Facebook admits it illegally permitted a foreign country to actively meddle in democratic process

[StrictlyRockers]

Facebook’s halting steps forward in aiding the congressional investigation are nothing new for the company, which only recently has come around to the very frightening (and probably illegal) reality that it permitted a foreign country to actively meddle in the democratic process of the U.S.

In July, the social media company poured cold water on the Senate Intelligence Committee when presented with evidence that Russian actors potentially used Facebook to target highly specific groups of voters.

“We have seen no evidence that Russian actors bought ads on Facebook in connection with the election,” Facebook told CNN at the time.

That proved untrue less than two months later, when Facebook revealed it had, in fact, been paid around $100,000 to push Kremlin-linked ads aimed at “amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum.”

And it’s an even further departure from Zuckerberg’s immediate reaction after the election, when he dismissed as “pretty silly” the idea that misinformation spread on Facebook could have affected the election’s outcome.

On Thursday, Zuckerberg left the door open to the possibility that Facebook may yet find more Russian fingerprints on some of its ads. Judging from the questions Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, is putting forward, that may be a wise idea: “How are the Russians smart enough to target in areas where the Democrats weren’t knowledgeable enough?” Warner asked earlier this summer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facebook-russia-ads-congressional-investigator_us_59c41c60e4b0cdc7732ffef1

Link to tweet

[forgotmylogin]

1. I considered deleting my FB account.

I *barely* go on there, except to occasionally keep up with a long lost contact.

I hear it doesn't help though - they will never delete your information.

[democratisphere]

5. I unsubscribed this past week.

Shut them down!

[GusBob]

2. How is that against the law?

[onenote]

12. Good question. I wonder if anyone will try to answer.

[MrsCoffee]

23. 52 U.S.C. 30121 and 11 CFR 110.20

https://www.fec.gov/updates/foreign-nationals/

[Deuce]

25. Thank you...

[SHRED]

3. People like Facebook

This is an interesting conundrum.

[WinkyDink]

7. But we all once lived without it. I still do.

[Iggo]

28. I've lived without it for its entire existence. It can be done.

[DBoon]

37. Like almost all tech companies, Facebook is a defacto monopoly

Not subject to anti-trust, and not regulated in the public industries as utilities

Choosing to quit Facebook in effect means opting out of usable social media. There is no competitor to turn to for this service. Related services don't play in the same space and are themselves monopolies in their own right

[WinkyDink]

4. "Facebook" is not a human. The word is "Zuckerberg."

[dalton99a]

11. +1

[Iggo]

29. Ayup. (n/t)

[blueinredohio]

6. The almighty dollar rules the world

[Ezior]

8. They now promise to look into things related to the German election

Though so far, not much has been going on in terms of Russia-linked psy-ops. Maybe they realized that those things can backfire badly, or maybe they just don't hate our politicians that much. (Quite likely actually, they always talk about peace, working with Russia, diplomacy, buying more natural gas from Russia, while Russia attacks its neighbours and meddles in US elections, etc.)

We have the xenophobic and especially islamophobic and sometimes outright nazistic AfD (Angsthasen für Deutschland, Angst fickt Deutschland, whatever you want it to mean) that is receiving donations (in cash or paid-for ads) from questionable sources in Switzerland, and some suspect it's from Russia. Many Russian immigrants plan to vote for the AfD, so RT and Sputnik propaganda seems to work (we have lots of Russian immigrants who had ancestors in Germany a long time ago and were invited to "come back" in the ~90s). The fact that this party is probably going to receive >10% of the vote is extremely sickening. One of their now ex-members called for shooting squads for lefties in leaked chat messages, others want to turn around the "commemorative culture" around the Hitler regime by 180°, etc...

So now Facebook wants to report on what's going on on Facebook related to the German elections. I guess that's a good thing?

[madokie]

9. Help me with my memory here

Didn't Mark Zuckerberg rescind, or attempt too, his citizenship early on when it was time for him to pay taxes

[demmiblue]

17. That was his co-founder, Eduardo Saverin. n/t

[HAB911]

10. Remember the Winklevoss!!

[deminks]

13. Just a month ago, Fuckerberg was hinting at running for Presinut.

My how the worm turns. From candidate to traitor in 60 seconds.

He only turned the ads over 'cause he got caught. Hand in the cookie jar and all.

[Blue_Adept]

14. I can't wait until we see how Zuckerberg personally approved each ad

[StrictlyRockers]

15. I think buying the ads is all automated with no oversight by humans.

It may not be technically illegal at the moment, but there is no doubt whatsoever that new regulations are coming on this.

[Blue_Adept]

16. Oh I know

But so many seem to think that it was something that was personally approved because they have no experience in how ad buying goes. It's frustrating, more so on a site like this where there's a lack of grasp on technology by a lot, because when you try to explain how this works you just get back "DELETE FB!" and other tripe.

[StrictlyRockers]

18. Is it significant that they sold $.5 billion in stock to a Russian oligarch?

It smells bad.

[StrictlyRockers]

19. Sheryl Sandberg weighs in

“We never intended or anticipated this functionality being used this way — and that is on us,” Ms. Sandberg wrote.

It was a candid admission that reminded me of a moment in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” after the scientist Victor Frankenstein realizes that his cobbled-together creature has gone rogue.

“I had been the author of unalterable evils,” he says, “and I lived in daily fear lest the monster whom I had created should perpetrate some new wickedness.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/technology/facebook-frankenstein-sandberg-ads.html

[pnwmom]

34. Some of the ads were paid for in rubles. That should have given the computers a clue. nt

[DBoon]

38. It is that way by design

Making money from ads is more important than vetting the ads.

Ads are a mjaor source of malware, BTW, for the same reason

[sarisataka]

20. What law was broken?

The title prominently states fb illegally permitted, but by the first paragraph downgrades the accusation to a parenthetical (probably illegal)

So even if Russian actors bought ads, as almost assuredly happened, was it illegal to do so? If the answer to that is yes the follow-up question is did Facebook have any legal obligation to vet, censor or remove the ads?

[rogue emissary]

22. At least 52 U.S.C. 30121 and generally, 11 CFR 110.20

Correction the below section applies to Facebook.

Providing assistance with foreign national election activity

Under Commission regulations, it is unlawful to knowingly provide “substantial assistance” to foreign nationals making contributions or donations in connection with any U.S. election. Further, no person may provide substantial assistance in the making of any expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement by a foreign national. "Substantial assistance" refers to active involvement in the solicitation, making, receipt or acceptance of a foreign national contribution or donation with the intent of facilitating the successful completion of the transaction. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to individuals who act as conduits or intermediaries. See Explanation and Justification for 11 CFR 110.20 at 67 FR 69945-46 (November 19, 2002) [PDF].

https://www.fec.gov/updates/foreign-nationals/

The Act and Commission regulations include a broad prohibition on foreign national activity in connection with elections in the United States. 52 U.S.C. § 30121 and generally, 11 CFR 110.20. In general, foreign nationals are prohibited from the following activities:

-Making any contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or making any expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement in connection with any federal, state or local election in the United States;

-Making any contribution or donation to any committee or organization of any national, state, district, or local political party (including donations to a party nonfederal account or office building account);

-Making any disbursement for an electioneering communication;

-Making any donation to a presidential inaugural committee.

[sarisataka]

24. In my, admitted inexpert, opinion

These wouldn't apply unless the ads were soliciting donations. They laws you cite don't look like they would apply to verbal support/opposition to a candidate even if the statements are false. My reading is a monetary component, beyond the cost of the as, is required.

Secondly there is that word knowingly. If the actors were behind false identities did/should Facebook have known who actually was behind the ads?

[rogue emissary]

31. Making any contribution or donation of money or "other thing of value"

these ads apply just as if a foreign entity tried to buy campaign ads on TV. It's still illegal and falls under the same statutes.

FB admitted the ads were paid for with Russian Rubles and many believe the ad buy was sent from a foreign server.

Soliciting, accepting, or receiving contributions and donations from foreign nationals

The Act prohibits knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving contributions or donations from foreign nationals. In this context, "knowingly" means that a person:

Has actual knowledge that the funds solicited, accepted, or received are from a foreign national;
Is aware of facts that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the funds solicited, accepted, or received are likely to be from a foreign national; or
Is aware of facts that would lead a reasonable person to inquire whether the source of the funds solicited, accepted or received is a foreign national.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/congress-will-get-to-see-russias-facebook-propaganda-will-you

Facebook has not actively released details of any of the posts or events to the public, nor has it said how many Kremlin-backed Facebook groups they’ve identified. (A few Kremlin-backed posts and groups covertly posting political content during last year’s election were first identified this year by outlets including The Daily Beast, then later acknowledged by Facebook after those press reports.) The propaganda groups identified so far purchased ads using rubles under the name of a known St. Petersburg troll farm.

[sarisataka]

33. As I said, I am far from an expert

And am no fan of FB. Never created an account; I talk direct to my friends and feel no need to publicly document my life.

There is more than enough reason to investigate, IMO, but it seems the author is jumping the gun to sensationalize the headline.

[pnwmom]

35. Some of the illegal campaign ads were paid for in rubles. Facebook should have known.

And the law applies to ads that promote or attack candidates, some of these ads were barred by law.

[Not Ruth]

26. Enabled or permitted

[Iggo]

27. That's it. Lie until you can't lie anymore. Fuck you, Zuckerberg.

:middlefinger:

[JNelson6563]

30. I have deactivated my FB account.

Because Fuck Them. They need to be made to pay in a way that leaves a mark. Leave. Do it.

[DK504]

32. We have seen no evidence that Russian actors bought ads on Facebook in connection ...

... with the election,” Facebook told CNN at the time. "

Now they admit it, at the time they only wanted the revenue from their Russian tampering. Why admit they help change the course of the election?

[pnwmom]

36. The problem with leaving FB is that that won't shut it down. I prefer to stay there

and flood it with political articles and posts. There are millions of people who get most of their news from FB. They're going to get at least some of it from ME.

[StrictlyRockers]

39. I agree with this.

I'm on Twitter fighting back against the BS fake news and propaganda from bots & trolls. My Twitter posts are automatically sent to my 2k FB friends, however I almost never go on FB myself. Twitter is what's happening now. FB is yesterday.

[pnwmom]

40. I agree that FB is yesterday. But me and many of my friends ARE yesterday, and we vote

in high numbers.

[StrictlyRockers]

41. FB is still a useful platform.

I just prefer Twitter lately. I'm old & I vote, too.

[Not Ruth]

42. Some people think that Zuckerberg might have to leave the US over this

Link to tweet