Tag: parties
US political parties’ views on Twitter have changed dramatically in two years
Republicans’ and Democrats’ views of Twitter have moved in opposite directions since Elon Musk’s takeover last fall. A Pew Research poll published today found that Republicans are more likely to see the social platform in a positive light than two years ago, while Democrats’ views have moved on a divergent path. Although the results reflect what already appeared to be common sense — Republicans like it when the platform’s new leader amplifies far-right views while Democrats don’t — this is some of the first hard data we’ve seen to confirm that.
The portion of Republican and Republican-leaning Twitter users who believe the platform is “mostly bad” for US democracy dropped significantly to 21 percent from 60 percent two years ago. Similarly, Republicans who say the platform is “mostly good” for democracy rose from 17 percent to 43 percent in those two years. Meanwhile, Democrats’ views of Twitter as being good for democracy dropped from 47 percent in 2021 to 24 percent today; their view of the site being bad for democracy also increased from 28 percent to 35 percent.
However, both parties surveyed increasingly believe Twitter doesn’t affect American democracy. In 2021, 22 percent of Republicans answered that the social media platform had no impact, while 23 percent of Democrats agreed. Today, 36 percent of Republicans said it has no effect, and Democrats’ views on Twitter’s democratic irrelevance grew to 40 percent.
Meanwhile, the gap in the US political parties’ views on misinformation and abuse on the platform is also widening. For example, 68 percent of Democrats surveyed say “inaccurate or misleading information” is a problem on the platform (up from 54 percent in 2021), compared to 37 percent of Republicans who believe it’s a problem (compared to 52 percent two years ago). Similarly, 65 percent of Democrats say harassment and abuse are concerns (a rise from 50 percent in 2021), while 29 percent of Republicans agree (down from 41 percent in 2021).
Researchers (and anyone paying attention) have noted Musk’s increasingly conspiratorial posts and amplification of hate-mongering on the far right since the self-proclaimed centrist and free-speech absolutist took over. After he bought Twitter for $44 billion in October, researchers noted a quick rise in hate speech and misinformation. For example, in the week before the takeover, Montclair State University researchers found 84 tweets per hour using “homophobic, antisemitic and racial hate terms;” they found over 4,778 tweets fitting those criteria in the first 12 hours of Musk’s reign on October 28th.
“The way that Twitter’s content moderation has changed since [Musk has] taken over has definitely skewed towards favoring the far-right,” JM Berger, a researcher on extremism in social media, toldInsider in December. “I think he’s intentionally empowering right-wing extremists. Any argument that he’s trying to empower the center is patently bullshit and should be treated as such.”
Musk tweeted the transphobic and conspiratorial double whammy in December: “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci.” Additionally, in a since-deleted tweet posted in October, he shared a link to a site spreading conspiracy theories about the assault on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, insisting there may be “more to the story.” Then, in early December, he reinstated the account of the creator of a Neo-Nazi website. And, of course, he also invited Donald Trump back to the platform in November after the former President was banned for inciting an insurrection in January 2021.
“The danger here is that in the name of ‘free speech,’ Musk will turn back the clock and make Twitter into a more potent engine of hatred, divisiveness, and misinformation about elections, public health policy, and international affairs,” said Paul Barrett, deputy director of NYU’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, in October. “This is not going to be pretty.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-political-parties-views-on-twitter-have-changed-dramatically-in-two-years-183237760.html?src=rss
Laura Kuenssberg: What could go right and wrong for parties in England’s local elections?
Britain’s biggest business organisation forced to ban all parties following series of sex scandals
A SERIES of sex scandals has forced Britain’s biggest business organisation to pull the plug on all its parties.
Allegations of sexual assault and rape have forced the Confederation of British Industry, which represents 190,000 businesses, to act.
Tony Danker, CBI chief executive, was accused of sexual harassment by a worker[/caption]
It has even scrubbed next month’s annual dinner, which would have been attended by the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey.
The move comes weeks after a worker accused chief executive Tony Danker, 51, of sexual harassment.
Mr Danker said his conduct was “completely unintentional” but he was forced to step down and remains under investigation.
And this week more than a dozen women alleged sexual misconduct by senior CBI staff.
One claimed she was raped at a staff party on a boat on the Thames in 2019.
A CBI spokesperson said: “In light of the very serious allegations currently subject to independent investigation, the CBI has decided to temporarily pause its external programme of events, including the annual dinner on 11 May.”
Initial investigation findings are expected after Easter.
COVID rule breaches at Downing St parties would have been ‘obvious’ to Johnson – MP committee
Johnson may have misled Parliament over parties, say MPs
Sunak seeks to secure backing from Northern Ireland parties for post-Brexit deal
Bose portable speakers are on sale at Amazon in time for spring parties
As of Tuesday, Feb. 21, Amazon is having a sale on portable Bose speakers. Here are the best deals to shop:
MOST VERSATILE SPEAKER: The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a portable Bluetooth speaker, a home speaker, and a voice control speaker all in one. $319 $399 (save 20%)
BEST WATERPROOF SPEAKER: The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) Portable Bluetooth Speaker has an IP rating of 55, meaning it can easily withstand splashes at the pool or beach. $229 $329 (save 30%)
BEST SPEAKER SYSTEM: The Bose S1 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker System has built-in sensors and multiple aiming positions to ensure you have optimal sound in nearly any position. $599 $699 (save 14%)
Spring is almost here, and you know what that means: Patio party, anyone? But before you invite all your friends and have (*gasp*) only an old iPhone for music, consider buying a portable speaker. The best ones will be easy to carry around, have wonderful sound quality, and easily pair with all your other devices. Amazon seems to know this, which is why lots of Bose portable speakers are on sale at Amazon. Shop the best deals here:
Most versatile speaker
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Why we like it
It may not be the most advanced option around, but the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does a pretty stellar job when it comes to versatility: A portable Bluetooth speaker, a home speaker, and a voice control speaker all in one, it boasts 360 degrees of deep, clear, lifelike sound and powerful bass for all your favorite parties. It weighs just under two pounds and can be carried from room to room with its convenient handle, too.
Best waterproof speaker
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Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) Portable Bluetooth Speaker
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Why we like it
One of our favorite speaker options, the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) Portable Bluetooth Speaker is the same size as a glass of water but still packs up to 13 hours of battery life and 360-degree surround sound quality. You can pair it with a smart assistant like Siri or Alexa, and it features an IP55 certification for protection against dust and water splashes — bring on the pool parties.
Best speaker system
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Bose S1 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker System
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Why we like it
The best option for larger parties, the Bose S1 Pro is a Bluetooth PA system for bigger sound and bigger parties. Plug a guitar in, even! Built-in sensors and a variety of aiming choices can give listeners optimal sound in nearly any position, and it even boasts 11 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Is Windows 11 Spyware? Microsoft Defends Sending User Data to Third Parties
According to the PC Security Channel (via TechSpot), Microsoft’s Windows 11 sends data not only to the Redmond, Washington-based software giant, but also to multiple third parties. To analyze DNS traffic generated by a freshly installed copy of Windows 11 on a brand-new notebook, the PC Security Channel used the Wireshark network protocol analyzer that reveals precisely what is happening on a network. The results were astounding enough for the YouTube channel to call Microsoft’s Windows 11 “spyware.”
As it turned out, an all-new Windows 11 PC that was never used to browse the Internet contacted not only Windows Update, MSN and Bing servers, but also Steam, McAfee, geo.prod.do, and Comscore ScorecardResearch.com. Apparently, the latest operating system from Microsoft collected and sent telemetry data to various market research companies, advertising services, and the like.
When Tom’s Hardware contacted Microsoft, their spokesperson argued that flowing data is common in modern operating systems “to help them remain secure, up to date, and keep the system working as anticipated.”
“We are committed to transparency and regularly publish information about the data we collect to empower customers to be more informed about their privacy.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Vrbo’s Super Bowl ‘risk scores’ are basically pre-crime for house parties
As the Super Bowl approaches, Airbnb rival Vrbo announced its use of “unauthorized event prevention technology,” algorithms that try to avoid house parties at rental properties. Similar to a credit system, the tech generates a risk score for each booking, giving hosts a chance to call it off.
The Expedia-owned company will score renters based on their length of stay, lead time, number of guests and other factors. Vrbo is careful to add that it doesn’t use demographical information (race, sex, gender, age and so on) to evaluate risk. If a renter triggers a warning, Vrbo sends the host an email alert, giving them the option to cancel without a penalty; guests also receive a message reminding them of the policy.
Although Vrbo is rolling out the new system nationally, it recently conducted a yearlong pilot test in the Phoenix area, where Super Bowl LVII takes place on February 12th. The trial allegedly prevented over 500 unauthorized bookings in the US, saving hosts $2.5 million in cleanup and repairs. Vrbo will also restrict same-day bookings, team up with noise-monitoring and neighborhood watch services and share data with Airbnb about troublesome renters.
The new system will automatically apply to all US bookings. Vrbo says fewer than 0.25 percent of all weekend bookings in the US have led to party-related complaints.