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TagBrad Polumbo

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Action of safety officer is writing on safety checklist document during safety audit and inspection, with factory workshop as blurred background. Industrial expertise occupation photo. Selective focus

Fact Checking as the New Censorship — Surer Than the Old Type

Apparently, Facebook has created a special portal for government to report “disinformation”

Did you know that the Disinformation Governance Board, supposedly shut down, never really died? It continues in more covert forms. From an article published today at The Intercept: Years of internal DHS memos, emails, and documents — obtained via leaks and an ongoing lawsuit, as well as public documents — illustrate an expansive effort by the agency to influence tech platforms… “Platforms have got to get comfortable with gov’t. It’s really interesting how hesitant they remain,” Microsoft executive Matt Masterson, a former DHS official, texted Jen Easterly, a DHS director, in February. Ken Klippenstein, Lee Fang, “Truth Cops” at The Intercept (October 31, 2022) We also learn that “Facebook created a special portal for DHS and government partners to report Read More ›

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PayPal Can Still Fine Its Users $2500 for Wrongthink

It’s possible that PayPal is morphing into something like a church-based credit union, where certain beliefs and behavior are expected of customers

As word of PayPal’s leaked proposal to charge users $2500 for spreading “misinformation” spread last week, the e-commerce system quickly disavowed it. They were wise. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr described the proposal as “Orwellian.” Thousands sought out search terms around the concept of cancelling PayPal. Such a nice story; if only it ended there. Lesson learned and we all go home. But some caution, not so fast. Other things the Terms of Service (TOS) still says should also set users thinking: As it turns out, PayPal has in place another dystopian financial censorship policy that enacts similar fines for those it deems bigots or hatemongers. Law professor Eugene Volokh exposed the PayPal policy, which again authorizes $2,500 fines (taken Read More ›