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The GQP strategy is winning in one area - door to foreign lies on social media has been opened [1]
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Date: 2023-11-10
CNBC has a story here that should raise real concerns about the 2024 election looking like 2016. The title doesn’t bury the lead:
How the GOP muzzled the quiet coalition that fought foreign propaganda
It goes on to very directly place the blame on the GOP for fracturing US efforts to stop Russia, Chinese, and Iran’s influence campaigns on social media. The story was collected through interviews with more than a dozen interviews with current and former government and tech company employees though. They don’t dampen the message at all:
A common theme among those interviewed: The chilling effect that Republican attacks had on the sharing of information about possible interference, which could make it easier for foreign adversaries to manipulate U.S. public opinion and harder for 2024 voters to sort out what’s real from what’s fake.
What has happened? The FBI has deeply cut its direct briefings with tech companies and:
Beyond the FBI briefings, other coordination efforts have folded after facing pressure from conservatives. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which oversees federal election cybersecurity and has become a favorite target of Republicans, has halted its outreach to Silicon Valley, and the Department of Homeland Security has shuttered a board designed to coordinate its anti-disinformation program.
All this is indicated to mean that 2024 is likely to see much less control and reaction to foreign fake news attacking — well, we wouldn’t want to jump to conclusions would we? Well, actually CNBC does a pretty good job of pointing out the cause:
Republican demonization of the agency (the CISA) hasn’t abated. After the GOP took the House of Representatives in 2022, the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has spent much of this term focused on grievances from the 2020 election.
So, where are we? It looks like the GQP has managed to lever the door into US social media open for foreign influence on the 2024 US election. I anticipate we haven’t seen anything yet as far as lies, deep fakes, and attacks on Dems. I hope the entire Dem leadership is briefing every candidate as to what may happen, is keeping track of what is happening, and has a quick reaction team ready to help candidates all the way down to dog catcher.
Buckle your seat belt, we’re in for a crazy 12 months.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/10/2204878/-The-GQP-strategy-is-winning-in-one-area-door-to-foreign-lies-on-social-media-has-been-opened?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web
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