alphabet (the YouTube parent company) and Amazon to censor books, films, posts and another content online. Under pressure, these companies changed their rules of content moderation by the end of 2021 to delight the ruling.
The Commission pointed out that “although Biden’s White home run was mostly successful, its effects were devastating. By suppressing freedom of speech and deliberately distorting public debate in modern public square, ideas and policies were no longer honestly tested and discussed in terms of their advantages. Instead, policy makers have implemented a number of measures in the field of public wellness protection that have proved disastrous to the country. From unnecessary extended school closures to unconstitutional vaccination orders, forcing workers to receive a recently developed vaccine or hazard losing their jobs. Biden's administration and another officials unnecessarily caused the harm and suffering of Americans across the country."
The Commission noted that it was thanks to the legal disputes launched and the publication of "twitter files" after Elon Musk took over the company that allowed us to learn about the backroom efforts of the Biden White House. They were taken to censor political opponents and opposition views.
Officials demanded censorship of information that did not violate the principles of moderation of the "Big Tech" content. Even a list of books posted in the world’s largest online bookshop was discussed. The company implemented a strategy of automated scanning of the content of books around the clock, 7 days a week, in addition to employing a squad of about 100 people who manually checked the content of books and introduced greater requirements for institutions posting publications in a bookstore. Books against vaccinations were removed.
In August 2021, Facebook's leadership asked Misinfo Policy "to brainstorm on additional policy levers that could be utilized to be more aggressive towards... misinformation", as demanded by the Biden administration.
In September 2021, after months of criticism for not censoring non-violent human rights content, YouTube shared a fresh "policy proposal" with the White House. It active censorship of more materials criticising the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. The company asked for "any opinions" that the current US administration could supply before the policy was "finalised".
The Commission besides found that "Biden's White home censorship run was targeted at real information, satire and another content that did not violate the principles of platforms. Contrary to their claims of a desire to fight the alleged misinformation and abroad misinformation, Biden's administration has put force on companies to censor real information, satire, memes, opinions and entries on American individual experiences." The ‘humoristic or satirical content suggesting that the vaccine is not safe’ was removed.
The Chief Doctor demanded the removal of “real information on side effects” of vaccines.
The findings besides show that "Biden's White home censorship run had a freezing effect on another content, including the origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus (the explanation of the leak from the laboratory, which even part of Biden's administration considered true)".
Zuckerberg, the head of Facebook, complained that, as a consequence of breaking their own standards due to force from the administration, the companies would 1 day regret their own practices.
Technological companies were under force from the government due to the fact that they had to deal with the administration other, more crucial from their point of view, e.g. the issue of data flow.
The White home promoted censorship of books, not just social media. By September 2021, Facebook, YouTube and Amazon adopted fresh rules for the moderation of content that removed or limited the viewpoints and content not liked by the state authorities.
"Facebook files" uncover that in February 2021 the company increased censorship of anti-vaccine content, as well as theories concerning the laboratory spill of the virus, and in general real information, satiries, memes and another lawful materials. In July 2021, tension reached its climax erstwhile president Biden publically accused Facebook of "killing people". High-ranking Facebook officials decided in August 2021 to introduce fresh rules to average content that would censor more anti-vaccinating materials."
Spring 2021. Biden's White home increased the force on YouTube to remove and limit alleged misinformation, including "border content", i.e. content that did not violate the rules of the platform. Administration officials asked why circumstantial films were not removed or demoted.
In September 2021, while YouTube was preparing to finalize a fresh "proposation" policy of censorship of content challenging the safety or effectiveness of vaccines, the platform sent an email to the White home in advance to get its "opinion". After the policy was announced, the administration unofficially praised the extended censorship as a "great step".
Amazon was instructed not to advance anti-vaccine books.
The Commission recalled that "the first amendment forbids the government restrictions on freedom of expression. So any law or government policy that restricts this freedom on platforms [social media]... violates the first amendment." It was referred to as an executive ‘conspiracy’ with external intermediaries in order to censor adverse viewpoints in violation of the United States Constitution.
"Facebook Files" indicate that the company was under constant force from external stakeholders, including the White home [Bidena], to remove disincentives to COVID-19 vaccines.
For example, a list of the 100 most popular American posts on Facebook from April 5 to April 11, 2021, related to vaccines, was made available to the state administration. And although reliable information prevailed on the list, “The White home was afraid that Post No. 3 was a humorous meme discouraging vaccines and called us to remove the meme.”
The Commission noted that ‘Facebook did not know precisely what to censor to satisfy Biden's White home and, consequently, censored even more real information’, ‘negative information or opinions on vaccines’, as well as ‘humoristic or satirical content’.
The views of the left were besides censored. Furthermore, during the election campaign, Biden announced that the removal of specified content would be the highest priority. Social media platforms began to grow their principles of content moderation after the fresh administration took office.
For example, a list of 12 entities whose posts were to be removed immediately was created. The Facebook authorities lamented that the list of CCDH Disinformation twelve proved to be a challenge due to the fact that the entries of any entities "were completely harmless" according to Facebook's interior assessment.
On 9 April 2021, Facebook sent an email to the White home explaining how it was already working on limiting the virality of certain vaccine and COVID related content on its WhatsApp platform. The company besides stressed that it would proceed to "design further product functions" in this direction. An algorithmic change was tested that promoted high-quality news and election information. Biden's White home put force on Facebook to censor administrative critics including Tucker Carlson, Tomi Lahren and another conservative media.
Internal notes show that the White home wanted "empiric information on the effectiveness of intervention", i.e. data on the effectiveness of censorship of this platform. 1 of Rob Flaherty's officials asked Facebook about the "significant impact" of "changes in the algorithm so that people would watch NYT, WSJ more frequently, any reliable origin of information alternatively than polarizing regular Wire people, Tomi Lahr".
Officials demanded that circumstantial messages be deleted, e.g. Andy Slavitt wrote to Facebook staff (14 April, 10:01) about material from Tucker Carlson Tonight.
It was eagerly asked why Facebook allowed films of uncomfortable publicists to become the best posts about vaccines on Facebook for 2 consecutive days. Facebook noted that Tucker Carlson's movie was not eligible to be removed according to their content moderation policy. It was admitted that after the government decision, it was allowed to claim that Johnson and Johnson caused blood clots, but “we inactive do not let categorical claims that she or another vaccines are dangerous or ineffective.” The company has decided to mark films, not urge them to people and degrade them in the search hierarchy.
Researchers on MDM information played an crucial function in censorship of content.
Officials were outraged that Facebook did not remove the meme of actor Leonard DiCaprio, who straight compared COVID-19 vaccines to asbestos poisoning "in a way that demonstrably inhibits assurance in COVID vaccines among the people that the Biden administration is trying to reach".
Official Slavitt ignored Clegg's informing from Facebook that the removal of a meme about the side effects of vaccines would likely violate the first amendment. Clegg later testified before the committee that in connection with the conversation with Slavitt, “it seemed apparent to me that if the large Tech platforms had started to act against what was evident satire, humor, jokingness on the Internet, I mean, it would have set rather a crucial precedent.”
In his evidence to the committee, Clegg said that “[The White House] surely encouraged us to delete the content and indicated those which they thought should be removed.” The White House's demands were “obsistent enough” and “ lay the foundation” for most of the talks.
Facebook demoted the messages, "identified 39 accounts that were owned or seemed to be associated with Disinfo Dozen". 15 of them were disabled, 4 “experiential function locks”, 10 had non-rec status (they were impossible to record) and another accounts did not print a ‘sufficient amount of infringing content’ to ‘disable or exposure them to penalties’.
At the same time, Facebook employees complained in their interior correspondence that the definition of "mission" of Biden's administration was "totally vague" and that "it seems that erstwhile the vaccination run does not proceed as expected, it is convenient to blame us." As 1 Facebook worker complained, Biden's White home consequence "is not full based on facts and this is frustrating." "On July 15, 2021, Biden's White home besides sent an email to Facebook on method issues that reduced the increase in the number of followers on president Biden's Instagram account (@potus). erstwhile a Facebook individual replied that he was incapable to explain the interior method problem, but noted that he had remained solved and should not repeatRob Flaherty responded in a speech known to Facebook staff: Are you people serious? I want answers about what happened here, and I want them today.It’s okay. ”
The Facebook squad was annoyed that the White home might not make decisions "based on legitimate data". 1 of Facebook's moderators wrote that according to Biden's crew, removing 12 accounts would origin “65 percent of anti-vaccine misinformation to disappear”.
Nick Clegg from Facebook "clearly stated that the [Bidena] administration is indeed afraid that misinformation" on Facebook "risks pro-active efforts to prevent COVID vaccination". The Chief Doctor complained about the deficiency of adequate advancement in moderation, demanding faster removal of "harmful content".
In his discussion, Facebook pointed out that in the Chief Doctor's warning, "mission" was defined as "including those publishing real information about experiencing uncommon side effects".
Biden's White home wanted to. to Facebook "remove content that contains any negative information or opinions on vaccines" against COVID-19, as well as " humorous or satirical content that suggests that the vaccine is not safe".
According to an explanation from Facebook's interior note, Biden's White home "previously indicated that it believes humorous content should be removed if it is based on the presumption that the vaccine has side effects". Thus, the company "expected that likewise [the White House] would want to remove humorous content regarding fluctuations before receiving vaccines".
Clegg noted during 1 of the interior email exchanges that “what the White home seemingly wants us to remove everything, from humor to completely unviolent rules of moderation, discussions about vaccines. I don't think Mark [Zuckerberg] will be comfortable in a million years – and I wouldn't urge it.”
‘You Tube Files’
In April 2021, Rob Flaherty sent an email to Google, YouTube's parent company. He demanded that the moderation be changed in specified a way that "you have assurance that you have control of the reluctance to vaccinate and that you are working to solve the problem" and that "it is simply a fear shared at the highest (and I mean the highest) levels of [White House]".
Just 2 days later, YouTube Product manager Neal Mohan posted material on the blog, discussing the company's approach to misinformation. He noted: "We are now removing almost 10 million films quarterly" and "since February 2020 we have removed over 1 million films related to dangerous coronavirus information."
In the following month, YouTube introduced fresh rules to remove “bad” information questioning the safety or effectiveness of COVID–19 vaccines.
The Commission noted that “the collaboration between Google and YouTube with the White home on misinformation lasted after 2021 and expanded to cover issues beyond COVID-19 and vaccines. For example, on March 17, 2022, Tim Wu, a peculiar assistant president for technology and competition, asked Google to meet to discuss “Russian misinformation/disinformation”, as well as “air lines competition”. On 16 June 2022, Google's public policy squad sent an email to White home staff. He informed about “ YouTube activities on climate misinformation”. On 14 July 2022, YouTube government staff contacted White home staff, offering information on "updates related to solving misinformation problems about reproductive wellness on YouTube". The answer was that the addressees of the communication were "particularly curious in abortion". A Google Public Policy worker responded to an email from Rob Flaherty on 3 August 2022, thanking for ideas on how “Google platforms can aid inform and educate voters.” He besides recommended that a gathering be held with the "Left electoral team" so that Flaherty could "immerse himself deeper" in educating voters".
The Judicial Committee pointed out that "when the White home or any government office proves that it is able to censor information – even under the pretext of promoting public wellness or the integrity of elections – it is inevitable that the government will search to extend its censorship efforts to include a constantly increasing list of topics." The Commission and the peculiar Subcommittee added that Biden's administration may have attempted to censor statements on another topics specified as climate, abortion and inflation.
"You Tube Files" revealed the discontent of White home officials due to the uncensored "border content", that is, content that does not violate the rules of platform moderation. Like Facebook, YouTube yet capitulated and changed the rules of content moderation after months of force from the White House. In September 2021, after continuing criticism for the deficiency of control over the content of "border" or non-moderation rules, the platform presented the White home with a fresh "policy proposal" to censor more materials criticising the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Officials praised the company for extending the scope of censorship, saying that the update "at first glance seems a large step".
"Amazon Files" revealed that the White home besides campaigned force on net bookstores. In March 2021 Biden officials criticized Amazon, the world's largest store in the industry, for offering books that questioned the safety or effectiveness of injections, including the recently developed vacancy against COVID-19. Faced with force from the company, it reacted quickly, implementing a fresh policy within a week that imposed restrictions on anti-vaccination books.
For example, the Commission noted: “The pressures of the Biden White home on Amazon show that despite alleged claims of attempts to combat viral alleged misinformation on social media, the real goal of the White home run was to censor unpopular statements regardless of their form. Of course, the protection of the first amendment includes American statements in all form of media (...). However, as papers obtained by the committee and the chosen subcommittee show, Biden's White home sought to censor statements in 1 of the oldest forms of communication: books."
Officials complained about “high levels of propaganda, misinformation and misinformation”. Amazon's management has taken action to classify all publications expressing doubts about vaccination as ‘extremistic’ and not to advance or even remove them.
Flaherty, Slavitt and others were key officials of the Bidenian censorship government believed censorship was justified. Slavitt published a book entitled Preventable: The Inside communicative of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response. There he criticized Americans for almost fanatical attachment to the first amendment and resisting sanitary exacerbations during the alleged covid pandemic. He wrote about “obsessing on the freedom of the individual, even at the expense of the lives and wellness of others.” The Commission commented as follows: "Slavitt's sincere message underlines the arrogance of the Biden White home and its contempt for fundamental civilian liberties". It was added that "Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis" and "The first amendment did not harm life and health Americans; on the contrary, if Biden's White home and administration had followed the first amendment, so much unnecessary pain and suffering could have been avoided. As public wellness measures could not be honestly discussed by the public and assessed on the basis of their advantages, the Biden administration and another decision-makers imposed public wellness measures that were devastating to students, workers and another Americans throughout the country. present they are widely considered stupid. The statements (...) “Trust in Science” proved to have no technological basis. For a time the fact was censored and disinformation was distributed by “experts”, including the Biden administration. America needs a free and open debate on burning problems, and Biden's administration should have trusted the intelligence of the American people to make their own decisions."
It added that "researching constitutional violations by the executive authority is not enough; legislative reforms are needed". That is why the home of Representatives Republicans are working to enact fresh rules that will further strengthen the right of Americans to free speech. Members of the peculiar Subcommittee proposed a draft law on the protection of freedom of expression and a law on liability for censorship. Its adoption would bring legal consequences to national workers for violating the rights arising from the first amendment."
Agnieszka Stelmach
Cdn.
PCh24TV
