Report: High-profile 'TruckersforFreedom' tweets boosted by accounts that also amplified 'Pfizergate'
Key findings in this report
Between February 5 and 13, 2022 a dataset with 99,900 tweets declined by 6,959 tweets. Engagements disappear in one of three ways: voluntary deletion of the tweet, voluntary deletion of the account responsible for the engagement, or a user suspension.
Hoaxlines assessed a subset of missing engagements – a tweet, reply, quote, or retweet would be an engagement — and found that for MaximeBernier and TimCast, the majority of the engagements lost could be explained by user suspensions. Users behind the missing engagements often had recent creation dates.
Two users in the top 100 most active accounts for the truck-related hashtag dataset also appeared in the top 100 most active accounts for the Pfizergate hashtag in November 2021.
Suspensions explained most of the lost engagements we examined but we also found that some users deleted the engagement and were still active on the platform. Other users deleted their accounts altogether.
Taken together, the evidence in this report suggests inauthentic activity may be boosting prominent promoters of truck-related hashtags. Suspension indicates that Twitter may be aware of this platform manipulation.
If so, even if the platform cannot ascertain who is responsible for the activity, it is ethically questionable that the platform has not disclosed this. Twitter’s silence may leave users more vulnerable to influence efforts, allowing bad actors to sow chaos and potentially threaten national security.
For the full report visit novelscience.substack.com (https://novelscience.substack.com/p/high-profile-supporters-of-truck)
28 Feb 2021
Qualities of Q: New Research Outlines Traits of Qanon Followers Arrested at the Capitol Insurrection
A bizarre story born in the depths of the internet about political elites that trafficked and ate children (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/27/technology/pizzagate-justin-bieber-qanon-tiktok.html) evolved into what we now know as Qanon.
Qanon. It’s a catch-all collection of conspiracy beliefs (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/) that weaves anti-semitic Nazi propaganda, Christian tropes, and anti-intellectualism (https://www.justsecurity.org/72339/qanon-is-a-nazi-cult-rebranded/). The identity of their prophet (https://www.dazeddigital.com/science-tech/article/51447/1/qanons-leader-q-is-revealed-to-be-multiple-people), known only as Q, has almost certainly changed. Q is anonymous, hence the name Qanon, so followers and researchers can’t say with certainty who the original or subsequent prophet was.
Read the full story.
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Visit the Hoaxlines Disinformation Database (//novel-science.com/hoaxlines/).
20 Dec 2020
The UK Mutation Is A Warning to the US
A new strain of the virus causing COVID-19 appeared in the UK in September. By mid-November, the new variety of SARS-CoV-2 appeared in ¼ of new cases. Now, in December, that portion is much larger at over 60% of new cases. The change left Prime Minister Boris Johnson little choice but to restrict movement over Christmas.
It’s a warning that Americans should heed. Had Johnson acted swiftly and controlled the virus versus allowing uncontrolled spread, UK citizens might have had a very different Christmas.
Find more articles, infographics, and our latest work at NOVEL SCIENCE. (https://novel-science.com) Subscribe (https://mailchi.mp/83919fc1b8f5/novelscience)to receive the newsletter with expert-curated updates on COVID-19, research, and science and society.
Email editor@novel-science with questions, comments, or concerns.
16 Oct 2020
Inside the Fall of the CDC
How the world’s greatest public health organization was brought to its knees by a virus, the president and the capitulation of its own leaders, causing damage that could last much longer than the coronavirus.
Written by James Bandler (https://www.propublica.org/people/james-bandler), Patricia Callahan (https://www.propublica.org/people/patricia-callahan), Sebastian Rotella (https://www.propublica.org/people/sebastian-rotella), and Kirsten Berg (https://www.propublica.org/people/kirsten-berg) for ProPublica on Oct 15, 2020, republished by NOVEL SCIENCE
Article: https://novel-science.com/inside-the-fall-of-the-cdc/
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22 Sept 2020
Here's What the Congressional Watchdog Says About the Federal Pandemic Response & What They Can Do To Fix It
The GAO report details its audit of congressional and federal spending in the Covid-19 pandemic.
15 Aug 2020
Origins of Snake Oil: The Truth About the Most Famous Retracted COVID-19 Study
Origins of Snake Oil: The Truth About the Most Famous Retracted COVID-19 Study
The controversial study gave hope to the world. That was about three seconds before scientists found the trial suffered worrisome flaws. Whether the drug helped people heal faster or protected them from infection, this study couldn’t have shown.
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Please write with questions, comments, or corrections. Thank you for listening!
29 Jul 2020
What the Dengue Vaccine Riddle Says About the Future and Which Countries Will Rise and Fall
What the Dengue Vaccine Riddle Says About the Future and Which Countries Will Rise and Fall (https://medium.com/beingwell/the-dengue-vaccine-riddle-reveals-what-determines-who-holds-future-power-and-who-falls-89fb6e332200?source=friends_link&sk=d1e163d18008a73fe2e61fbebb3d4384)
Outbreaks have crushed and shaped civilizations for thousands of years. Not fighting the threat won’t protect you from a fall.
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Keywords, News, Dengue, Infectious Disease, Pandemics, Outbreaks, Public Health, Science, Research, Vaccines, Foreign Policy, Leadership, Management, History, Plague, COVID-19
27 Jul 2020
What You Should Know About Herd Immunity in the US
What You Should Know About Herd immunity in the US (https://medium.com/discourse/what-should-i-know-about-the-us-and-herd-immunity-vs-slowing-the-spread-88132f9128d2?source=friends_link&sk=80a162f5dfa0cbf030671e49bd07134a)
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The longer the pandemic goes on, the more “quick fixes” with an apparent end in sight, appeal. Whether we should pursue herd immunity is a fair question to ask. We have nothing to lose by exploring the idea. If we find out it offers better cost-benefit profile, then we should go with it. If it doesn’t, then we need to unify and stick to the goal, wholeheartedly.
Returning to life as it was or resuming a total “lockdown” are also not the only options available to us. Dispense with this idea and consider these five aspects.
22 Jul 2020
Deja Flu: Hard Lessons from the 1918 Pandemic We Apparently Didn't Learn Because We're Repeating Every Last One
Deja Flu: Hard Lessons from the 1918 Pandemic We Apparently Didn’t Learn Because We’re Repeating Every Last On (https://medium.com/discourse/deja-flu-hard-lessons-from-1918-we-apparently-didnt-learn-because-we-re-repeating-every-last-one-a8bbdb6fdabd?source=friends_link&sk=a8d8bec1d331c88620281a744296ad57)
The single greatest lesson in 1918 was simple. Tell the truth. The utterly broken relationship between the public and its leadership fractured entirely under the strain of war and outbreak. Learning from it means a better future.
Subscribe (https://mailchi.mp/83919fc1b8f5/novelscience) | editor@novel-science.com | Twitter (http://twitter.com/nobelprose) | Facebook (http://facebook.com/e.rosalie.sci.writing) | Medium (https://medium.com/@e.rosalie) | NOVEL SCIENCE (http://novel-science.com/)
Visit the article for full text (//www.medium.com/@e.rosalie)and a historical photo gallery
13 Jul 2020
Audioblog [Is the Death Rate Up or Down, Do More Tests Equal More Cases, And What Does Percent Positive Tell Us?]
Is the Death Rate Up or Down, Do More Tests Equal More Cases, And What Does Percent Positive Tell Us? (https://medium.com/@e.rosalie/is-the-death-rate-up-or-down-do-more-tests-equal-more-cases-and-what-does-percent-positive-mean-b821c896f73c?source=friends_link&sk=3a5c1f9ea3fc7074c0ce5ebc4835facb) Unsure what to make of recent headlines and quotes from officials? Fear not. I got you.
This post addresses the most common headlines or quotes sent to me in the past week or two. While there are people in public health with a far deeper understanding of infectious disease, claims like these I can handle.
This address does not rise to the standard of an academic journal nor contain enough detail to interest an expert audience. If you’re a no-nonsense human being who just wants to know (https://medium.com/@e.rosalie/no-nonsense-americans-guide-to-pandemic-numbers-and-how-to-tell-if-we-re-over-or-underestimating-88d001ac9e9c) what to make of headlines and claims floating into your social media feeds, this is for you.
I’ve simplified so as not to confuse or burden readers with information not needed. There are exceptions to almost everything, so please keep that in mind.
Nobel Prose is the podcast belonging to NOVEL-SCIENCE.com
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