Brazil has made “disinformation” a criminal offense and its tyrant judges the sole arbiter of whatever the fuck that term meansEstadão 🗞️ (@Estadao):EDITORIAL | O Supremo cria o crime de ‘desinformação’ – “A Constituição, que deveria ser um aparato para conter o arbítrio, passou a ser manipulada como um instrumento para praticá-lo”. Leia o texto completo em > https://t.co/iHNiXryA1e (via @opiniao_estadao) https://t.co/hIL47j6MwL ...

Industry Focus: Digital Disinformation & Psychological Operations - The report highlights concerns about government-funded university labs partnering with private censorship firms to develop psychological inoculation videos [1] - The core issue revolves around the potential for "digital disinformation" and "psychological inoculation" tactics [1] - The report draws a parallel between current practices and the historical MKULTRA project, suggesting a continuation of intelligence agency involvement in behavioral psychology [1] Key Argument - The author argues that these partnerships aim to "psychologically brainwash" the public into accepting a specific set of beliefs [1] - The author labels this phenomenon "Digital MKUltra" [1]

Media Landscape & Disinformation - MSNBC is criticized for spreading disinformation [1] - The network is accused of lacking facts and a significant audience [1] Law Enforcement & Accountability - The FBI emphasizes following the chain of command [1] - Failure to comply with the chain of command may result in consequences [1]

Censorship & Disinformation - The National Academy of Sciences is heavily involved in censorship, producing a significant amount of "disinformation studies" [1] - These studies are allegedly targeted at Trump supporters and policy critics [1] - The National Academy of Sciences' politicization is highlighted [1] - No government agency requested the NAS to weigh in on the matter [1] Political Agenda - A report by the National Academies is described as "rigged" to thwart Trump's energy agenda [1]

Free Speech & Political Hypocrisy - The report highlights a perceived hypocrisy where some conservatives, who once championed free speech, now appear to support its restriction when it comes to views they disagree with [2][3] - The report suggests a narrative of selective outrage, where certain groups express strong condemnation of some speech while excusing or downplaying other potentially offensive or harmful speech [3][12] - The report points out the spread of disinformation, specifically regarding alleged censorship by the Biden administration, and how difficult it was to counter the false narrative [14][15] Authoritarianism & Media Control - The report draws parallels between current events and the actions of authoritarian leaders like Viktor Orban in Hungary and Vladimir Putin in Russia, particularly concerning media control [5][6] - The report emphasizes the suppression of dissenting voices and the targeting of media outlets critical of those in power, citing the example of a comedy show being removed from the air in Russia [7][8] - The report suggests that the issue is not about free speech for all, but rather about protecting the speech of those who align with a particular political ideology [9] Callous Remarks & Apologies - The report mentions a controversial statement made on Fox News regarding homeless people, including a suggestion of "involuntary lethal injection," which was later apologized for [11][12] - The report contrasts the apology for the aforementioned callous remark with the perceived lack of accountability for spreading disinformation [12][15] Political Strategy & Revenge - The report suggests that certain groups are focused on using institutions like the FCC as tools for political revenge and media control [16]

Threats to Science and Public Health - Scientists like Michael Man and Peter Hotz face organized attacks from climate deniers and vaccine skeptics, sometimes sanctioned by government officials [1][2] - These attacks aim to undermine public faith in science, which is crucial for addressing climate change, pandemics, and other crises [2][14] - Misinformation and disinformation, amplified by social media and AI, pose a significant threat to tackling global challenges [22] The Anti-Science Movement - Five forces drive the anti-science movement: propagandists, bureaucrats, and others who weaponize platforms to spread misinformation [14] - Organized misinformation led to an estimated 200,000 American deaths due to vaccine refusal [10][11] - Financial incentives, such as selling low-cost generics at inflated prices, motivate some to discredit science and scientists [11][12] Defending Science - Science relies on peer review, scientific meetings, and other established processes to refine and validate research [17][18][23] - Engaging with bad faith actors who reject scientific evidence is unproductive [18] - Media's "performative neutrality" or "false objectivity" can give undue weight to unscientific viewpoints [20][21]

Election Integrity & Disinformation - The report highlights concerns about the accuracy of information surrounding elections, particularly the amplification of Russian disinformation by American figures [3][9] - The analysis points out the contradiction of repeating lies that undermine mail-in voting, a method that has historically benefited Republicans [3][5] - The report emphasizes that mail-in voting is not inherently rife with fraud, contrary to claims made [3] - The report notes that tabulation machines are used in many countries and are generally accurate, fast, and inexpensive, contradicting claims of them being slow, expensive, and inaccurate [10][11] Political Strategy & Voter Behavior - Republican strategists invested millions of dollars in 2024 to encourage Republican voters to use mail-in voting [3][6] - Political strategists generally favor mail-in and early voting as it reduces the need for last-minute resource expenditure to mobilize voters on election day [7] - Pennsylvania saw a significant increase in Republican mail-in voters, jumping from 24% in 2020 to 33% in 2024 [4] - In Arizona, Republicans had an eight-point advantage over Democrats in mail voting [5] International Influence - The report suggests that Vladimir Putin's statements on mail-in voting have influenced Donald Trump's views on the subject [2][3][8] - The analysis expresses alarm over the potential influence of foreign leaders on American election discourse [8]

Regulatory Scrutiny - Dutch regulators summoned X, Facebook, TikTok, and others to a meeting regarding "disinformation" and "illegal hate content" [1] - The meeting included the Authority for Consumers and Markets, EU regulators, and activist groups [1] - The alliance is pressuring platforms to police speech under the EU's Digital Services Act [1] Content Moderation - Platforms are being pressured to implement new crackdowns on "disinformation" and "illegal hate content" [1] - The actions are occurring weeks before national elections [1]

Censorship & Misinformation - DHS's social media censorship council was led by Vijaya Gadde and Kate Starbird [1] - The council was named "Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Misinformation & Disinformation" [1] - The council's censorship group EIP targeted 22 million tweets as disinformation about the 2020 election [1]

A magistrate judge has ordered a 30-day pause on the release of Kilmar Obrego Garcia, the wrongfully deported Maryland man, amid fears he could be immediately expelled to a third country without due process. That ruling followed back-to-back decisions from two federal judges ordering his release from custody, both excoriating the Trump administration's handling of Garcia's case. In Tennessee, a judge blasted the Trump Justice Department's quote poor attempts to tie Abrago to MS-13, writing that the administ ...