Category Archives: Fake News

MIAMI, FL Many a fall Sunday for the citizens of Miami will be spent either in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium, or watching on TV, the Miami Dolphins engage in the existential struggle that is an NFL game. The team, which first suited up in 1966, has a long and illustrious history, punctuated by the (at the time of this writing) only NFL team to post the perfect season, the 1972 Dolphins, whose 17-0 record is still the standard of single season perfection. Other teams helmed by the late, great Don Shula still hold a place of reverence in the Miami lore. However, after the end of the Shula era (1995), the team found itself in the NFL wastelands, condemned to never return to the promised land.

However, as the Miami Dolphins take the field for their October 13, 2030 tilt, the years of wandering in the NFL desert are a distant memory. The glory days are not only back, but some would argue, these are the greatest days in franchise history. Winners of 2 of the last 5 Super Bowls and coming off a controversial loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2029 AFC Championship game, Miami is gearing up once again for another run, with its rapidly expanding fan base calling for the Drive for 5 and resurrecting the One of the Thumb mantra originally adopted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Loaded with a roster full of talented players just coming into their primes, this team is set to dominate the league. The present and the future are brighter than the bikinis seen on South Beach.

How did the Dolphins get to this point, some might wonder? Well, the Dolphins will actually pay homage to the key to their dynastic aspirations, for the Oct 13th game has been designated as a day to celebrate that player. On that day, they will celebrate the latest entry into their roster of honor: Offensive Tackle Laremy Tunsil. The one-time Dolphins first round pick and recently retired player, who decided that after 14 years of high-level play, his body was done, will return to where his NFL career started.

Some might wonder why the Dolphins would do something like this, given that Tunsil last suited up for Miami in 2018. A good, perennial All-Pro/Pro-Bowl career should be respected, but why the celebration? Perhaps in a bit of trolling, but also in pointing out the obvious, the Miami franchise felt that would be only fitting to honor the key to the success. When Tunsil left the Dolphins, it was part of a short-sighted trade to Houston, who, desperate to offer some semblance of protection for their one-time franchise quarterback, Deshaun Watson, sent the Dolphins their 2020 and 2021 first round and 2021 second round draft pick for the left tackle. There were some other players involved, but the main aspect of that trade would be the draft picks.

For Houston, it was a sign that they were playing for 2019, trying to win it all, whereas the 2019 Dolphins, fresh off a disappointing 7-9 season, had cleaned house in the front office, looking for a reset. In the short term, it appeared that Houston had made the right move, at least until they blew that 24-0 lead in Kansas City. From there, the fall of the Houston franchise is still well-chronicled as an abject lesson for teams sacrificing the future for the present.

As for Miami, many now look back on that trade as the start of the rise of the current Dolphins run of glory. The 2019 team finished a better-than-expected 5-11, and drafted wisely in the following drafts. In particular, their flurry of draft moves before the 2021 draft, when they parlayed the #3 overall draft pick, obtained from Houston, into 13 picks in the top 3 rounds of the 2021-2023 NFL drafts. The 10-6 near-miss of 2020 seemed to portend future greatness, and the prognosticators did not miss the mark. 2021 marked the first of 8 straight playoff appearances (and counting) for the team.

While the AFC East still kept its crown of NFL primacy, the epicenter shifted from New England to Miami. Miami took special pride in their AFC Divisional round showdown with New England in 2025, when the last Belichick team was felled in a 31-10 beatdown, which saw Belichick retire from the team shortly afterwards. Super Bowl appearances in 2025, 2026 and 2028, with wins in the later two, followed. A ticket to Dolphins game is perhaps the hardest thing to get in Miami these days, even tougher to get into than some of the exclusive nightclubs, back in business after the massive COVID-19 downturn in the early part of the decade.

When told about the Dolphins honor, Tunsil, now opening his CBD smoking and mask franchise, was both humored and honored. Initially, it seemed like a [Easterby] move by my old team, honoring me even though I havent played for them in twelve years. However, the more I think about it, the more I get it. I mean, they are acknowledging the truth, that through me, they achieved so much success. You cant believe the number of Miami fans that come up to me and congratulate me for all I did for the team. Not even [failed Senate candidate] Hershel Walker achieved this, and that trade was the one that got the other Texas team their championships. Besides, Miami is gonna be good for business after that game. Its a win/win. I already sent them a conceptual design for the honor.

Also that day, the Dolphins plan to acknowledge the contribution of the front office executive who made this possible: former Houston Head Coach and GM Bill OBrien. Bill OBrien, now in his 4th season coaching the Texas Longhorns, said that he would not be able to attend the ceremony. In subsequent correspondence, he didnt seem too happy about the reminders of this deal, but it could also have been the aftermath of a 63-14 loss to the Houston Cougars in Austin. First off, I gotta coach better. That loss in one me. Second, I am focused on being the best coach of the Texas Longhorns I can be. When pressed about Miami, BOB really did not want to talk about it. Dont matter Brian! We beat A&M in the Texas Bowl last year!

Uh, Coach, my name isnt Brian. Our reporter noted.

Doesnt matter, Brian! We are building a winner. Once I settle into my dual-hatted role as deputy athletic director, we are going to take the Longhorns to never-before seen heights!!!

When we asked the Miami franchise about this, one unnamed exec just shrugged. I mean, he was the exec who made our success possible. More than a few of us called him the greatest general manager in team history. No disrespect to our current guy. He is clearly rocking it, but if not for BOB, we aint where we are now. End of story.

As for the opponent for that game, the Houston team continues to say that they dont pay much attention to it. More than likely, it is that they have so many other worrying issues. The team will not look upon the 2020s fondly. Mismanaged drafts, unfortunate free agent strategies, and a lack of any playoff success (no playoff appearances in the 2020s) made the Houston team the laughing stock of the NFL. We tried to ask the Pontifex Maximus of Football Operations about the Houston team, but his Eminence Jack Easterby was not taking any correspondence according to his spokesman and team owner Cal McNair. As for the Deshaun Watson situation, we are still under a court-ordered gag rule about that situation, so to avoid another lawsuit, we will honor that one.

So, while Miami looks for a third Super Bowl in a six-year stretch, the Houston Crusaders continue to look to win more games, and less of the Bum Toro awards they seem to annually win from Texas Monthly. [Folks may remember when Texas Monthly came out with the Bum Steer Awards in their annual issue, but after 2023, the Houston team, which was renamed that same year, committed so many gaffs and had so many problems that the editors at Texas Monthly just up and renamed it the Bum Toro Award. This was unfortunate timing, as Toro was fired as the Houston mascot shortly after the 1st Bum Toro awards came out.]

[Editors Note: This is part of our future projection series, which no one was really asking for, but we decided to give you, the reader, anyway. Kinda similar to all the Easterby sermon videos and the Building the Texans series the team is giving its fans. Enjoy.]

More here:

TOTALLY NOT FAKE NEWS: The Key to Franchise Success - Battle Red Blog

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said it has not issued any warnings of deaths in India due to Covid-19. Taking to Twitter, the WHO said a video claiming that the WHO has warned of 50,000 deaths in India is "fake news". The WHO has not issued any such warning, it said.

"A video claiming WHO has warned of 50,000 deaths in India by April 15 is fake news. WHO has not issued any such warning," the World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) said in a tweet.

As per the union health ministry's data, 56,033 people have died due to coronavirus in Maharashtra in the last one year. Whereas in Tamil Nadu (12,789), Karnataka (12,657), Delhi (11,096), West Bengal (10,348), and Uttar Pradesh (8,894) have succumbed to the COVID-19 infection in the same period.

Currently, India is in the fourth spot in terms of global coronavirus deaths. Ahead of India are the United States (555,615); Brazil (332,752), and Mexico (204,399), according to the latest data by the Johns Hopkins University. Globally, 28,61,677 people have died due to COVID-19 as of April 6.

Also read: Maharashtra lockdown: Rs 40,000 crore dent on Indian economy; explained

Also read: IMA urges PM Modi to include all above 18 in COVID-19 vaccination drive

Excerpt from:

WHO warns of Covid-19 fake news; clarifies never predicted deaths in India - Business Today

Documentary filmmaker Cullen Hoback thought he had caught Ron Watkins in the finale of the HBO docuseries "Q: Into the Storm."

Watkins, the former administrator of the platform where the creator of the QAnon conspiracy theory posted, told Hoback, "It was basically three years of intelligence training, teaching normies how to do intelligence work. It was basically what I was doing anonymously before, but never as Q," Watkins said, but immediately tried to backtrack on the statement, adding: "Never as Q. I promise. I am not Q."

"Ron had slipped up," Hoback said in the episode. "He knew it, and I knew it and after three tireless years of cat and mouse." By saying he was "anonymously" involved with the QAnon world, Watkins appeared to leak that he may have been acting as "Q," the anonymous figure who ran the theory with messages on 8kun, owned by Watkins' father.

But in the days after Sunday's episode aired, major promoters of the conspiracy theory, which alleges a "deep state" cabal of human traffickers exists at the top levels of power in the US, weren't remotely convinced.

One QAnon influencer told his 100,000 Telegram subscribers that the documentary was "fake news" on Wednesday. "Total FAIL on so many levels," he said.

Jake A, 33, aka Yellowstone Wolf, from Phoenix, wrapped in a QAnon flag, addresses supporters of US President Donald Trump as they protest outside the Maricopa County Election Department as counting continues after the US presidential election in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 5, 2020. Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images

Another influencer with 33,000 Telegram subscribers said on Wednesday, "They really thought the HBO special would take us down?" The post, viewed by 37,000 users as of Thursday morning, compared the QAnon community to Jesus and his disciples. "If Jesus turned the world upside down with 12 people," the post said, "Imagine what we could do? How many are we now?"

"Q" has been silent since his last 8kun post on December 8, 2020.

QAnon researchers had predicted that the community would discredit any evidence regarding the identity of "Q." Alexander Reid Ross, a doctoral fellow at the Center for Analysis of the Radical Right, an organization that tracks right-wing extremism worldwide, told Insider in an interview last fall that the identity of "Q" wouldn't matter to the movement.

"Every iteration has to become plausible for them, and sort of co-exist within what they already believe through QAnon," Reid Ross said. "They can't walk it back they have to continue to move forward."

Watkins is the former operator of 8kun, the fringe platform where "Q" first posted. His father, Jim, is the owner of the platform, which is a revamped version of the now-defunct 8chan.

He previously denied being "Q" in a conversation with Insider. In an April 3 message on his Telegram channel, where he has 152,000 subscribers, Watkins said, "Friendly reminder: I am not Q."

Watkins has been a major influencer and, in some ways, a hero for the QAnon community, leveraging his power in the community to become one of the most vocal supporters of the pro-Trump "Stop the Steal" campaign last fall. In encouraging followers to discredit President Joe Biden's election win, he was retweeted by Trump and his allies on several occasions, including Rudy Giuliani, Trump's lawyer and de facto "Stop the Steal" czar.

Watkins' main target was Dominion Voting Systems, the voting-technology company used by several states that was baselessly accused by the right of interfering with the election. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) denied such allegations and has said the 2020 presidential election was the most "secure" in history.

In November, as part of his campaign to allege the election had been corrupted, Trump shared a video from One America News Network, the far-right pro-Trump propaganda network. The clip featured Watkins as a "cyber analyst" exposing "shocking vulnerabilities" in Dominion technology. Trump also retweeted a tweet from Watkinsin December.

Watkins appeared to finally accept Trump's defeat in a message for his 152,000 Telegram followers on January 20. "We gave it our all. Now we need to keep our chins up and go back to our lives as best we are able," he said.

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After the identity of 'Q' may have been revealed in a documentary, QAnon followers are calling it 'fake news' - Business Insider

The term 'fake news was co-opted by the Frances Jacobin government during The Terror

[MUSIC PLAYING]

SIMON SCHAMA: Over the next two years, Mary witnessed the worst excesses of the Jacobin government. By late 1793, the myth of revolution, a spontaneous act by the people for the common good, had turned into its nightmare antithesis-- the dictatorship of the Terror, in which over 10,000 people were rounded up and sent to the guillotine, including a number of Mary's newfound friends.

Privately determined to write her own history of the Revolution, Mary relied on copies of the latest government reports to keep abreast of the news. And in them, you can see how the will of the people and the language of liberty became increasingly debased into the propaganda slogans of unlimited state power.

Here is a speech at the Jacobin club, and he says anybody thought to be hostile to the Revolutionary government should be put under national anathema. That means, basically, you're a non-citizen. You're a non-person.

The people will distinguish between the friends of the Revolution, those who sustain it at the expense of their own life in order that it should triumph despite "les ennemis du peuple," despite the enemies of the people. You know, that has so many echoes in dictatorships of the people, right wing as well as left wing. And it hadn't happened before, so in that sense, it's a fatal inauguration.

With Britain now at war with France, foreigners like Mary became suspected of being a fifth column, acting on behalf of hostile foreign monarchies to bring down the Revolution. This one is from the spring of 1793, and for the first time, the word "tranger," foreigner, now becomes a synonym for suspicious person. Foreigners were particularly responsible for spreading false assignais, false money, and then-- uh-oh-- "les fausses nouvelles," fake news. So from being kind of embraced as brotherly and sisterly heroes rallying to the cause of the Revolution, you now basically find yourself, if you're someone like Mary, as carrying a horrible virus, the virus of fakery, corruption, and probably, sooner or later, treason.

Originally posted here:

The little-known origin of the term 'fake news' - Yahoo News

A Canadian Broadcasting Company vehicle was vandalized in Kamloops over the weekend, with the words Fake News painted along its drivers-side door.

The vehicle was parked in the lot at Second Avenue and Lansdowne Street on Sunday evening, with white paint poured over its windows and the words Fake News scrawled in what appears to be black spray paint.

Some of the white paint was also found on a vehicle two stalls over.

The parking lot is part of the Victoria Building at Victoria Street and Second Avenue, which is home to the CBC Kamloops radio studio.

Come on Kamloops, we can do better than this! So upsetting to see this on my way home tonight, CBC Radio host Doug Herbert posted online. The pandemic clearly brings out the best in people, especially involving media.

A passerby noticed the damaged vehicle at about 6:15 p.m., and a police report was filed by the CBC later that evening.

There is apparently no security camera in that parking lot.

Kamloops RCMP said they received a report of the vandalism at about 8:00 p.m., but no surveillance footage was located in the area.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2021-10513.

CBC head of public affairs Chuck Thompson told KTW via email that the cost of repairs isnt known yet, but he anticipates the entire vehicle will have to be repainted.

Thompson said the CBC will be adding adding security personnel to the area over the next few days. Once the corporation has had some time to assess the situation more thoroughly, it may implement new security measures.

While we have no idea who is responsible for thisincident, we do know we live in different times and the media has been under attack, Thomson said Needless to say, our number one concern is always the safety and well-being of our employees and we will do whatever we can to keep them safe.

The term fake news false or misleading information presented as news has become a popularized phrase to criticize legitimate news outlets over the last four years as former U.S. President Donald Trump used it to describe any unfavourable, albeit factual, reporting of his administration.

This story was updated with comment from Kamloops RCMP on April 6

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CBC Kamloops vehicle vandalized, with 'Fake News' painted on door - Kamloops This Week

Misinformation, or fake news, is infectious and divisive. It spreads like wildfire, but it is not intended to deceive. On the other hand, disinformation is intended to deceive and mislead the public to believe and regurgitate narrow-minded ideologies.

So why do we gravitate toward fake news?

Regardless of intent, fake news is sensational. Its simultaneously awe-inspiring and terrible. Its drama, and drama is more attractive than factual news. Its more fun to believe in fantasy than reality, but after a while, fantasy becomes reality.

According to Chrysalis Wright, an associate lecturer at the University of Central Florida, if people start to believe false information then they start to doubt accurate information.

Conspiracy theories have existed for centuries, but recently they have become more widespread. Joan Donovan, a researcher at Harvard Kennedys Shorenstein Center, believes that the Internet is to blame.

The Internet gives conspiracy theorists a place to connect, and social media gives them a way to quickly disseminate their ideas on a mass scale, Donovan said in a March 1 NPR interview. Weve come to start to think about it (conspiracy theories) as an attack on the supply chain of information because lies at that scale do displace truthful narratives.

Roy Schwartzman, professor and head of the Communications Department at UNC-Greensboro, is an expert on misinformation with several research publications on the topic.

It (misinformation) is dangerous because it undermines the ground for making sound decisions, Schwartzman said. Its as if we are trying to construct a building while some of the bricks of the foundation are cardboard imitations. Our arguments and the decisions we make are only as strong as the evidence that supports them. If our proof is absent or flawed, then our positions cannot withstand serious scrutiny and will crumble.

Most misinformation is spread because it confirms bias. Vaile Wright, director of research and special projects at the American Psychological Association (APA), says we seek out information that confirms the beliefs we already have as opposed to seeking out information that might counter it.

We are inherently close-minded because we cannot accept humility. We have a burning desire to be right, and sometimes, that desire can cloud sensitivity and promote selfishness. It can lead to racism, political extremism and religious persecution.

In a February 2020 article published by the National Institutes of Health, Kazuki Shimizu of the National Center for Biotechnology Information reported that fake news about the coronavirus has led to xenophobia towards patients and Chinese visitors. That month, misinformation was spread via social media proclaiming that infected Chinese passengers passed through quarantine at the Kansai International Airport in Japan. After the fake news leak, #ChineseDontComeToJapan was surging on Twitter.

Opinions about the coronavirus pandemic have been particularly widespread in the news media. According to Zara Abrams, author of a recent APA article titled Controlling the Spread of Misinformation, fake news on COVID-19 is so pervasive that even some patients dying from the disease still say its a hoax.

Emily McCord, news director of Winston-Salem public radio station WFDD, agrees with Abrams. Misinformation has corrupted science, McCord says, and because of this, people are in danger.

With misinformation spreading and so many people therefore unwilling to get it (a vaccine), the health of our entire population is at stake, McCord said.

In September 2020, Hope Yen of The Associated Press wrote about the spread of disinformation for political gain. According to Yens article, during the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden tweeted a video that presented a distorted account of President Donald Trumps words on the coronavirus, wrongly suggesting Trump branded the virus a hoax.

The video was created to intentionally mislead Americans to believe that the Trump administration did not take the coronavirus seriously. Though Donald Trump had underplayed the virus on numerous occasions before Bidens tweet, the video spread fake news and purposefully contributed to public deception.

Of course, the Trump administration was notorious for spreading disinformation. Weeks after Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump claimed the election was fraudulent and called it fraud to the American public. The former president posted a 46-minute video on Twitter and Facebook asserting falsehoods. The video went viral and stirred up a tornado of political tension among the public.

According to a December 2020 article written by Michael D. Shear of the New York Times, all of Trumps assertions about voter fraud were proven false. Attorney General William Barr also confirmed the legitimacy of the election in an AP interview on December 1, 2020. To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election, he said.

But despite confirmation of the truth, Trump demanded that his supporters fight for justice. In his eyes, he won the election. If you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, Trump said at a Jan. 6 political rally near the White House.

Trump incited anger among American right-wing extremists, and on the same day, radical Trump supporters marched to the Capitol and stormed it with the intent to harm. Sadly, five people died, illustrating that misinformation and disinformation have the power to mobilize violence and inflame fear and anxieties.

Matthew Armstrong, an author and lecturer in Guilfords English Department, believes that misinformation stems from pro-war entities in government. Tulsi Gabbard, a veteran, woman of color and former Hawaii congresswoman, was an anti-war enthusiast. She quickly fell into the shadows when Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State, falsely labeled her a Russian asset.

I voted for Gabbard in the North Carolina primary and Biden in the general election, said Armstrong. I was disturbed, intimidated and confused by Democratic voters who continually trolled my Facebook and Twitter accounts, telling me Tulsi Gabbard was a Russian asset, a fascist and a white supremacist.

Social media is a primary contributor of fake news. It is highly accessible and loosely monitored.

Social media platforms are designed to deliver more of what the user likes and wants rather than what the user may need, Schwartzman said. It spreads information very widely, very quickly, very easily and very cheaply with essentially no quality control. Thats a breeding ground for misinformation to flourish.

McCord believes that social media, though positive in some ways, has had a negative impact on news and information. It (social media) has created a silo system, where people can surround themselves only with the media they want to consume, and then sharing that information widely is as fast as the click of a button, she said.

Jim Hood, Interim President of Guilford College, expressed similar thoughts.

It (social media) tends to limit our intake of information to a certain perspective instead of giving us broader perspectives.

Allison Van Voorhies, a former student-athlete and graduate of Guilford College, said that social medias ability to customize information can be dangerous. While a student at Guilford, she studied many cases about the spread of misinformation and social medias connection to the problem in her psychology courses.

The average consumer gets fed more daily information than ever before, and with that comes a new age of bias and customization, she said. This is the dangerous part, in my opinion. In an attempt to get more engagement and attention, social media outlets tailor polarizing content to individuals.

According to McCord, social media also may negatively affect how people perceive local news. I do believe that social media can erode trust in local media, and that can affect the bottom dollar, she said. If there isnt trust, then local news will not thrive.

And studies show local news is rapidly declining. According to an article published in December 2020 by the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life, more than one-fourth of the countrys newspapers have disappeared, leaving residents in thousands of communities living in vast news deserts. Because of this, small, rural communities are dependent on social media and other digital news platforms heavily saturated with misinformation.

Schwartzman believes that there is a correlation between misinformation and places where theres a death of local news.

The decline in local news, one result of ongoing financial struggles faced by local media and by print and broadcast media, means more consolidation of content to fewer sources. Thats generally a dangerous trend because there are fewer sources to serve as checks and balances for false or misleading content.

News consumers can help decrease the spread of misinformation by fact-checking sources and supporting local news. Its important to read the full story, and not all news sources provide the same information.

In order to stop the spread of fake news, we must be willing to change. We have to prioritize and defend the truth rather than support drama that is enticing to consume. If we dont, we will only grow further apart as people.

Its time to come together, and we can start by accepting reality. We can choose truth over fantasy. Or can we?

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Misinformation spreads like wildfire The Guilfordian - Guilfordian

Around the world, there is concern about the spread of fake news. This series gives the floor to professionals from several countries to shed light on this issue that appears to threaten democracy. This file was prepared by Jean-Philippe Warren, Quebec Studies Chair at Concordia University.

Posted April 10, 2021 at 3:00 PM.

Maurizio Ferraris: Unfortunately Italy was advanced in the political field. This was the case with fascism, at the beginning of the twentieth centurye century. This is also the case with populism at the end of the twentieth centurye century. Without a doubt, these developments enabled me to understand certain things very early in my career, even if I wasnt one of those who rejoiced in the fact that Italy was able to function as a political laboratory!

In the 1990s, I was convinced that we were heading towards a more rational society. But in the face of Berlusconis rise to power, which had no facts, but only explanations, I realized the need not to lose sight of the pursuit of objectivity. At the time, I was having discussions with my friend and mentor Gianni Fatimo. I said to this view of interpretation as an infinite interpretation: Listen, there is something wrong here.

I think its a bit like the mild drugs here. When Charles Baudelaire and Thophile Gautier smoke it in Parisian salons, its poetic. But if the captain of the plane youre traveling in is using drugs, thats a problem!

The current pandemic is here to remind us that there are facts, not just explanations. Today, we can very well believe that scientists share their major pharma interests, that they are corrupt and partial. But, in general, Id rather have scientists at the head of our public health policies than shamans. In the end, we ended up finding vaccines!

Post-truth shows social malaise. This is very evident in populism, which rises at the same time against the rich and against the poor: we hate the rich because of their wealth and we fear the poor because of their poverty. And since there are always people who are richer and poorer than us, we end up hating everyone!

We are in a vicious cycle. Social disruptions are related to a technical problem, because automation reduces workstations. And social disruption is expressed through technology.

In practice, an individual loses a job in a factory: he has too much time because he has nothing to do, he is depressed. Thus he spends his time on the computer writing post-truth things, creating more space for technology

Social conflict will be solved in only two ways. We must intervene at the structural level: increase social justice and encourage education.

Most important and most important is the reduction of social unrest. We must limit and minimize social conflicts. We can start by seeing that the massive mobilization of humanity on the Internet is producing value. If it is a value, then it must be taxable. Through this tax, we will be able to support employment and education. I call it webfare (like luxury).

On the flip side, there is an education. Basically, the fact that people say anything is a good sign. Kant said that the Age of Enlightenment was on ones mind. Before, the scientist did not think for himself. Parties and churches decide many convictions, and many opinions. Substantial electoral stability resulted from the performance of the voters as directed. Now in Italy, limbs appear and disappear every five minutes! It is a step forward in human history. People change their minds because they no longer obey the supposed authorities.

But this is not enough. Two more things must be done, according to Kant. First of all, you have to learn to think by putting yourself in other peoples minds. Next, you have to learn to think in agreement with yourself, that is, in a consistent way.

Kant said, From humanitys twisted stick, you can never have anything perfectly straight. It remains, however, that man is the only animal that can be taught. We can teach the horse to perform tricks, but then distort the horses correct postures to make it serve human purposes. On the contrary, raising a person is helping him realize his humanity.

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Fake news virus (9/9) | Post-Berlusconi Italy: Not Saying Goodbye to the Truth - theinformant.co.nz

Twitters loophole allows users to change their profile and spread anti-India fake news.

New Delhi: A loophole in social media platform Twitter is being used by Pakistan-based state actors, who enjoy the support of key members of the present political dispensation and that of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, to generate and amplify anti-India disinformation campaign that has the potential to cause loss of lives and property, private experts and government officials have warned.

An India-based private organization, Disinfolab, that is run by a group of Open-source intelligence (OSINT) experts, in its recently released report titled, The Anatomy of Pakistans 5th generation warfare, How Twitters loophole is being weaponized to create conflict in South Asia, has put out in the public domain undeniable proof that proves how Pakistan-based individuals, who are closely related to the present political party in power, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan army, are indulging in a massive disinformation campaign against India for the last few months by using Twitter.

Such is the stake of the Pakistan-based state actors in this disinformation campaign that an entire fake organization that goes by the name of South Asian United Social Media Front (SAUMF) has been brought into existence, that has fictitious members from different SouthAsian countries, to lend credibility to this warfare campaign.

This disinformation warfare campaign has already made its mark on Indias external relations which was evident after an Omani princess had to clarify that her name and pictures were misused by a Twitter user to portray a message that the Omani royal family was angry over Islamophobia in India. This Twitter user was traced to Pakistan and was found to be a part of this very disinformation warfare campaign.

As per the experts at Disinfolab, who spoke to The Sunday Guardian, they came across multiple evidence that shows the support these actors behind this campaign were receiving from members of PTI, including a sitting minister of Imran Khans cabinet, to spread disinformation in India by using Twitter as a platform that has a reach of close to 20 million users in the country.

A Twitter spokesperson, in its response to the queries shared by The Sunday Guardian on what steps it was taking, if any, to prevent such misuse of its platform for anti-India activities, said: At Twitter, we have a zero-tolerance approach to platform manipulation, including spam and any other attempts to undermine the integrity of our service. Using technology and human review in concert, we proactively tackle attempts at platform manipulation and mitigate them at scale by actioning millions of accounts each week for violating our policies in this area. Platform manipulation refers to the unauthorized use of Twitter to mislead others and/or disrupt their experience by engaging in bulk, aggressive, or deceptive activity. This prohibited activity includes, but is not limited to, spam, malicious automation (malicious use of bots), and inauthentic account abuse (fake accounts).According to our latest Twitter Transparency Report for the period of January-June 2020, we saw a 54% increase in anti-spam challenges and a 16% increase in the number of spam reports, compared to the last reporting period of July-December 2019. As is standard, when we identify information operation campaigns that we can reliably attribute to state-linked activityeither domestic or foreign-ledwe disclose them to our public archive; the largest of its kind in the industry. We continue to be vigilant to protect the public conversation on our service.

The report prepared by the Disninfolab, which was also analyzed by relevant Indian agencies, has found that spreading of disinformation has become an easy task due to Twitters facility / loophole which allows the users to change their profile (name and username).

As per the report, This loophole has been deployed by various Pakistani social media accounts in propagating anti-India fake narrative. Easter bombings of Sri Lanka, Islamophobia in India, Galwan valley clash, farmers protest of India are few of the many incidents where Pakistan has falsely accused India as the architect of these incidents.

The experts found that by July 2020, the Pakistani establishment decided to create a full-scale fake news industry by way of SAUSMF. SAUSMF website was hosted by Pak Cabinet Minister and one of the closest advisors of PM Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan Tareen, on his server. The website was removed from the server once the report by Disinfolab became public.

The main members of disinformation warfare, the report reveals, includes Aftab Afridi, Awas Javed Satti and Asim Khan who share direct links with Pak army, team Imran Khan and Pakistani businessman Jahangir Khan Tareen, the man who ensured Imran Khans electoral victory. The report also has several pictures that proves the proximity between the members of this cyber campaign and members of Pakistans ruling party. The investigators also found that apart from politicians of PTI and serving officers of the Pakistan army, including the former spokesperson Asif Ghafur, others who were amplifying the propaganda that is being run by these cyber-terrorist group include the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.

These experts, in their report, have also questioned the double-standard used by Twitter in the case of India and other South-Asian countries regarding using a proper verification process when it comes to changing account and user names, a practice that it has started in other regions, including in the United States, despite India being the third biggest user market of Twitter.

The primary aim of this disinformation warfare, the experts told The Sunday Guardian, is to spread anti-India fake news with the objective to create conflict between India and its neighbours including Nepal and Sri Lanka.Officials tracking the developments said that such disinformation campaign, if not stopped in time, can easily lead to incidents of riots and large scale public disturbance. These Pakistan-based individuals, according to officials, have become an expert in using Indias internal and external issues like farmers protests and border stand-off with China to spread anarchy in India by sharing fake/ misleading videos and posts. In some cases, one such Twitter handle changed his name at least five times to target Indias interest by spreading fake news before it was identified.

Twitter operations in India have already come under increased scrutiny as the medium was used by anti-Indian entities to misuse the farmers protest to fan trouble in India. Telecom minster Ravi Shankar Prasad, too, has taken a tough stand on Twitters reluctance to act quickly and decisively to thwart such anti-India operations. His ministry had on 25 February announced a set of guidelines that Twitter and other similar media platforms were expected to follow to stop the spread of such disinformation campaign. The guidelines were expected to be applied within a deadline of three months which ends in roughly six weeks from now. The new revelations by Disinfolabhas added to the concerns among the officials who are already under pressure to tackle the menace of fake news that is being spread through various social media platforms, primarily Twitter.

On April1, a Russian court fined Twitter 8.9 million rubles for not taking down tweets that encouraged minors to take part in unauthorized rallies. The decision had come almost two weeks after Russias state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor threatened to block Twitter within 30 days if it doesnt take steps to remove banned content. Roskomnadzor had earlier accused Twitter of failing to remove content encouraging suicide among children, as well as information about drugs and child pornography. The agency later announced that it was slowing down the speed of uploading photos and videos to the platform.

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Pak using Twitter 'loophole' to trigger violence in India - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian

Marwa Elselehdar came under attack from an online fake news campaign claiming she was to blame for the week-long Suez Canal blockade in March. Egypt's first female captain was falsely accused of being behind the container ship Ever Given wedging itself across the Canal despite being on duty thousands of miles away from Suez. Speaking about the smear campaign, Ms Elselehdar told This Morning: "They just said I was the captain of the ship

The original headline, taken from an article by Arab News profiling the Egyptian Captain's for her career success, appeared to have been doctored to link Ms Elselehdar to the Ever Given accident.

Several social media accounts picked up the fake headline and helped spread the false claim about Captain Elselehdar's role in the Suez Canal crisis.

After learning of the fake articles, Ms Elselehdar said: "This fake article was in English so it spread in other countries.

"I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now.

READ MORE: Queen's Gardens overwhelmed with interest' - Royal fans hit with hour-long queue

She added: "My message to females who want to be in the maritime field is fight for what you love and not let any negativity affect you."

According to the latest data, women make up only two percent of the international seafaring community and still face incredible discrimination.

Officer Joanne Rawley last month raised the issue about the treatment female seafarers receive across the community.

Officer Rawley, a former member of the Royal Air Force, claimed women suffered through the systematic and intentional violation of a crew members rights to be safe at work.

Originally posted here:

Egypt female captain hits out at Suez Canal 'lies' that accused her of sailing Ever Given - Express

Mino Raiola has sent a social media message over the 'fake news' in the media regarding his client Erling Haaland's future.

Manchester United are among the clubs interested in a move for the Borussia Dortmund striker, while Barcelona and Real Madrid both held talks with Raiola and the player's father last week.

Manchester City and Chelsea are others keen on Haaland, 20, who has enjoyed a prolific 15 months with Dortmund. The MEN understands City are confident they can secure Haaland's signature as Sergio Aguero's long-term replacement.

His representative Raiola gave an interview last week in which he suggested he was "too careful" sending Haaland to Dortmund in January 2020 when he could have moved to an even bigger club.

Now the notoriously controversial agent, who also represents United star Pogba, tweeted a video that included screenshots of a number of online Haaland stories from mainland European media and the captions 'fake news' over them.

Raiola also wrote alongside the video: "Fake news travel quick and far" with a rocket emoji.

It's unclear which exact aspect of the Haaland speculation is being referenced, though it wouldn't be unlike Raiola to be outspoken about the coverage of his client in the media.

Speaking last week, he said: With Haaland, everybody was wrong. He did things much quicker than everybody imagined.

"Haaland is in front of his own development. He is ahead of his own schedule. Maybe I was too careful when I said, Oh no, lets move to Dortmund instead of I-dont-know-where.

This boy Im 100 per cent convinced and everybodys convinced can move to any club, wherever he wants, already on this level. And he could have done that last year."

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Raiola brands Haaland speculation 'fake news' amid Man United and City interest - Manchester Evening News