Weaponized Social Media Is Driving the Explosion of Fascism
Social media platforms give governments, extremists, haters and propagandists the ability to excite and incite hate amplified by algorithms.

http://truthout.org/articles/weaponized-social-media-is-driving-the-explosion-of-fascism/
Date Written:  2019-04-05
Publisher:  Truthout
Year Published:  2019
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX23618

Describing how social media wages war on reality by spreading propaganda. With examples from ISIS to Alex Jones.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

One famous sockpuppet persona, the fictitious Jenna Abrams, became an American mainstream media fave. Described by The Guardian as an "all-American, Trump-loving, segregation-supporting, Confederate-defending Twitter star [who] does not really exist," Jenna appears to be another St. Petersburg creation. As such, "she" was quoted by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, USA Today, BET, The New York Daily News and a host of others. Once established as a lovable, personable, witty, trusted young Twitter star, "her" repertoire turned socially toxic, empowering millions of other racist haters on social media....

Major world powers have historically targeted each other with propaganda - and it's easy to spot. The Russians are also suspected of using their army of sockpuppets to promote the Brexit withdrawal from the European Union, but an Oxford Internet Institute study contends that while they did exploit Twitter and Facebook during the 2016 U.S. election, there’s no strong body of evidence that they did the same with Brexit. And while France wants to tar the popular Yellow Vest movement with accusations of nefarious Russian support, there's still not much evidence to support that claim.