Democrats want Zuckerberg to increase censorship

Being acutely aware of their dim chances to retake either houses of Congress, the Dems have begun their fight for even more censorship on FaceBook. Zuck's "algorithms" (i.e., censorship tools) apparently weren't strong enough to stop those 13 Russian operatives, working feverishly in St. Petersburg, disseminating ads for puppies and other sinister things AFTER the election. Nope. Not good enough.

Dems want Zuck on the House floor to explain...you know, explain, explain what?

For more on this hypocritical blustering comes a "don't do as I do, do as I say" complaint.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Saturday called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee following reports that a data firm took Facebook users' private information for President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

"Facebook breach: This is a major breach that must be investigated. It’s clear these platforms can’t police themselves. I've called for more transparency & accountability for online political ads. They say 'trust us.' Mark Zuckerberg needs to testify before Senate Judiciary," Klobuchar, a member of the committee, wrote on Twitter.

Why? Why is CIA co-conspirator being taken for a public flogging?

Her comment came in response to the news that Cambridge Analytica, the data firm used by the Trump campaign, obtained the private information of more than 50 million people without their permission for campaign uses.

It was also reported that senior members of Cambridge Analytica met with Russian business executives ahead of the 2016 campaign.

Facebook suspended the group on Friday for not fully deleting all of the data it had obtained.

Klobuchar also said that Cambridge Analytica taking data on Facebook users is further justification for regulating technology companies via her Honest Ads Act, introduced in late 2017. The bill would hold internet platforms like Facebook to similar political ad disclosure standards as radio, TV and print outlets.

Firstly, the so-called Honest Ads Act didn't pass. Secondly, changes in law now allow news outlets to publicly lie--I guess that's okay because that's news. But the Ads must be verifiable. Fat chance. I wonder what would happen to politicos if that Act were applied to political campaigning.

FaceBook suspended Cambridge Analytica for misusing data.

This claim in itself is ludicrous because FaceBook already spies on its users.

Facebook said late Friday it been given information that Cambridge Analytica, along with two individuals who don’t work there, improperly kept Facebook user data for years despite telling the social network that it had destroyed those records. Facebook didn’t say how Cambridge Analytica used that data or if it gave the data to the Trump campaign.
...

Cambridge Analytica was a top vendor to Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign and has come under scrutiny in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump associates colluded with Russia’s efforts to interfere in the U.S. election. Mr. Trump has denied any collusion by his campaign with the Russians, and Moscow has denied meddling in the election.
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Facebook said it had learned in 2015 that Aleksandr Kogan, a psychology professor at the University of Cambridge, broke its data policies when he shared user data gleaned from his personality-prediction app, “thisisyourdigitallife,” to third parties including Cambridge Analytica and Christopher Wylie, who runs a company called of Eunoia Technologies Inc.

Mr. Mueller in the fall asked Cambridge Analytica to turn over the emails of any of its employees who worked on the Trump campaign, in a sign that the special counsel is probing the campaign’s data operation, The Wall Street Journal reported in December.

So why are we, the proletariat just learning about this horror show now? Mueller's committee leaks like a sieve. None of their moves were closely guarded secrets.

Cambridge Analytica stopped dealing in American politics in 2016. Yeah, but...
Do we forget about the "momentary glitch" which happened early in the primary where all of NGP Van's data mysteriously became unencrypted for about 30 minutes? Of course the Hillbots screamed foul, blaming Bernie Bros for this horrible meddling in our sacrosanct electoral process.

Reminds me of Oprah's declaration about telling "our truth", not the facts, not the real truth. Let's take this Cambridge Analytica charge seriously for a bit. Trump's team paid them $9 million. But the infinitely more valuable piss portfolio netted Fusion GPS about $15 million.

Who's facing jail time for the Steele dossier: definitely Chris Steele in the UK; likely Andy McCabe, Peter Strzok, and any FISA judges interfered with by approving FISA warrants baptized in golden showers.

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I am one of those rare women who never liked Oprah. That "Your truth" statement is typical of her. It's amazing how people will forget all the horrible people she introduced to the public (Dr. Phil is just one off the top of my head).

This Atlantic article sums it up nicely.

Truth

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Yaldabaoth, Saklas I'm calling you. Samael. You're not alone. I said, you're not alone, in your darkness. You're not alone, baby. You're not alone. "Original Sinsuality" Tori Amos

The Aspie Corner's picture

@Dark UltraValia His sensationalizing of virtually everything from mental illness to family problems pisses me off to no end.

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

@The Aspie Corner There are many others but he is one of the absolute worse!

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Yaldabaoth, Saklas I'm calling you. Samael. You're not alone. I said, you're not alone, in your darkness. You're not alone, baby. You're not alone. "Original Sinsuality" Tori Amos

@The Aspie Corner Wasn't Dr. Oz one of hers? She did her audience no good. She was the equivalent of deep fried twinkies.

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Alligator Ed's picture

@Dark UltraValia Is that "your Truth", Oprah? Was Hopey-Changey ever a truth?

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@Alligator Ed Yeah, I agree. I guess I figured that the stopped clock is right twice a day (once if it is a 24-hour clock).

So many black people had so much invested in him becoming President only to have it all melt away within moments of him taking the oath.

Should have trusted my gut when it said to avoid anything having to do with Oprah. Won't make that mistake again!

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Yaldabaoth, Saklas I'm calling you. Samael. You're not alone. I said, you're not alone, in your darkness. You're not alone, baby. You're not alone. "Original Sinsuality" Tori Amos

I seem to remember that the first reaction by Facebook and Twitter was basically "we don't see much here" in regards to Russian bullshit. Wrong answer. They were then threatened to come up with proof about Russian interference. Even then Facebook had to put shine on shit facts that many ads happened after the election and most ads did not even mention the candidates.

I read in passing an article that many in the UK Parliament didn't like some of Twitter's conclusions about Russian meddling and threatened Twitter unless they came up with new figures.

From what I could figure out, the reported meeting of Cambridge and Russians was with an oil company, and nothing came of the meetings. But meeting with Russians is a crime anyway.

What is interesting is that Sen. Merkeley from Oregon who I never took for a Russia-gate nutter claimed that Cambridge Analytica gave the Russians the heads up that the Rust Belt to place their ads. He made the charge like about 2 months I believe.

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snoopydawg's picture

but also the government. Okay, especially the government after Obomber signed the NDAA giving the government permission to use propaganda on us. If this is acceptable to the government and illegally spying on us is also acceptable, then why should I be upset if Russia had tried to swing the election from Mad Bomber II to someone who was saying that he wanted to play nice with them?

Besides, when it is perfectly legal for lobbyists to bribe our congress, then what good does voting for anyone do? They certainly aren't representing those of us that put them in office now are they? Then there's Israel's hold over our government and the CFR. Just what democracy are we at risk of losing because of a few FB ads that had nothing to do with the election?

Secondly, changes in law now allow news outlets to publicly lie

I use Ghostbustery on my Firefox browser and I have FarceBook chasing me on every website I visit. I am able to block not only them but up to 20 other tracking sites. My spam email has gone down from 50 a day to under 20 since I started this.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

that the Democrats should change their name. Might I suggest the Orwellian Party?

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On to Biden since 1973

@doh1304 How about the Republican Spousal Party. Seems more like a marriage than adversaries. They agree on so much. Just some bickering around the edges.

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@Snode

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.