Twitter deleted data potentially crucial to Russia probes

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico



Social-media platform’s strict privacy policy led to deletions of Russian information of interest to investigators.

By JOSH MEYER 10/13/2017 05:07 AM EDT

Twitter has deleted tweets and other user data of potentially irreplaceable value to investigators probing Russia’s suspected manipulation of the social media platform during the 2016 election, according to current and former government cybersecurity officials.

Federal investigators now believe Twitter was one of Russia’s most potent weapons in its efforts to promote Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, the officials say, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

By creating and deploying armies of automated bots, fake users, catchy hashtags and bogus ad campaigns, unidentified operatives launched recurring waves of pro-Trump and anti-Clinton story lines via Twitter that were either false or greatly exaggerated, the officials said. Many U.S. investigators believe that their best hope for identifying who was behind these operations, how they collaborated with each other and their suspected links to the Kremlin lies buried within the mountains of data accumulated in recent years by Twitter.

By analyzing Twitter data over time, investigators could establish what one U.S. government cybersecurity consultant described as “pattern of life behavior,” determining when Russian influence operations began, and how they “were trying to nudge the narrative in a certain direction.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/13/twitter-russia-data-deleted-investigation-243730

[Not Ruth]

1. is anything on the internet ever deleted?

[DK504]

5. Nope, unless it's a full military scrub, anything can be retrieved.

[Hortensis]

7. A lot easier when you know it exists and what and where to look for it?

Bastards.

[BigmanPigman]

2. I thinks I read that Facebook did this yeaterday.

Did they both do it?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/12/facebook-takes-down-data-and-thousands-of-posts-obscuring-reach-of-russian-disinformation/?utm_term=.811ce0678a4b

[mopinko]

3. influence and imho, targeting.

checking those who liked and rt'd this crap, against the voter rolls.

[KPN]

4. So it seems the social media platforms -- the corporations --

are complicit in all of this themselves. Are a person's privacy policies justifiable defense for aiding and abetting? Corporations are people today per SCOTUS, no?

It's hard not to get angry about this stuff and want to see concrete punishment for every player. But what hope is there that we will see actual punitive consequences for anyone? I'm pessimistic about that. And its really starting to feel like pitchfork time.

[BlueIdaho]

6. Kill Twitter

There was a time when it seemed these social media platforms could improve democracy across the globe. Now it seems they have become another tool of oppression by corporations and tyrants.

[FakeNoose]

8. Agreed! +++++

Twitter was never about performing a life-enhancing social-advancement service. It was always about, let's see if we can figure out how to make some money from this.

Now that they are making money (so they claim), Twitter is the new sacred cow, whether it's doing society any good or not.

[haele]

9. Actually, twitter started out as real time broadcasting for people "in the field" to others.

Similar to email in the early 1990's. It was originally supposed to be a way spreading technical or scientific real time information for comment or solutions to anyone who would be interested instead of trying to send out multiple IMs to individuals or set up conferencing; just add the Twitter app on your satellite phone or early smart phone, and you could connect to everyone you might need to for "crowd sourcing" of a problem or issue.
First used by site scientific workers, technicians, and journalists - and within six months, everyone else who wanted to broadcast themselves to the world.

It just quickly evolved into a social networking platform, like all other instant communications platforms.

Haele

[BlueIdaho]

11. Another Tool lost to greed.

Once these platforms try to “monetize” their service, any good disappears as they are tweaked to fit the desires of the highest bidder.

Like I said - Kill Twitter.

[rockfordfile]

12. I agree. Twitter turned out to be a pro Russian/Putin entity.

Twitter and Facebook basically said go ahead and attack the USA. So it seems that Facebook and Twitter supports racism and fascism of Trump/GOP..

[BlueIdaho]

13. Add to that there complete lack of transparency now

And you have to conclude they are doing more damage than good.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

10. Twitter and Facebook both need to go!

They have proven that whatever marginal value they provide in communication and information sharing is outweighed by the lack of standards and potential for abuse. Think about why traditional media is so valuable. They have standards, practices and a set of checks and balances. Twitter and Facebook are havens for unsubstantiated dribble and outright fake stories as well as a platform for the worst kind of hate and vitriol. Where deviant minds can speak with a megaphone and be validated by their fellow miscreants. Just ignoring them is not the answer.

[BlueIdaho]

14. If you didnt pay for it

Then you are the product being sold. That’s how monetizing social media works...