Chucking Trump etc off Twitter after Jan 6 provides key data for misinfo experiment
- Reference: 1717692310
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/06/06/jan_6_depatforming_nature_study/
- Source link:
Perhaps it is common sense, but the finding is backed by a peer-reviewed paper published in the [1]scientific journal Nature this week .
The study led by David Lazer, professor of political science and computer and information science at Northeastern University in the US, shows that the sudden decision to deplatform 70,000 misinformation traffickers in response to the violence at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 "reduced circulation of misinformation by the deplatformed users as well as by those who followed the deplatformed users."
[2]
With social media increasingly consuming people's attention at the expense of conventional media such as newspapers, radio, and television, its impact on political discourse is under the spotlight.
[3]
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Lazer and team looked at a panel of 599,686 US-based users of Twitter — now known as X — who posted at least one URL during the 2020 election and found that about 1,361 (or 0.25 percent) of them were deplatformed between January 8 and 12. However, this tiny proportion of users were found to be responsible for 4.35 percent of content on Twitter and 24.13 percent of all the misinformation shared amongst the panel. Meanwhile, 26.4 percent of the users on the panel followed one of the removed accounts.
After the accounts were taken off Twitter, researchers found an average daily reduction of 103 tweets associated with misinformation URLs when analyzing posts between June 2020 and January 2021. Users who followed the banned accounts were likely to share less misinformation to other users after the misinformation accounts were removed, the study revealed.
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The researchers noted that social media platforms publish content moderation guidelines curtailing the publication of misinformation.
"However, content suppression results in difficult business decisions for tech companies. It is well-established that social media users post a considerable volume of misinformation, and that political content is more engaging and extreme content perhaps especially so. Because of these engagement patterns, curation policies that optimize engagement metrics may promote content that fosters polarization, divisiveness and extremism, and tech companies often find themselves under intense political pressure to limit the extent to which their platforms undermine democracy and the public interest," the paper said.
[6]Elon Musk says he doesn’t want 100% tariff on China-made electric vehicles
[7]Graph database shows Biden outspends Trump in social media ad war
[8]Biden cranks up the heat on China with wall of tech tariffs
[9]Destroying offshore wind farms is top priority for Trump if he returns to presidency
The researchers were clear that the paper does not prove that the deplatforming of the accounts had a causal impact on misinformation. "There is no way for us to fully separate the effect of the insurrection and other real-world political events from Twitter's enforcement," the study added.
However, it also says that many "misinformation super-sharers" and traffickers in content from QAnon — a far-right conspiracy theory group born on the 4chan forums whose beliefs include [10]Pizzagate , deep state geopolitical conspiracy claims and more — chose to leave Twitter after it toughened its enforcement of rules. That trend could also account for some of the reduction in harmful content, the study said.
"Twitter (now X) is now owned by X Corp and ultimately by Elon Musk, under whose ownership content moderation has been vastly scaled back. Irrespective of the future of X as a platform, we can be sure that social media platforms will continue to have a key role in civic discourse," the researchers said. ®
Bootnote
Yep, Trumpster actually [11]said that about Clinton.
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[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07524-8
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZmIxgLydTSESWco5oZSkjgAAAMw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/24/elon_musk_china_tariffs/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/17/graph_database_presidential_ads/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/15/us_china_tariff_hikes/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/14/destroying_offshore_wind_farms_is/
[10] https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pizzagate-conspiracy/
[11] https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN10M1C9/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I'm leaving!!11!!1
Cool story.
C.
Re: I'm leaving!!11!!1
Perhaps he'd have been happier if the story lead off with the truth?
Instead of "After convicted criminal and twice indicted former president Donald Trump"
you should have written "After 34 times convicted felon and twice impeached former president Donald Trump" ...
Just a thought.
Re: I'm leaving!!11!!1
"you should have written "After 34 times convicted felon and twice impeached former president Donald Trump" ...
Just a thought."
Bill Clinton was impeached as well and lied about what happened.
There's a good chance the Trump convictions will be overturned on appeal so don't put too much emphasis on the outcome of that case.
Re: I'm leaving!!11!!1
Not that great a chance based on the evidence presented, which was in fact in the public view for quite some time. Even if it gets tossed for procedural mistakes not the merits he's still a criminal, for which the public has full knowledge. It may keep him out of jail or prison, but it shouldn't change how we treat or discuss him. And he isn't a first time offender, he is a serial offender who represents a threat to the seated government, and incited a mob to attack both Republican and Democrats alike. More importantly Trump openly attacked both the press and the general populace when they showed up to protest him, under the thin guise of a photo op where he limply raised an upside down bible for bonus disrespect.
He could try to sue individuals that speak out against him for slander/libel of course, but he'd lose and wind up paying the other sides costs to re-litigate his failed cases in court. He'd also probably get fined for a slap suit to boot. And since he can't be trusted to open his mouth in court without committing perjury his defense council will have their hands tied.
That is one of a long list of reasons you shouldn't go on a public crime and corruption spree while in high office. This is just the first of a long list of convictions waiting for him. The blood is in the water and the less bold prosecutors are circling. And the bolder ones will be happy to pound on him in court all through the period between the elections and when the new president gets sworn in,
For bonus points the Republicans working with him are at real risk of getting mixed up in his criminal conspiracy, and interstate wire fraud was always popular with the Fed. Funny how Trump installed members of his family in charge of the RNC and the fund raising platform the party essentially mandated under McConnell. RICO charges and federal prison may be waiting for those that had their hand to far in the cookie jar. And republicans like me will be happy to keep pointing the press and the cops in the right direction. These idiots can't keep their mouths shut when they are with their own kind.
Though the party and I will be parting ways for a while if they put that clown at the head of the ticket at the convention. Bill Clinton made me a Republican, Trump and the RNC/RCCC may make me go independent.
Re: I'm leaving!!11!!1
Bill Clinton is no longer in politics. In fact, none of the Clintons are in politics, and haven't been for a long time. Certainly not in this election cycle. Why are you still babbling about ancient history?
Oh, yeah, that's why. Misdirection noted. Typical.
During the meanwhile, Convicted Felon Donald Trump is right now, currently, a convicted felon. With over a hundred other indictments (and counting) waiting to be resolved.
Impeached
Ah yeah, impeached not indicted. That's fixed. Doh!
C.
So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
Since they closed down the Right side of the spectrum accounts and they apparently accounted for only 25% of the usual garbage, can we then surmise that the remaining 75% of garbage comes from Left side of the spectrum accounts ?
PS : Since everything is apparently a spectrum nowadays I'll remain in the fitting.
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
Science education seems to have failed in this case. I can understand people do not like the outcomes, but that does not mean the outcome is necessarily political if you do not like it.
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
When we look at the outcome it's quite obvious where the majority of the nonsense is coming from since they eliminated a certain population obviously those that remained held the responsibility.
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
The nonsense is cross-spectrum, from what I can see ... although to be fair, the Rightwingnuts tend to repeat the outright lies that the MAGA[0] faction are prone to deliver, whereas the Leftwingnuts tend more to the "lies by omission" side of things.
[0] MAGA: Muppets Annoying Genuine Americans; Moto: I can lie more outrageously than you can!
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
The nonsense is cross-spectrum, from what I can see ... although to be fair, the Rightwingnuts tend to repeat the outright lies that the MAGA[0] faction are prone to deliver, whereas the Leftwingnuts tend more to the "lies by omission" side of things.
On the plus side, one bit of 'misinformation' can finally be put to bed. Remember Hunter Biden's laptop, and all the claims that that was 'Russian misinformation'? That was entered into court in Hunter's trial yesterday with a statement that the contents were real and unaltered. ISTR that misinformation campaign being kicked into high gear just before the last election.. wonder if that could possibly be considered election interference?
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
entered into court in Hunter's trial yesterday with a statement that the contents were real and unaltered.
I haven't been following the trial, but how can you certify that the contents are 'real and unaltered' when a third party (outside of the repair shop) has had access to it? Has the defense certified it?
I wouldn't certify the contents of my own laptop if a stranger had unsupervised access to it.
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
but how can you certify that the contents are 'real and unaltered' when a third party (outside of the repair shop) has had access to it?
Which third party are you thinking of? I realise a lot of mud has been slung regarding this laptop, but there seems to be a clear enough chain of custody between Biden, the shop and when the FBI took custody for it to be entered into evidence.
Has the defense certified it?
I don't know. Also IANAL so not up on the finer points of evidence, but I'm assuming they had the opportunity to challenge it, or they might be waiting until further into the trial to challenge evidence produced from it. Or because the case seems pretty clear cut, trying some alternative argument. Or failing that, there's always the Presidential pardon for his very fortunate son.
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
The problem is the broken chain between "biden" and "FBI". Custody was clearly broken, and thus the laptop has never been valid evidence in any court of law here in the US. Except perhaps the court of public opinion, and of course the Clown Court in Congress, which has spent the last 3+ years trying to prove something, anything, and failed miserably at every step of the way, all the while doing absolutely nothing positive for the people who voted them into power. Lovely.
And besides, what difference does it make? If Hunter broke the law, throw him in jail. Who gives a fuck?
"there's always the Presidential pardon"
The President has already stated that he will not pardon his Son if it comes to that, so stop it already. It makes you look sillier than usual.
Re: So the remaining 75% of the misinformation comes from the left ?
They didn't shut down "the right side of the spectrum", they shut down misinformation accounts.
The rest of your logic is equally flawed, as seems to be normal for wingnuts on either side.
Shocking!
> "The study... ...shows that the sudden decision to deplatform 70,000 misinformation traffickers in response to the violence at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 "reduced circulation of misinformation by the deplatformed users as well as by those who followed the deplatformed users."
People who don't have Twitter accounts tweet less than people who do. Film at 11:00
So left wing poli sci guy says people he doesn't like are bad bad people..
Because that's what the "study" is. Its just the usual politically motivated sociology masquerading as scholarship. But now with python. And fancier infographics. Much fancier.
Look up the CV's and publication history of the founders and senior people at NuLabs. Just the usual sociology / poli sci / humanities bollocks you find published by the half-wits that have infested these departments for the last five decades. When you were in uni which depts did all the really stupid people gravitate towards?...
Repeat after me. All academic sociology is bollocks. All academic poli sci is bollocks. And in the case of US universities (but not UK) all academic history is total bollocks.
Dont believe. Just trying reading some of the papers and academic books these people produce. They make Enver Hoxha's books look like works of towering genius. If you ever want a good laugh most of Hoxha's (supposed) literary works is now online. Its just as totally bonkers as Radio Albania circa 1981. But still saner than almost all contemporary academic sociology and poli sci. Talk about trickle down marxism.
Note to self. Must read Malcolm Bradbury's "The History Man" again. Its been a while.
Re: So left wing poli sci guy says people he doesn't like are bad bad people..
Bad troll. No cookie.
Hasn't stopped misinformation, just reduced it on one platform. If the media won't call out blatant falsehoods because of the source then it doesn't really matter what twitter did, and Musk allowed loads of them back as well.
Case in point this week, "I never said lock her up" said Trump on a Fox News show, and of course none of the hosts called him on it. Plenty of others did though.
Congrats, you've turned into Ars Technica...sorry to say. bye.