Facebook Choked Traffic to Mother Jones & Other Sites While Amplifying Right-Wing Misinformation
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-10-29
Big Tech CEOs were grilled Wednesday about how they moderate election disinformation and extremist content, and were accused by Republicans of censoring conservatives. Overlooked were reports that Facebook designed changes to its news feed algorithm in 2017 to reduce the visibility of left-leaning news sites like Mother Jones. Mother Jones editors wrote in 2019 that the site had seen a sharp decline in its Facebook audience, which translated to a loss of around $600,000 over 18 months. "The fact that we are trying to do everything we can to get the truth out and Facebook is deliberately sabotaging our readership…
www.democracynow.org/2020/10/29/ari_berman_mother_jones_facebook_censorship

Twitter suspends Palestinian accounts shortly after Israeli ministry report on 'phony' profiles
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2020-10-29
Twitter suspends Palestinian accounts shortly after Israeli ministry report on 'phony' profiles | Social media giant says accounts were 'amplifying the dissemination of information' that violated its terms of service | MEE staff | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 12: 24 | Sada Social has been recording and monitoring the suspension of Palestinian content and accounts on Twitter and Facebook since September 2017 (AFP) | Twitter has suspe…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/twitter-palestine-israel-accounts-suspended-ministry-report

Jeremy Corbyn's shocking suspension is met with an outpouring of solidarity on social media
Sophia Purdy-Moore | thecanary.co | 2020-10-29
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended, "in light of his comments" in response to an investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'s investigation, published on 29 October, found Labour responsible for "unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment" in its handling of allegations of antisemitism. | In his statement following the release of the report, Corbyn said he regrets it took "longer to deliver that change than it sho…
thecanary.co/uk/2020/10/29/jeremy-corbyns-shocking-suspension-is-met-with-an-outpouring-of-solidarity-on-social-media/

Concord D2 Residents Can Vote Out Caviar Carlyn
Concord Author | indybay.org | 2020-10-28
In the lead up to the election during the economic and Covid crisises, Carlyn Obringer is promoting caviar on Twitter and Facebook. Caviar Carlyn is out of touch when it comes to the struggles that so many Concord residents are facing.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/10/27/18837911.php

Freedom Dreamers: The Faces of Student Debt
Mary Green Swig, Steven Swig | commondreams.org | 2020-10-28
A shared dream is a powerful force for change. It's time to share the dream of freedom from student debt. (Photo: YouTube/screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/debt_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/10/28/freedom-dreamers-faces-student-debt?cd-origin=rss

Arabic press review: Hundreds of Kuwaiti companies face bankruptcy amid coronavirus
Mohammad Ayesh | middleeasteye.net | 2020-10-28
Arabic press review: Hundreds of Kuwaiti companies face bankruptcy amid coronavirus | Meanwhile, Moroccan politician says Macron waging war on Islam, Egypt jails activist over tweet and IMF warns of 'challenging' times for poorer nations | Mohammad Ayesh | Wed, 10/28/2020 – 17: 09 | Kuwaiti man stops at a currency exchange shop in Kuwait City (AFP) | Kuwaiti companies threatened with bankruptcy: | Hundre…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/arabic-press-review-kuwaiti-companies-face-bankruptcy-coronavirus

The New York Times attacks the First Amendment and embraces censorship of "disinformation"
wsws.org | 2020-10-28
An essay published in the October 18 edition of the New York Times Magazine argues that online "disinformation" has rendered First Amendment rights to free speech "inadequate," requiring government and social media censorship of "unfettered speech."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/10/28/time-o28.html

Faceboook moderators forced to return to offices as COVID-19 continues to spread
wsws.org | 2020-10-28
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the world, Facebook and its contractors are forcing content moderators to return to offices and risk their lives.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/10/29/face-o28.html

The PS5, Social Media and Mass Censorship — What Can Be Done?
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-10-28
Like an aging oil field the freedom that the Internet offered to the common man across the planet is drying up. "Deplatforming" has become a mainstream expression for describing the growing number of individuals and organizations who have lost their ability to use big social media because of their beliefs. Facebook is now acting like a Ministry of Truth putting up warnings/blocking for posts which its administration feels are fake or harmful. Which would sound reasonable if there wa…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/10/28/the-ps5-social-media-and-mass-censorship-what-can-be-done/

Don't Rush to Declare Victory: Implementing a Two-Week Grace Period After November 3rd So All Voters Can Be Counted
Ralph Nader | commondreams.org | 2020-10-27
With such large stakes for our fragile democracy, we cannot afford to bypass such a course of action that will assure a peaceful transition in accord with the rule of law. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/early.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/10/27/dont-rush-declare-victory-implementing-two-week-grace-period-after-november-3rd-so?cd-origin=rss

IAM Local 1855 wins a better contract after strike in Appleton, WI
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-10-27
Appleton, WI – On the morning of October 24, the following message was posted on the social media accounts of IAM Local 1855: "After a week-long strike IAMAW Members employed at AstenJohnson in Appleton overwhelmingly accepted a greatly improved contract offer this morning. This offer included locking in insurance plan design and premiums for the next two years among other positive changes. Their solidarity and persistence paid off big. Congratulations to the members of Local 1855 and a special thank you to the Teamsters Local 662 for honoring our picket line." | The machinists at AstenJohnson were on strike to d…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/10/26/iam-local-1855-wins-better-contract-after-strike-appleton-wi

Concord D2 Residents Can Vote Out Caviar Carlyn
Concord Author | indybay.org | 2020-10-27
In the lead up to the election during the economic and Covid crisises, Carlyn Obringer is promoting caviar on Twitter and Facebook. Caviar Carlyn is out of touch when it comes to the struggles that so many Concord residents are facing.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/10/27/18837911.php

Schools & clubs closing in Bulgaria amid record Covid-19 surge as health minister warns of 'severe winter months'
rt.com | 2020-10-27
Bulgaria will close its clubs and order high school and university students to study remotely for two weeks as of October 29 in a bid to curb rising coronavirus infection rates, the country's health minister said on Tuesday. | "We have to defuse Covid-19 spread…and if we continue to neglect the [preventative] measures, at some point it may be too late," Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. | "We are facing severe winter months — we are entering the flu season and the risk that th…
rt.com/news/504732-bulgaria-covid-restrictions-increased/

Facebook deploying teams with advanced censorship tools in advance of the US election
wsws.org | 2020-10-27
Citing concerns over election-related "chaos" and "violence," Facebook is preparing–in collaboration with the US intelligence state–advanced software tools for implementing a censorship regime during November 3 and its aftermath.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/10/27/cens-o27.html

Macron's anti-Islam remarks give rise to France boycott campaign in Egypt
Amr Emam | middleeasteye.net | 2020-10-27
Macron's anti-Islam remarks give rise to France boycott campaign in Egypt | Calls for boycotting French goods find support and opposition in Egypt, one of France's main strategic allies in the region | Amr Emam | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 11: 44 | Workers at an Egyptian supermarket chain remove French products from shelves, 24 October 2020 (Facebook) | A major supermarket chain in Egypt has taken French goods off its shelves in res…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-france-boycott-macron-anti-islam-remarks

IAM Local 1855 wins a better contract after strike in Appleton, WI
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-10-27
Appleton, WI – On the morning of October 24, the following message was posted on the social media accounts of IAM Local 1855: "After a week-long strike IAMAW Members employed at AstenJohnson in Appleton overwhelmingly accepted a greatly improved contract offer this morning. This offer included locking in insurance plan design and premiums for the next two years among other positive changes. Their solidarity and persistence paid off big. Congratulations to the members of Local 1855 and a special thank you to the Teamsters Local 662 for honoring our picket line." | The machinists at AstenJohnson were on strike to d…
fightbacknews.org/2020/10/26/iam-local-1855-wins-better-contract-after-strike-appleton-wi

Protests Rise in Philly After Police Murder Black Man Amid Mental Health Crisis
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-10-27
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–West Philly saw a quickly escalating situation develop on 4 p.m. Monday afternoon and dragging into the evening and overnight. In a graphic and disturbing video circulating on social media, two white Philadelphia Police (PPD) officers are seen repeatedly shooting a Black man in front of his mother from several feet away as he walked while holding a knife. Neither of the two officers in the video seemed to attempt to use their taser, and they appeared to hav…
truthout.org/articles/protests-rise-in-philly-after-police-murder-black-man-amid-mental-health-crisis/

Yemen: Houthi minister of youth 'assassinated' in Sanaa
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-10-27
Yemen: Houthi minister of youth 'assassinated' in Sanaa | The Houthis denounce the attack as 'a criminal act' by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen | MEE and agencies | Tue, 10/27/2020 – 10: 38 | Yemeni politician Hassan Mohamed Zaid, 66, was killed in the capital Sanaa on Tuesday (Twitter) | Yemen's Houthi movement announced on Tuesday that Hassan Zaid, its minister of youth and sports affairs, was g…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-houthi-minister-youth-assassinated-sanaa

You voted. Great! Now the real political work begins
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-10-27
Can we burn down the system at the ballot box? We explore different methods beyond voting to make systemic change with our guests, Ricci Sergienko of the People's City Council of Los Angeles, and Green Party VP nominee Angela Walker. | Burn It Down is our new show — and on a new YouTube channel. Don't forget to subscribe!
therealnews.com/you-voted-great-now-the-real-work

Who is Behind "Fake News"? Mainstream Media Use Fake Videos and Images
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-10-26
The mainstream corporate media is desperate. They want to suppress independent and alternative online media, which they categorize as "fake news". Readers on social media are warned not to go onto certain sites. Our analysis confirms that the mainstream media are routinely involved in distorting the facts and turning realities upside down.
globalresearch.ca/who-is-behind-fake-news-mainstream-media-use-fake-videos-and-images/5557580

Watchdog Fights Back as Facebook Attempts to Shut Down Research Exposing 'Political Disinformation' in Ad Practices
Kenny Stancil, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-10-26
"Rather than combat the rampant disinformation and hate on its platform, Facebook has decided to go after the people who are helping voters understand who is trying to influence their votes." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook_5.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/10/26/watchdog-fights-back-facebook-attempts-shut-down-research-exposing-political?cd-origin=rss