Practical alternative to the edge application

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After last week’s crowds at the Capitol, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit closed accounts where people spread false stories of voter fraud or conspiracy attacks. Some of the discussions of conspiracy theories and potential violence have shifted to lesser known websites and apps including Gab, Telegram, and 4chan.

I spoke to my colleague Sheera Frenkel about the danger of keeping people away from the mainstream internet and what she sees from online chats about violence could be further.

Shira: How are the lesser known networks like Gab or Telegram?

Sheera: Sometimes, just like in Telegram groups, it can be like a disorganized family group text with people talking to each other. But conversations often go astray. There are many vulgar words.

And while these online forums often say they are paradise for people to express any opinion, there are still a lot of people who are intolerant of ideas that go against the team’s thinking. If someone in the comments said something like, “Leave the possibility that Joe Biden will be inaugurated”, that person will be verbally attacked.

Is it counterproductive for mainstream social networks like Facebook to shut down conspiracy theories or the planning of violence? Does it make people more angry and push them elsewhere online?

It is very complicated. It helps to push masterminds and extremists away from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, which are fertile ground for them to recruit mainstream followers. But yes, when people turn to fringe sites, there is less chance of discouraging them from extreme beliefs.

Researchers of extremist movements say the moment when someone begins to believe in conspiracy theories or propagates terrorism is the most effective time for someone to step in and talk about it.

If you see your cousin questioning on Facebook whether dead people voted in the election, you can chat about the evidence that those claims are not true. That probably can’t happen if people are talking about false claims about voter fraud on websites that almost everyone else agrees with.

Since the Capitol attack last week, what has people discussed about these little-known networks?

The Capitol breach encouraged everyone about what could happen next. I have seen debate among these marginal groups over whether people should try to interrupt the inauguration process – and this is becoming more common – whether they should skip their time. or not. It is important for everyone to understand that there is a greater risk of violence, even if the inauguration happens without incident.

(Also watch Sheera’s interview on the podcast “The Daily” about getting online after the Capitol attack. And my colleagues on the New York Times Opinion have an analysis of people who have changed over time from mediocre Facebook posts to sharing puzzling perspectives. )

From your report above Islamic State and far-right groups in AmericaWhat are the effective tactics you learned against extremism?

The lesson from ISIS is that combating extremism requires cohesive action against both online and real-world behavior. Tech companies, backed by the US government, have worked together to remove ISIS from mainstream social networks. That is combined with initiatives in the Islamic world aimed at denuclearizing people and taking military action against ISIS.

Experts say the fight against extremists in America cannot be just social bans. It takes expertise, funding, and commitment to reach people in schools and elsewhere in their communities to fight those beliefs.

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Is encryption too dangerous to exist?

Sheera also wrote an article with Jack Nicas and Mike Isaac about the reasons behind the recent rise of new users to Telegram and Signal, messaging apps that offer users the option of encrypted communication. . That technology trims the content of a text message or phone call so that no one but the sender and receiver can follow them.

Whenever there is attention on the people who use encryption technology, it is an opportunity to consider the pros and cons. Many pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong organized on Telegram, in part to avoid detection by authorities. But child abuse and terrorists also use encryption technology to hide their traces.

The dangers have forced law enforcement organizations to demand for years that tech companies have to create a way, so-called backdoors, for them to go through encrypted messages or dig into iPhone is encrypted. However, security and privacy experts say there is no way for good guys to exploit encryption technology without being abused by bad guys.

“The moment you create a backdoor, it’s an opportunity for oppressive governments to watch over journalists or pro-democracy activists,” Sheera told me. “I use coded apps every day to talk to sources.”

Jack wrote previously about the benefits of a messy middleman between crypto autocrats and law enforcement.

That involves law enforcement focusing on targeted forms of intelligence gathering, including cryptographic hacking in individual cases – which police usually do – and doubling Traditional investigation techniques when they don’t have access to every piece of digital flotsam.

Some technologists have also said that in order to balance the downside of encryption, it may not be appropriate to use it in all cases.

Before we go …

Hold this

Muji, the cat, hid for 11 days from the ceiling at La Guardia Airport before being reunited with her owner. This is a complicated rescue mission that involves watch dog Abby and canned tuna.

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