This Week in Misinformation: Reinstatement Day Bust, Colorado Q Criming, Lindell Tangerine Attack, Fake Vaccine Cards, Snopes Co-Founder a Fraud
19 August 2021
It’s an unfortunate fact of this newsletter that, sometimes, we have to start with QAnon. First, Friday the 13th of August became the latest in a string of failed Q-world prophecies when Donald Trump was not reinstated as president. Everything is a hoax to Anons right now as they eagerly await the results of the ballot review (real audits are done by professionals) wrapping up in Arizona. All the happenings in the world are hoaxes and false flags—the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, the man who parked his truck on a sidewalk near the U.S. Capitol and live-streamed his reasons for telling authorities he had a bomb, etc.—because they might make everyone think the “audit” is not a big deal.
The summer activities of a Q-affiliated election officials and her confederates in Colorado, culminating in her leaking of election systems data to Probably-Q Ron Watkins and her subsequent sharing of the stage with Watkins at the Mike Lindell “cyber symposium” last week, continue to stir up consequences. Reporters and state and federal law enforcement have just begun to dig into the apparently far-reaching shenanigans.
Q misinformation once again demonstrated its fearful capacity to reach and be boosted by law enforcement (in San Diego) and former soldiers (France). Republican politicians, meanwhile, seem more determined than ever to win the Q vote; dozens of candidates for state offices, from election administrator to governor, have curried favor with Q devotees.
Turning to 2020 election fallout (yes, still), election officials report that false claims about voting have fueled threats against them and their families. Mike Lindell’s symposium to prove the election was stolen looks even worse a week later. The “attack” he claimed to have survived on the event’s second night amounted to someone poking him, possibly while holding a tangerine. Lindell briefly accused right-wing website TruNews of being antifa and sabotaging his big moment, but they made up the next day.
In Arizona, Maricopa County laid the groundwork to sue the Arizona Senate for the $2.8 million it will spend to replace voting machines compromised by the Cyber Ninjas. The audit will be “delivered” in the coming week, but not made public until a later date. Prominent “stop the steal” organizer, and January 6th agitator, Ali Alexander announced that he will soon jump in to get audits going in other states Trump lost.
Twitter began testing a new feature for users to report “misleading” posts. Facebook actively thwarted even more research into misinformation on its platforms. Perhaps hoping to counter the bad press of being like that, Facebook rolled out a new quarterly “widely viewed content” report and released a first stab at it containing a great amount of spam content. Misinformation specialists found the attempt at transparency a bit odd and continued to point out all the ways Facebook has not kept even its own promises in regard to policing content including QAnon and vaccine nonsense. TikTok is not better, and Gettr is just a mess. The profitable misinformation spreading via platforms and algorithms continues to cause problems across society.
We learned more about how COVID-19 vaccine misinformation spreads online. People tried to import fake vaccine cards but Border Patrol intercepted the illicit certificates. Amid national debate about whether government, businesses, and/or schools should mandate vaccines, mandate arch-foe Fox News has started asking its own employees to disclose vaccination status. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to end a vaccine requirement in place at Indiana University. Arizona’s governor banned counties and cities from enacting vaccine mandates. Violence broke out at a protest against vaccine mandates in Los Angeles.
The governor of Florida, meanwhile, moved (and countermoved) against the school districts in his state that want to put mask policies in place to protect children from COVID. A similar approach by Texas’s governor was dealt political and legal setbacks, though not without cost to the teachers and one judge trying to keep others safe with masks. Georgia’s governor also took action to interdict local mask mandates. Misinformation about masks, and a lot else besides, inspired citizen rants at community meetings across the country.
There is a new law in Illinois to have news literacy taught in high schools. Editorial boards in Dallas and Las Vegas felt moved to praise the move and call for the same in their respective states. A new Pew study showed that Americans are warming up to the idea of government and tech companies taking steps to restrict false information online.
When big events happen in the world, we see misinformation crop up around it, and Afghanistan this week was no exception. Fake accounts falsely reported journalists were being executed, a doctored CNN screen capture went viral, and a photo from another country was taken out of context and also doctored to make a point about life in Afghanistan for women under Taliban rule. Misinformation around climate change flourished when a major climate report was released.
The co-founder of Snopes, a fact-checking organization, was found to have plagiarized other outlets and written under a false name. Snopes apologized. Also in the anti-misinformation industry, Joseph Bernstein published an essay in Harper’s Weekly that challenged the expansive definition of “disinformation” and other shortcomings of the approaches taken by practitioners in the field. You should read it, and scroll through some of the quote tweets of it, too; much to think about. (Prism’s take on the definition question here, if you’re interested.)
That, and a lot more, below. This is This Week in Misinformation.
-- Kevin
QANON & COMPANY
QAnon Marked Friday As Trump ‘Reinstatement’ Day—Here Are Other Flop Predictions Of Trump’s Return (@nicksreimann via Forbes)
QAnon Thinks the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan Is a Hoax (@daithaigilbert via VICE)
Thread: Library of Congress truck man shared conspiracy theories with online audience as he drove to Washington, DC (@oneunderscore__ via Twitter)
Thread: Q influencers urge community to keep ‘eyes on the audit,’ suggest Library of Congress truck man is a false flag (@coolfacejane via Twitter)
Peters herself accesses elections hard drive, state says (@OldNewsman via Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)
After-hours access of Mesa County election equipment revealed in Griswold investigation (Colorado Newsline)
Elections Official Accused of Helping Leak Data to QAnon Leader (@daithaigilbert via VICE)
FBI joins investigation into QAnon-affiliated leak of voting machine logins in Colorado (@murphy via CNN)
GOP-led Colorado county board rejects appointment of new official to supervise elections (@murphy and @fschouten via CNN)
Thread: What Lauren Boebert’s campaign manager knew about what Tina Peters did (@LoganMDavis via Twitter)
Colorado voting officials feud over alleged security breach (@PattyNieberg via Associated Press)
The Associated Press turned a far-right county clerk’s conspiracy theories into a bipartisan “feud” (@EricKleefeld via Media Matters)
Colorado Election Conspiracy Group Going Door-to-Door in Search of ‘Phantom Ballots’ (@emaulbetsch via Colorado Times Recorder)
Probably-Q Ron Watkins encourages followers to help Arizona Republican Liz Harris knock doors to ask who people voted for (@az_rww via Twitter)
NAACP calls for investigation into anti-vaccine, anti-mask post on San Diego police union website (@D4VIDHernandez via San Diego Union-Tribune)
Ex-gendarme with French QAnon links charged with inciting revolt in armed forces (@CharlesBremner via The Times)
Multiple people seeking to run state elections are connected to QAnon (@AlKapDC via Media Matters)
Here are the QAnon supporters running for governor in 2021 and 2022 (@AlKapDC via Media Matters)
Video: Joe Rogan comments on cast of Q characters on his podcast (@2021_Karma via Twitter)
QAnon Almost Destroyed My Relationship. Then My Relationship Saved Me From QAnon. (@carrierana22 via Politico)
Graphic: Falling into the QAnon rabbit hole, in the words of adherents posted online (@alexandereylar via Twitter)
Activists protesting “Satanic ritual abuse” march in London, stop traffic on Tower Bridge (@Shayan86 via Twitter)
Interview with Mia Bloom: Domestic Terror Alert (@heffnera via The Open Mind)
Why Are Right-Wing Conspiracies so Obsessed With Pedophilia? (@alibreland via Mother Jones)
THE 2020 ELECTION
We are in harm’s way’: Election officials fear for their personal safety amid torrent of false claims about voting (@thamburger, @PostRoz, and @AmyEGardner via Washington Post)
MyPillow CEO's election fraud 'proof' implodes in front of a live audience (@donie via CNN Business)
Mike Lindell promised Dominion voting machines — but he doesn't have any (@ZTPetrizzo via Salon)
Pillow Maven Mike Lindell Hosts a 'Cyber Symposium' (8/17/21) ft/ Tina Nguyen (@jaredlholt via Substack)
MyPillow guy Mike Lindell claimed 'antifa things' were trying to infiltrate his cyber symposium. Video on Thursday showed only 3 people singing hymns in the parking lot. (@thecherylt via Insider)
MyPillow CEO said he was recently 'attacked' and implied that Antifa may have played a role. It was actually a fan who poked him while taking a selfie. (@ToweyHannah via Insider)
MyPillow CEO says aggressive poke led to attack claim (Associated Press)
Witness to Mike Lindell “attack” says a tangerine was involved (@ztpetrizzo via Twitter)
Witness to MyPillow CEO incident says it was no ‘attack’ (@stephengroves via Associated Press)
Lindell admits his 2020 election cyber data was given to him by fraudster Dennis Montgomery (@ztpetrizzo via Twitter)
Mike Lindell Melts Down When Expert Tries To Claim His $5 Million Cyber-Bounty (@EdMazza via Huffington Post)
Seeking “whistleblowers,” Mike Lindell uses a form on his Frank platform to solicit reports (@ztpetrizzo via Twitter)
Mike Lindell and right-wing site TruNews break up (@ztpetrizzo via Twitter)
Mike Lindell and right-wing site TruNews get back together (@trunews via Twitter)
Thread: Maricopa County files Notice of Claim against Arizona Senate, precursor to lawsuit for cost of voting machines that were compromised by Cyber Ninjas (@brahmresnik via Twitter)
Document: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Notice of Claim against Arizona Senate (Maricopa County)
Maricopa County wants $2.8M from Arizona Senate, files claim for cost to replace voting machines (@JenAFifield via AZ Central)
Arizona Senate President Karen Fann calls Maricopa Notice of Claim a “publicity stunt” (@brahmresnik via Twitter)
Audit spokesperson says “main report” is being delivered to Arizona Senate Monday, to be made public with numbers at unspecified later date (@Garrett_Archer via Twitter)
Ali Alexander back to organize some audits (@AlKapDC via Twitter)
Judge Seals Report on Voting Machine Vulnerability (@Jose_Pagliery and @shanvav via Daily Beast)
PLATFORMS
Twitter begins testing new feature for users to report posts as ‘misleading’ (@TwitterSafety via Twitter)
Twitter asks users to flag COVID-19 and election misinformation (@tayhatmaker via TechCrunch)
AlgorithmWatch forced to shut down Instagram monitoring project after threats from Facebook (@nicolaskb via Algorithm Watch)
Facebook is obstructing our work on disinformation. Other researchers could be next (The Guardian)
Why no one really knows how bad Facebook’s vaccine misinformation problem is (@shiringhaffary via Vox)
Introducing the Widely Viewed Content Report (Facebook)
Thread: The tremendous weirdness of Facebook’s new quarterly content report (@kevinroose via Twitter)
I read Facebook’s Widely Viewed Content Report. It’s really strange. (@EthanZ via ethanzuckerman.com)
Facebook: We Show People Completely Random Garbage, Not Nazi Stuff (@timmarchman via VICE)
QAnon Still Thrives on Facebook Nearly a Year After ‘Ban’ (@jordanliles via Snopes)
Facebook Is Helping Militias Spread Vaccine Disinformation and Calling Them ‘Experts’ (@daithaigilbert via VICE)
TikTok’s algorithm is amplifying COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation (@abbieasr and @OliviaLittle via Media Matters)
Topologies and Tribulations of Gettr (Stanford Internet Observatory)
Don't let algorithms control your life. We tried it. It didn't turn out great. (C|NET via Twitter)
Misinformation at public forums vexes local boards, big tech (@DavidKlepper and @apheatherh via Associated Press)
COVID - VACCINES, ETC.
Thread: More people are sharing the COVID vaccine misinformation wrapper site OpenVAERS (@viralityproject via Twitter)
Disinformation in July Twisted Reality to Attack COVID-19 Vaccines and Containment Measures (European Digital Media Observatory)
A New Resource for Fighting Vaccine Misinformation (@jonathanstea via Scientific American)
Video: Combatting vaccine misinformation (CNN)
New Study Sheds Light on the Roots of Today’s Vaccine Hesitancy (Bloomberg)
Border Patrol seizes thousands of falsified COVID-19 vaccine cards in Tennessee (@Lexi_Lonas via The Hill)
Fox News mandates employees disclose vaccination status, contradicting rhetoric from top stars (@oliverdarcy via CNN)
Fox memo details mask requirements and vaccine passport system — while the network keeps railing against them for everyone else (@EricKleefeld via Media Matters)
Fox's effort to undermine vaccines has only worsened (Rob Savillo and @tylermonroe7 via Media Matters)
Supreme Court rejects challenge to Indiana University's vaccination requirement (@PeteWilliamsNBC via NBC News)
Misinformation rampant during Michigan hearing on banning business vaccine mandates (@Dave_Boucher1 via Detroit Free Press)
Arizona governor issues order banning cities, counties from enacting vaccine mandates (@JustineColeman8 via The Hill)
Man Stabbed, Reporter Attacked at Anti-Vax Mandate Protest in LA (Newsmax)
Their neighbors called covid-19 a hoax. Can these ICU nurses forgive them? (@PeteJamison via Washington Post)
Did You Change Your Mind About COVID-19 Vaccines? (@danielkingtime via Daily Beast)
How anti-vaxxers are living and loving in a Covid world (@ChrisSGiles and @mariannaspring via BBC)
Why Only 28 Percent of Young Black New Yorkers Are Vaccinated (Joseph Goldstein and @matthewsedacca via New York Times)
Opinion: Combating COVID vaccine misinformation in Black and Latino communities (@bhangrajay and Dr. Asha Shahajan via ABC News)
COVID - EVERYTHING ELSE
DeSantis Backs Down on Threat to Cut School Officials Pay Over Mask Mandates (Newsmax)
Florida’s DeSantis Says Parents Can’t Sue Over Mask Rule Ban (@eelarson via Bloomberg)
2 more Florida school districts defy DeSantis' order and vote for mask mandates (@DohaMadani via NBC News)
‘We’re not going to risk their lives’: A Florida school board defies the governor’s masking ban. (@MelinaDelkic via New York Times)
Texas parent rips mask off teacher's face, superintendent says (@Eli_Fieldstadt via NBC News)
Video: Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins says hundreds of people scream curse words at his house every night after his emergency order requiring masks in all public schools (@therecount via Twitter)
Texas school district adds masks to dress code, finding possible loophole in Abbott’s ban (@TimBella via Washington Post)
Georgia governor bars local officials from ordering businesses to enact mask mandates (@akarl_smith via NBC News)
Louisiana mask mandate remains in schools (for now) after state school board ends meeting early (@jc_canicosa via Louisiana Illuminator)
Video: Woman goes viral with COVID misinformation-riddled speech at a city board of commissioners meeting in Johnson County, Kansas (@JerriJamz via Twitter)
Inside the UK’s anti-lockdown media machine (@DarrenLoucaides via Coda Story)
JANUARY 6TH
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe says Trump is 'threatening members of law enforcement' in targeting officer who killed Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt (@jon425 via Insider)
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse calls on the Jan. 6 select committee to investigate dark money and three GOP congressmen involved in planning the Capitol attack (Office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse)
A D.C. Cop At The Jan. 6 Riot Died By Suicide. Sleuths Identified 1 Of The Rioters He Battled. (@ryanjreilly via Huffington Post)
The FBI Keeps Using Clues From Volunteer Sleuths To Find The Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters (@timkmak via NPR)
GOVERNMENT/PUBLIC POLICY
Calls for violence online similar to before January 6 Capitol attack, DHS Intel chief says (@Geneva_Sands via CNN)
Illinois Is The First State To Have High Schools Teach News Literacy (@RealPeterMedlin via NPR)
Opinion: Teach Texas students media literacy (The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board)
Opinion: With misinformation weaponized, media literacy is now a vital skill (Las Vegas Sun Editorial Board)
More Americans now say government should take steps to restrict false information online than in 2018 (Pew Research Center)
GENERAL/OTHER
Fake news accounts are spreading false information about journalists executed in Afghanistan (@ciaraorourke via Poynter)
Viral screenshot of CNN news report about Afghanistan is digitally altered (Reuters)
Supposed photo of Afghan women is fake; original, from Iraq, was altered to add chains (@arijetalajka via Associated Press)
Fossil fuel misinformation may sideline one of the most important climate change reports ever released (@DownieChristian via The Conversation)
Firefighter’s video was miscaptioned to make false climate change claims (@arijetalajka via Associated Press)
The Co-Founder Of The Fact-Checking Site Snopes Was Writing Plagiarized Articles Under A Fake Name (@shootingthemess via BuzzFeed News)
Apology from Members of Snopes Senior Management (snopes.com)
Bad News: Selling the story of disinformation (@Bernstein via Harper’s Weekly)
The Mathematics of Misinformation: Professor’s new book explains how digital media and AI algorithms helped propagate “fake news” (Bentley University)
Don’t blame Russian trolls for America’s anti-vaxx problem. Our misinformation is homegrown (@szhang_ds via The Guardian)
Study: Health Misinformation is Rampant in Hispanic Communities (PR Week)
Conservatives and media: WCPO partnered on study about how to build trust (@Mike_Canan via WCPO 9 Cincinnati)
PolitiFact California Guide To Misinformation About The Newsom Recall Election (cap radio)
Misinformation and Fake News Are Only Part of the Problem: What about general fear of the unknown and a mistrust of science? (Chrysalis L. Wright, Ph.D. via Psychology Today)
Associations Between Online Instruction in Lateral Reading Strategies and Fact-Checking COVID-19 News Among College Students (Jessica E. Brodsky, Patricia J. Brooks, Donna Scimeca, Peter Galati, Ralitsa Todorova, and @holden via American Educational Research Association)
Non-English Wikipedia has a misinformation problem (@YumikoSatoMTBC via Fast Company)