Tag: social media

Bipartisan Push in Congress to Weaken Section 230, Expand Online Surveillance, and Increase Platform Liability

During this week’s testimony before both chambers of Congress, FBI Director Kash Patel and several lawmakers made a concerted push to weaken protections for online platforms, advance surveillance partnerships, and promote government intervention in digital speech spaces.

The hearings revealed a rare bipartisan consensus around dismantling Section 230 and tightening control over how people interact and communicate online.

In the Senate, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham opened his questioning by linking online platforms to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, then repeatedly pressed Patel on whether the internet was a breeding ground for radicalization and crime.

Throughout their exchange, Graham blurred the lines between criminal behavior, such as grooming or inciting violence, and broad categories like bullying.

“Is there any law that can shut down one of these sites? For bullying children or allowing sexual predators on the site,” Graham asked.

He repeatedly implied that websites hosting objectionable content should be held legally responsible, asking, “Would you advocate a sunsetting of Section 230 to bring more liability to the companies who send this stuff out?”

Patel replied, “I’ve advocated for that for years.”

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is a legal provision that protects online platforms from being held liable for content posted by their users.

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Now British ‘thought police’ order Trump-supporting pensioner to apologise for ‘upsetting’ Facebook post or face investigation

British police have been accused of a ‘dystopian’ attack on free speech after an American woman was threatened with investigation – over her posts online. 

Footage of the encounter has been seen more 1.3million times since it was posted last night and has sparked a furious response from campaigners. 

It shows a woman, named as American cancer patient and Donald Trump supporter Deborah Anderson, being confronted in her home in Slough, Berkshire, by Thames Valley Police.

The MAGA-backing mother-of-two was accused of ‘upsetting’ a person following an alleged ‘threatening’ post she made on Facebook, which was reported to police. 

The officer declined to say which of the alleged posts had been complained about.   

In the video, ‘elderly’ Ms Anderson then flatly refuses to apologise for her comments online before she is threatened with the potential of a formal interview at a police station. 

The incident, filmed in June, prompted an intervention by the Free Speech Union (FSU), who last night claimed Thames Valley Police had since dropped the case. The force today confirmed no further action was taken over the allegations.

It comes as Britain faces fierce criticism over a recent clampdown on free speech, which has seen people being arrested, convicted or jailed over posts made online. 

The issue has prompted concern from US President Donald Trump – who is in the UK on his state visit – and warned earlier this month ‘strange things are happening over there, they are cracking down… I’m very surprised to see what’s happening’.

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Discord Scrutinized In Kirk Assassination, Used By Canadian Far-Left Networks To Circulate Political Target Files, Lawyer Says

Discord, the communications platform now under scrutiny as U.S. investigators examine chat room messages involving the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is also being used by left-wing Antifa-aligned networks in Canada to organize and share dossiers on political targets, according to Toronto lawyer and independent journalist Caryma Sa’d.

In a wide-ranging interview for The Bureau Podcast, Sa’d, who has covered a proliferation of street protests in Canada, alleged that Antifa-aligned networks rely on gated Discord servers to coordinate harassment campaigns and “dox-style” targeting of foes. Even more alarming, she said, is that some of the information shared would not be publicly available, suggesting that government, legal, or union insiders may have leveraged sensitive data.

What makes her claims especially relevant in the current climate is her belief that the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN), a federally funded nongovernmental organization, has been involved in what she perceives as Antifa’s targeting activity in Canada. Because Canada’s Liberal government has directed nearly $1 million to CAHN, and because the group liaises with public safety agencies to disseminate its perception of extremist threats, Sa’d argues this has skewed the state’s focus, overlooking the growing threat of violence from Antifa.

Sa’d says that both she and some of her clients have been singled out, and she describes Antifa as a loosely aggregated, cell-like organization that transcends the U.S.–Canada border, operating simultaneously in online forums and in street collectives. These protests, she says, often coalesce under a “solidarity” banner that brings together activists for trans rights, Indigenous rights, migrant rights, encampment movements, safe-supply campaigns, and pro-Palestine demonstrations.

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Australia enforces world’s harshest social media age crackdown

Australia is introducing the world’s toughest rules to keep children off social media, with platforms facing fines of up to $49.5 million if they fail to detect and remove underage users.

From December 10, social media companies must actively identify and deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16, block re-registration attempts, and provide proper appeals processes. Communications Minister Anika Wells has unveiled a list of “reasonable steps” platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube must follow.

The measures demand that age assurance technology not be a “set-and-forget” system and cannot rely solely on self-declaration. Platforms are encouraged to adopt a layered or “waterfall approach” using multiple checks across the user experience to detect underage accounts. They must also remove existing accounts “with care and clear communication” and provide accessible review options for those who believe they were wrongly flagged.

Wells and controversial eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant will present the guidance directly to tech companies during a visit to the United States later this month. After trials proved the technology exists to meet the requirements, Wells said there is no excuse for companies to fall short.

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X Account That Predicted Charlie Kirk’s Assassination a Week in Advance Also Posted a Future Date for Trump Before Deleting Account

A now-deleted X account appears to have had prior knowledge of the brutal assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and subsequently posted a threatening date for President Donald Trump.

Trump was shot during an outdoor speech in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.

The account, @TallyHallAlbum, posted an eerily specific “joke” on September 3, declaring it would be “funny if someone like Charlie Kirk got shot on September 10th LMAO.”

Just days after the tragedy, the user followed up with a cryptic reply: “did i” – and then escalated the threat by posting “Donald Trump. December 14th.” before scrubbing the entire profile from existence.

The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, has ramped up its investigation into at least seven suspicious social media accounts that displayed foreknowledge of Kirk’s murder, including this one, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon.

These posts, spanning from August to just hours before the shooting, were deleted in the aftermath, raising serious questions about a coordinated plot involving radical left-wing elements, including ties to transgender and “furry” online communities.

Tally Hall is an obscure defunct rock band that broke up over a decade ago. Robinson and his live-in boyfriend, a transgender biological male named Lance Twiggs, were both actively involved in their fandom online, which appears to be largely people who are confused about their gender.

This isn’t isolated. The Gateway Pundit’s reporting since Thursday has revealed parallel accounts like @NajraGalvz, who posted on September 9: “Charlie Kirk is coming to my college tomorrow I rlly hope someone evaporates him literally,” followed by “Lets just say something big will happen tomorrow.” Or @Fujoshincel, who teased “something BIG coming soon” on September 5 and gloated “Another Chud Bites the Dust” post-assassination. An unnamed account predicted on August 6: “September 10th will be a very interesting day,” later pleading the fifth.

According to new reports, Robinson confessed in a Discord group chat to his friends two hours before his surrender.

Robinson told the group of 30 people, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this. im surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. thanks for all the good times and laughs.”

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FBI Investigating Social Media Accounts That Appeared To Indicate Foreknowledge of Kirk Assassination

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating social media posts by at least seven different accounts that appeared to indicate foreknowledge of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, according to three people familiar with the investigation and screenshots obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

The posts—one of which referenced the date of Kirk’s assassination, September 10, more than a month before it took place—were all deleted in the days following the killing. Several of the accounts appear to belong to transgender individuals, and at least one of them followed suspect Tyler Robinson’s roommate, with whom Robinson was allegedly in a relationship, on TikTok.

The FBI has received archived copies of the posts, according to a person who flagged them for the agency. Screenshots of the posts have been circulating online but had not been previously authenticated.

While the posts do not establish that any of the individuals knew or conspired with Robinson, the 22-year-old gunman who allegedly shot Kirk, several of them mention the conservative activist by name and fantasize about his death.

“itd be funny if someone like charlie kirk got shot on september 10th LMAO,” one X account posted on September 3.

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California Bills on Social Media and AI Chatbots Fuel Privacy Fears

Two controversial tech-related bills have cleared the California legislature and now await decisions from Governor Gavin Newsom, setting the stage for a potentially significant change in how social media and AI chatbot platforms interact with their users.

Both proposals raise red flags among privacy advocates who warn they could normalize government-driven oversight of digital spaces.

The first, Assembly Bill 56, would require social media companies to display persistent mental health warnings to minors using their platforms.

Drawing from a 2023 US Surgeon General report, the legislation mandates that platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat show black-box warning labels about potential harm to youth mental health.

The alert would appear for ten seconds at login, again after three hours of use, and once every hour after that.

Supporters, including Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Attorney General Rob Bonta, claim the bill is necessary to respond to what they describe as a youth mental health emergency.

Critics of the bill argue it inserts state messaging into private platforms in a way that undermines user autonomy and treats teens as passive recipients of technology, rather than individuals capable of making informed choices.

Newsom has until October 13 to sign or veto the measure.

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Transgender Social Media Users Posting Hints of Foreknowledge and Suspicious Out-of-State Visitors at Alleged Kirk Assassin’s Home Raise Serious Terror Network Concerns

A neighbor’s eyewitness account of suspicious activity at accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson’s Utah residence, which he shared with a transgender boyfriend, has raised suspicions about possible involvement from out-of-state radicals.

Robinson is accused of shooting Kirk, 31, moments after the Turning Point USA founder addressed a question on transgender mass shooters.

“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” leftist attendee Hunter Kozak asked Kirk before the single gunshot that would take his life rang out.

Investigators are now reportedly digging into Robinson’s connections, including his relationship with 22-year-old Lance Twiggs, who is transitioning from male to female and has been cooperating with the FBI.

The pair shared a modest $1,800-a-month townhouse in St. George, Utah, which was raided by law enforcement on Friday.

A neighbor, speaking on condition of anonymity to The New York Post, reported seeing several people driving vehicles with out-of-state license plates entering and exiting the home approximately two weeks before the shooting.

“They did not give off a good vibe,” the neighbor said.

According to a report from Axios late Saturday evening, citing six sources familiar with the case, “Federal and state law enforcement officials also are examining leftist groups in Utah to see whether they had knowledge of the alleged shooter’s plans beforehand, or if they lent material support to him afterward.”

The report states that one of the groups deleted their social media account after the shooting took place.

“It’s pretty clear that Robinson’s roommate knew a lot and didn’t say anything after the killing, so they’re a person of interest officially and are cooperating,” an official told the outlet. “We want to keep it that way.”

“What we want to know is if anyone else had knowledge [of the shooting], before or after,” that source added.

This witness’s comment and Axios report have fueled speculation about whether Robinson was part of a larger network, possibly radicalized by left-wing ideologies, particularly because multiple posts on social media from at least six people involved with the transgender community appeared to boast of advance knowledge of the crime.

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Who are Armed Queers Salt Lake City? Utah-Based Trans Militia Group Under Scrutiny After Deleting Social Media Account on Day of Charlie Kirk Killing

Authorities probing the September 10 assassination of activist Charlie Kirk are reviewing online activity and several left-leaning groups in Utah after at least one organization removed its social-media presence in the immediate aftermath of the killing, sources say.

Among the organizations under review is Armed Queers Salt Lake City (Armed Queers SLC), a Utah-based group that has described itself publicly as training and organizing LGBTQ+ people to defend their communities.

According to archived materials and reporting, the group promoted events in 2023 that featured imagery and rhetoric aligned with radical protest and self-defense themes; a flyer for a September 2023 lecture at the University of Utah included graphic elements such as a rainbow flag, a hammer-and-sickle motif and imagery of ammunition.

In a past interview, a group representative said the organization’s activism was grounded in opposition to racism, transphobia and capitalism and accepted personal risk in service of that mission.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told investigators that Armed Queers SLC took down at least one social media account on the day of Kirk’s death.

Law-enforcement officials are reviewing whether any individuals or networks connected to the group — or to other online communities, including gaming platforms and social pages — had prior knowledge of or provided material support for the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson.

Federal and state authorities are assisting local investigators in those inquiries.

Investigators have also collected and catalogued a number of social-media posts and accounts that appear to reference Kirk in the days immediately preceding the shooting.

Several of those posts have since been deleted or made private, and investigators are attempting to verify the provenance and authenticity of archived screenshots and reposts being circulated online.

Law-enforcement sources caution that while some social-media material appears ominous, much of it remains unverified and may reflect hyperbolic or copy-and-paste commentary rather than credible threats or direct knowledge of criminal intent.

The probe is also examining potential personal motives.

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Investigation into Charlie Kirk Assassination Widens to Probe Radical Pro-Trans Online Groups, Including on Steam

The investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has expanded to scrutinize pro-trans online communities, including the Steam group that The Gateway Pundit reported on early Sunday morning, to determine if others were aware of or involved with the plan to kill the conservative icon.

As TGP reported, Robinson appears to have been a member of a bizarre Steam group named “Read This If Your Gay,” a title that eerily mirrors the mocking inscription “If you read this, you are gay LMAO,” which was etched on a bullet casing at the crime scene.

The New York Post reports:

Law enforcement sources said that investigators are examining leftist groups both in Utah and online to figure out if they helped him with the shooting — or at least heard it was going to happen.

The probe includes groups in online gaming community Steam, as well as a pro-trans organization called Armed Queers SLC, which took down their Instagram after Kirk was killed, the source confirmed.

Steam is a video game platform that lets you play, discuss, and create games on your computer.

Incredibly, members of the group were issued a frantic warning to switch to encrypted chats just hours after the fatal shooting but before Robinson’s arrest, indicating that they may have had information about the shooter.

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