By Aaron Kesel
Google claims 39 YouTube channels were connected to Iran and part of a covert Iranian-backed operation to spread propaganda to U.S. viewers and 49 were part of a Russian-backed operation to spread disinfo, PC MAG reported.
According to PC MAG, the propaganda campaign disguised itself by pretending to be several independent media websites, one of which was called the Liberty Front Press.
Further digging shows the cybersecurity firm FireEye investigated the media group and alleges uncovered evidence that it actually originates from Iran.
Google alleges it linked the campaign’s activities to actors associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting group. “We can’t go into all the technical details without giving away information that would be helpful to others seeking to abuse our platforms,” the company said in a blog post.
This is a telling assault on freedom of the press and information by the megalithic corporate conglomerate. It is an extremely worrying prospect that corporations can decide what is and isn’t propaganda. That’s walking right into a 1984-esque society, where there is a Ministry of Truth. In this case, the Ministry of Truth is Silicon Valley.
One has to wonder what Silicon Valley considers propaganda when it comes to Iran. Is anti-war rhetoric considered propaganda? It is according to FireEye who notes that the covert campaign focused on spreading pro-Iranian political messages to audiences in the U.S., UK, the Middle East and Latin America. This includes voicing support for the US-Iran nuclear deal and circulating jokes and criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Facebook recently banned left-leaning TeleSur English for the second time this year in a deeply disturbing trend, without any explanation.
A few days ago, Facebook and Twitter also shut down hundreds of fake accounts and pages allegedly tied to the same Iranian group and Russians with the help of security firm FireEye.
Working with our industry peers today, we have suspended 284 accounts from Twitter for engaging in coordinated manipulation. Based on our existing analysis, it appears many of these accounts originated from Iran.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) August 22, 2018
This comes on the heels of a secret meeting by Silicon Valley to discuss strategy for the 2018 upcoming election, to prevent interference. As the alleged still-evidence-free hacking of the U.S. election and use of “Russian” propaganda bots.
Google killed Activist Post‘s YouTube account earlier this year after Activist Post contributor Vin Armani made a joke about a sex robot.
The suppression of information is happening. Are you paying attention? Our society is becoming more and more Orwellian — don’t think for yourself, we will think for you, is becoming the motto of Silicon Valley. Ultimately, they are censoring and shadow banning some individuals completely out of the conversation, which has ironically spawned social media alternatives like Steemit and SoMee.Social.
For YouTube, see the alternative BitChute which Activist Post interviewed earlier this year when YouTube begun purging the alternative media.
To highlight how bad the thought police are becoming, on some conspiracy videos YouTube has now begun adding a box which seeks to debunk “x” theory, Activist Post reported.
Asking logical questions is critical thinking and as Carl Sagan once said:
There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question.
Everyone should be free to express their thoughts, especially those who take on the responsibility of independent journalists; people should be free to make up their own minds or else we walk into an Orwellian society where we are told what to watch read and believe. Without that right of freedom of expression, tyranny becomes prevalent; everyone has an opinion, even though it is important to source and back up your reasoning. Can 10,000 people at YouTube and others elsewhere really be put in charge of determining what information should and shouldn’t be decimated by the public?
Ironically, Activist Post reported months ago that since Google was heading towards targeting critical thinkers demonized as “Conspiracy Theorists” who ask the difficult questions in its rating guidelines, YouTube wouldn’t be too long to follow behind those actions.
Considering that the origination of the word “Conspiracy Theorist” comes from the CIA, I would say using a derogatory word to discuss those who think is dangerous. More modernized, in fact, it is also straight out of the JTIRG playbook that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed.
Misinformation is plaguing the Internet, but who is to decide what is and isn’t misinformation? The readers themselves need to, because policing thought and opinion opens a door to the avenue of a Truth Council and information oversight where admins (the purveyors of truth) decide what is and isn’t fact. What happens when one of these people doesn’t dig deep enough and just dismisses something without looking at the evidence, due to lack of information or understanding?
Of course, this all comes after Google hired 10,000 people to clean up its subsidiary company YouTube and has been blamed as a mistake by new employees banning the “alt-right,” Bloomberg reported.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center is assisting YouTube in policing content on their platform,” The Daily Caller reported. “The left-wing nonprofit — which has more recently come under fire for labeling legitimate conservative organizations as “hate groups” — is one of the more than 100 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agencies in YouTube’s ‘Trusted Flaggers’ program, a source with knowledge of the arrangement told TheDC.”
We don’t need thought police; we need thought leaders and free speech regardless of beliefs. It’s extremely worrying that all of Silicon Valley believes it’s now time to filter information that the general public can receive. Trying to control information and playing the purveyors of truth is a dangerous game.
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post. Support us at Patreon. Follow us on Minds, Steemit, SoMee, BitChute, Facebook and Twitter. Ready for solutions? Subscribe to our premium newsletter Counter Markets.
They will have no problems banning all right wingers and their spew of USofA first, freedom and the constitution. Of course fb, twitt and google wish to toss the constitution along with the amendments.
When terms of service are listed by a service provider and you click on ‘I Accept’ you waive your Constitutional rights. Read the fine print. Decline terms of service and find another platform.