What is a Misinformation Spreader?

This is an interesting article found on the New York Times site that talks about individuals and groups leaving social media and heading into private messaging apps.

The shift to private messaging has renewed a debate over whether encryption is a double-edged sword. While the technology prevents people from being spied on, it might also make it easier for criminals and misinformation spreaders to do harm without getting caught.

So we decided to walk through the differences between public social networks and private messaging apps to discuss their pros and cons.

Interesting they decide it’s easier for criminals AND misinformation spreaders to do harm as if to say the two are one in the same or the biggest issue of this messaging technology. Would they consider both conservative and liberal misinformation at the same level of worry?

In this next quote, Kevin describes the migration from platforms to messaging apps.

KEVIN: So in the world of extremists and conspiracy theorists that I follow, there’s been a kind of frantic mass migration from big platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as those platforms crack down on misinformation and hate speech. A lot of the biggest figures in that world — including groups like the Proud Boys and QAnon conspiracy theorists — have moved onto more private platforms, where there’s less danger of getting deplatformed.

So there’s now this debate about whether it’s good that all these unsavory characters from the dregs of the internet are disappearing from big social platforms, or whether it’s dangerous to have them congregating in spaces where researchers, journalists and law enforcement can’t keep tabs on them as easily.

How many people will read this and think “Gosh, my best friend’s sister’s uncle left Facebook last week so he must be an extremist or a conspiracy theorist. He did say that one thing that one time!!”

Words have meaning and by leaving out the fact that not everyone who has left these sites is a horrible person, they are leading some to conclude that they are ALL horrible people.

By the way, why is it important for journalists to be able to keep tabs on anyone? In the last several years, they act less like journalists and more like Big Brother. It therefore appears their job is to make sure everyone else stays in their lane and is shamed if they don’t believe the proper belief.

Brian went on to ask Kevin if he’s worried that these apps are offering “end to end encryption” which ensures privacy but makes it tougher for companies and law enforcement to hold misinformation spreaders and criminals accountable.

Before going on, again I ask, what is a misinformation spreader? What is the definition? Much like the government leaving an open-ended definition of extremist, this neglect in defining terms is only beneficial to those who wish to use them against a large array of individuals; lumping them together for their eventual elimination. What is the definition of elimination, you ask? Let’s just leave that open as well, shall we.

KEVIN: It’s obviously not great for public safety that neo-Nazis, far-right militias and other dangerous groups are finding ways to communicate and organize, and that those ways increasingly involve end-to-end encryption. We’ve seen this happen for years, going all the way to ISIS, and it definitely makes things harder for law enforcement agencies and counter-terrorism officials. At the same time, there’s a real benefit to getting these extremists off mainstream platforms, where they can find new sympathizers and take advantage of the broadcast mechanics of those platforms to spread their messages to millions of potential extremists.

So, he’s super happy all the neo-Nazis and far right militias (and other dangerous groups he won’t name) are leaving social media so they can’t find new sympathizers; while at the same time, he’s not stoked that they are going to messaging apps. Simply put, they want people to quietly disappear into oblivion.

Question: How does he KNOW they are going to these messaging apps? I mean, if they are encrypted and can’t be seen, I’m curious how it’s known where they went. He mentioned that he’s following these groups, so is he also infiltrating them, stalking them… just what are they doing to prove this is happening?

BRIAN I confess that I am worried about Telegram. Other than private messaging, people love to use Telegram for group chats — up to 200,000 people can meet inside a Telegram chat room. That seems problematic.

KEVIN I do think the crackdowns of the big platforms will make it harder for these groups to congregate out in the open. But I share your worry about the encrypted apps becoming, essentially, huge shadow social networks. These apps are designed for one-to-one messaging, but the addition of features like forwarding, combined with the big caps on maximum chat sizes, makes them vulnerable to the same kinds of one-to-many contagion effects as the big broadcast platforms.

It’s interesting to note that WhatsApp has restricted message forwarding for exactly this reason. People were using it to spread misinformation to thousands of people at a time, and it was creating a ton of havoc in places like India.

First, it’s interesting to note that he chose the phrase “ton of havoc”. I visited that link and it was a lot more than havoc. Second, here’s the thing about it, that “havoc” was bad but using that example to now put everyone who doesn’t agree with the outcome of the 2020 election into the same category is inappropriate.

It is safe to say that people who do not agree or question the validity of the election feel victimized and singled out for their beliefs and, regardless of proof, the innocent are being lumped in with descriptions like neo-Nazi or far-right extremists.

Do they lump in far-left extremists? They do exist; although one might debate whether or not they are currently sitting in DC and ruling the country with an iron fist.

Do they lump in Antifa and BLM? They have rioted and harmed people. There is even video evidence. Some 2020 riots resulted in burning, breaking, stealing, raping, and deaths. Does that count?

Moving up the quote a bit we see phrases like ‘shadow social networks’ and ‘contagion effects’. Talk about conspiracy theorists. They make it sound like the country is infected and overrun by these groups due to the capitol attack in January 2021. Were their eyes closed in 2020 or even during the 2017 inauguration?

BRIAN: While I am concerned about Telegram in general, it’s important to note that group chats there are not end-to-end encrypted. Neither are forwarded messages. So if Telegram or law enforcement authorities wanted to investigate the contents of a big group chat, they could do so, in theory. If Telegram does become the next misinformation hot spot, we won’t be helpless. I may be murdering our analogy, but there will be methods for contact tracing!

KEVIN Right. And the rest of us non-extremists can rest a little easier knowing that our feeds won’t be overrun by Proud Boys and neo-Nazis, because at least Facebook and Twitter and YouTube are doing a little more filtering of the bad stuff? Maybe not a perfectly fitted N95 mask, but at least a neck gaiter.

What is wrong with these last two statements by Brian and Kevin? Where to begin. First off, Brian just announced to these supposed neo-Nazis, far right extremists, shadow social networks, and other dangerous groups they are unwilling to mention, that this app allows 200,000 people in a group chat and also, by the way, it’s not end-to-end encrypted. Nice way to give them all a heads-up on that.

Second, Kevin apparently believes that he is a non-extremist who can now rest at ease that he won’t see posts by the Proud Boys and the neo-Nazis because big tech social media will be filtering out all the bad stuff AKA violating freedom of speech. Oh, that’s right, it’s social media’s policy to push the crazy aside while highlighting the Left over crazy.

By the way, how does he know he’s not an extremist?

If you are constantly pushing the idea that there are extremists all over the place and that we must eliminate and silence them, you might be an extremist.

If you are continually warning people that there are bad people lurking around every corner and we must eradicate them, you might be an extremist.

If you are stalking and following people to their new on-line location because you want to make sure they aren’t violating the Thought Police, you might be an extremist.

Honestly though, how many posts did he see by the Proud Boys? How many neo-Nazis did he witness parading around Facebook?

Bigger question… how many Antifa or BLM posts did he to see on Twitter or videos on YouTube or Facebook posts showing where to meetup? Do we dare ask if these two groups are part of the “other dangerous groups” he won’t name or are they free of guilt?

Any group that riots is a threat to the American way of life. Walking around with signs and chanting is a protest. Throwing rocks through windows, stealing merchandise, and setting the place on fire, is a riot.

Intimidating people and taking over sections of a city is a not a protest. It may feel that way by those doing it, but it is a violation of individual rights.

We have a right to exist free from harm or coercion. We have a right to own a business and earn a living without fear of destruction or thievery. We have a right to live free without individual restrictions while also knowing law enforcement is on your side and not the side of the criminals.

Sadly, all of this was tested and failed in 2020. With the excitement people had when 2021 came along, I shake my head and wonder if they realize the tyranny against individual rights has only just begun.

This post was originally seen on Alexandria (aleksandreia.com).

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