Matt Taibbi

Rank 23 of 47
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Score 29
6/6/2024, 1:37:18 PM
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In reply to:
Matt Taibbi
@mtaibbi
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617d
28. Twitter then received a letter from Mother Jones, asking them to confirm research by https://factcheck.me/, which labeled #WalkAway “38% bot activity” and asked “what Twitter is trying to do to curb this kind of unhealthy user activity.” The firm did work w/the DNC.
Matt Taibbi
@mtaibbi
·
617d
27. Tired of saying no to influential politicians, one Twitter official urged they “confirm” the requests, saying: “We would love to be able to confirm this and land a positive example of our partnership to silence the… critiques” about refusing too many removal demands.
Matt Taibbi
@mtaibbi
·
617d
26. Attention bred more complaints. On October 11th, Twitter received a “massive” spreadsheet of 38,000 suspected inauthentic accounts from ther Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), including #Walkaway
Matt Taibbi
@mtaibbi
·
617d
25. Steven Colbert did a #WalkAway bit: “Russian trolls make things trend!” His source? A Daily Dot article relying on Hamilton 68, showing Straka over a headline: “Russian trolls on Twitter pose as ex-Democrats for #WalkAway movement.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…
Matt Taibbi
@mtaibbi
·
617d
24. No sooner did Twitter decide not to push back than CNN, on July 17, 2018, released a new story, citing Hamilton 68 to call #WalkAway “pure propaganda, a psychological operation.” By then, #Walkaway had over 100,000 real members.
Matt Taibbi
@mtaibbi
·
617d
23. Neither congress nor ASD “reoriented." With #WalkAway, congress sent questions citing Hamilton 68, and Roth snapped: “This feels like we’re continuing to give Hamilton68 too much ground on the issue… almost like we’re acknowledging that there’s something to it.”

The statement and accompanying images discuss the efforts of two Berkeley students, Rohan Phadte and Ash Bhat, in creating companies to identify and address bot activity on social media platforms, specifically Twitter. This is in response to a broader conversation about the influence of bots and misinformation on social media, particularly in political contexts. The statement and images highlight the role of these students and their companies in addressing issues that Twitter has been criticized for not handling effectively.

  1. Principle 1:
    I will strive to do no harm with my words and actions.
    The statement aims to highlight efforts to combat misinformation and bot activity, which can be seen as striving to do no harm by addressing a significant issue affecting public discourse. [+2]
  2. Principle 2:
    I will respect the privacy and dignity of others and will not engage in cyberbullying, harassment, or hate speech.
    The statement respects the privacy and dignity of the individuals involved by focusing on their professional achievements and contributions rather than personal details. [+2]
  3. Principle 3:
    I will use my words and actions to promote understanding, empathy, and compassion.
    By highlighting the efforts of these students, the statement promotes understanding and empathy towards those working to improve the integrity of social media platforms. [+2]
  4. Principle 4:
    I will engage in constructive criticism and dialogue with those in disagreement and will not engage in personal attacks or ad hominem arguments.
    The statement engages in constructive dialogue by presenting factual information and acknowledging the contributions of the students without resorting to personal attacks or ad hominem arguments. [+2]
  5. Principle 6:
    I will use my influence for the betterment of society.
    The statement uses its platform to inform the public about efforts to combat misinformation, thereby contributing to the betterment of society. [+2]