Iran The Latest Country To Use 'Fake News' As An Excuse For Widespread Censorship
from the be-careful-what-you-wish-for dept
Ever since people started flipping out about the so-called "fake news" problem on Facebook, we've been warning that this is going to lead to calls for outright censorship of certain ideas. In the US, we've already seen Rep. Marsha Blackburn argue that companies have some sort of obligation to make "fake" news disappear.But even more concerning is that we're seeing authoritarian governments jumping onto the bandwagon, knowing that they can now use the banner of "fake news" to censor all sorts of content they don't like. A few weeks ago, China announced that it was ramping up internet surveillance efforts to "combat fake news," and now Iran appears to be doing the same thing. The Iranian government has decided that in order to crack down on "fake news," it's going to expand regulations covering public news channels on the instant messaging app Telegram.
As reported by Tasnim News, a hardline news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, Iranian ICT Minister Mahmoud Vaezi made the announcement at a press conference during the National Conference on Public Service. Vaezi cited the dangers “unofficial news channels” pose in Iran's rural and less developed regions, where fake news and misinformation have gained sizeable audiences.So, for all of you complaining about fake news -- a broad term with no real meaning, and which allows people to claim that anything they dislike, or anything with a small error in it counts as "fake news" -- beware that you're basically handing an easy tool of censorship to governments like China and Iran that have long histories of stifling any kind of dissent. "Fake news" isn't necessarily a good thing, but freaking out about it is playing into the hands of censors worldwide.Considering that people have to trust the news released on these channels, it was decided that channels with more than a certain number of members will require a license.Minister Vaezi's announcement builds on discussions now underway inside Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, the country's chief authority on Internet policy. According to Vaezi, the ICT Ministry will manage the new licenses alongside the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance — the state agency responsible for regulating Iran's media. Vaezi says the government will form a committee in the coming months, and news channels with more than 5,000 subscribers will be required to win the committee's approval to continue operating legally.
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Filed Under: censorship, fake news, iran, media
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Speaking of fake news
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Re: Speaking of fake news
Do you guys really believe the Russians hacked the election? Based on the rants I see on Twitter you must."
fake news, fake news, I call fake news on the fake news about the fake news. Really? As our illustrious Grand Poobah elect would say; so sad...
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Re: Speaking of fake news
More propaganda.
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This is the last ditch effort of losers.
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But yea, lets worry about the Russians and forget about the sins of the corrupt media and DNC.
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I doubt that anyone here is disputing that.
You seem to be stuck in the past reveling in the "victory" and attempting to rub other's noses in it, it is quite the spectacle. I suggest, for your benefit, that you move on. It is what mature people do.
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The point is, the orange one was the person whining about elections being fixed. Until he won, of course, then the result was unquestionable. Until he realised he lost the popular vote, then while the EC he'd previously attacked were fine, there suddenly had to be millions of illegal immigrants voting for his opponent to make him lose.
"But yea, lets worry about the Russians and forget about the sins of the corrupt media and DNC."
Why not worry about all of them? What is it about you that makes you incapable of dealing with more than one issue at a time? Too taxing on the little grey cells that have atrophied through lack of use? No wonder you get so easily distracted from the real issues.
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The issue isn't whether you are worried about the result. The issue is whether you still trust the process. Even your leader has openly questioned it, both before and after the election he won. Is there a reason it shouldn't continue to be discussed, and problems fixed?
"It is the small brain of the liberal"
A shame you can't be a civil adult, but that's to be expected it seems from those who support someone with the emotional maturity of Trump.
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Funny that you are trying to take the high road now when you were the first with the insults. I threw one o.k. for fun
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So... what's the problem with making sure they can't?
Forget about your ranting about other sites that many of the people here never use, political parties many of them don't belong to and political systems many of them do not participate in. If you're so concerned about one party tampering with the system, why is it a problem to ensure that nobody can?
Also, what does this have to do with the article's subject on Iran's censorship? You're yet to explain what any of your comments have to do with that, even if they were objectively true.
"Funny that you are trying to take the high road now when you were the first with the insults."
I'm sorry, I do have a habit of calling someone a partisan moron trying to derail intelligent conversation when I see them acting that way. If I'm mistaken, I take it back, but it doesn't look like it.
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You keep saying "you", without actually specifying who you're talking to. Do you mean me personally (I'm not), the community here or the site? if the latter, it's a big news story with lots of allegations and a major tech angle. Why should it not be written about here?
But you still haven't answered the question - the article you're commenting on is NOT about the vote tampering, so why do you keep bringing it up here? There's other threads to whine on if that's what you need to do.
"Why the interest in what I say if you are on the outside? "
Because, no matter the result, what the US does affects the rest of the world. I take a great deal of interest in things the US do, when it will affect me and my daily life to varying degrees. Americans seem awfully interested in things that happen outside of the US when they feel it affects them in certain ways, why not the other way around?
"I will tell why,c liberals have no tolerance for conservative no the country."
Why are self-proclaimed conservatives not only so utterly partisan, so unable to believe that anything exists except them and "liberals", but always such whiny arrogant children about the whole thing at the same time?
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http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jan/25/cokie-roberts/have-democrats-lost -900-seats-state-legislatures-o/
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But, hey, you want to gloat about something, so who cares about facts, huh?
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Your choice won an election. Well done. Now, let's see if he does a good job or not. it's not looking good already, but he doesn't start the job for another month.
In the meantime, stop acting like a small child because your "team" won a "game" - you're definitely a big part of the problem with your country just for thinking like that.
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I don't, by any definition. I also can't stand sports.
I'm sorry that the ability to think for yourself and not define yourself by a simplistic label confuses you.
"Funny how liberals are all against teams since they are losing."
Define "liberal". I wonder what the fantasy srtraewman in your head actually looks like, because I'm pretty sure you're not addressing anyone who actually exists at this point.
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The takeaway: both parties rig their primaries in favour of the establishment-friendly character. Trump busted through that so I get the "Aww, yeah!" dance the alt-right is doing but not bowing down to the giant orange idol doesn't make me a liberal, okay?
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How about you address reality or grow up rather than trolling and making up stupid meaningless words that don't mean anything other than "waaah! not everyone agrees with me!"?
I believe the reason you feel so persecuted here is because you're not used to stepping outside the ball pit and are confused by the need to act like you passed kindergarten. But, hey, you "nailed" me in your own mind, so why grow up, huh?
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That's not a "conservative point of view", that's being a trolling idiot. That's why you're being criticised, not because you're not one of "them".
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Which make you an utter moron and a sad excuse for a human being.
Stop being such a whiny little shit and grow up.
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Most stupid statement ever. Given your election system, you only need to "influence" a few select states to change the outcome. Also, you really think it's that difficult for an organization to find how to hack 50 systems? Not to mention that "50 states" doesn't mean "50 different systems".
So, I don't really think Trump needed a hack to win. The system itself is rigged (electoral college system, voter suppression, gerrymandering), making voter fraud nearly pointless.
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Define "you guys". Explain why Twitter has anything to do with the site you're on right now. Explain what the hell Russians and hacked machines have to do with the subject of the story you're commenting on.
Seriously, you people (ACs trying to derail every conversation with partisan bullshit) are tiresome fools.
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Translate into English please? For the benefit of people who prefer their conversations to be over a handful of characters and so don't use that site, what are you talking about?
"Unable to accept defeat"
Who's been defeated, how and what the hell does that have to do with a story on the problem of Iran using "fake news" as an excuse to censor their populace. You know, the subject of the article?
If you mean the recent US election, this is an international forum with commenters of all political stripes, nationalities and locations, so many won or lost anything. Which still doesn't relate to the subject at hand.
"Would You feel better if You Got a participation ribbon?"
Does the random capitalisation there mean anything? Anyway, why would I need something relating to participation in something I was neither part of nor eligible to take part in?
I'd rather an intelligent conversation about the subject being discussed without it being derailed by a partisan moron who can't understand what's being talked about but shit insists on shitting in every thread. But, we can't all have what we want, can we?
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*haven't won or lost
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Yup, just as I thought - "Use 'Fake News' As An Excuse For Widespread Censorship" and this has nothing to do with the Russians hacking story.
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It would be nice if they did it elsewhere.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjBIri8g5Fw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-DCZxsrt9I
https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=jTWY14eyMFg
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it's called propaganda and it's not the real problem.
The reason countries don't better educate their people is it would be harder to hide the governments corruption if people become wiser.
It's the same issue that the nsa and dhs have. If you want to keep an exploit to use you leave your own machines vulnerable to the same attack.
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Re: it's called propaganda and it's not the real problem.
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They will attempt to bring down the free exchange of information via the internet, but getting rid of the libraries will take a bit more effort on their part.
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Re: Re: Re: it's called propaganda and it's not the real problem.
As for the purity of 'free exchange on information on the internet', Garbage In, Garbage Out.
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TRULY Weird Things Thrive in the Dark
I run a Freenet node. It is my goal that resistant citizens of oppressor regimes have a means to communicate below any generally effective, current "radar" (yes, I know that drug cartels, terrorists, and pedophiles could be using my node - I understand where meat comes from). That said, if nations such as Iran think that "fake news" (pick your favorite definition) is bad now, just wait 'til they drive it much more completely into the "The Dark."
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"A lie lived by everyone is not the truth."
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Grepped be thy lists..."
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Right?
Wanting to believe something that funny makes it true, doesn't it?
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You should tweet this opinion, Masnick. Seriously, go ahead.
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Either true or false please don't censor.
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If it looks like a duck...
For example, the United States of America.
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Re: If it looks like a duck...
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Re: If it looks like a duck...
You forgot to mention the UK... I think we're slightly ahead on the "Authoritarian" count at the moment, even if you managed to pip us at the post in the "put a dangerous asshat in charge" stakes.
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