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posted by mrpg on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the I-refrain-from-commenting dept.

Submitted via IRC for takyon

This week, representatives from Google, Facebook, and Twitter are appearing before House and Senate subcommittees to answer for their role in Russian manipulation during the 2016 election, and so far, the questioning has been brutal. Facebook has taken the bulk of the heat, being publicly called out by members of Congress for missing a wave of Russian activity until months after the election.

[...] The point is clear enough: if you're fighting Russian interference on social media, anonymity is a big problem. In some ways, it's the original sin, creating space for that first lie that lets trolls enter the conversation unnoticed. "Account anonymity in public provides some benefits to society, but social media companies must work immediately to confirm real humans operate accounts," Watts told the committee. "The negative effects of social bots far outweigh any benefits." It's a common insight among bot-hunters, and one that's become particularly popular amid this week's hearings.

[...] The problem is social. We're used to anonymity on the internet, particularly on the services where it's still available. It's hard to know what an anonymity backlash would mean for services like Twitter, Reddit, and 4chan — all of which are named in Watts' testimony as playing a role in Russian disinformation.

In the background, there's an even harder question: is anonymity still worth saving? It's foundational to many people's idea of the internet, but amid widespread online harassment and Facebook itself, it's come to mean less and less. Even without Russian influence campaigns, the web's online spaces are largely associated with the ugliest parts of humanity. (4chan is a prime example.) With new pressure from Congress, bot analysts, and the public, online anonymity may not have any defenders left. In the face of that, Twitter, Reddit, and others might decide a real name policy is a small price to pay for forestalling federal regulation.

Source: Russia's Social Media Meddling Could Spell the End of Online Anonymity

Previously: Russia Bans VPNs and Tor, Effective November 1


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:38AM (23 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:38AM (#592374)

    Yes.

    Starting Score:    0  points
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    Total Score:   5  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:48AM (22 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:48AM (#592378)

    I agree, it forces people to base their perception on the content rather than use argument from authority heuristics (eg credentials). On the other hand, argument from consensus gains more power. Still I think it is good.

    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by aristarchus on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:33AM (12 children)

      by aristarchus (2645) on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:33AM (#592394) Journal

      I don't even know who I am supposed to be anymore! When people doubt my persona on-line, it hurts me deeply. But it does not in the least affect the quality of my comments, or my submissions.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @07:03AM (11 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @07:03AM (#592412)

        This comment almost feels like a disagree mod.

        • (Score: 5, Interesting) by aristarchus on Sunday November 05 2017, @07:32AM (10 children)

          by aristarchus (2645) on Sunday November 05 2017, @07:32AM (#592417) Journal

          Get beyond your feelings! Assert the Truth! I always have students who say, "Oh, you just want us to express our opinions?" And I say, "Who the fuck cares about your opinion? Who are you? Some Mightly Buzzard, wasting his karmic expanse upon the sands of the Tennessee?" And mostly, they say, "no". But then I remind them, young paduwans that they are, "Why are your opinions your opinions?" And the answer comes back, "Because they are true." Yes, here is the rub. Everyone believes what they believe because the believe it is true. I mean, what kind of idiot, other than TMB, Eth, Runaway, or jmorris, would believe something they knew was false? So this is the rub: You may think your opinions are the right ones, and good on your for that, but, prove it? Give us the reasons that you have that make you think your opinions are true. If they are good reasons, they should work for us, as much as for you! If not? Of to the alt-rational for you. And, epic fail in the marketplace of ideas and rational discussion forum. Sorry, Buzz. Ain't cutting it.

          • (Score: 3, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 05 2017, @09:52AM (1 child)

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 05 2017, @09:52AM (#592444) Journal

            Tennessee has such lovely beaches . . . don't mind if I do waste some karma on the sands there . . .

          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday November 05 2017, @11:01AM (7 children)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 05 2017, @11:01AM (#592463) Journal

            So this is the rub: You may think your opinions are the right ones, and good on your for that, but, prove it? Give us the reasons that you have that make you think your opinions are true.

            If you practiced what you preach here, you wouldn't be on my "foes" list. Be what you claim you want to be.

            • (Score: 4, Touché) by aristarchus on Sunday November 05 2017, @12:15PM

              by aristarchus (2645) on Sunday November 05 2017, @12:15PM (#592481) Journal

              Tu Quoque, Mon amici!

            • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday November 05 2017, @03:31PM (3 children)

              by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Sunday November 05 2017, @03:31PM (#592531) Journal

              Nixon had an enemies list too, ya soggy bagel =P

              --
              I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
              • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:36PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:36PM (#592581)

                I think he is Nixon...

              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday November 06 2017, @03:53PM (1 child)

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday November 06 2017, @03:53PM (#593117) Journal
                I didn't choose the name, that comes from Slash code. I use it as a filter to hide posts from the two people I have on the list, edIII and aristarchus (both consistently terrible posters even by the low standards of trolling on SN). I can still choose to read and respond to their posts, but it makes for better flow not having their shit automatically appear on the screen while I'm browsing.
                • (Score: 3, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday November 06 2017, @08:23PM

                  by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday November 06 2017, @08:23PM (#593286) Journal

                  You do yourself a grave disservice. I've found Ed3 to be right more often than not, and aristarchus is usually hilarious (though some of his stuff--notably, when he tries to talk like YOU) misses the mark.

                  --
                  I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
            • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:27PM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:27PM (#592577)

              Can't speak for Aristarchus, but being on YOUR enemy list would be a GOOD thing for me. Hell, might be enough to get laid!

              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday November 05 2017, @09:07PM

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 05 2017, @09:07PM (#592651) Journal

                Can't speak for Aristarchus, but being on YOUR enemy list would be a GOOD thing for me. Hell, might be enough to get laid!

                Well, get an account so we can get you sorted out.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by jmorris on Sunday November 05 2017, @09:56AM (8 children)

      by jmorris (4844) on Sunday November 05 2017, @09:56AM (#592445)

      As usual, the stated reason is a lie. They couldn't care less about the Russians. Hell, until the Wall fell the Democratic Party was openly aligned with Soviet Communism and considered it the Future. For that matter they still do consider it the Sunny Uplands of History and work toward it and it was Hillary in league with Putin selling out 20% of American uranium deposits for massive contributions to her "foundation".

      They don't like anonymity because it allowed US to speak unspeakable things without suffering the usual consequences like becoming unemployable. They want those "good times" back.

      Look at the current antics, where police are scouring surveillance footage to find the "monsters" putting up signs all over the place with the message:

      It's
      okay
      to be
      white

      Since a 4chan meme has broke into meat space they expect to be able to track down the miscreants and destroy their lives for putting up a message that tame. On the Internet they joke about gassing kikes daily, safely anonymous. But beyond the jokes, the "Jewish Question" is alive and openly debated. Don't try it in the real world. If you want to know who rules you, look at who you must not insult or question. Best not to even notice. Remember when CNN lost its effing mind and threatened to dox some reddit dweeb? It wasn't for what they said it was, it was for a well researched, large image he was posting showing the staff and management of CNN who were of the tribe.

      The bottom of the image has this text:

      If Jews represent just 2% of the U.S. population, would it be odd for a media organization (whose parent company has a Jewish president and Jewish majority of C-level executives) to also have a Jewish President and a Jewish Vice-President, a Jewish-majority of Executive Vice Presidents, and a Lead Political Anchor, Chief Political Correspondent, Chief Political Analyst, Chief Political Director, Chief National Correspondent and Chief Washington Correspondent -- all six of its Chief anchor positions -- who are all Jewish, as well as a majority -- at least 13 -- of the network's currently running shows having Jewish hosts?

      It is almost as if....

      Well now you know the rest of that story.

      In meat space James Damore lost his job for suggesting it might be worth looking at the results of all of the affirmative action and see if it is actually having unintended side effects, whether women actually DO want to work in some of the geekier STEM fields at precisely the same levels as men, etc. After all, there ARE fields where more women are taking the classes so logic would dictate some majors should be less popular. Meanwhile on the Internet the debate is, shall we say, much farther developed already. Again almost all anonymously. The right has grown used to burning through twitter accounts, if they really do start locking new account creation to phone numbers it will quickly become a left wing echo chamber.

      • (Score: 5, Insightful) by digitalaudiorock on Sunday November 05 2017, @02:40PM (4 children)

        by digitalaudiorock (688) on Sunday November 05 2017, @02:40PM (#592516) Journal

        Hell, until the Wall fell the Democratic Party was openly aligned with Soviet Communism and considered it the Future.

        ...blah blah blah...drool drool. Seriously folks. Who the fuck is modding this as "Interesting"? Go home to Brietbart already.

        • (Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:10PM (3 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @04:10PM (#592546)

          LOL, you can't refute anything so you have to label someone "Breitbart reader" aka "alt-right" (neither of which is actually a bad thing, only in SJW shitcunt circles) and everyone can see right through your virtue-signaled veneer of authoritative moral superiority.

          • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:30PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @05:30PM (#592579)

            Eww, who left the door open during the rain? The worms are crawling in!

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @10:45PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 05 2017, @10:45PM (#592693)
              Take a step back for a moment and think about this. When you're angry and don't have a good response, is it better to name-call or just to keep quiet?

              If GP really is a "worm," then his words will stand on their own and reveal him as such, but all your visceral reaction has done is helped to prove his point.
          • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday November 06 2017, @07:06AM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday November 06 2017, @07:06AM (#592907) Journal

            You keep using those words. I do not think they mean what you think they mean.

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
      • (Score: 4, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday November 05 2017, @03:34PM

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Sunday November 05 2017, @03:34PM (#592534) Journal

        What the fuck did i tell you about staying off the cross? Winter Is Coming (TM) and we need all the firewood we can get. Of course if you wanna burn too I've got no problems with that at all.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
      • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday November 05 2017, @11:07PM

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 05 2017, @11:07PM (#592704) Journal

        If you want to know who rules you, look at who you must not insult or question

        Your employer? Your bank? A corporation with enough money to deploy the lawyerpult with seconds notice?

        Agreed, these are among your masters.

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 06 2017, @02:07AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 06 2017, @02:07AM (#592765)

        > until the Wall fell the Democratic Party was openly aligned with Soviet Communism and considered it the Future

        I take it you aren't old enough to remember JFK calling Khrushchev's bluff and getting the missiles out of Cuba? I was ~8 years old at that point and it made an impression on me for sure.