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Facebook helps fix a leaky faucet in a burning building

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With concerns prevalent about online election meddling in the United States, ensuring cyber-security has become a priority for election officials throughout the country.

“There are threats that are attacking us,” said Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman. “Iran, China and Russia are hitting counties the size of Tazewell County. Domestically, there are also individuals who have attacked local (election systems). Tazewell County has been attacked since I’ve been in office. We’ve received several (attacks), but ransom attacks seem to be (the most common). The procedures we have in place have stopped every single one of them so far.”

In an effort to enhance security procedures for election officials throughout the state, the Illinois State Board of Elections organized a one-hour webinar on Facebook Elections Integrity and Best Practices Tuesday. The training, tailored specifically toward Illinois election officials and their staffs, covered such topics as safety and security, proper channels for reporting misinformation, and the latest Facebook tools, products and resources election officials can use to keep accounts safe while connecting with voters. […]

“(Changing votes in Illinois) would take such an astronomical amount of work that it’s nearly impossible,” Ackerman said. “You would have to break into 109 separate, independent election authorities throughout the state and manipulate their electronic records all at the same time in order to manipulate the vote. What the Russians wanted to do (in 2016) was not to change the vote, but to change people’s opinions through misinformation. Unrest is what the Russians and other foreign agents want to sow in the United States.”

An election-day ransomware attack would most definitely not be a good thing for a county clerk. Whew. I mean, I shudder to think.

* Speaking of Facebook…

Google, Facebook, Twitter and other major tech companies met with U.S. government officials on Wednesday to discuss their plans to counter disinformation on social media in the run-up to the November election.

In a joint statement, the companies said that this was the latest in a series of meetings “on what we’re seeing on our respective platforms and what we expect to see in the coming months.” The statement said today’s meetings focused on the upcoming political conventions and “scenario planning relating to election results.” […]

In an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition, Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said the company is working harder than ever to combat such efforts, saying the goal is to make sure voters receive accurate information.

“I think I actually want to make the act of trying to tell a lie, or misleading people, more difficult,” Gleicher said.

I’ll believe that when I see it.

However, I did notice that they were blocking some false stories today when I went to look up a local public official who’d allegedly posted something pretty vile on Facebook and also saw this…

That’s from the Marion County coroner’s personal FB page. I’m not on Facebook much any more, so I don’t know if that’s common. Also, if you have the stomach for the vile post, click here.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 1:37 pm

Comments

Facebook is scum. I’ve reported actual nazi propaganda and gotten the message “We appreciate you telling us about this. While it doesn’t violate our community standards…” I’m not being hyperbolic either Both 1940’s anti-semitic posters and people calling for ethnic cleansing. They get so much money from the right for digital ads that they bend over backwards to accomodate them. The argument that they censor the right is completely undercut by the outright villainy that exists all over that platform. It’s really, really gross.

Comment by Commisar Gritty Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 1:45 pm
This is why it seems so important to have a paper vote trail. If something suspect happens there is at least an ability to go back and check. If people some day lose faith in the process there could even be spot checks of random voting locations to make sure paper tallies match the computer tally.

Comment by jimbo Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 1:57 pm
===I don’t know if that’s common.===

Thankfully it’s becoming more common. I’ve also seen those notices accompanied by an independently fact-checked article that dispels the false claims.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:01 pm
The next time some well meaning person tries to explain why I should have an account with that company, I ll show them this. Thanks!

Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:03 pm
Just remember that the Tazwell county Clerk was censured by the county board for misuse of funds. So take his comments with a large grain of salt.

Comment by The Real Captain Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:15 pm
The comments after his post are even worse.

Comment by So Disheartened Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:15 pm
This ends up becoming wack-a-mole through FB or a different website. If people want to be stupid and gullible believe in conspiracy theories and disinformation let them. These individuals will seek it out somewhere else and Fox will have segments on big-tech censorship of conservatives. This is a society issue with too-many tin foil hats not a FB issue.

Comment by 1st Ward Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:16 pm
Facebook is doing more of that … but their fact checkers aren’t always accurate or unbiased. Sometimes they are splitting hairs more than a lawyer.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:18 pm
In the immortal words of Jake Blues, “I hate Illinois Nazis.”

Comment by Lt Guv Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:27 pm
Facebook’s “Community Standards” are a joke. I reported a comment earlier this week that explicitly called for certain leaders in our state to be “rounded up and executed” as a violation of the “standards” because it promoted violence… and it was not deleted because it “didn’t violate our community standards.”

Give me a (naughty word Rich won’t let us say) break.

Comment by Osborne Smith III Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:32 pm
As Troy Cannon clearly illustrates, racism and misogyny are flip sides of the same coin.

Being called a whore has become a perverse rite of passage for women, so by a certain age, it’s water off a duck’s back. If men like Cannon really want to hurt us, insult our marinara sauce.

Comment by Lake County Mom Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:46 pm
Troy Cannon illustrating how racism and misogyny are flip sides of the same coin.

Being called a ho has become a perverse rite of passage for most women, so by a certain age it’s just water off a duck’s back for us.

If you really want to hurt us, insult our marinara sauce.

Comment by Lake County Mom Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:50 pm
I am sure Ackerman is a real piece of work, but this statement is 100% accurate and was written about at the time:

“What the Russians wanted to do (in 2016) was not to change the vote, but to change people’s opinions through misinformation. Unrest is what the Russians and other foreign agents want to sow in the United States.”

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 2:50 pm
I reported a picture of a gun and a hand that said “shoot Pritzker” on an Illinois website and Facebook said it didn’t violate community standards. I don’t want to see what does violate community standards.

Comment by Swatos Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 3:50 pm
Social media esp Facebook and Twitter has made us as a community dumber and meaner.

Comment by The Way I See It Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 4:12 pm
Having Google, FaceBook, Twitter, Yahoo, etc. police ethical behavior and electronic integrity is about like having China police intellectual property violations or having foxes guard the chickens.

Comment by logic not emotion Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 4:57 pm
Don’t tell Trump but Ackerman has already sent out the VBM applications to most voters — missed a few at some homes. Keep up to splendid work John.

Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 6:18 pm
There should be a fine for those who post vile and potentially dangerous information. If one follows the post from the Marion County coroner’s personal FB page, even after labeled
false, the comments are vile, advocating violence and the names and images against her are simply terrible.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 6:31 pm
Give me a break who do you think is the lobbyist for the voting machine vendor???? Hmmm

Comment by Latina Thursday, Aug 13, 20 @ 7:00 pm