Topic: Facebook Research

Facebook announced a research project that will pay users between $10 and $20 per week to deactivate their Facebook and Instagram accounts prior to the 2020 election. The study aims to understand the platform's influence on political attitudes and behaviors. Researchers expect to recruit between 200,000 and 400,000 participants, though some critics remain skeptical of Facebook's data transparency.

The impact of the $100,000 spent by the Russian Internet Research Agency on Facebook ads was questioned, with Brad Parscale calling it "malarkey" to suggest such a small amount could influence a national election. He noted that legitimate organizations spent hundreds of millions on the platform during the same period. Parscale suggested Facebook is in a "catch-22" where admitting the ads were ineffective would undermine the perceived power of their advertising platform.

A 2012 study from Facebook Research reveals that the company conducted a massive experiment on 61 million users during the 2010 midterms to influence voter turnout. The study claimed that "social contagion" messages increased turnout by 340,000 votes. The hosts express shock that this direct manipulation of elections by Facebook is rarely discussed in congressional hearings.

Facebook removed 32 accounts and pages involved in a coordinated political influence campaign ahead of the U.S. midterms. These accounts, which attracted nearly 290,000 followers, promoted divisive issues such as the "Abolish ICE" movement and counter-protests against white nationalists. While Facebook has not definitively named the perpetrator, officials point to similarities with the Russian Internet Research Agency's tactics, including the use of VPNs to mask identities.

CNN reported that content from the Russian "troll farm" known as the Internet Research Agency reached 126 million Facebook users. Former CIA official Phil Mudd proposed the creation of a "war room" where the NSA, CIA, and FBI would collaborate with tech companies to remove foreign propaganda in real-time. Critics argue this approach threatens First Amendment protections and grants the government excessive control over digital speech.

CNN reported that Russian-linked accounts, specifically one named "Blacktivists," used Facebook and Twitter to amplify racial tensions in the United States. The "Blacktivists" page reportedly garnered 360,000 likes, exceeding the following of the verified Black Lives Matter page, leading to claims of sophisticated political interference.

An analyst report from Brian Weiser of Pivotal Research reveals that Facebook claims an "estimated reach" in the U.S. that exceeds the actual population recorded by the U.S. Census by 10 million people. Facebook attributes the discrepancy to tourists and duplicate accounts, but critics argue the company is inflating its numbers to advertisers. The hosts use this as evidence that the traditional digital advertising model is "full of crap."