RT Martin De Luca (@emd_worldwide)On October 21, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) formally established a new crime of “disinformation.”As explained by the editorial board of a leading newspaper in Brazil, @Estadao, by criminalizing “the propagation of lies,” the STF bypassed Congress (again) and violated the principle of legality — that no one can be punished for a crime not defined by law.World-famous censor-in-chief Alexandre de Moraes, having learned nothing from U.S. sanctions, warned that “all who insist o ...

remember from outlets as varied as the New York Times and Fox News were kicked out of the Pentagon press cores for refusing to abide by new Orwellian reporting restrictions. Well, the Department of Defense just announced the replacement press corp, if you can call it that. a ragtag collection of election deniers and proTrump propagandists handpicked to amplify what the administration wants amplified, including Timecast, a podcast from conservative influencer Tim P, who was accused of participating in a Russ ...

Are you at all concerned about the new January 6 committee finding you liable for that day. Why did you refuse the National Guard on January 6. >> Shut up.I did not refuse the National Guard. The president didn't send it. Why are you coming here with Republican talking points as if you're a serious journalist.>> The American people want to know. We still have questions. Thank you.>> That's actually the Nancy Pelosi had the question. The American people want to know what the American people know. >> The Amer ...

Narrative & Disinformation - The report highlights a dangerous new disinformation campaign originating from the White House, which plays a crucial role in accelerating authoritarianism [1] - The narrative being crafted portrays the radical left as inherently violent, dangerous, and illegitimate, justifying a power grab and crackdown on dissent [2][4] - This strategy involves recasting criticism, protest, and journalism as elements of a violent fringe movement, laying the groundwork for crackdowns [9] - The "radical left violence" narrative is being used to censor speech, ban commentators, prosecute opponents, and justify the monopolization of media [11] Political & Social Impact - The strategy aims to rationalize extraordinary measures to silence, monitor, or punish people on the left, turning radical left violence into a political weapon [8] - The White House has leaned on National Guard deployments in Democratic cities and flirted with invoking the Insurrection Act, casting dissent as war zones [16] - The report warns of a chilling effect on civil society, with some groups removing content from their websites and self-censoring due to the threat of defunding [22] - The label of "radical left" is expanding to include Republicans who've broken with Trump, Democrats, academics, reporters, lawyers, judges, and organizations focused on various rights [20] Targeting & Suppression - The White House and its allies are targeting cornerstone liberal funders and institutions, such as George Soros's Open Society Foundation and the Ford Foundation, with investigations and potential RICO charges [17] - The goal is to hobble the left's operating system by freezing funders and tying up grantees, starving the network of grant makers and nonprofits that support voting rights, immigrant legal aid, and other causes [18]

Disinformation & Censorship - Wikipedia is promoted as a reliable source in the "SIFT method" for combating disinformation [1] - The "SIFT method" includes Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims [1] - Mike Caulfield, from the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public, is the brainchild of the SIFT method [1] - The Center for an Informed Public was part of the Election Integrity Partnership, which acted as 2020 election censors [1] - The Election Integrity Partnership was created at the behest of DHS (Department of Homeland Security) [2]

Repression Technology Landscape - The repression technology sector is progressing rapidly, with surveillance, biometrics becoming more common and cheaper globally [1] - Digital repression technology includes surveillance technologies (mass, social media, targeted), censorship (firewalls, keyword policing), disinformation, and internet shutdowns [1] - Authoritarian states often use a system of repression, balancing different tools for different purposes, combining physical and digital techniques [3][4] - The level of sophistication in applying digital repression is key, with subtle manipulation of online conversations and planting distractions being more effective than blunt censorship [4] Nepal Case Study - Nepal's government attempted to enforce a law requiring platforms to register, suspending approximately 26 platforms, which triggered mass protests [2] - Protesters in Nepal used encrypted communication technologies like Signal and Telegram, and reportedly cryptocurrency [1] - The Nepal government primarily used censorship and internet shutdowns, combined with "lawfare," to suppress dissent [2] Geopolitical and Economic Factors - China has become a preeminent model for authoritarian technology, exporting its technology and techniques to other countries [5][6] - Western companies, including Meta, have also contributed to powering repression, both in China and elsewhere, particularly in disinformation campaigns [6] - The economics of digital repression make it cheap and scalable, driving its adoption [15] Future Trends and Concerns - The combination of AI and drones is a concerning future technology [15] - Predictive policing, hypercharged by algorithms and AI, raises concerns about profiling, false positives, and infringement of civil liberties [15] - AI-driven automation in targeting, as seen in warfare, can lead to higher civilian casualty rates [16] Financial Repression - Financial repression, including debanking and control over financial transactions, is a key element of digital authoritarianism [19] - Vietnam's requirement for biometric data for bank accounts and transactions above $750 is an example of financial control [20] - Cryptocurrency can serve as a liberation technology to circumvent government financial controls [21] Countermeasures and Individual Actions - Maintaining a strong emphasis on politics, voting, and organizing is crucial to counter technological determinism [21] - Individuals can use encrypted communication apps like Signal and practice self-censorship on public social media [24][25] - Establishing a pipeline to cryptocurrency can provide a financial escape route if needed [29]

Can't make this up -- Brazil wants their censorship court's former head of "disinformation" arrested while he's in Italy because he spilled the beans on how corrupt the censorship court is. Brazil says he's "violating official secrecy" by talking about its secret censorship workLeandro Ruschel 🇧🇷🇺🇸🇮🇹🇩🇪 (@leandroruschel):Italy Blocks Brazil’s Arrest Request: The Case of Eduardo Tagliaferro and Brazil’s Judicial CrisisA whistleblower caught between two countriesEduardo Tagliaferro, a former director at Brazil ...

Europe’s Front Line Tackles Drones and Disinformation https://t.co/mAfqbDIBcu ...

Build trust first because before the messages, before any campaign, before any fancy media plan or social media plan or Tik Tok plan, you do need to build relationships and you do that by building trust. And if we manage to do that that we then we might actually start seeing environmental communication feel more like a relationship and less like a sanctimonious lecture. So I often hear uh we have a communication crisis, we have a communication problem.Oh, if only we communicated that better. If only my mess ...

Public Health Concerns & Leadership - Distrust in leaders and misinformation in public health can cost lives [5][6] - Calls for RFK Jr's resignation due to uplifting disinformation and being a dangerous person at the helm of an agency focused on cures and breakthroughs [6][7] - Concerns about Secretary Kennedy's leadership of the nation's top health agency [8] - RFK Jr is accused of mass layoffs, funding freezes, and vaccine guidance inconsistent with science [11] Vaccine Oversight & Scientific Integrity - Former CDC director was allegedly required to pre-confirm/authorize vaccine recommendations site unseen [9] - Allegations of firing top CDC leaders (scientists/experts) who had different advice based on science [9] - Concerns about RFK Jr's vaccine oversight committee being loaded with people sharing conspiracy views about vaccination [9][10] Real-World Consequences - Measles outbreak in Wisconsin with 36 people affected, including two hospitalizations, all unvaccinated [12] - 1,800 school children displaced in Milwaukee due to lead paint, and CDC childhood lead poisoning experts were unavailable due to firings [13]