Tag: social media

How AI Is Fueling UFO Misinformation Online

Social media platforms have seen a surge in the sharing of alleged videos of UFOs (unidentified flying objects), particularly following a November 2024 U.S. congressional hearing.

In November 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing titled “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP): Exposing the Truth.”

During the hearing, a former Department of Defense official testified to Congress that government employees had been injured by UFOs and accused the U.S. government of conducting a secret UFO retrieval program. However, he did not provide direct evidence to support his claims.

Although this hearing was similar to previous congressional UFO hearings, the pedigrees of some whistleblowers who testified set it apart. Witnesses included a former U.S. counterintelligence officer, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, and a former NASA associate administrator.

All of them stressed the need for more government transparency, less stigma around the UFO topic, and new policies to bring UAP data out of classified programs and into the public domain.

This congressional hearing energized already enthusiastic UFO communities, prompting many to create AI-generated videos about UFOs and encouraging thousands of people to share them. Misbar investigated some of the most viral claims, analyzing them and explaining how AI-generated content can be identified.

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Leaked emails expose ‘collaborative efforts’ between Israeli govt and Center for Countering Digital Hate

Emails obtained by The Grayzone reveal how leading “anti-hate” campaigner Imran Ahmed collaborated with Israeli embassy officials to censor pro-Palestine social media accounts — and courted them for donations to his censorship-obsessed Center for Countering Digital Hate.

Since emerging in America from seemingly out of the blue in 2020, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has become one of the trans-Atlantic establishment’s most effective tools for censoring online speech. Its founder, Imran Ahmed, has nurtured close ties with the Biden White House since moving to Washington DC, targeting its political enemies with calls for their removal from social media. Back in his hometown of London, Ahmed was an influential advisor to the neoliberal wing of UK Labour, helping sabotage the leftist insurgency of Jeremy Corbyn and place his ally, Keir Starmer, in charge of the party. 

Ahmed has been embroiled in controversy since journalists Paul D. Thacker and Matt Taibbi published internal CCDH documents showing he held private meetings with influential Democratic lawmakers throughout 2024 to advance a plan to “kill Elon Musk’s Twitter.” The billionaire Twitter/X owner and his allies in president-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle retaliated by accusing the British operative of violating laws against foreign interference in American politics.

Ahmed, for his part, has dismissed the charge that he colludes with foreign governments as a kooky conspiracy. “The Center for Countering Digital Hate researches conspiracy theories. We don’t engage with them,” he said.

However, internal CCDH emails obtained by The Grayzone reveal that while Ahmed nurtures ties to the Labour government in Britain, the self-styled “anti-hate” campaigner also enjoys a secret, “collaborative” relationship with a rogue foreign government whose leadership currently stands accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice, and is wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

Provided by a CCDH insider who requested to remain anonymous out of fear that Ahmed and his allies would retaliate against him, the emails reveal that top officials in the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC helped introduce Ahmed to potential funders, and were even invited to review a CCDH report before its publication. The report urged Meta to remove pro-Palestine Facebook groups on the grounds that they promoted “anti-Jewish hate.” 

Ahmed seemed agitated when The Grayzone reached him by phone and asked him to confirm his email exchanges with the Israeli officials. “I have no idea which emails you’re talking about,” he stated. “You’ll have to send them through to us and have a look at them and come back to you.”

When asked if he had collaborated with the Israeli government, Ahmed did not deny the relationship. “We work with all governments,” he claimed. 

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Here are a few of the new laws taking effect in the US in 2025

At the end of last year, The Epoch Times highlighted the more notable new laws that will take effect in US states in 2025.  The outlet noted several new laws are set to take effect in 2025, impacting various aspects of life in the United States, including digital content creation, kids’ social media use and more.

Most of these laws are not unique to the US and throughout the West people are familiar with the underlying agenda that has given rise to such laws.   Judging by these laws alone, it is hard not to feel that the West is experiencing or being forced into a crisis of moral decline, with some places more in crisis than others.

Abortion

In New York, a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion as a right will become enforceable on 1 January 2025, although its full implications are still unclear as state law already protects abortion through foetal viability and in cases involving a risk to the mother’s health or life.

The amendment to the New York constitution also bars discrimination based on characteristics such as national origin, gender identity and gender expression.  Opponents argue that the amendment could lead to the expansion of other constitutional rights such as transgender surgeries for minors, male participation on female sports teams and voting rights for non-citizens.

Seven other states have passed amendments to expand or protect abortion access, with most either already in effect or facing legal disputes.

REAL ID Enforcement

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. The Department of Homeland Security has delayed the enforcement of REAL ID multiple times due to the covid-19 pandemic. The enforcement date for REAL ID compliance is 7 May 2025.

From that date, all US adults will be required to present REAL ID-compliant identification to fly domestically and access certain federal facilities.  All REAL ID-compliant cards will have a star symbol on the upper portion of the card, with US passports also being an acceptable form of ID.

Digital Replication and AI

California will enforce two laws protecting the voices and likenesses of actors and performers from digital replication through artificial intelligence, requiring professionally negotiated contracts and banning the commercial use of digital replicas of deceased performers without their estate’s consent.

Similar laws will also be enforced in Illinois, which has banned the distribution of AI-generated audio or visual replicas of a person without their consent and expanded the definition of “child pornography” to include digitally manipulated or created depictions.

Children’s Social Media Use

In Florida, a new law will prohibit children ages 13 and under from joining social media platforms starting on 1 January 2025, and require parental consent for those aged 14 and 15 to create social media accounts, with civil penalties and liabilities imposed on non-compliant platforms.

California has introduced a law requiring parents or guardians of children who perform in monetised online videos to set aside a percentage of the minor’s gross earnings in a trust for their benefit.

Another California law, expanding the Coogan Law, will require employers of child influencers to set aside 15 per cent of their gross earnings in a trust, providing additional protections for child actors and influencers.

Ten Commandments in Louisiana Classrooms

In Louisiana, a law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all public classrooms is set to take effect on 1 January 2025, despite a federal judge finding the law “facially unconstitutional” and temporarily blocking its enforcement.

Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill is appealing the injunction, arguing that it only applies to the five school boards named in the lawsuit and plans to work with the remaining schools to ensure compliance.

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25 Tech Laws Slated To Take Effect in 2025

When it comes to technology, free speech, and new laws, the big question going into 2025 is whether the U.S. Supreme Court will allow a TikTok ban to take effect on January 19. Along with that possible change, a bevy of lower-profile tech laws—some good, mostly bad—are slated to take effect across the U.S. in the upcoming year, with many going into effect on January 1.

For today’s newsletter, I’ve rounded up some of the most notable ones, which include bans on teens using social media (Florida and Tennessee), age verification requirements for porn websites (Florida and Tennessee), a law ordering online platforms to remove “deceptive” election-related content (California), and a law limiting law enforcement use of images collected by drones (Nevada).

This list is not comprehensive. But I looked through a lot of laws taking effect in various states, so it’s a decent overview of what’s coming.

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Michelle Obama Provokes Backlash With Social Media Post: ‘I Know it’s Been a Difficult Few Months for So Many of Us’

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is getting an earful over a video message she recently posted on the social media site Instagram.

In her message, Mrs. Obama uses the expression ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of Merry Christmas, then goes on to suggest that things have been ‘difficult’ for many people over the last few months, a clear reference to the election of Donald Trump.

She then goes on to push various programs offered by the Obama Foundation.

Many people were unimpressed.

FOX News reports:

Michelle Obama provoked a wave of online criticism Friday after she shared a New Year’s message with her followers on Instagram.

The former first lady posted a video wishing her followers “Happy Holidays” and highlighting the work of the Obama Presidential Center as 2024 comes to a close. But critics noted with disapproval that her video begins on a sour note.

“Happy holidays, everyone. I know it’s been a difficult few months for so many of us, and that folks are feeling a little bit anxious and uncertain,” Obama says in the video.

Hundreds of Instagram users commented on Obama’s video within hours after it went live.

Here are some examples of the pushback she received:

“A difficult few years from the damage the Biden administration has caused!” wrote another commenter. “Things have never looked better since Trum won the election! The people have the power! Not even all those celebrities could change that!”

“We are certain it won’t be worse than your husband’s administration or the Biden administration,” said a third. “That we are CERTAIN.”

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Freedom Is the Only Way to Beat Authoritarianism

Andy Kessler writes in his latest Wall Street Journal column that the U.S. “is strong precisely because we don’t all think the same way. New ideas come from new ways of thinking.” Kessler puts it so well. We individuals generally see the present and future very differently, and it’s this very division praised by Kessler that powers so much advance.

The entertainment industry explains the business meaning of Kessler’s thinking well. Chevy Chase was offered the role of Otter in Animal House, but chose Foul Play instead. Donald Sutherland was offered $20,000 plus gross points in Animal House, but instead held out for $35,000 minus the points given his deep belief that the small movie wouldn’t generate much box office.

Chase and Sutherland’s errant business choices remind us that the good and great decisions are rarely obvious at the time. The previous truth would in a better world awaken the political class to how wrongheaded its actions vis-à-vis TikTok are. Implicit in their attacks and their legislative role in a TikTok ban is that TikTok’s alleged CCP-generated popularity will be used to spy on Americans with an eye on bringing the CCP’s authoritarian ways to the United States.

More realistically, data on Americans is the most valuable in the world, and it’s already sold around the world for exactly that reason. Which is a reminder that data on the American people already existed (and will exist) in abundance with or without TikTok, and it will be sold around the world (including to producers, politicians, or both in China) with or without TikTok.

At the same time, the desire among the world’s producers to know about us Americans is something to celebrate, not legislate against: they want to know about us because we’re the most productive people on earth. The better they understand us, the better their ability to meet and lead our needs.

What’s important is that the prosperity of the American people is, per Kessler, borne of freedom; of Americans disagreeing about everything and getting to vivify their discordant viewpoints in the marketplace. Economic progress is the happy end result of disagreements expressed. We generally describe those who express disagreements via the profit motive as entrepreneurs.

Bringing the genius of disagreement back to TikTok, protectionist U.S. politicians shouldn’t seek a ban, rather they should allow commerce in the U.S. to freely run its course. And they should do so confidently based on what happens every day in the United States.

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60 Minutes Gets Dragged on Twitter/X Over Story Praising Gun Control Policies in Mexico

Over the weekend, 60 Minutes did a story about gun control in Mexico, pointing out that the country has only one gun store and that it’s located on a military base.

Twitter/X users were quick to point out that Mexico is basically run by violent, murderous drug cartels which are armed to the teeth.

60 Minutes went out of their way to push a narrative about illegal guns in Mexico coming from the U.S., as if the violence south of the border is somehow America’s fault. Have they heard of a program called Fast and Furious that happened under Obama?

From CBS News:

Like the U.S., Mexico’s constitution grants citizens the right to bear arms…. but unlike the U.S., that right comes with a long list of restrictions.

There’s only one gun store in Mexico…in the middle of a heavily guarded military base in Mexico City…we were allowed in.

But before customers can enter, they have to show proof they’ve passed psychological tests, drug screens and extensive background checks.

The store sells about a thousand guns a month. Mostly, shotguns, small caliber rifles, and handguns… what civilians can’t buy here are the weapons the cartel favors. Those are not legally sold anywhere in Mexico.

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Elon Musk’s AfD Endorsement Triggers EU Push for Stricter Censorship Under Digital Services Act

Elon Musk’s endorsement of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has sparked significant controversy, particularly among European political figures concerned about the potential for what they call “foreign interference” in Germany’s upcoming elections.

Musk, the CEO of X, voiced his support for some of AfD’s policies following a deadly terror attack in Germany. His comments have raised alarm among EU officials, prompting calls for increased scrutiny of the X app and its compliance with the EU’s stringent censorship laws.

Thierry Breton, the European Union’s former Commissioner, took to X to express his outrage over Musk’s support for AfD. In a tweet posted on December 21, Breton accused Musk of being involved in “foreign interference” in Germany’s electoral process, especially given the timing of his comments around the tragic attack in Magdeburg.

Breton, who has been an advocate for strict censorship of social media platforms, and even threatened Elon Musk for over his interview with President Donald Trump, also called for the immediate application of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) to combat what he described as “double standards” when it comes to regulating speech online.

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Police Arrest TikTok ‘Prankster’ For Spraying Poison All Over Food in Walmart, Causing $1 Million in Damage, and Posting Video of Crime to Social Media

A so-called TikTok ‘prankster’ known for wreaking havoc on the public for social media views, was arrested for spraying poison all over food in a Mesa, Arizona, Walmart.

The suspect, 27-year-old Charles Smith, was stupid enough to video his face while committing the crime. He then uploaded the video of himself committing the felony to social media.

According to court documents, Smith went back inside Walmart 10 minutes after he committed the crime and “attempted to collect the items he sprayed.”

Smith wheeled some of the poisoned items to the back of Walmart.

Walmart was forced to remove nearly $1 million in damaged food/suspected damaged food after Charles Smith ran through the store and sprayed poison all over the place.

Mesa police arrested Charles Smith on Saturday and charged him with Introducing Poison (felony), Criminal Damage (misdemeanor), Endangerment (misdemeanor), Theft (misdemeanor).

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WHO Expands “Misinformation Management” Efforts with “Social Listening”

The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) is not the only entity engaging globally (the Gates Foundation comes to mind as another) that likes to turn to developing, or small and often functionally dependent states to “test” or “check” some of the key elements of its policies.

The pandemic put the WHO center-stage, and in many ways influenced the UN’s clear change of trajectory from its true purpose to assisting governments globally in policing speech and surveilling their populations.

The WHO is comfortable in conflating health-focused issues (its actual mandate), with what it presents as threats linked to “disinformation” and “AI.”

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