Discussion

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  i was kidding yesterday when i said tune in tomorrow but..... NEW: twitter has changed its policy *again* and will now allow people to share the NYPost story links because the article and information has been widely disseminated and is no longer private https://www.nytimes.com/..…

• @kateconger O...K on x

  Twitter has lifted its restrictions on the NY Post article https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @anibundel Undead Ani Bundel on x

  This would be a whole lot more straightforward if Twitter would ban it for honest reasons: That it's obviously a planted story designed to interfere with the election & its Twitter's civil duty to deplatform it. https://twitter.com/...

• @timmarchman Tim Marchman on x

  Twitter takes bold stance against poorly reported story citing shady crooks as key sources, unless that makes anyone mad, in which case they're fine with it! https://twitter.com/...

• @bostonjoan Joan Donovan on x

  Reactive retraction of their own policy decisions shows just how vulnerable platform companies are to political pressure. https://twitter.com/...

• @thatallencovert Allen Covert on x

  Can't stop the signal Mal. https://twitter.com/...

• @selviano Michael Selvidge on x

  having a consistent, full time CEO might help to minimize the dithering and flailing around. Just a thought https://twitter.com/...

• @ggreenwald Glenn Greenwald on x

  There are lots of valid criticisms of Twitter — I obviously believe what they did this week was dangerously wrong — but they continue to be one of the best large companies, certainly tech companies, for engaging their critics and being responsive and candid in admitting error: ht…

• @jamespmcleod James Mcleod on x

  Working the refs ... works. https://twitter.com/...

• @patrickmgleason @patrickmgleason on x

  So Twitter realized the standard they set (claimed to have set two years ago), if equally applied, would require tons of reporting to be censored. So they made up a new reason for blocking the NY Post link. Got it. https://twitter.com/...

• @genepark @genepark on x

  the extent to which we have huge national debates about chat moderator rules is going to turn me into the joker https://twitter.com/...

• @shiringhaffary Shirin Ghaffary on x

  After facing pressure from Republicans, Twitter has now reversed course on how it's handling the unsubstantiated NY Post story. https://twitter.com/...

• @tripgabriel Trip Gabriel on x

  Context on GOP attacks on Twitter & FB: “It has been known for months that RU intelligence was using allies in Ukraine...Intelligence officials warned Rs in Congress that people they were seeking information from were conduits for RU disinformation.” https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @dellcam My Beautiful Son Dell on x

  twitter went from “if someone hacked it, you can't tweet it” one day to “fuck it, tweet this guy's phone number lol” the next https://twitter.com/...

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  And so ends yet another magical ride aboard the Twitter rollercoaster https://twitter.com/...

• @aaristi1976 Andres Aristizabal on x

  That's some crazy logic. They basically gave up and let the doors swing open all the way. https://twitter.com/...

• @jinnihtx Jinni on x

  “In his New York Times op-ed last October, ... Matt Stoller described Facebook and Google as “global monopolies sitting astride public discourse,” https://twitter.com/...

• @jason_kint Jason Kint on x

  I agree with this. Eliminating tools spreading the post is a good call but I was uncomfortable with blocking of links. The label and removing social tools is better. “The company has since increasingly opted to label tweets, adding context or saying if they glorified violence.” h…

• @fmanjoo Farhad Manjoo on x

  we're changing the policy that led to this but it also violates another policy https://twitter.com/...

• @hawleymo Josh Hawley on x

  Yeah, sure, @Facebook is lot like a supermarket ... except there's only ONE supermarket in town, and they decide who can and can't shop. That's what we call a monopoly https://twitter.com/...

• @realdonaldtrump Donald J. Trump on x

  So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of “Smoking Gun” emails related to Sleepy Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in the @NYPost. It is only the beginning for them. There is nothing worse than a corrupt politician. REPEAL SECTION 230!!! https://www.cnbc.com/...

• @thedextriarchy Adi Robertson on x

  Facebook/Twitter restricting the New York Post's Hunter Biden story is a mess, so I tried to break down the important pieces of it. https://www.theverge.com/...

• @fridaghitis Frida Ghitis on x

  The Hunter Biden story looks more and more like a hostile foreign power's effort to influence the US election https://twitter.com/...

• @ridt Thomas Rid on x

  Relax. Twitter and Facebook are not the internet, and they're not the government. These are private companies. A little bit like a supermarket asking you to wear a mask. You can just stay out or leave if you don't like it.

• @jack @jack on x

  Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM with zero context as to why we're blocking: unacceptable. https://twitter.com/...

• @cspan @cspan on x

  Sen. @tedcruz: “Twitter is actively blocking, right now this instant, stories from the New York Post...on Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee, the full committee, will be voting on subpoenas to subpoena @Jack Dorsey to come before our committee.” https://twitter.com/...

• @senhawleypress @senhawleypress on x

  NEW — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has formally requested @Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and @Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism in a coming hearing titled “Digital Platforms and Election Interference.” https://twitter.com…

• @matthewkeyslive Matthew Keys on x

  Senate Republicans plan to issue a subpoena to Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey over the social media company's blocking of a newspaper article because apparently our elected officials have nothing better to do. https://www.theverge.com/...

• @wolven @wolven on x

  And when it was absolutely shown how Facebook's operations led and still lead to election interference, & they were called to task for it, Republicans cried “censorship” about that TOO. Republican motto continues to be “it's only called ‘cheating’ if it doesn't help repubs win.” …

• @mikeelgan Mike Elgan on x

  This is great and I hope it happens. Those Fox-News swilling jerks will have to hear facts about what's actually going on. https://twitter.com/...

• @profwrightgmu Joshua Wright on x

  I trust the Senator is aware he wrote this on @twitter, not @facebook? This is the equivalent of complaining about the Kroger monopoly while checking out at Safeway. https://twitter.com/...

• @michael_nielsen Michael Nielsen on x

  Something I find fascinating is when people say something (a) high profile; (b) obviously wrong; (c) lots of people point out in comments that it's wrong; and (d) they don't delete or correct or back down. I'd like to better understand what mental models lead to point (d). https:…

• @cjciaramella CJ Ciaramella on x

  Please Mr. Zuckerberg, if I don't post, I'll die. https://twitter.com/...

• @pnjaban Harmeet K. Dhillon on x

  As I told @Varneyco this morning, these dog and pony shows on Capitol Hill are useless: The move by GOP lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee follows the social-media platform's decision to limit sharing of articles relating to the Bidens https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ

• @padresj Fr. Robert R. Ballecer on x

  The @GOP won't investigate the STORY itself b/c it's a laughable attempt at election interference. Instead they want to investigate those who blocked it on their networks as a “laughable attempt at election interference.” IOW: “It's BS, but it's OUR BS” https://www.wsj.com/...

• @thegrugq Thaddeus E. Grugq on x

  Subpoenas from Congress are unenforceable. Just ignore it https://twitter.com/...

• @nancylevine @nancylevine on x

  @SenHawleyPress @Twitter @Facebook Rudy Giuliani should also appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. @Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg can cite @washingtonpost reporting: “The New York Post said it obtained the material from former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, a perso…

• @roncoleman Ron Coleman on x

  GOP lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena @jack over social-media platform's decision to limit sharing of articles relating to the Bidens https://www.wsj.com/...

• @charliespiering Charlie Spiering on x

  Ted Cruz, Lindsay Graham, Josh Hawley announces subpoena of @jack to appear at the Senate next Friday

• @johncornyn Senator John Cornyn on x

  I will be voting to subpoena https://twitter.com/...

• @jerrydunleavy Jerry Dunleavy on x

  .@Twitter is now blocking the follow-up @NYPost piece on Hunter Biden and China. https://twitter.com/...

• @twittersafety @twittersafety on x

  [Thread] Twitter clarifies why it blocked the sharing of NY Post's Biden story, saying it contained private info and violated its Hacked Materials Policy

• @brianschatz Brian Schatz on x

  Republicans issued subpoenas to tech CEO's for a Commerce Committee hearing days before the Election. Highly unusual timing and topic. They'll bludgeon the platforms for NOT carrying foreign misinformation. They're OUTRAGED at companies choosing not to run Rudy's plays.

• @markdice Mark Dice on x

  Is anyone going to ask about Facebook censoring anyone who dares interview Alex Jones, Laura Loomer, Gavin McInnis, or anyone else they've added to their “dangerous individual” list? Or are you just going to grandstand about them blocking links to the NY Post? https://twitter.com…

• @hawleymo Josh Hawley on x

  Good news: As I have requested, Judiciary Committee will vote to subpoena @Facebook on Tuesday along with @Twitter https://www.politico.com/...

• @vijaya Vijaya Gadde on x

  So, what's changing? 1. We will no longer remove hacked content unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them 2. We will label Tweets to provide context instead of blocking links from being shared on Twitter

• @kylegriffin1 Kyle Griffin on x

  Breaking WaPo: U.S. intelligence agencies warned the White House last year that Rudy Giuliani was the target of an influence operation by Russian intelligence, according to four former officials familiar with the matter. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

• @nxthompson @nxthompson on x

  Twitter should never let people share hacked materials! Right? Wait, what then about the police docs this past June? Or the Panama Papers? The company's confusing backpedaling is not a help. But there is a tough line to define here. https://www.wired.com/...

• @bgurley Bill Gurley on x

  Wrt censoring information on social networks, I strongly agree with @benthompson idea of solving the problem with “more speech.” Allow others to tag, highlight, challenge. Asking companies to censor makes them more powerful, not less. Quite ironic considering other concerns.

• @ritapanahi Rita Panahi on x

  Meanwhile, Facebook's Policy Communications Director was a former Democrat staffer...and it shows. https://twitter.com/...

• @dnvolz @dnvolz on x

  “Could it be hacked? I don't know. I don't think so,” Giuliani said in an interview late Wednesday. “If it was hacked, it's for real. If it was hacked. I didn't hack it. I have every right to use it.” https://www.wsj.com/...

• @joshuahol Joshua Holland on x

  But working the refs is effective! https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @ericboehlert Eric Boehlert on x

  Twitter found its spine for 12 hrs....then caved to GOP bullying; https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @stacyontheright @stacyontheright on x

  Selectively enforced policies are censorship. Explain it to the Judiciary Conmittee. https://twitter.com/...

• @gregpmiller Greg Miller on x

  Trump aides delivered stark warning to the president in December: “Your friend Rudy has been worked by Russian assets in Ukraine” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

• @andrewsweiss Andrew S. Weiss on x

  The shock of watching Trump/Giuliani gleefully embrace Russian disinformation/influence operations never wears off. @gregpmiller @nakashimae @shaneharris https://twitter.com/...

• @kylegriffin1 Kyle Griffin on x

  The warnings led national security adviser O'Brien to caution Trump in a private convo that any info Giuliani brought back should be considered contaminated by Russia. The message was, “Do what you want to do, but your friend Rudy has been worked by Russian assets in Ukraine.” ht…

• @briannormoyle @briannormoyle on x

  Russian intelligence worked Trump's personal lawyer to feed him disinformation and the White House has known about it since last year. Trump shrugged it off when warned about it. Our democracy will not survive four more years of this. #VOTE https://twitter.com/...

• @kylegriffin1 Kyle Griffin on x

  “Several senior admin officials ‘all had a common understanding’ that Giuliani was being targeted by the Russians, said the former official who recounted O'Brien's intervention. That group included A.G. William Barr, FBI Director Christopher Wray and White Counsel Pat Cipollone.”…

• @ericg1247 Eric Garcia on x

  So he is a russian spy or an idiot???? https://twitter.com/...

• @kylegriffin1 Kyle Griffin on x

  The warnings were based on multiple sources, including intercepted communications, that showed Giuliani was interacting with people tied to Russian intel during a 2019 trip to Ukraine. The intel raised concerns that Giuliani was being used to feed Russian misinformation to Trump.…

• @kasparov63 Garry Kasparov on x

  The Trump administration and his cronies are always shocking and never surprising. https://twitter.com/...

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  But! Twitter will still continue to block links to the NYPost story under a *separate* policy, because the story contains links to email addresses and personal information, which are not allowed on the site. tune in tomorrow for our next installment https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  This will make no one feel assured weeks ahead of a major election about how much this is happening in real time — as I wrote about Facebook, it's random and its chaotic: Twitter changes policy that blocked a New York Post story about Biden's son https://www.washingtonpost.com/ .…

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  the NYP*st story raised a fresh round of rancor between conservatives, Twtr and FB, and has raised questions concerning content moderation policies — all a mere 19 days before the most consequential election in years w/ @kateconger https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @rokhanna Ro Khanna on x

  This is an admirable reversal consistent with 1st Amendment principles that allowed for the publication of the Pentagon Papers and Wikileaks Iraq War logs. Appreciate your willingness to engage in a deliberative process. @jack @vijaya @ryangrim @ggreenwald https://twitter.com/...

• @jess Jessica Verrilli on x

  This is such a hard job but I have total faith @vijaya and the Twitter team are acting in a principled manner, listening to the feedback, and transparently evolving. https://twitter.com/...

• @jeffseibert Jeff Seibert on x

  Vijaya has had one of the hardest jobs in tech for years. You may not always agree with her, but I can vouch that she (and her team) considers every issue carefully, and they care deeply. Props for sharing their thoughts clearly and quickly. This is not easy. https://twitter.com/…

• @jonrussell Jon Russell on x

  Twitter blocking a link being shared sets a terrible precedent for governments in Asia, many of which aggressively clamp down on free speech and use court orders to institute censorship, to make the same request. But of course most people only think/care about the US.

• @jackposobiec Jack Posobiec on x

  How do you verify what content is hacked and what isn't? Steve Scully falsely claimed his Twitter was hacked just this week https://twitter.com/...

• @alexstamos Alex Stamos on x

  This seems like a reasonable change. It's appropriate for social media platforms to prevent themselves from being used as the initial distribution point for a hack-forge-leak, but not once the stories hit the press. Twitter and Facebook can't fix bad journalism. https://twitter.c…

• @mlpowered Emmanuel Ameisen on x

  Another great edition of @platformer. It includes a reference to the French ban on election coverage in the 24 hours preceding an election, something I wish we had in the US! https://twitter.com/...

• @mattyglesias Matthew Yglesias on x

  What's good about the calls Facebook and Twitter made yesterday isn't the decision but the fact that *they made the decision* and opened themselves up to criticism. Explicit editorial judgment > black box algorithms.

• @daveweigel @daveweigel on x

  WikiLeaks had a 27-day IV drip of Clinton emails that knocked her off message. Twenty-four hours into Huntergate it's already fizzled as an issue for Biden and become the latest fight in the Posting Wars. https://twitter.com/...

• @tedcruz Ted Cruz on x

  Big tech has been getting worse and worse and worse. But they crossed a line here with the New York Post... https://twitter.com/...

• @yair_rosenberg @yair_rosenberg on x

  Glenn is correct. A world in which social media corporations have this power is a world in which it will eventually be abused. People justifying this as an emergency response to Trump need to remember that emergency powers have a way of sticking around long after the emergency. h…

• @fmanjoo Farhad Manjoo on x

  News flash everything on social media is an editorial decision by the company. Every single thing, the UI, the posts you see, the posts you don't, the metrics, the speed with which everything updates, the colors, it's all human decisions all the way down. It's all subjective

• @crimealytics Jeff Asher on x

  This is smart and I wonder if the platforms are more than just suspecting a hack and leak. https://twitter.com/...