In early January, The Wire published an expos on Tek Fog, an app allegedly used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to manage its IT cells. The investigation immediately aroused the attention of the Indian public. For the first time, everyday Indians were given insight into the inner workings of a major-party IT cell, and were forced to confront the possibility that their everyday reality was shaped not by the Indian public but the whims of shadowy political operatives; that their own ruling party would seek to phish their phones with spyware for the purpose of sending party-line propaganda impersonating them to friends and family. Such serious allegations resemble those of an authoritarian dictatorship like the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and their 50 Cents Army (), than the worlds largest democracy.
I have no special insights on the details of Tek Fog, and was not involved in the technical investigation (my involvement was limited to advising the authors regarding potential backlash from Facebook and its associated organisations, which were strongly opposed to publication.) But the investigations findings rang true to me, based on my experience at Facebook in catching inauthentic accounts and state-sponsored IT cells before I became a whistleblower.
Also read: Tek Fog: An App With BJP Footprints for Cyber Troops to Automate Hate, Manipulate Trends
As a new employee barely out of graduate school with no training and minimal expertise, I caught two world governments (Honduras and Azerbaijan) red-handed. Both governments ran IT cells without even hiding their own involvement, to manipulate and deceive their own citizenry. I know what I found was the low-hanging fruit those who had no reason to hide, as no one had bothered to look for them before. Despite their claims of benevolence, Facebook feels no responsibility to protect Indian democracy, any more than Dow Chemical feels responsible for making amends to the people of Bhopal.
I first learned the term IT cell half a year after joining FB, when an Indian policy lead explained to me that their use was common in India especially among the BJP. In January 2020, when I found a pro-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) IT cell manipulating voters for the then-upcoming Delhi elections, Facebook policy thought they understood what was going on. These guys are trying to imitate the BJP and beat them at their online game, I was informed.
While IT cells are now endemic in Indian politics across parties, I was repeatedly told by FBs own Indian leadership that the BJP were the primary innovators in this area; the company knew that the BJP had access to an organisation in broad strokes similar to The Wires report. As such, I was surprised most not by any of the individual findings, but by the fact that an insider had appeared to come forward.
Also read: Tek Fog: Morphing URLs to Make Real News Fake, Hijacking WhatsApp to Drive BJP Propaganda
Ive spoken at length about my experiences at Facebook in late 2019 and early 2020. In that time period, I found five networks of fake accounts across the Indian political spectrum: two pro-Congress, two pro-BJP, and the aforementioned pro-AAP cell in Delhi. While the company initially agreed to take all five networks down as clear violations of their rules and policies, they only took down four; the last was stalled indefinitely after it was discovered to be run by a sitting BJP member of the Lok Sabha (Facebook has changed their story multiple times while denying my veracity.) Later in 2020, FB India head Ankhi Das resigned after controversial decisions and statements favouring the BJP.
Democracy cannot function if the voices of the people are drowned out by a swarm of fictitious voices. Allowing a small group of shady insiders to overwhelm public spaces with fake personas is anathema to free speech and discourse just as stuffing ballot boxes with fictitious votes is anathema to fair elections. This is a matter of fairness and principle, not partisanship. Many Indians agree. The Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology voted unanimously to seek my testimony (pending approval by the Speaker), and Ive been interviewed by news outlets from NDTV to Republic TV a strong statement of nonpartisan agreement in these polarised times.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
While Facebook holds increasing influence over the state of public discourse in India, it has focused on the needs of Indian power players rather than the needs of the Indian people. At Facebook, the leaders deciding individual cases are the same as those charged with buttering up politicians a conflict of interest that would force any Indian judge to recuse herself. Social media has built a world where the influential and powerful enjoy relative impunity, while justice is reserved for the lowly. Such a paradigm reminds us of an infamous quote from Peruvian dictator scar R. Benavides: For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law. In corrupt dictatorships such as the PRC, lawlessness among officials is common a perk enjoyed by friends and families of the dictator. This is the society being built by Facebook in India as well.
Also read: Tek Fog in Action: Targeting Women Journalists, Pushing Communal Narrative on COVID, Delhi Violence
When Mahatma Gandhi began his satyagraha, it was ordinary Indians who joined him in protest to win Indias freedom and democracy. When Indira Gandhi ruled by decree during the Emergency, it was ordinary Indians across parties who came together in protest to restore democracy.
If public protests are the language of the dispossessed, one of the first moves by any autocrat is to restrict freedom of speech and assembly. This stifles protests because in the real world, theres no way for a single person to impersonate a crowd.
In the digital world, however, the opposite is true, so autocrats use a different strategy to push their agenda. Imagine a world where false supporters of the British Raj drowned out the real opponents, and India never gained her independence. A world where India remained under Emergency forever, as false supporters of the government drowned out the real voices. That is the risk of IT cells a world in which autocrats are empowered, the minority able to rule over a majority with far greater ease.
The ongoing IT cell arms race across parties is no more beneficial for the Indian people than the US-Soviet nuclear arms race was for the world. If Indias leaders cannot agree to end this madness, it will be up to the Indian people to stand up and call for sanity to return.
Photo credit: Liza Danz
Sophie Zhang became a whistleblower after spending two years and eight months at Facebook failing to fix the company from within. She personally caught two national governments using Facebook to manipulate their own citizenry, while also revealing concerning decisions made by Facebook regarding inauthenticity in Indian and US politics. Formerly a data scientist, she currently stays home to pet her cats.
View original post here:
Tek Fog: Imagine a World Where False Supporters of the Emergency Drowned Out the Real Opponents - The Wire
- Free Speech Aids Racial Justice. Activists Must Defend It. | Opinion - Harvard Crimson - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Progressives Are Ditching Free Speech To Fight 'Disinformation' - Reason - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- There is a way out of cancel culture but it's not free speech - Times Higher Education - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Editor's take: Limiting hate speech not a First Amendment violation - The Pajaronian - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Israel's Proposed 'Terror Incitement' Law Is a Dangerous Threat to Freedom of Speech - Haaretz Editorial - Haaretz - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Colorado bill tasking attorney general to study online 'misinformation' sparks First Amendment debate - coloradopolitics.com - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- 10 Worst Censors: 2024 | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Harvard University's Lifetime Censorship Award: Impact on Freedom of Speech and Journalism - Medriva - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Reading is freedom of speech, says 'ABCs of Book Banning' director - KCRW's This...Is Interesting - Podcast en iVoox - iVoox - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Freedom of speech or lack of civility? Resident perturbed by others berating Killeen City Council and mayor - The Killeen Daily Herald - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Harvard Students Should Know Freedom Of Speech Is Not Freedom From Consequences - The Federalist - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- FIRE launches six-figure free speech campaign with primetime ... - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- UGS responds to free speech concerns on campus - The Stanford Daily - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- UCI Year of Free Speech kicks off with virtual event - UCI News - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Book review: A Constitution To Keep: Sedition And Free Speech In ... - Maktoob media - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Protestors, supporters gather on HUB lawn for Riley Gaines' Free ... - The Daily Collegian - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
- Editorial: When is free speech not free on college campuses? - TribLIVE - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- How do you handle free speech issues in higher education, popular discourse? - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Free speech protections are under threat in Texas Legislature - The Dallas Morning News - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Should Irish universities introduce mandatory free speech classes? - The Irish Times - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Florida House approves bill that would change rules around campus ... - WUFT - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Free speech bill 'could protect extreme views' - Times Higher Education - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Ronald Collins and Ronnie Marmo: Comedy clubs are free speech ... - Independent Record - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- A notable foundation for freedom of speech - Newsday - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Troy, Alabama A&M receive poor 'red' rating from campus free ... - 1819 News - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Freedom of Speech Pros and Cons: What Both Sides Think - March 8th, 2023 [March 8th, 2023]
- What is the freedom of speech? - Alliance Defending Freedom - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- freedom of speech | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- First Amendment: Freedom of Speech | LII / Legal Information Institute - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Freedom of speech online: What are the Florida and Texas laws the US top court could hear a challenge to - The Indian Express - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Elon Musk says new Twitter policy is freedom of speech & not freedom ... - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- CNN Calls Freedom of Speech 'Nonsense' in Moronic Rant - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Ex-CNN journo and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa explains why ... - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Hate speech - Wikipedia - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- Freedom of Speech and Expression | CSCE - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Why Is Freedom Of Speech Important? The Relevance Explained - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- 'Freedom Of Speech, But Not Freedom Of Reach': Musk Reinstates Kathy Griffin And Jordan Peterson Amid New Policy But Not Trump Yet - Forbes - November 21st, 2022 [November 21st, 2022]
- Freedom of speech is in jeopardy - The Ridgefield Press - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- The Alex Jones trap: How 'owning the libs' can turn into a self-own for conservatives - Washington Examiner - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Just released: The 2022-2023 College Free Speech Rankings - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Russian Court's Ban of Newspaper Novaya Gazeta is a Punch in the Face of Freedom of Speech - Novinite.com - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Bangladeshi Editor Rifat Munim Supports Salman Rushdie's Freedom Of Speech: 'Why React To The Book Or The Cartoons In This Childish Way? Why Show... - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Crikey! The exclamation of Free Speech - RadioInfo Australia - Radioinfo - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Batley row 'shows how extremists are using blasphemy to attack free speech' - The Telegraph - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Expansion of Title IX Tramples First Amendment - California Globe - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- BRACK: S.C. Senate is poking free speech bear on abortion Statehouse Report - Statehouse Report - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Will AG Ken Paxton join the fight for freedom of speech? - Wilson County News - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- The UK Government Wants to Scrap the Human Rights Act. Here's What to Know. - Global Citizen - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Cancel culture empowers the powerful at everyone elses expense - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Repressive executive order from UNC Chapel Hill student government cuts off funding for pro-life individuals, causes - Foundation for Individual... - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Editorial: Alex Jones' lessons on the First and Sixth Amendments - CT Insider - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- NEW for 7/29: How abortion now works in S.C., and more Statehouse Report - Statehouse Report - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Why Does The State Panic Over Free Speech? - The Friday Times - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- How to Fix the Bias Against Free Speech on Campus - The Atlantic - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Universities are in denial over the free-speech crisis - Spiked - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Who Really Benefits From the First Amendment? - Tablet Magazine - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Legal Eagle: Is free speech abused to flout others rights? - Free Press Journal - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Free speech 'stifled' as universities cancel record number of speakers - The Telegraph - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- The Online Safety Bill could lead to the biggest curtailment of free speech in modern history - The Telegraph - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- LAWSUIT: Professor sues University of Washington after admins punish him for 'inappropriate' opinion - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- VICTORY: Art institute reverses expulsion for student who retweeted sexual art - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Twitter and Freedom of Speech | News, Sports, Jobs - The Mining Gazette - Daily Mining Gazette - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Amber Heard, the ACLU, and the Future of Free Speech - Reason - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- In my view: Freedom of speech is important - Slough and Windsor Observer - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- New AGB Resource Prepares Higher Education Board Members to Balance Freedom of Speech with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - PR Web - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- 'What's the point inviting me on!' Piers Morgan and student erupt in free speech row - Express - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Binance CEO says 'free speech is very hard to define' - Business Insider - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- The Deeper Significance of Justice Thomas's Second Amendment Opinion - The Epoch Times - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Twitter and freedom of speech - Washington Times - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Bill of Rights to strengthen freedom of speech and curb bogus human rights claims - GOV.UK - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Twitter and the freedom of speech | Opinion | journal-spectator.com - Wharton Journal Spectator - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Charlottesville, COVID, Trump and free speech: How white supremacy entered the mainstream - Salon - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Jehovah's Witnesses reflect on 20th anniversary of free speech decision - Porterville Recorder - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- The Aftermath: Developments from the 2022 Session of the Connecticut General Assembly Affecting Employers - JD Supra - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Free Speech and Due Process at Princeton: The Case of Joshua Katz - Quillette - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Free Speech Makes People Free. We Must Defend All Speech Without Apology | Opinion - Newsweek - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- Opinion: Free speech and guns a winning combination - Appen Media - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- The Age of Intolerance: Cancel Culture's War on Free Speech - Overton County News - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- Protecting free speech: Local residents reflect on impact of 2002 historic Supreme Court ruling as 20th anniversary nears - The Highland County Press - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]
- Don't Forget the First Half of the Second Amendment - The Atlantic - June 9th, 2022 [June 9th, 2022]