BBC: Political trolling twice as popular as positivity, study suggests. “Social media posts are twice as likely to go viral if they are negative about politicians they oppose rather than positive about those they support, a Cambridge University study suggests.”
CNN: How Russian threats in the 2000s turned this country into the go-to expert on cyber defense. “When people like the German Chancellor Angela Merkel or the King of Belgium want to learn more about cybersecurity, they go to Estonia. The Baltic country runs on the internet. From filing taxes and voting, to registering the birth of a new baby, nearly everything a person might want or need from the government can be done online. It’s an approach that’s incredibly convenient for Estonia’s 1.3 million people — but it also requires high level of cybersecurity.”
Politico: Trump’s fundraising arm is back advertising on Facebook. “Former president Donald Trump’s fundraising arm is once again advertising on Facebook after the social media giant banned the ex-president from using the site. Starting late last week, Save America Joint Fundraising Committee, a joint venture between Trump’s Save America leadership PAC and his Make America Great Again PAC, has spent $3,506 on Facebook ads promoting Trump’s upcoming rally outside Cleveland, Ohio and calling for donations to his fund.”
Marketplace: What the authoritarian crackdown on social media means for global activism. “It’s been more than a decade since the revolution that came to be known as the Arab Spring, when protesters across the Middle East challenged — and in some cases overthrew — authoritarian governments. Social media played a central role in helping activists organize and build support. Now, autocratic leaders around the world have been stifling dissent on these platforms or banning them altogether. Russia, China, India and Nigeria are some recent examples. Could social media play the same role today that it did in 2010?”
The Columbian: Google to pay Washington $400,000 to settle campaign finance lawsuit. “Google has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle charges that it has not complied with Washington’s strict campaign finance laws, which require businesses to retain records of political ads they sell in the state. It’s the second time in three years that the tech giant has settled a campaign finance lawsuit in Washington. In 2018, Google paid $200,000, plus attorneys’ fees, to settle a similar lawsuit, but admitted no wrongdoing. This time, the company agreed it did not comply with state law, but still disputes whether the law applies the company.”
The Guardian: Revealed: rightwing firm posed as leftist group on Facebook to divide Democrats. “In an apparent attempt to split the Democratic vote in a number of close races, the ads purported to come from an organization called America Progress Now (APN) and used socialist memes and rhetoric to urge leftwing voters to support Green party candidates. Facebook was aware of the true identity of the advertiser – the conservative marketing firm Rally Forge – and the deceptive nature of the ads, documents seen by the Guardian show, but the company determined that they did not violate its policies.”
BuzzFeed News: Facebook Is Resuming Political Contributions — But Not To Lawmakers Who Voted Against Certifying The US Election. “In an internal announcement, Brian Rice, a public policy director at Facebook, said that the decision came after the Jan. 6 insurrection and a review of the company’s contribution policies. Five days after the storming of the Capitol, Facebook said it would pause all political donations for at least three months.”
Unredacted: New Digital National Security Archive Collection Features Thousands of Declassified Memos from Donald Rumsfeld’s Last Two Years in Office. “The National Security Archive, along with our scholarly partners at ProQuest, is publishing the second installment of Donald Rumsfeld’s ‘Snowflakes.’ The 24,473-page set, Donald Rumsfeld’s Snowflakes, Part II: The Pentagon and U.S. Foreign Policy, 2004-2006, features 3,994 memos authored by the Secretary of Defense during his last two years in office.” Now this one? Not free.
Washington Post: Nigeria suspends Twitter after the social media platform freezes president’s account. “Nigeria has indefinitely suspended Twitter two days after the social media giant temporarily froze the account of the nation’s president, sparking a torrent of Internet outrage in Africa’s most populous country. The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, made the surprise announcement Friday in the capital Abuja, citing vague safety concerns.”
ITWeb: Google vows to combat data manipulation during SA elections. “Google has vowed to Parliament that it will protect the integrity of SA’s upcoming elections, saying it will not allow any manipulative agenda on its platforms. Google along with tech firms Twitter and Facebook were invited by the South African Parliament’s Committee of Communications and Digital Technologies yesterday to respond to questions about misinformation on their platforms.
CNET: Facebook, Twitter and Google could get fined for banning candidates under new Florida law. “Large tech companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google could get slapped with fines if they bar political candidates in Florida from their platforms, under a new law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.”
Pew (PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!): 70% of U.S. social media users never or rarely post or share about political, social issues. “When asked about five potential reasons for why they do not post about these topics, the top two reasons users cite are concerns that the things they post or share will be used against them and not wanting to be attacked for their views. About a third of those who never or rarely post or share about these issues say that each statement is a major reason.”
NBC News: In nod to Trump, Florida is set to ban ‘deplatforming’ by tech companies. “Florida is on track to be the first state in the nation to punish social media companies that ban politicians like former President Donald Trump under a bill approved Thursday by the state’s Republican-led Legislature.”
Rutgers University: Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics Launches First Public Database of Scientists in State Politics. “The Science and Politics Initiative at Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics has launched the first publicly accessible national database of elected state legislators with scientific, engineering and health care training.”
White House: How to Watch the Livestream of President Biden’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress. “The President will address a Joint Session of Congress at the United States Capitol on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 9pm EDT. The White House livestream will feature supplemental information from senior Administration officials as part of our enhanced viewing experience. The White House feed will include ASL interpretation for accessibility.”
