Twitter Demands Allegiance to NATO? – powered by ise.media
Twitter recently deleted hundreds of accounts for the crime of “undermining faith” in NATO with the problem being that the accounts were linked to Russia, Iran and Armenia.
Tag Archives: Twitter
Are Media Matters and George Soros Behind the Social Purge?
A nearly two year old document reportedly issued by Media Matters for America lays out a plan for “defeating Trump” and Republicans over the next four years. But is this strategy actually responsible for the social media taking place on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google? After all, this purge only protects establishment “left” and “right”.
Let’s give it a Reality Check.
Twitter Suspends Pro-Life Group From Running Ads Then Reverses Decision After Media Inquiry
(DCNF) Twitter suspended pro-life organization Human Coalition from running any advertisements on its website before reversing that decision following an inquiry from The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Twitter removed three pro-life Human Coalition ads on Feb. 21 and placed their account’s advertising privileges “under review” for allegedly violating company policies against “inappropriate content.” Twitter informed Human Coalition they would receive an email “when the review is complete.” That email came March 22: Human Coalition’s account was suspended from running ads — any ads — on Twitter.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to Twitter’s press team about the suspension on Tuesday evening and inquired as to why the pro-life center was barred from advertising but pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood aren’t.
Two hours after TheDCNF’s request, Twitter emailed Human Coalition to say the suspension was off and the tweets were approved, according to emails TheDCNF reviewed.
After another two hours, a Twitter spokesperson emailed TheDCNF to say Human Coalition wasn’t currently suspended from running ads. After further inquiries, the spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday Human Coalition had been suspended before Twitter lifted the ban.
The spokesperson declined to say when the decision was made to reverse the suspension but said it was already in the works prior to TheDCNF’s request and denied it was related to TheDCNF’s inquiries.
“Twitter claims to believe in ‘free expression’ and to think that ‘every voice has the power to impact the world.’ I believe Twitter does think that every voice has the power to change the world — and I believe that is exactly why they suppressed Human Coalition and others who proclaim the pro-life worldview,” Human Coalition spokesperson Lauren Enriquez said. “The fact that Twitter ideologues actively suppress Human Coalition’s pro-life expressions betrays their fear of how we are changing the world. And we don’t plan to stop changing the world any time soon.”
Twitter has repeatedly censored pro-life voices on the website, although it has occasionally reversed censorship.
The tech giant sparked outrage in 2017 by barring Republican Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn from running a pro-life ad. Twitter objected to one line Blackburn said: “I’m 100% pro-life. I fought Planned Parenthood, and we stopped the sale of baby body parts — thank God.”
Twitter demanded Blackburn remove the reference to Planned Parenthood selling baby parts. The congresswoman refused and instead publicly demanded an apology. Twitter reversed course after the ensuing backlash and allowed her to run the ad.
Written by Peter Hasson: Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson
This article was republished with permission from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Twitter CEO Predicts Bitcoin to be the World’s Future Single Currency
(Dash Force News) The CEO of Square and Twitter, said on Wednesday that “the world ultimately will have a single currency, the internet will have a single currency. I personally believe that it will be bitcoin”.
Dorsey went on to elaborate that he thinks it would happen “probably over ten years, but it could go faster.” However, Dorsey also admitted that Bitcoin “does not have the capabilities right now to become an effective currency” because “it’s slow and it’s costly”. Drosey’s Square app, to much fanfare late last year, started to allow people to buy and sell Bitcoin via the app in many states. Dorsey explained how “there are newer technologies that build off of blockchain and make it more approachable” and said that as more people use Bitcoin, the problems start to go away.
Dorsey also was part of a seed financial round for Lightning Labs last week that raised $2.5 million USD. Lightning Labs, run by CEO Elizabeth Stark, is the company behind the controversial development of the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Some proclaim that the Lightning Network will get rid of the slow transaction times and high transaction fees that have been plaguing the Bitcoin Network. Others say that the Lightning Network is a complicated solution to a problem that can be solved in simpler ways and may even recreate the current financial system within the crypto space.
Solutions to be found through competition of many different cryptocurrencies
Jack seems to believe that he knows how the battle between over one thousand cryptocurrencies will play out. Yes, it can be safely argued that a majority of those cryptocurrencies will fail, but there will also still be a significant amount of solid cryptocurrencies that are vying for the top spot(s). Dorsey recognizes that there are presently problems with Bitcoin that need to be solved so it can scale, but he also seems to believe that Lightning Labs will offer that solution. However, there is far from a consensus that the Lightning Network will do what they claim. In addition, Dorsey’s comments comes days after reports emerged that Twitter will ban crypto related ads on their platform.
Jack’s endorsement of Bitcoin and Twitter’s banning of crypto ads is interesting in that Bitcoin is the name-brand that does not need ads to spread awareness since it already gets free press. A ban on advertising will end up hurting cryptocurrencies with smaller markets that do not presently have the same public awareness. Yes, the ban could stop some scams, but it will also hamper competition among the many top quality coins. This competition is what incentivizes each coin to put their best code forward and act in the interests of the consumers. Without competition and only a “single” world currency, consumers would be very susceptible to sub par products, services, and code.
Bitcoin is approaching nearly a decade in age, of which the majority of that time it faced little to no direct competition. This lack of competition caused Bitcoin to ignore many of its to-be problems until it was too late. The effects of competition on other cryptocurrencies, however, is giving immediately usable products and services to citizens around the world, including third world countries, that simply do not have the capital nor the time to wait for Bitcoin to solve its scaling problems.
Dash is providing competitive solutions right now
Dash has only been around for a few years, but in that time Dash has spread throughout theworld. Dash has done this through developing a great product and marketing campaigns that are possible via its unique governance and treasury system, but also through organic reach from people convincing their friends to use Dash. This has occurred because of the present functionality and reliability of Dash, but also confidence in the Dash community and Dash Core Group to solve issues that arise in the future as demonstrated by their past solutions.
Dash is a prime cryptocurrency competitor that harnesses competitive pressure to create products and services that have the end consumer in mind. Despite challenges that arise or praise given towards other cryptocurrencies, Dash has a worldwide network of users to continue to serve with present day solutions.
Written by: Justin Szilard
Pro-2A Parkland Survivor Questions Exclusion from Twitter’s Live Q&A
San Francisco, CA – Twitter held a livestreaming session on March 19 to promote the upcoming “March For Our Lives” event, featuring Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students answering questions from Twitter users. Twitter selected MSD students and noted gun control proponents David Hogg, Emma González, Cameron Kasky, Alex Wind, Ryan Deitsch and Jaclyn Corin to take part in the event.
Survivors. Students. Activists.@Emma4Change @davidhogg111 @cameron_kasky @al3xw1nd @JaclynCorin @Ryan_Deitsch will start the journey to #MarchForOurLives with a Q&A livestreamed on @Twitter.
Monday, March 19th 12:30pm ET
Watch live, Tweet your questions using #AskMSDStudents
— Twitter (@Twitter) March 16, 2018
MSD junior Kyle Kashuv, a pro-2A student, responded to not being invited by the social media platform to the livestream question and answer session by asking where his invitation was to the event. The Daily Wire reported that Kashuv confirmed he was not invited to the event.
Where's my invite? (Insert sad face here) https://t.co/0cfN2XQ5UR
— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) March 16, 2018
Another MSD student survivor of the school shooting, freshman Sarah Stricker, responded to Kashuv’s Twitter post, noting the exclusivity of students being “focused on”, writing, “I believe survivors from the classrooms that were shot in, should be looked at. Or at least students that were actually in the building, and saw what I saw.”
Don’t worry Kyle, not many survivors are being focused on. Personally, I believe survivors from the classrooms that were shot in, should be looked at. Or at least students that were actually in the building, and saw what I saw
— you are worth it (@SarahStricker) March 16, 2018
Stricker continued, “here we are, suffering from flashbacks and jumping at every loud noise, while we watch kids that were on the other side of the school get attention thrown at them,” seemingly denoting that the students garnering large-scale media coverage weren’t even in the same building as shooter Nikolas Cruz.
But here we are, suffering from flashbacks and jumping at every loud noise, while we watch kids that were on the other side of the school get attention thrown at them
— you are worth it (@SarahStricker) March 16, 2018
Hogg, a senior at MSD, previously boasted about hanging up on the White House during a phone call in the wake of the school shooting, and more recently, in an ad touting next week’s “March For Our Lives”, Parkland student David Hogg wondered, “What if our politicians weren’t the bitch of the NRA?”
#WhatIf we could go to school without fearing for our lives? Join us on March 24th and visit https://t.co/SrCltJsrBH #NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/iXmCNFOrVj
— David Hogg ☮️ (@davidhogg111) March 16, 2018
Twitter CMO Leslie Berland responded to Kashuv’s inquiry by noting that the livestream Q&A was meant for discussion of the upcoming march, and extended an invite to the student to conduct his own Q&A over the platform.
Hi Kyle! These students came together to do this Q&A about the march. If you'd like to do a Q&A that's possible too! I'll DM you to discuss.
— Leslie Berland (@leslieberland) March 16, 2018
Mass media coverage following the MSD tragedy has been abundantly directed at featuring a select group of pro-gun control students, although there are other student survivors with differing opinions on guns that have been ignored by most of the media outlets.
For instance, the Harvard Institute of Politics recently extended an invite to MSD students to take part in a panel discussion on gun law reforms, which is set to take place shortly before the students participate in the pro-gun control “March For Our Lives” rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24.
Entitled “#NEVERAGAIN: How Parkland Students are Changing the Conversation on Guns,” the panel will, according to The Washington Examiner, “feature the same exclusive group of students who have received extensive media coverage for their attacks on the National Rifle Association and desire to enact strict gun control laws throughout the country.”
Similar to Twitter’s exclusively pro-gun control student invitations, the Harvard IOP invited Parkland activists Hogg, González, Kasky, Wind, and Deitsch while ignoring survivors like Kashuv, whose desire to protect students while respecting the Second Amendment has earned him a meeting with President Trump and other high-profile elected officials. However, that praise has not translated into significant media coverage.
CBS News’ 60 Minutes most recent episode also featured Hogg, González, Corin, Wind and Kasky.
Facebook, Twitter Among Companies Supporting Apple in Fight Against FBI
The CEOs of several major tech companies have voiced their support for Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook after he openly opposed a federal order to “build a backdoor” into the iPhone.
Cook released a statement in response to U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym’s order that Apple must help the FBI break into an encrypted iPhone that belonged to one of the suspects in the San Bernardino shooting.
[RELATED: Apple Rejects Government Order to Create ‘Backdoor’ for iPhone]
Arguing that creating a way to break into an encrypted iPhone “has implications far beyond the legal case at hand,” Cook claimed that once “a way to bypass the code is revealed, the encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge.”
Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey voiced his support for Cook’s decision on Thursday, writing that he and his company “stand with Tim Cook and Apple,” and “thank him for his leadership.”
We stand with @tim_cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership)! https://t.co/XrnGC9seZ4
— jack (@jack) February 18, 2016
Facebook issued a statement late Thursday, in which it said it will “continue to fight aggressively against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems.”
[pull_quote_center]We condemn terrorism and have total solidarity with victims of terror. Those who seek to praise, promote, or plan terrorist acts have no place on our services. We also appreciate the difficult and essential work of law enforcement to keep people safe. When we receive lawful requests from these authorities we comply. However, we will continue to fight aggressively against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems. These demands would create a chilling precedent and obstruct companies’ efforts to secure their products.[/pull_quote_center]
Google CEO Sundar Pichai released a series of Tweets Wednesday in which he called Cook’s statement “important,” and said that forcing companies to enable hacking “could compromise users’ privacy” and “could be a troubling precedent.”
1/5 Important post by @tim_cook. Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’ privacy
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) February 17, 2016
WhatsApp CEO and cofounder Jan Koum released a statement on Facebook saying that he “couldn’t agree more” with Cook’s statement, and he believes tech companies “must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set.”
[pull_quote_center]I have always admired Tim Cook for his stance on privacy and Apple’s efforts to protect user data and couldn’t agree more with everything said in their Customer Letter today. We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set. Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake.[/pull_quote_center]
[RELATED: McAfee: I Will Decrypt Information on the San Bernardino Phone for Free]
Computer programmer and 2016 Libertarian presidential candidate John McAfee called the FBI’s claim that the technology to decrypt an iPhone would only be used on the San Bernardino shooting suspect’s phone “a laughable and bizarre twist of logic,” and said his team would decrypt the information on the suspect’s phone for free.
“I will, free of charge, decrypt the information on the San Bernardino phone, with my team,” McAfee said. “We will primarily use social engineering, and it will take us three weeks. If you accept my offer, then you will not need to ask Apple to place a back door in its product, which will be the beginning of the end of America.”
While White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest argued that the FBI is “simply asking for something that would have an impact on this one device,” Cook said he believes that once a way to decrypt the iPhone is created, “the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.”
“The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor,” Cook said. “And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.”
[RELATED: Bill Gates Sides with FBI, Downplays Order to Create ‘Backdoor’ for iPhone]
George Pataki Calls for Twitter CEO to Shut Down Edward Snowden’s Account
Former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden joined Twitter on Tuesday, and in addition to gaining 1 million followers in less than 24 hours after he posted his first tweet, his presence was openly criticized by one presidential hopeful who asked Twitter’s co-founder to shut down Snowden’s account.
GOP candidate and former New York Gov. George Pataki responded to Snowden’s first Tweet, which said, “Can you hear me now?” with criticism, calling Snowden a “traitor who put American lives at risk.”
Can you hear me now?
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
Some say you have courage, I saw real courage on #Sept11 You are just a traitor who put American lives at risk. https://t.co/RRWtmMzyxE
— George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki) September 29, 2015
Snowden is known for leaking documents which revealed that the U.S. government is spying on innocent Americans and collecting their phone records using the NSA’s mass surveillance program, which was once a guarded secret before Snowden’s actions exposed the agency.
[RELATED: Dishonesty, Deceptiveness, and Disservice – Why Snowden Chose to Become a Whistleblower]
Since the documents were published in June 2013, Snowden has yet to return to the United States and is currently in an undisclosed location in Russia. If and when he returns to the U.S., he will face felony charges of theft, “unauthorized communication of national defense information” and “willful communication of classified communications intelligence information to an unauthorized person.”
In addition to retweeting comments from Twitter users who agreed with his original statement, Pataki posted a second tweet addressing Snowden, this time calling on Twitter co-founder and interim CEO Jack Dorsey to shut down Snowden’s account.
.@Twitter is a great American company that should not give a platform to terrorists or traitors – @Jack shutdown @Snowden today.
— George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki) September 29, 2015
Dorsey did not respond to Pataki on Tuesday, but he did respond earlier to Snowden’s initial tweet, welcoming him to Twitter.
Yes! Welcome to Twitter. https://t.co/gUBQpET6Gg
— jack (@jack) September 29, 2015
Dorsey also retweeted a tweet from Snowden, which addressed the label of “traitor.” The word was mentioned in each of the Tweets Pataki posted that referenced Snowden.
.@neiltyson Hero, traitor — I'm just a citizen with a voice. [1/2]
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015
Pataki’s final tweet mentioning Snowden was in response to a user who said that a “great American company gives voices a chance to speak, not silences them.”
Not a traitor who put Americans at risk, hides in Russia and belongs behind bars. https://t.co/LMXVLjta1B
— George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki) September 29, 2015
Investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, who published documents leaked by Snowden in the The Guardian in 2013, chimed in on Twitter with posts that appeared to be aimed at Pataki’s comments.
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/648976330202198016
After posting his first Tweet on Tuesday morning, Snowden gained 1 million followers in less than 24 hours. Greenwald noted that this was over 10 times more than Pataki, who currently has about 53,300.
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/648975963011829760
Snowden also gained attention for following only one account on Twitter: the NSA. In addition to greatly surpassing Pataki in number of followers, Snowden also surpassed the NSA, which has less than 100,000.
Today @Snowden joined Twitter, and here's the world's response. pic.twitter.com/d6HgVvdRsf
— Twitter (@Twitter) September 29, 2015
Owner of Twitter Account Mocking Peoria Mayor Settles Lawsuit Against City
The creator of a satirical Twitter account, which posted vulgar tweets parodying Peoria, Illinois Mayor Jim Ardis as a politician with an affinity for drugs, prostitutes and profanity, has tentatively reached a $125,000 settlement agreement following a lawsuit filed against the city.
In early 2014 a parody Twitter account, @Peoriamayor, was created by a man named Jon Daniel, who used a photo of Ardis for the account’s profile picture while posting numerous profane tweets about drugs and sex with prostitutes.
[Read more: Twitter Parody Account Leads to Full Police Raid, Arrest]
When Ardis caught wind of the fake Twitter account last March, he asked Peoria police to track down the owner, as the account could be considered a “false personation of a public official”, which is a class A misdemeanor in Illinois. Police obtained a warrant compelling Twitter to hand over the subscriber’s information.
After Twitter complied with the warrant, police proceeded to obtain another warrant to determine the Comcast customer address where the tweets were made. A search warrant was then executed at the address on April 15, 2014.
Several police officers- as many as seven- swept through the home and seized all Internet-enabled devices that were inside. By this time, Twitter had already suspended the account because it violated their policy by failing to clearly label the account as satire, although sometime around March 10, 2014 the account was updated to properly reflect that it was a parody account.
The raid did not result in charges filed against Daniel for creating the Twitter account. However, one of the residents of the home, Jacob Elliott, was the only person facing criminal charges after the raid. Elliot, the owner of the Comcast account which provided internet access for the tweets to be made, was arrested and charged with felony possession of “30 to 500 grams of marijuana.”
“As soon as I opened the door, a female officer shoved her hand into my pocket and screamed, ‘What’s in your pocket?’” Elliott recalled shortly after the raid.
Elliott ultimately pleaded guilty this past April and was placed on first-offender probation.
Last June, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois filed a lawsuit claiming that “Mayor Ardis, along with Peoria’s city manager, the assistant city manager, the chief information officer, former chief of police, and two police detectives violated Mr. Daniel’s First and Fourth Amendment rights by launching a police investigation based on his speech and then searching his home as part of that investigation.”
The Peoria City Council is set to approve the settlement at its meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.
U.S. Senate Wants to Censor “Terrorist Activity” on Social Media Sites
The Senate Intelligence Committee has approved a new measure which would force social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to report content that is believed to be connected to “terrorist activity”.
The Washington Post reported that the measure will be included as part of the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2016. The Senate Intelligence Committee approved the measure in a closed session on Wednesday July 1st. The measure is supposed to help intelligence and law enforcement officials detect terror threats.
The Post reports:
“It would not require companies to monitor their sites if they do not already do so, said a committee aide, who requested anonymity because the bill has not yet been filed. The measure applies to “electronic communication service providers,” which includes e-mail services such as Google and Yahoo.”
The bill would require any online company that “obtains actual knowledge of any terrorist activity . . . shall provide to the appropriate authorities the facts or circumstances of the alleged terrorist activity.”
Google, Facebook and Twitter declined to comment to The Post, however, “anonymous industry officials” reportedly called the measure a bad idea.
Gregory Nojeim, senior counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, told The Post he believed the measure would erode privacy in the name of fighting terrorism.
“If it becomes law, their natural tendency will be to err on the side of reporting anything that might be characterized as ‘terrorist activity’ even if it is not. And their duty to report will chill speech on the Internet that relates to terrorism.”
The U.S. government already maintains a massive surveillance state, including a number of programs that gather internet user data. This latest measure would only further codify the government’s ability to force private companies to hand over sensitive information.
US Central Command Twitter and YouTube Account Hacked
A pro-ISIS group has hacked the US Central Command’s Twitter account. For a few minutes, its feed was filled with warnings:
“AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS.”
“We won’t stop! We know everything about you. Your wives and children.”
“ISIS is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base.”
The profile images were also changed. Images with the words “I love you ISIS” and “CyberCaliphate” were added. Screen shots of military commanders emails and phone numbers were also published to the feed.
Minutes after the hack, the Twitter account was suspended.
“We can confirm that the U.S. Central Command Twitter account was compromised earlier today,” a Defense official told Fox News. “CENTCOM is taking appropriate measure to address the matter.”
The @centcom Twitter account was hacked around 1:09 p.m. EST while the YouTube channel was hacked around 1:30 p.m. EST.
On the YouTube channel, two new videos were uploaded to the U.S. Central Command’s YouTube channel, titled “Flames of War ISIS Video” and “O Soldiers of Truth Go Forth”, before the account was terminated by YouTube upon the Pentagon’s request.
#myNYPD Campaign Inspires Global Awareness Of Police Brutality
April 24, 2014- As reported on April 22nd, NYPD News had asked Twitter followers to share photos of themselves with the NYPD accompanied by the hashtag #myNYPD. This request resulted in a public relations nightmare for the department, as Twitter became filled with different images of the NYPD engaged in police brutality.
This incident has inspired people, not just in the United States but also across the world, to Tweet photos of other police departments abusing citizens. Twitter users have shown images of police brutality from the Los Angeles Police Department and Chicago Police Department, and other countries are joining in the movement to expose abuses caught on camera.
The LAPD is seen using excessive force, several officers on one person who appears to be holding a professional video camera:
#myLAPD reaching out to the community with a six on one massage therapy session pic.twitter.com/AEmczL0i6T
— Viva la causa! (@70torinoman) April 23, 2014
The Chicago Police Department killed a man after Tasering and beating him:
#MyCPD beat, stun, kill man who was successfully handcuffed in 12 secs. “Resisting arrest.” http://t.co/QjfzEABMIj pic.twitter.com/T2aF7P1rJo
— Up the Rebels (@occbaystreet) April 23, 2014
Abuse in Greece:
Εδώ, άνδρας της #myELAS δροσίζει το Μανώλη Γλέζο, σε pit stop αθλητικής εκδήλωσης έξω από τη Βουλή. pic.twitter.com/dd4TLvn7qU
— Δραχμαμίνη (@annzabel) April 23, 2014
Police abusing citizens in Ukraine:
Police Kiev #myELAS #myNYPD #myLAPD #MiPolicia #MiPoliciaMexicana #DankePolizei #MyBerkut #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/dphkDRlBNU
— pinov-Rusia (@juancarlospinov) April 23, 2014
In Mexico they are using the hashtag #MipoliciaMexicana to share photos of police brutality:
In México we also have some revealing images about our police. #myNYPD #MiPoliciaMexicana pic.twitter.com/Pn5isYulaX
RT @YoSoy132Munich: This is in Mexico…#MiPoliciaMexicana What about YOUR police? #myNYPD #myLAPD #MiPolicia pic.twitter.com/vqoRT31qEe
— Copwatch (@Copwatch) April 24, 2014
— Demian Sánchez (@psicdemian) April 23, 2014
In Brazil:
RT @anarchoDu: #nossaPM Brazil #myNYPD #myLAPD #MiPolicia #MiPoliciaMexicana pic.twitter.com/vMZmtNj8w5
— Copwatch (@Copwatch) April 24, 2014
Even people in England getting in on the action with #myMET
RT @Jamo133: When a lovely copper helped me enjoy the royal wedding #IveMetTheMet #myMet #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/RY0ryaVi57
— Copwatch (@Copwatch) April 24, 2014
It is remarkable how quickly the #myNYPD campaign spawned a global crusade to call attention to police brutality from every corner of the globe.
Η #myELAS σε χορευτικές φιγούρες flashdance pic.twitter.com/gUjKNPBFEU
— Δραχμαντινετζάντ (@giopso) April 23, 2014
What is most interesting is that the NYPD have not responded to the take over of their social media campaign, nor has the department updated the original photo of smiling police officers which they originally shared as part of the kick off.
Excessive force and cruelty enacted by police all over the world is being uncovered like never before, thanks to social media.
Follow Annabelle on Twitter.
NYPD Twitter #myNYPD Campaign Goes Horribly Wrong
New York City – The NYPD News tweeted earlier today that they wanted people to share their photos of themselves with NYPD. They asked people to use the hashtag #myNYPD. They hoped to have a lot of smiling faces showing the nice side of the NYPD. However, it did not take long before the feed filled up with images and videos of police brutality.
Do you have a photo w/ a member of the NYPD? Tweet us & tag it #myNYPD. It may be featured on our Facebook. pic.twitter.com/mE2c3oSmm6
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 22, 2014
One of Luke Rudkowsi’s tweets showed a NYPD officer beating him with a baton.
#mynypd beats me with a baton for being a jouranlist VIDEO https://t.co/0oWBT6wLBe
— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) April 22, 2014
Others posted pictures of the elderly man who was beat for jaywalking and other recent police brutality images.
Copwatch reminded us of the innocent people shot outside the Empire State building.
#myNYPD shot 9 innocent bystanders near the Empire State Bldg just to get one guy pic.twitter.com/5e1dZLnri2
— Copwatch (@Copwatch) April 22, 2014
Complex Magazine shows us how the NYPD handles someone being detained.
The worst of #MyNYPD –> http://t.co/qyWvHTYHEl pic.twitter.com/g8YejNKZor
— Complex (@ComplexMag) April 22, 2014
Aside from the complete failure of the marketing campaign, the most surprising thing may be the sheer number of images and videos of NYPD police brutality there are.
Follow Sam on Twitter.
Twitter Parody Account Leads to Full Police Raid, Arrest
Peoria, IL- A Twitter account that mocked Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis resulted in a police raid of a West Bluff district house and an arrest for marijuana possession.
In early March Ardis learned of a Twitter account, @Peoriamayor, that someone else had created. This account had been making controversial and vulgar tweets- supposedly pretending to be Ardis- although the tweets could be considered satire because of their comedic, albeit profane, tone. Twitter suspended the account because it had violated their policy that states parody accounts must be labeled clearly.
Ardis ordered police to track down the person behind it, citing the account as “false personation of a public official”, which is a class A misdemeanor in Illinois.
A warrant was obtained to seek the subscriber’s information from Twitter on March 14th. After Twitter handed over the information they were seeking, police were then able to obtain another warrant to identify the Comcast customer address where the tweets had been made.
A warrant to search the home of the Comcast customer was then given, and the search was conducted April 15th. Several police officers, up to seven, charged through the home and seized all Internet-enabled digital devices that were inside.
The raid didn’t result in any arrests in connection to the fake Twitter account. Instead, Jacob Elliott, 36, a resident of the home and the Comcast account holder for the address, ended up being arrested for possession of “30 to 500 grams of marijuana”.
Elliot wasn’t the perpetrator of the fake Twitter account; the man who had been behind it was his roommate, Jon Daniel. Daniel was questioned, but not arrested for impersonating Ardis on Twitter.
Elliot’s girlfriend, Michelle Pratt, was one of the residents brought down for questioning. “They just asked me about the Twitter account, if I knew anything about it,” she said. “They brought me in like I was a criminal.”
Mayor Ardis has not commented on the incident.
US-Backed Secret “Cuban Twitter” Comes Under Criticism
The Associated Press has reported that the United States government created a secret Twitter-type communication program for Cuban citizens to fuel sentiments of political dissent and sidestep the Cuban government’s stronghold over social media. The program, created by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was specifically designed to be hidden from the Cuban government by using shell corporations and funding through Cayman Islands bank accounts to cover its tracks.
The network was called ZunZuneo, Cuban slang for a hummingbird’s sound, and was introduced to Cuban users in 2010. According to documents and interviews, the US government built a base of subscribers within ZunZuneo by offering uncontroversial news topics such as weather, music and sports. As the base of users grew, the government began pumping ZunZuneo with political posts geared toward promoting dissent, such as calling for “smart mobs”- impromptu protests to “renegotiate the balance of power between the state and society”. The social network had about 40,000 users at its peak.
Unbeknownst to its users, the US government was collecting their personal data from ZunZuneo for “political purposes”. Users of ZunZuneo were also completely unaware that the entire program was being funded and operated by the US government.
The project ended in 2012 when funding was dissolved, but now controversy is buzzing as congressional hearings on the subject begin next week. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he was never briefed on the operation. “If I had been, I would’ve said, ‘What in Heaven’s name are you thinking? This is dumb, dumb, dumb’…If you’re going to do a covert operation like this for a regime change, assuming it ever makes any sense, it’s not something that should be done through USAID.”
The Obama Administration defends the operation as a method of humanitarian aid to Cuban citizens. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, “The whole purpose of our democracy programs, whether it be in Cuba or other parts of the world, is in part to create a free flow of information in closed societies.”
Not surprisingly, the Cuban government disapproves of the ZunZuneo operation. In a statement by Josefina Vidal, director of U.S. affairs at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry, she said,“The government of the United States must respect international law and the goals and principles of the United Nations charter and, therefore, cease its illegal and clandestine actions against Cuba, which are rejected by the Cuban people and international public opinion.”
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Sen. Lindsey Graham Facing Heavy Backlash for Cloture Vote
Increasingly, conservatives feel sold down the river by their leadership, including Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Speaker of the House John Boehner, and Rep. Peter King.
Just look at the reaction Sen. (R-SC) Lindsay Graham received on Twitter about the Obamacare debate.
As Michael Lofti reported on Monday, Sen. Graham told constituents that he had done everything possible to stop the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.. What Graham failed to mention is that he and 79 other Senators voted in favor of cloture, which allowed Senate Republicans to be outvoted on the Senate spending bill that stripped out the defunding language on the ACA.
We can debate whether or not Republicans should be attempting to block the implementation of the Affordable Care Act but it is without question hypocritical for Sen. Graham to allow the bill to move forward and then claim to voters that he has done everything possible to stop it.
The Graham blog tweeted on Sept. 27th: “Today I proudly voted to #DefundObamacare”
The twitter sphere reacted swiftly, with multitudes calling him a flat out liar. Bob Zaruta tweeted: “You voted to FUND Obamacare. U voted yes on Cloture, knowing Reid would strip defund language. You own O-care now.”
Jujubug tweeted; “No you did not. You voted yes to cloture which funded Obamacare. We are not progressive liberal sheep we don’t buy lies.”
Glenn M tweeted; “You are counting on conservatives to be stupid. We are not. That only works on Obama supporters.”
Adam Wainwright tweeted: “Wow, you must not really think much of your voters.”
Sen. Graham has now followed up with this:
Some of his Twitter followers weren’t that impressed, and “Sal Amuk” tweeted “ummm salary? how about 10mil in lobbying money”
Must be tough to govern these days, now that citizens can provide instant feedback!
Senator (R-SC) Lindsay Graham will be facing off against newcomer Nancy Mace for his Senate seat in the 2014 Republican primary. She is the first woman to graduate from the Citadel. Lindsay Graham has held his Senate seat for 10 years. Prior to that he was a Congressman for 10 years.
Government Demands Facebook Hand Over Data On 38K Users
According to a report from Facebook, more than 70 countries are hitting the social giant up for its data on users. The report confirms what many have been worried about for years now. The US is responsible for approximately 1/2 of the 26,000 requests reflecting 
38,000 users. The report confirming the data handover does not specify the type of data released. It does show that the United States is at the very top of intrusion.
The US sent out 11,000-12,000 total requests on 20,000-21,000 users. The United States government got exactly what it wanted 79% of the time. Only India came close to America with 3,245 total requests on 4,144 users. This is only a 6 month report. Facebook is the most recent tech company to release such data. Twitter also releases a transparency report along with Google.
Are you concerned with the US government requesting so much data through Facebook?
Let us know what you think in the comments below-
Announcement: Ask Ben Anything Twitter and Reddit
Friends,
I would personally like to thank Bryan and the staff of Ron Paul Forums for hosting the Ask Me Anything. I had a great time answering the hard, thought out, and sometimes personal questions. If you would like to read the questions and my answers to them please visit http://www.ronpaulforums.com/forumdisplay.php?274-Ben-Swann-Q-amp-A-Event
Twitter: Ask Me Anything
I am happy to announce that I will be conducting an Ask Me Anything on Twitter on June 19th at 9pm to 10pm EST. To ask me questions please use #LibertyIsRising with your question between those times.
Reddit: Ask me Anything
To continue with my Ask Me Anything series I will be conducting an Ask Me Anything at Reddit on June 26th between 9pm and 10pm EST. I will pass along more details as we get closer to the event.
Thank you all for your incredible support. I look forward to reading and answering your questions.
#LibertyisRising
B
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