Tag: social media

Revealed: Pro-Kamala Social-Media Millions That Couldn’t Sync ‘Brat’ With ‘Democrat’

The abrupt withdrawal last year of President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee, followed rapidly by his replacement with Vice President Kamala Harris, irked many voters left out by the process. Yet social media seemed to ooze with enthusiasm and Gen Z-friendly hipster appeal.

Influencers flooded the web with neon-matcha green pro-Harris videos synced to beats from singer Charli XCX’s album “Brat” released last year. The poppy rave videos, gushed journalists, showed that Harris embodied the confidently independent “brat” vibe conveyed by the music. Social media pages bubbled with memes celebrating Harris as the voice of queer and black youth, in contrast with the Republican agenda of white supremacy. Digital creator Amelia Montooth, in one viral TikTok video, kissed a woman and tried searching for pornography, actions her sketch suggested would be banned if Harris lost the election.

Harris, a career politician favored by the Democratic Party’s establishment, never quite fit the bill as an icon of activist movements. But the sudden influencer buzz seemed to transform the stodgy former prosecutor into an icon of the cultural zeitgeist. 

As it turns out, the tidal wave of enthusiasm was not entirely genuine. Much of the content, including Montooth’s videos, was quietly funded by an elusive group of Democratic billionaires and major donors in an arrangement designed to conceal the payments from voters. 

RealClearInvestigations obtained internal documents and WhatsApp messages from Democratic strategists behind the influencer campaign. Way to Win, one of the major donor groups behind the effort, spent more than $9.1 million on social media influencers during the 2024 presidential election – payments revealed here for the first time. The amount was touted in a document circulated after the election detailing the organization’s accomplishments. 

The effort supported over 550 content creators who published 6,644 posts across platforms, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and X. Way to Win coached creators on phrases, issue areas, and key themes to “disseminate pro-Kamala content throughout the cycle,” a post-election memo from the group noted.

The look behind the curtain reveals that at least some of the image-making around the Harris candidacy was carefully orchestrated by the same types of covert social media marketing often used by corporate brands and special interest groups. Such campaigns provide the illusion of organic support through the authentic appeal of trusted social media voices.

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Insanity: AfD’s Petr Bystron Loses Immunity for Sharing Merkel Photo They Said Wasn’t a Nazi Salute — Until He Posted It

The EU Parliament has lifted the immunity of AfD foreign policy spokesman Petr Bystron because he shared a photo of Angela Merkel on Twitter in 2022.

The reason? Bizarre: since Merkel is seen raising her arm in the image, it’s being interpreted as a Nazi salute – but only because Bystron posted it.

Prosecutor: Waving is not a Nazi salute

This farce has a backstory: In 2022, during a protest against COVID-19 measures, Bystron waved to the crowd.

The public prosecutor immediately launched an investigation: “Nazi salute!”

In response, hundreds of AfD supporters filed complaints against Angela Merkel, who had been photographed waving in a similar manner. But in each case, the prosecutor ruled: “Not a Nazi salute, no investigation.”

Bystron used exactly that photo of Merkel in court to defend himself—successfully. The court ruled that not every raised right arm constitutes a Nazi salute. “Great!” Bystron thought. “Then using the Merkel photo should be no problem.”

Far from it! Now, the prosecutor claims it is a Nazi salute after all – and has indicted Bystron for spreading unconstitutional symbols!

Strange? More than that. The charges came a full year after the image was posted on X.

The alleged violation of §86 of the German Criminal Code only came to the prosecutor’s attention once the EU election campaign began – with Bystron leading the AfD list alongside top candidate Krah. What a coincidence!

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Rise of the catapult killer ‘influencers’: Children as young as 8 are brutally killing wildlife with slingshots during school time for social media clout – and police do nothing

Over the years social media has seen children take part in a host of horrific trends in exchange for likes and shares.

And the recent emergence of youngsters brutally killing wildlife with catapults for clout on the likes of Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok is a particularly sickening one.

Local wildlife rescue groups are sounding the alarm as they say there has been a dramatic rise in the number of reports they receive of animals being hit with slingshots.

They have also warned that the culprits are often primary school children ‘as young as eight years old’, with a lot of the incidents taking place during school time.

A quick search on TikTok and the like reveal shocking posts of young ‘influencers’ shooting down wildlife with catapults and posing with them for popularity online.

The trend is taking hold countrywide, with the Greenwich and Bexley areas of London as well as Essex and Kent particularly affected by a large number of cases.

Wildlife groups say not enough is being done by police to crack down on the incidents, are now calling for the sale and carrying of catapults in public to be made illegal, with a petition collecting more than 17,000 signatures.

Rae Gellel, founder of Greenwich Wildlife Network told MailOnline: ‘It’s kids. 

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German Dystopia: Friedrich Merz’s and Olaf Scholz’s Incoming Coalition To Turn Censorship Into Overdrive, Crack Down on Social Media and ‘Ban Lies’

If one thinks that de-industrialized and immigrant-flooded Germany was in a poor state, we just have to wait until the new incoming coalition is in place to see how bad things are about to become.

German tabloid BILD has had access to documents from the negotiators of the ‘black-red coalition’ (Friedrich Merz’s CDU and Olaf Scholz’s SPD). And what it found is quite disturbing: they want to take hard action ‘against lies’ – i.e. they are about to double down on censorship and propaganda.

These plans emerge from the negotiation paper ‘Culture and Media’ working group, predicting that the pressure on social media is to be considerably expanded and whatever they deem to call ‘fake news’ is to be severely restricted.

BILD reported:

“The exploratory paper already stated that ‘disinformation and fake news’ threatened democracy. The negotiating paper now even states: ‘The deliberate dissemination of false factual allegations is not covered by freedom of expression’.

The consequence: ‘Therefore, the media supervisory authority, which is independent of the state, must be able to take action against information manipulation as well as hatred and incitement on the basis of clear legal requirements, while preserving freedom of expression’.”

Pressure on platforms like X is expected to increase, and certain ‘false statements’ are to be ‘prevented’, i.e., CENSORED.

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Democrats’ Favorite Influencer Harry Sisson Accused of Tricking 11 Women—Including an Abuse Survivor—into Sending Explicit Photos via Snapchat

TikTok influencer and defacto Biden spox Harry Sisson is accused of convincing 11 women to send explicit photos via Snapchat by falsely claiming he had no other romantic interests and respected them for more than their bodies.

One accuser is a domestic abuse survivor. Specific accusers, including Carlee Hosch and Hannah, have shared detailed allegations on social media, with Hosch alleging a nine-month manipulation period.

The allegations against Sisson were brought to light by Sarah Fields, a Republican State Delegate and US Army veteran, who compiled and shared evidence of his alleged misconduct.

Fields posted on X that when the women eventually discovered each other, Sisson reportedly “called them all insane and attempted to coerce one of them into telling the public that the photos were ‘fake.’”

The allegations suggest Sisson manipulated these women by claiming he had “no roster” and respected them for more than their bodies, with one accuser being a domestic abuse survivor.

“Harry Sisson convinced 11 different women that ‘he had no roster’ and ‘respected them for more than their bodies’ while persuading them to send explicit photos of themselves through Snapchat, including one from a domestic abuse survivor,” Fields wrote on X.

She continued, “When the women discovered each other one by one, he called them all insane and attempted to coerce one of them into telling the public that the photos were ‘fake.’”

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Florida Man Busted by Secret Service and Local Authorities After Posting a Shocking Threat Against President Trump During Wild Social Media Rant

The United States government and the state of Florida are not messing around when it comes to demented individuals threatening the life of President Trump.

As WPBF reported, a 42-year-old Florida man from St. Lucie County was busted by both the Secret Service and sheriff’s deputies on Monday afternoon after posting a disturbing threat against Trump on social media during a wild social media rant.

Kendal Aaron Todd began his 80-second tirade by making a series of confusing accusations against Trump, including calling him the “Antichrist.”

“Because of Donald Trump, every single person in the world is cursed,” Todd begins. “Donald Trump is the Antichrist.”

“Donald Trump has personally made business decisions which have hurt so many different reincarnated Jesuses,” he adds.

Todd goes on to issue this shocking threat against the president, which calls his mental health further into question.

“Fight me naked to the death!” Todd said. “I’m going to cut you up with a chainsaw and put you in acid.”

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Elon Musk says X was knocked offline by ‘massive cyberattack’ that originated in ‘Ukraine area’

Billionaire entrepreneur and DOGE chief Elon Musk claimed Monday that X went dark as the result of a “massive cyberattack” that originated in the “Ukraine area.”

“We’re not sure exactly what happened,” Musk told Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow about the apparent operation targeting his social media platform.

“But there was a massive cyberattack to try to bring down the X system, with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area,” the world’s richest man added.

Musk, 53, did not immediately provide additional evidence of who may have been responsible.

Cybercriminals have been known to create false IP addresses to impersonate computer systems from different parts of the world, a practice known as “spoofing.”

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Digital Deception: How Social Media Helps Corrupt Politicians Stay in Power

In today’s world, social media is everywhere. It’s how we connect, share, and get our news. But what if I told you it’s also one of the most powerful tools corrupt politicians use to stay in power? That’s right. Behind the memes, the viral videos, and the endless streams of posts, there’s a darker game being played. It’s a game of misinformation, fake support, and online manipulation. And it’s working better than ever.

Let’s break it down. How do they do it? And why should you care?

The Misinformation Machine

Misinformation is the fuel that keeps the engine running. Politicians, especially those in power, know that controlling the narrative is everything. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are perfect for spreading half-truths and outright lies. Why? Because these platforms are designed to keep you scrolling. They reward sensationalism, not accuracy.

Here’s how it works: A politician or their team plants a story. Maybe it’s about a rival. Maybe it’s about a policy that sounds great but is actually terrible. The story gets picked up by bots—fake accounts programmed to share content. These bots make the story look popular, so real people start sharing it too. Before you know it, the story is everywhere. And once it’s out there, it’s hard to stop.

The goal? To confuse you. To make you doubt what’s real and what’s not. And when you’re confused, you’re easier to control.

Astroturfing: Fake Grassroots Support

Ever heard of astroturfing? It’s when politicians create the illusion of widespread public support for something. They make it look like regular people are rallying behind an idea, when in reality, it’s all staged.

Here’s an example: Let’s say a politician wants to pass a law that benefits big corporations. They know regular people won’t like it. So, they hire a PR firm to create fake social media accounts. These accounts post messages like, “This law will create jobs!” or “This is good for the economy!” They might even organize fake protests or rallies, complete with paid actors holding signs.

The result? It looks like there’s a groundswell of support. News outlets pick up the story, and suddenly, the law seems popular. But it’s all a lie. And social media makes it easy to pull off.

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FCC Chair Brendan Carr Wants More Control Over Social Media

In his short time as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr has been no stranger to using his power against disfavored entities. The chairman’s targets have primarily included broadcast networks and social media companies.

Recently, Carr revealed a fundamental misunderstanding about one of the most important laws governing the internet and social media.

On February 27, digital news outlet Semafor held a summit in Washington, D.C., titled “Innovating to Restore Trust in News,” which culminated in a conversation between Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith and Carr.

“The social media companies got more power over more speech than any institution in history” in recent years, Carr told Smith. “And I think they’re abusing that power. I think it’s appropriate for the FCC to say, let’s take another look at Section 230.”

Section 230 of the Communications Act effectively protects websites and platforms from civil liability for content posted by others. It also protects a platform’s decision to moderate content it finds “objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected.”

Like many conservatives, Carr looks askance at social media’s latitude to moderate content with what he perceives as impunity. “The FCC should issue an order that interprets Section 230 in a way that eliminates the expansive, non-textual immunities that courts have read into the statute” and “remind courts how the various portions of Section 230 operate,” he wrote in a chapter of The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership, more popularly known as Project 2025.

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Did Facebook Conspire With the Government to Censor Speech in Violation of the First Amendment? Case Could Redefine Social Media Censorship

The Rutherford Institute is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hold Facebook accountable for conspiring with the government to censor and suppress speech and address Facebook censorship issues.

Weighing in before the U.S. Supreme Court with an amicus brief in Children’s Health Defense v. Meta, The Rutherford Institute argues that Meta Platforms should be held accountable as a government actor for violating the First Amendment by partnering with the government in order to restrict the Facebook posts, fundraising, and advertising of Children’s Health Defense (“CHD”). Although the Trump Administration has ordered federal officials to cease the government’s censorship efforts, The Rutherford Institute warned that political stances can change quickly and social media companies are likely to censor speech again at the government’s direction unless they are held accountable as government actors for violating the First Amendment rights of the people. Facebook censorship leads to the suppression of diverse ideas.

“We should all be alarmed when prominent social media voices are censored, silenced, and made to disappear from Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram for voicing ideas that are deemed politically incorrect, hateful, extremist, or conspiratorial,” said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. “At some point, depending on how the government and its corporate allies define what constitutes ‘extremism,’ we might all be considered guilty of some thought-crime and subjected to technocensorship like Facebook censorship.”

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