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A few days ago, thousands of demonstrators gathered in a number of German cities, ignoring government restrictions and guidelines regarding social distancing or the wearing of protective face masks. Among the demonstrators were many ordinary citizens, but also extremists from both sides of the political spectrum, conspiracy theorists, and members of the radical right-wing populist […] More
What a strange, twisted time we’re all experiencing at the moment. It would be bad enough if all we had to contend with was a novel virus, a lockdown and a projected 12 to 18-month wait for a vaccine. Unfortunately, there are those among us who are indulging in the spread of misinformation. President Donald […] More
Fake social media accounts also used to support Ron Paul’s presidential bid and the Occupy movement A handful of fake accounts posted content including several cartoons portraying then prime minister David Cameron as ‘the embodiment of English oppression’. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian Iran’s state broadcaster experimented with using fake social media accounts to influence the […] More
House lawmakers said they could subpoena CEO to testify in antitrust investigation if he doesn’t appear voluntarily House lawmakers are asking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to testify to address possible misleading statements by the company on its competition practices. Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP A bipartisan group of House lawmakers investigating Amazon for possible antitrust violations have […] More
The current pandemic has led to the postponement of elections around the world. Over 75 countries have declared some kind of state of emergency. Several illiberal leaders, like Viktor Orban, have used the crisis to seize virtually unlimited powers. The Chinese model of full-spectrum clampdown has elicited praise across the political spectrum for its apparent effectiveness […] More
Donald Trump Campaign ads continue to focus on the southern border even as pandemic has killed hundreds of Americans Coronavirus – latest US updates Coronavirus – latest global updates See all our coronavirus coverage A Trump campaign ad featuring the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. Photograph: Facebook As the reality of the coronavirus crisis took […] More
In the US, lax regulation around personal data has allowed political campaigns to track voters and their ideological leanings. The UK could follow this by unwinding current EU-modelled safeguards Donald Trump uses nativist anger to put his government beyond empirical argument. His presidency has eroded the norms of political conflict. He poses an ever-present danger […] More
Platforms would lose legal cover if they fail to follow ‘best practice’ to prevent child abuse US senators have proposed a new law which would make key legal protections that online platforms rely on contingent on those platforms adopting specific practices related to privacy and the prevention of child sexual exploitation. The act has widely […] More
