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Information operations directed at Hong Kong

(blog.twitter.com)
1116 points whatok | 4 comments | 19 Aug 19 18:11 UTC | HN request time: 0.84s | source
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tmux314 ◴[19 Aug 19 19:17 UTC] No.20740864[source]▶
Good on Twitter and Facebook.

On top of blocking thousands of websites (which includes Facebook, Google, Twitter) China's government employs thousands of government employees just to purge even the most mild criticism of the CCP on Weibo [1]. They also employ tens of thousands to export their propaganda overseas, using sock puppet accounts to push their worldview[2]. And their worldview is fiercely anti-democratic.

The Internet cannot remain free if we allow governments to use their power to control narratives and suppress the truth. US-based Social media companies are not ideal judges, but at least they publish their methodology and allow public criticism of their platforms.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sina_Weibo#Censorship [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

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1. daveheq ◴[19 Aug 19 23:23 UTC] No.20742618[source]▶
The US mainstream media is bought and paid for by corporations, who don't have the public good in mind, but maximizing profit at the expense of all else including reporting on corruption, oligarchy, and environmental abuse.

The government should not control the media, but neither should advertisers.

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2. rickycook ◴[20 Aug 19 03:10 UTC] No.20743532[source]▶
true, and that’s definitely a problem, but government is a bigger issue because they have the ability to force a population: corporations can only influence (we can have a different discussion about how corporations give you “choice” but not really, but i think they’re different cases, and government is clear cut)
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3. profalseidol ◴[20 Aug 19 04:37 UTC] No.20743880[source]▶
Ain't government is comprised of corporate owners? President. Then there's lobbying/bribing. Create/participate in wars. Sell weapons to the human rights respecting Saudi. And when corporations die, they take the people's money.

That's beyond giving me a choice. Lols.

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4. rickycook ◴[20 Aug 19 06:19 UTC] No.20744265{3}[source]▶
i agree with you completely, but a law is far more clear cut than complex social dynamics.

the outcome is similar in either way, and both are equally bad, but one is far easier to define specific actions, and specific parties that are not acting correctly.