Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter

[TomCADem]

Source: MSN

CHICAGO (AP) — A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial injustice.

These groups, which now boast a collective audience of more than 1 million members, are still thriving after most states started lifting virus restrictions.

And many have expanded their focus.

One group transformed itself last month from “Reopen California” to “California Patriots Pro Law & Order,” with recent posts mocking Black Lives Matter or changing the slogan to “White Lives Matter." Members have used profane slurs to refer to Black people and protesters, calling them “animals,” “racist” and “thugs”— a direct violation of Facebook’s hate speech standards.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/facebook-groups-pivot-to-attacks-on-black-lives-matter/ar-BB16mbt2?li=BBnb7Kz

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Thanks to Zuckerberg, Russia is back to their usual efforts to divide the U.S. and Trump and Zuckerberg are happy to play along.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/tech/russia-instagram-accounts-2020-election/index.html

Facebook: Russian trolls are back. And they're here to meddle with 2020

New York (CNN Business)People linked to the Internet Research Agency, the Kremlin-backed troll group indicted by the United States for its alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election, are laying the groundwork to do the same in 2020, new information released by Facebook on Monday suggests.

Profiles originating in Russia had since the beginning of this year been building a network of accounts on Instagram designed to look like groups in swing states, the company said. Instagram is owned by Facebook (FB).

Although the accounts posed as Americans from all sides of the political spectrum, many were united in their opposition to the candidacy of former Vice President Joe Biden, according to Graphika, a social media investigations company that Facebook asked to analyze the accounts. The Russian trolls who used social media to interfere in the 2016 election employed a similar tactic, going after Hillary Clinton from the right and also trying to spread a perception on the left that Clinton was not liberal enough and that liberals and African Americans especially shouldn't bother voting for her.

The accounts Facebook revealed Monday, 50 of which were on Instagram and one of which was on Facebook, were designed to look like they were advocating on a broad range of issues across American life.

[SunSeeker]

1. Yep, my right wimg relatives keep reposting thiose disgusting memes on Facebook.

They are such fertile ground for Russian trolls.

[totodeinhere]

2. If you haven't already you could cancel your Facebook membership.

I did several years ago and I have never looked back. There are tutorials on the web that instruct how to completely delete your Facebook membership and your Facebook profile.

[pnwmom]

5. Yeah, right. Just let those stupidities go unanswered. Sorry, I prefer to fight garbage with facts.

And I've had a number of people thank me for doing so, and even ask me to come to their threads to help them out in an argument.

[totodeinhere]

21. I understand your sentiment about sticking around and taking them on.

I tried that but it was like talking to a brick wall. And I had to put up with their name calling and insults. So I just opted out while I still had my sanity.

[pnwmom]

23. I understand your decision -- but I disagree with your conclusion that means everyone should leave.

[Yeehah]

19. I'll second that

I have no desire to be part of that cesspool.

[erronis]

3. Cancel your association with friends and family that still use fecesbuck. Make them write a letter

with a US Postal Stamp to restart the relationship.

Or a nice phone call.

The only people left on fecesbook are the clueless. Unfortunately that includes a lot of businesses that thought it was a good messaging platform.

[pnwmom]

6. That's false. Apparently you have a clueless group of friends there. I talk to smart people there

every day. And we share information, just like here.

[erronis]

10. and all of your information and your friends' information is being mined and manipulated

I don't have any contact with fb. I have an account that I set up when it first started. I attended a couple of developer conferences about the platform and understood that its model was very loose with PII (personal information).

Go for it.

I'm just suggesting that people start to look at better ways to keep their relationships secret from the zucks.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

13. You're spot on.

I deleted my profile and I'm not looking back. I had two anti-Trump videos taken down from my profile and that was the end of it. I don't need Zuckerfuck.

[pnwmom]

15. I have very limited settings on mine. I know that was a problem in the beginning

but I don't know why you are posting anywhere, including here, if you're worried about that.

[EX500rider]

7. No thanks...

I am a member of various hobby groups and school reunion groups and have and will have many group meetings arranged via FB, also keep in touch via posts/photos/videos with out of town family and friends.

[erronis]

11. Glad to hear that fb is able to harvest all of these people's information. As long as it works...

[EX500rider]

12. Seeing how it is a free website I expect them to make $ some way.

I also use it for photo storage, have over 50 albums with I'd guess a 100 gigs+, also free and accessible from anywhere.

[Joel Eyeforth]

4. The Ring of Fire: Yesterday

Fuck Zuck!

[Coventina]

8. And yet, we still have Facebook apologists on DU. n/t

[Thekaspervote]

14. Yes we do! Very frustrating...they are helping the dotard & gop be re-elected..make no mistake

Lots of ways to stay in touch with FF without using this vile platform!!

BOYCOTT Facebook...now!!

[2naSalit]

9. Just a matter of time...

[Iggo]

16. Pivot is a really good word here.

Because they didn't change who they were. They just changed targets.

[Steelrolled]

17. To me what is happening on FB is inevitable with the Internet

If not FB, it will be something else.

[ChazII]

18. My son was diagnosed with the same type of brain

tumor that killed VP Biden's son as well as senators Kennedy and McCain. Facebook was a great place for support from those who also had a loved one with GBM. We had a safe place to discuss the side effects of the various meds and other treatments. My son also had Neurofibromatosis 1. Again, support groups that help get through tough times as both diseases have no cure. Edited to add my son passed 3/6/20 and my DU family was a wonderful source emotional support.

[LittleGirl]

24. Condolences for your loss

Indeed, FB groups about thyroid disease helped me change my life from misery to functional. I have a love/hate relationship with FB because it's so divisive and yet, so informative in the right groups.

[Hip2bSquare]

20. The only trick left..divide and conquer

That's their last card to play. They have absolutely nothing positive to show. Barr, zuckerberg, moscow mitch know this is it. 2020 will set the tone and we must win.

So I say, bring it... we have one job...Vote them out!!!

[disndat]

25. Facebook

has tons of money from the Trump campaign including other big money sources. Zuckerberg's hair is on fire from the withdrawal
of big sponsors from Facebook ads, but he can't afford to cut off the Trump hate campaign money.