US Defense Department contract 'inaccurately represented' on social media, says Thomson Reuters

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

February 13, 2025 8:14 PM EST Updated 9 hours ago


Feb 13 (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO) said on Thursday its business with the U.S. Department of Defense was "inaccurately represented," in response to accusations on social media by Elon Musk and President Donald Trump that the company played a role in "large scale social deception" for the government.

The contract in question was a four-year, $9 million award, beginning in 2018 during Trump's first term and ending in 2022, between the U.S. Department of Defense and a division of the Toronto-based content and technology company called Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS). The contract was intended to protect the U.S. government from social engineering, which is a form of cyber threat in which people are tricked into divulging sensitive information.

Spokesperson Tabatha Thompson of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, the research and development arm of the U.S. military, which funded the contract, said, "Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) was competitively selected to serve as the evaluator to test the defensive tools. ... They (Thomson Reuters) assessed the effectiveness of our defensive tools."

Trump demanded that Reuters repay the U.S. government in a Truth Social post on Thursday morning: "DOGE: Looks like Radical Left Reuters was paid $9,000,000 by the Department of Defense to study 'large scale social deception.' GIVE BACK THE MONEY, NOW!" Thomson Reuters said TRSS is a separate U.S. legal entity governed by an independent board of directors. Reuters, an independent global news organization, adheres to its own Trust Principles, which govern its journalism standards.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/us-defense-department-contract-inaccurately-represented-social-media-says-2025-02-13/

[Swede]

1. These guys shoot first, ask questions later.

Dangerous way to run a government.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. But what is even more "dangerous"

is that our so-called M$M "4th Estate", ACCEPTS the MAGat framing as "gospel" (in their headlines and main parts of their articles) and then maybe way way down near the bottom of such an article, will they attempt to do some kind of fact check.

[Swede]

3. It's amazing how everything just falls in line with facists.

"It can't happen here." Well it is happening here, and it's only going to get worse.

[ariadne0614]

4. Rachel covered this on her show last night.

Bottom line: the Muskrat is trying to discredit Reuters for covering so many of his evil doings. I tried and failed to find a link to the segment, which happened ~16:30 before the end of the show.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The criminal cabal is going after ALL of the press

that is not overtly fawning - and that oddly includes right-leaning outlets like Politico and The Hill (and we know in the past that they have even gone after Faux). It's Newsmax, OAN, etc., or bust. Reuters is a UK-based outlet as it is (recently bought by a Canadian company).

[ariadne0614]

6. Yes, true, and I also trust Rachel's take.

Reuters is a thorn in the muskrat’s side.

[Prairie Gates]

7. "They knowingly lied about this contract. No sentient adult could read it and interpret it the way they did."

"They are lying to the American people about these kinds of contracts because they want to intimidate the media. Send your lawyers, Mr. Trump. We have ours, and they're ready for whatever lies you bring to the table."

There's your fucking statement, Reuters. For fuck's sake, enough with the kid glove treatment.