Michael Schellenberger

Rank 36 of 47
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Score -58
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
852d
35. In response to Roth, Baker repeatedly insists that the Hunter Biden materials were either faked, hacked, or both, and a violation of Twitter policy. Baker does so over email, and in a Google doc, on October 14 and 15.
4/1/2025, 10:30:32 PM
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In reply to:
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
18d
But when the NY Post story about the laptop came out on October 14, the FBI still had more work to do. Twitter's Roth, at first, said the story had not violated any of Twitter's terms of service. There was no evidence of Russians anywhere.
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
852d
34. On Oct 14, shortly after @NYPost publishes its Hunter Biden laptop story, Roth says, “it isn’t clearly violative of our Hacked Materials Policy, nor is it clearly in violation of anything else," but adds, “this feels a lot like a somewhat subtle leak operation.”
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
18d
To a large extent the FBI's efforts worked. Twitter's top censor, Yoel Roth, admitted that the FBI's prebunking had worked on him.
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
852d
24. Recently, Yoel Roth told @karaswisher that he had been primed to think about the Russian hacking group APT28 before news of the Hunter Biden laptop came out.

When it did, Roth said, "It set off every single one of my finely tuned APT28 hack-and-leap campaign alarm bells."
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
18d
This isn't your grandparents psy-op. This is a next-level "information operation" — precisely what FBI falsely accused the Russians of doing. The facts suggest that the FBI, which knew the laptop was authentic, brainwashed (fine — "prebunked") reporters and social media.
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
18d
What FBI and its apparent intermediaries or "cut-outs," the Aspen Institute and Stanford Cyber Policy Center, did was orchestrate an elaborate and sophisticated "pre-bunking" campaign aimed at discrediting the Hunter Biden Laptop before it was ever released.
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
18d
It is a violation of journalistic ethics to coordinate media coverage. The Stanford authors anticipated this and created talking points to respond to various concerns, e.g., "We can't/won't/don't collaborate with other news organizations on breaking news."
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
18d
September 2020: Aspen Institute hosts a "tabletop exercise" aimed at getting journalists and social media companies to role-playing how to cover a future Russian hack and leak relating to Hunter Biden and Burisma so that the focus is on the Russians.
Michael Shellenberger
@shellenberger
·
852d
30. Efforts continued to influence Twitter's Yoel Roth.

In Sept 2020, Roth participated in an Aspen Institute “tabletop exercise” on a potential "Hack-and-Dump" operation relating to Hunter Biden

The goal was to shape how the media covered it — and how social media carried it

The statement discusses the actions of the FBI and Twitter regarding the handling of a news story, suggesting potential censorship and influence over media narratives. It implies a coordinated effort to manage public perception, raising concerns about journalistic ethics and freedom of speech.

  1. Principle 1:
    I will strive to do no harm with my words and actions.
    The statement suggests harm through potential censorship and manipulation of information, which could mislead the public. [-2]
  2. Principle 2:
    I will respect the privacy and dignity of others and will not engage in cyberbullying, harassment, or hate speech.
    It raises concerns about privacy and dignity by implying that actions were taken to suppress information without clear justification. [-1]
  3. 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 criticism of the FBI and Twitter, but it lacks constructive dialogue and leans towards accusatory language. [-1]
  4. Principle 6:
    I will use my influence for the betterment of society.
    It questions the integrity of influential organizations, suggesting misuse of power for societal manipulation. [-1]
  5. Principle 7:
    I will uphold the principles of free speech and use my platform responsibly and with integrity.
    The statement touches on free speech issues, implying that actions taken may have violated these principles. [-2]