Hackaday Links: January 10, 2021

You know that feeling when your previously niche hobby goes mainstream, and suddenly you’re not interested in it anymore because it was once quirky and weird but now it’s trendy and all the newcomers are going to come in and ruin it? That just happened to retrocomputing. The article is …read more

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2020 is misinformation’s tipping point

Millions of Americans who already struggle to keep pace with the daily barrage of news are now becoming accustomed to another challenge that’s only becoming more complicated: weaponized misinformation. Misinformation, which has existed for centuries, has emerged as a major theme of the current moment, though, as conspiracy theories, propaganda and disinformation, or the intentional spread of deceptive material, thrive on social media. Now, as Americans contend with fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and growing suspicion in societal institutions, false and fabricated narratives have become attached to essentially every major news story. It’s part of the new reality, complicated by the fact that users on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere re-post sensational material, believing they’re acting in good faith. “A lot of people seem to be sincere believers in the content they’re spreading, even if it’s not real,” said Kate Starbird, an associate professor at the University of Washington focused on […]

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Moldovan National Pleaded Guilty to Role in Digital Crime Enterprise

A national of the Republic of Moldova pleaded guilty to his role in a digital crime enterprise that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. On July 31, Valerian Chiochiu (aka “Onassis,” “Flagler,” “Socrate,&#8221… Continue reading Moldovan National Pleaded Guilty to Role in Digital Crime Enterprise

TikTok dumps QAnon channels, following Twitter’s crackdown

The only thing social media companies can seemingly agree upon when it comes to moderating content on their platforms is that QAnon crosses the line. TikTok has removed a number of hashtags associated with the far-right conspiracy theory group is poised to limit the spread of the group that the FBI has described as a domestic terrorism threat. The company has made it more difficult for users to search for popular hashtags, reportedly including “QAnon” and “QAnonTruth,” among others, following a similar announcement from Twitter that it would remove 7,000 accounts and limit 150,000 more. QAnon has pushed the unfounded conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump is fighting a “deep state” of government officials, celebrities and business leaders who secretly work as child sex traffickers and control global order. Its supporters frequently harass Trump critics, while believers have been linked to real-world acts of violence throughout the country. One supporter […]

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