Discussion

• @oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x

  Quick thread: I want you all to meet Vladimir Bondarenko. He's a blogger from Kiev who really hates the Ukrainian government. He also doesn't exist, according to Facebook. He's an invention of a Russian troll farm targeting Ukraine. His face was made by AI. https://twitter.com/..…

• @bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x

  New: TikTok spokesperson confirms to NPR that media accounts backed by the Russian government, including RT and Sputnik, are now geo-blocked throughout the EU following the European Commission's action against state-backed media channels.

• @ngleicher Nathaniel Gleicher on x

  8/ Third, as we've seen increasing reports of targeting of protestors in Russia, we are rolling out our Locked Profile tool to Russia as well as Ukraine. We're also temporarily removing the ability to view and search friends lists to help protect people from being targeted.

• @kevinrothrock Kevin Rothrock on x

  Facebook and TikTok block Kremlin-backed news outlets RT and Sputnik in Europe. TikTok! Where's your Russo-Sino alliance god now, Kremlin? https://www.npr.org/...

• @b52malmet Barbara Malmet on x

  Little snippets of the war on social media do not have context. But they have immediacy. https://www.cnn.com/...

• @lizzadwoskin Elizabeth Dwoskin on x

  Facebook is headed into a global showdown over Sputnik & RT. These state-owned propaganda outlets have become some of the biggest “news” channels on social media. But if FB blocks them, as the EU is asking, Russia will fully shut down their service. https://www.washingtonpost.com…

• @kateryna_kruk @kateryna_kruk on x

  “In the past few days, we've seen increased targeting of people in Ukraine, including Ukrainian military and public figures by Ghostwriter, a threat actor that has been tracked for some time by the security community” https://about.fb.com/...

• @davidagranovich David Agranovich on x

  1/ Today we shared an update on the threats we are seeing targeting Ukraine. Our teams identified a small CIB operation targeting Ukraine with links to Russia and some new targeting by Ghostwriter in Ukraine https://about.fb.com/...

• @nickclegg Nick Clegg on x

  We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.

• @vonderleyen Ursula von der Leyen on x

  Second, we will ban the Kremlin's media machine in the EU. The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war. We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe. ht…

• @andymstone Andy Stone on x

  @donie @Karde yes, blocking access

• @etbrooking Emerson T. Brooking on x

  This is not a good frame. The basis for RT restriction should be grounded in Meta's content moderation policies, not acquiescence to EU demands. Authoritarian nations *routinely* demand the removal of content. They will cite this in future to charge Meta with Eurocentrism. https:…

• @jason_kint Jason Kint on x

  Wait. Facebook blocked RT across the EU BUT NOT in the UK, US, and - in particular - not Russia. So their social media tools will continue to amplify and spread RT propaganda to the Russian public? 🤦🏻‍♂ ️ someone owes an explanation on this logic tree. For once. https://twitter.c…

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  confirmed this means RT and Sputnik pages aren't viewable in the EU (interestingly does not apply in Russia or elsewhere) https://twitter.com/...

• @pip_net @pip_net on x

  Simple. #Facebook never acted based on own conviction or standards but purely to frontrun EU decrees that would hit them anyway. So they made sure their PR team is a bit faster than the coordinated EU statement. https://twitter.com/...

• @nickclegg Nick Clegg on x

  We will continue to work closely with Governments on this issue.

• @riemanriema1 @riemanriema1 on x

  @zamaan_qureshi ... Not taking money for ads, I believe, was FB only gesture.

• @lindseysnell Lindsey Snell on x

  Meta is banning access to RT and Sputnik in the EU, too. Censorship should not be celebrated. Censorship of things you don't like will eventually lead to censorship of things you do. https://twitter.com/...

• @mcfaul Michael McFaul on x

  Fantastic. Bravo @nickclegg Bravo @Meta . https://twitter.com/...

• @karde Kari Haakana on x

  @donie Are they blocking? Clegg talks about “restricting access”, could be stopping recommendation and/or tuning down their access to news feeds.

• @zamaan_qureshi Zamaan Qureshi on x

  Update: RT has been suspended in the following countries according to RT. Notable that the US and UK are not on this list. (Accidentally deleted the tweet, oops) https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @overkanalytics Carter Sibley on x

  @nickclegg Terrible decision. What use is having a common worldwide platform if one set of governments can influence it to remove state media from other governments?

• @moira Moira Whelan on x

  Why not @NATO countries? https://twitter.com/...

• @overkanalytics Carter Sibley on x

  @DarrenWhittle8 @nickclegg There's always a reason to ask FB for this kind of sanction: riots in India, COVID, the election of an unapproved candidate for U.S. president. Users are barred from sharing ‘misinformation’ that turns out true (RT was right on Snake Island, e.g.) One d…

• @dalperovitch Dmitri Alperovitch on x

  The head of the Russian Council for - wait for it - Development of Civil Society and Human Rights is recommending that Facebook be blocked in Russia for the duration of the war in Ukraine Blocking access to information must be critical for advancement of human rights in Russia

• @slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x

  Agree with this. @meta should have concrete rules and consistent accompanying enforcement to deal with state-run propaganda and disinformation, not act on one-off requests. Slippery slope and all of that. https://twitter.com/...

• @donie @donie on x

  @Karde My understanding is blocking, yes. But @andymstone could confirm.

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  Meta blocking RT and Sputnik in the EU. Facebook's hands off days are over. https://twitter.com/...

• @blackamazon @blackamazon on x

  Absolutely because it's TRUE . They have a moderation policy committed to stopping fascism ( or at least CLARITY) or they don't https://twitter.com/...

• @qjurecic @qjurecic on x

  I wondered how the EU's promise to “block” Sputnik and RT was going to work. Looks like we might have an answer—requests to platforms: https://twitter.com/...

• @overkanalytics Carter Sibley on x

  @DarrenWhittle8 @nickclegg If a government issues an order and Facebook complies, that's fine. But Facebook's policy executives shouldn't be making these calls for their users due to backroom, non-transparent conversations.

• @darrenwhittle8 Darren Whittle on x

  @OverKAnalytics @nickclegg I do see where you are coming from. But this invasion of Ukraine isn't a normal event. It's a direct threat on our way of life. It's not going to get much pushback and expect there to be a lot more to come.

• @maxnordau Max on x

  Nervous about the implications about any government calling on social media platforms to censor. If they're engaging in actual platform manipulation, fine. But we can't fall into collective hysteria. https://twitter.com/...

• @james7holland James Holland on x

  Censorship is not the answer, but to those in positions of great power like Clegg, it is a tempting autocratic lever to reach for. Defeat opponent with reason and arguments, not by censoring the information people can see or hear. That admits a contempt for your fellow citizen. h…

• @zamaan_qureshi Zamaan Qureshi on x

  @jason_kint @andymstone says “blocking access.” Still unsure about what that means https://twitter.com/...

• @adamwylde Adam Wylde on x

  Facebook group continues to do less than the bare minimum. https://twitter.com/...

• @qwongsj Queenie Wong on x

  @heatherkelly @nickclegg I had the same question. What do you mean by “restricting access?” Also, how many requests have you received and from which governments?

• @darrenwhittle8 Darren Whittle on x

  @OverKAnalytics @nickclegg Because we the people democratically elected these governments to act on our behalf.

• @_shamgod @_shamgod on x

  Trust Clegg to say the quiet part out loud. Censorship on behalf of supranational orgs without any need to evaluate Terms of Use? Can't wait til y'all try to call out China out again 😭 https://twitter.com/...

• @slpng_giants @slpng_giants on x

  That they need a governments around the world to plead with them to stop access to these propaganda outlets is stunningly ridiculous. This is an advertising and data mining company. They don't have any obligation to carry these outlets, nor should they.

• @jakewsimons Jake Wallis Simons on x

  Would have been quite handy to have had this done some years ago https://twitter.com/...

• @brianfishman Brian Fishman on x

  To answer my own question: I don't think Russia will block until its a restriction in Russia proper.

• @jonathan_k_cook Jonathan Cook on x

  Let's put to rest the lame argument that the tech giants are simply private firms deciding who they platform. Here's Clegg admitting they are actually corporate disseminators of state-approved propaganda. In return, the state is eradicating rivals who might expose their fake news…

• @heatherkelly Heather Kelly on x

  @nickclegg Does restricting mean you're blocking it completely?

• @konstantinkisin @konstantinkisin on x

  Stupid move that will backfire but once you ban a US President it's stupidity all the way down. https://twitter.com/...

• @alstewartobe Alastair Stewart on x

  @nickclegg If its that easy, Nick, there's a big old list out there - from suicide to incitement.

• @donie @donie on x

  Facebook is blocking two major Russian state media outlets across Europe. https://t.co/BRgdQbZkc7

• @tom_fowdy Tom Fowdy on x

  This is effectively wartime censorship being imposed across the west, irrespective of how you feel about either source. https://twitter.com/...

• @brianfishman Brian Fishman on x

  Good move. Comes w/ risk. Will Russia block FB? Follow up w/ a policy to remove government actors responsible for atrocity crimes. The bar should be very high for companies 2 take aggressive steps against governments. But we've clearly reached that threshold.This is positive. htt…

• @rupertmyers Rupert Myers on x

  When you're too toxic for Facebook, you're in trouble https://twitter.com/...

• @etbrooking Emerson T. Brooking on x

  @justinhendrix Meta has hired a lot of smart people and invested a ton of effort in designing a supranational content moderation standard. It even built a supreme court for posts! Even if it's flawed, protecting this standard matters a lot for global speech norms.

• @kevinoromero Kevin Romero-Díaz on x

  Great call from @vonderleyen & the EU! The USA has to ban the broadcast of RT & Sputnik and big tech has the obligation of taking down all their social media profiles. The amount of destabilizing disinformation that RT has spread throughout the last decade is abhorrent. https://t…

• @jciesz @jciesz on x

  Blocking these accounts is the first step. Now is the time to take down the cobweb of accounts that proliferates fake news about the Russian invasion on Ukraine. Support the efforts of @FedorovMykhailo with all tools at your disposal! https://twitter.com/...

• @jason_kint Jason Kint on x

  Please clarify if you really mean just in the EU. I can debate this move but it's unclear where it's even happening. What about UK? US? Russia? https://twitter.com/...

• @justinhendrix Justin Hendrix on x

  @etbrooking Lays bare the reality though? No underlying principles, just ultimately a relationship to power

• @peterjukes Peter Jukes on x

  After 8 years of enabling the first great Information War, as @carolecadwalla calls it, Facebook wakes up https://twitter.com/...

• @janrezab Jan Rezab on x

  Good moves Nick!!! I applaud the effort!!!! BTW: Why restrict to EU only? So RT and Sputnik can still publish in the US? So is this just a reaction to EU sanctions: https://twitter.com/... Are you labeling RT and Sputnik as state media like Twitter is? https://twitter.com/...

• @googleeurope @googleeurope on x

  Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we're blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.

• @fedorovmykhailo @fedorovmykhailo on x

  Meta is stepping up to shut down Russian lies. When will @YouTube? We are calling on @Google to deplatform Russian state media in the strongest possible terms. @susanwojcicki @sundarpichai

• @jimwaterson Jim Waterson on x

  YouTube has geoblocked RT from viewers in the UK, seemingly as part of a Europe-wide ban prompted by EU demands. Which means RT is currently on British TV screens (for now, pending Ofcom) but not on the main online streaming video platform. https://twitter.com/...

• @fedorovmykhailo @fedorovmykhailo on x

  Russia blindfolds Russian people and kills Ukrainian children. @YouTube, we ask you to act: block the main propaganda channel — Russia24 for all YouTube users in Russia and worldwide. We have to stop this evil machine!

• @eliothiggins Eliot Higgins on x

  What you get if you visit Russia Today's YouTube channel from the UK https://www.youtube.com/c/RT https://twitter.com/...

• @alexbward Alex Ward on x

  Zelenskyy sends letter to @YouTube's CEO Susan Wojcicki and @Google's Sundar Pichai to block or remove Russian TV and other services from their platforms https://twitter.com/...

• @satariano Adam Satariano on x

  Russian authorities have now demanded that YouTube and TikTok lift restrictions on RT and Sputnik. Twitter and Facebook are already restricted inside Russia. YouTube could be next. https://rkn.gov.ru/...

• @eliothiggins Eliot Higgins on x

  And Sputnik and Ruptly. https://www.youtube.com/... https://www.youtube.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @hillelneuer Hillel Neuer on x

  Finally, Google remembers its founding motto: Don't be evil https://twitter.com/...

• @jessikkaaro @jessikkaaro on x

  This is important. RT/Sputnik/Ruptly extend Putin's information-psychological warfare across Russia's borders. It's about time they're blocked. But please Google-Youtube: block them all over the globe, too! Blocking in Europe is not enough! https://twitter.com/...

• @christopherjm Christopher Miller on x

  👀 Google says it's blocking Russian state propaganda channels on YouTube. https://twitter.com/...

• @eliothiggins Eliot Higgins on x

  Looks like this has gone into effect very rapidly https://twitter.com/...

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on x

  I wrote about social networks as a pro-democracy force in the early days of this terrible war. I don't expect they will prove decisive — but during a terrible time, they have offered some reasons for hope https://www.platformer.news/ ... https://twitter.com/...

• @fabiochiusi Fabio Chiusi on x

  “it has been striking, watching the horrific invasion of Ukraine that Vladimir Putin's Russia began on Thursday, the degree to which social networks have been used in efforts to preserve democracy”, writes ⁦@CaseyNewton⁩ https://www.platformer.news/ ...

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on x

  @gah650 right now the debate is “crypto will help Russia evade sanctions” vs. “no it won't,” so I'm gonna let it play out a bit more. I did note the Ukrainians have raised $20M in crypto, though!

• @jtemple James Temple on x

  I resist ever saying anything nice about @CaseyNewton, but this is a very smart, honest and nicely written piece https://www.platformer.news/ ...

• @rmconservative Daniel Horowitz on x

  So does this mean the social media “fact checkers” are done with covid and injections and will now move their shop onto Ukraine?

• @ddale8 Daniel Dale on x

  There's a lot of hoax not-actually-CNN stuff floating around social media related to Ukraine. https://twitter.com/...

• @dannagal Dr. Danna Young on x

  Thoughtful piece from the great @CaseyNewton on this same exact point... but with more detail, research and just ... better in every way than a dumb tweet. https://www.platformer.news/ ... https://twitter.com/...

• @kamilkazani Kamil Galeev on x

  Apart from a certain egocentric perspective - “there's no more urgent business amidst of this war than to win my sympathy” - it's also a bad take for another reason. Ukraine is good in social media in comparison with whom? Apparently with their enemy, the Russians

• @jordanschachtel @jordanschachtel on x

  Ukraine is “winning” on social media but in terms of the actual war, things don't look as promising. https://twitter.com/...

• @pucknorris Vivek Sharma on x

  @CaseyNewton Thanks for this. As horrible as this invasion is, it will also serve as another A/B test on social networks. The current gestalt is that they are often at fault in political situations, but we may be in a situation where they may be helpful. Lots to digest in the nea…

• @katieharbath Katie Harbath on x

  But it has been striking ... the degree to which social networks have been used in efforts to preserve democracy. - The internet is a force multiplier for Ukraine, by @CaseyNewton https://www.platformer.news/ ...

• @ericrsammons Eric Sammons on x

  I would guess that at least 90% of the images, videos, and stories on social media purportedly coming from Ukraine are either completely false, mostly false, or twisted to push a narrative.

• @arzugeybulla @arzugeybulla on x

  The stakes have rarely been higher. For a few days, the internet has been a valuable force multiplier for 🇺🇦 & allies of democracy. But the worst of this war is very likely yet to come. & when it arrives, it may have consequences no internet platform is equipped to address alone.

• @gah650 George Howard on x

  @CaseyNewton Now do crypto ;)

• @kamilkazani Kamil Galeev on x

  So the underlying assumption of this argument is that Russia's *not* so good in social media. But that's just wrong. Russia's great and amazing in social media. It launched its own propaganda campaign which is absolutely victorious and achieved its goals brilliantly https://twitt…

• @abarbashin Anton Barbashin on x

  Majority of Russian are still fed a very distorted picture of what is happening in Ukraine. Kremlin is actively enforcing censorship, shuts down individual media, slows down social networks and considers adopting new draconic treason laws right now. 9/14

• @hshaban Hamza Shaban on x

  An overview of the role social media and the platforms have played in Ukraine that gets sharper as @CaseyNewton considers how things can go sideways. Helpful discussion about the benefits, limits and entanglements of big tech acting as quasi-states https://www.platformer.news/ ..…

• @b52malmet Barbara Malmet on x

  Twitter Spaces, WhatsApp groups, and websites detailing how to join a newly established foreign legion. Across social media platforms, many users are busy swapping tips on how to cross the border into western Ukraine and discussing what equipment to bring. https://www.independent…

• @markstenberg3 Mark Stenberg on x

  A sharp, sober take on cautious optimism — the platforms feel more like they did during the Arab Spring than the 2016 election Was waiting for this, and @CaseyNewton on Ukraine did not disappoint https://www.platformer.news/ ...

• @kamilkazani Kamil Galeev on x

  What goal does Russia pursue in this information war? What kind of image does it want to convey? I believe that the logic behind the Russian propaganda campaign is based on a fundamental Machiavellian principle - it's much more necessary to be feared than loved https://twitter.co…

• @benimmo Ben Nimmo on x

  It ran a few fake personas posing as authors. They had fake profile pics (likely GAN), and unusually detailed public bios - e.g. former civil aviation engineer, hydrography expert. The op posted their articles on its websites and social media, & amplified them using more fakes.

• @chrisinsilico @chrisinsilico on x

  It takes a *full scale war* for Facebook to do anything about disinformation networks. We saw the same thing in Myanmar - it took ethnic cleansing to nudge FB into feigning action. Facebook only ever acts after it's too late because it doesn't care. https://www.theguardian.com/ .…

• @ryanwaniata Ryan Waniata on x

  Appreciate ⁦@netflix⁩ making the right choice on this. https://variety.com/...

• @rainofterra @rainofterra on x

  It's fascinating watching which lines they will and won't cross, and how much public negativity they can tolerate before developing scruples. https://twitter.com/...

• @kevinrothrock Kevin Rothrock on x

  Netflix now says it will not comply with a new law in Russia that requires it to carry 20 free-to-air Russian news, sports, and entertainment TV channels, including state propaganda like Pervyi Kanal. This will result in Netflix being blocked in Russia. https://variety.com/...

• @joycewhitevance Joyce Alene on x

  The face of cyberwarfare/disinformation https://twitter.com/...

• @euromaidanpress @euromaidanpress on x

  The Walt Disney Company is pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/ .... Netflix will not comply with new Russian rules to carry 20 Russian state-backed channels https://www.politico.eu/...

• @danyork Dan York on x

  A good set of articles on Techmeme today about the enormous scale of #disinformation activities related to the #UkraineRussiaWar It is certainly so challenging right now to understand the accuracy of information- https://www.techmeme.com/...

• @oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x

  The Russian troll farm accounts used AI-generated faces to simulate identities for Ukrainian columnists, who tried to frame Ukraine as a failed state. Here's one of them, Facebook confirmed. She doesn't really exist. https://www.nbcnews.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @ngleicher Nathaniel Gleicher on x

  3/ This operation centered around off-platform websites posing as independent news entities and used fake accounts to amplify their stories, which were largely focused on undermining trust in the Ukrainian government.

• @anthony Anthony DeRosa on x

  What distinguishes Ukraine from previous conflicts in the age of social media is the shift from locking down communications to flooding the world—and your opposition—with your message https://www.wsj.com/...

• @liahaberman Lia Haberman on x

  “Mr. Zelensky has been prolific, publishing more than a dozen videos ... including two out on the streets of Kyiv and reposts with English subtitles to reach a foreign audience...” https://www.wsj.com/...

• @polinaivanovva @polinaivanovva on x

  In Russia, a planned partial Facebook shutdown; Twitter appears to be shut in Moscow too; media watchdog on a warpath against any media reporting anything from non-state sources about this conflict. Russia is being cut off from the truth https://twitter.com/...

• @adam_k_levin Adam Levin on x

  While this seems like a welcome development, I'm skeptical that they'll be able to mark all tweets linked to Russian state-backed media, which may lull users into a false sense of security. https://techcrunch.com/...

• @oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x

  Facebook took down two anti-Ukraine disinformation operations this weekend. They were tied to Ukraine Today, a Russian propaganda outfit created to make Ukraine look like a failed state. They used fake profiles on Facebook to make it all seem real. https://www.nbcnews.com/...

• @rmac18 @rmac18 on x

  From inside Meta/Facebook: an internal update says that Russian internet service providers have slowed down Instagram and Facebook. Videos are being affected. So far the company has seen no effect on WhatsApp.