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A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

bleepingcomputer.com

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Re: A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

#11

Link to the underlying report (PDF): https://documents.trendmicro.com/assets/white_papers/wp-fake... I'm not clear on how effective such a campaign promises to be. But assuming that folks wouldn't pay if they couldn't get something out of it, what does this tell us about democracy? Do we need to throw out either democracy or freedom of speech?

Is it possible to throw out one without the other?

Re: A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

#12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need a more engaged and educated electorate.

I think engagement is part of the problem - many people are very eager to spot "gotchas!" of their opponents, rather than taking a more broad and measured view. And educational achievement doesn't seem to be any barrier to the acceptance of bogus news - even being a leader in one field doesn't make you immune to disinformation from an unrelated quarter, and in fact we see this every day.

I would argue that all the people yelling "gotcha" aren't actually involved. Anything more than a superficial understanding see through that. Many of the people shouting "gotcha" can name their governor or congressional reps, and how many don't know about their local/state reps?

If they can't name more than one or two key people how involved are they?

Involvement is larger more complex issue. (So is education, but I am not touching that one for now)

Re: A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

#14

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to vote.

Far better to educate the general public so well that such a test becomes redundant, than to live in a society where such a test is necessary.

Re: A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

#16

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to vote.

Seems onerous to administer, why not only allow land-owners to vote? Seems simpler to verify.

Re: A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

#17

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to vote.

What would happen to people with a learning disability?

Would you protect their vote? Or are they subhuman and not allowed to take part in democracy?

Re: A 12-Month Campaign of Fake News to Influence Elections Costs $400K

#20
post #17

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to vote.

What would happen to people with a learning disability? Would you protect their vote? Or are they subhuman and not allowed to take part in democracy?

So children are subhuman?
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