Twitter has added a warning to a bombshell expose revealing a covert UK program to plant pro-government narratives in foreign media, telling users the piece may be based on “hacked material,” despite letting similar stories slide.
A story published late last week by Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal showed how major news agencies like Reuters and the BBC worked in secret with the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office to cultivate a group of foreign reporters – many based in Russia and Russia’s near-abroad – to reliably promote the government’s “message.” However, as of Tuesday, those attempting to share the piece on Twitter were met with a warning: “These materials may have been obtained through hacking.”
Leaked files show Reuters' & the BBC’s role in covert British Foreign Office programs to effect “attitudinal change” & “weaken the Russian state’s influence"
— The Grayzone (@TheGrayzoneNews) February 20, 2021
They were joined by intel contractors and outlets like Bellingcat.@MaxBlumenthal investigates https://t.co/EguVEHA3xV
Users also reported a second prompt when they attempted to ‘like’ the story, again sternly warning of potential ‘hacking’ while urging them to “help keep Twitter a place for reliable info.” Though the second missive suggests users can “find out more” about the story in question, the link merely leads to a page explaining Twitter’s policies on hacked materials.
Got this warning when I even tried to like the tweet pic.twitter.com/Jj7evB1iFP
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) February 23, 2021
While Blumenthal acknowledges the story – which was covered separately by RT’s Kit Klarenberg – is based on a trove of leaked documents, so far their exact provenance remains unclear, released online anonymously earlier this month. However, given that leaked documents of uncertain origin regularly feature in media reports, some observers questioned why the Grayzone story received special treatment. Journalist Dan Cohen noted that a piece critical of China and published in the Intercept in January, similarly based on leaked documents, did not warrant the same ‘hacking’ label, accusing the platform of a double standard.
Not only was The Intercept’s report on police surveillance in Xinjiang not censored, Twitter promoted it as important information under its “News” tab. pic.twitter.com/QvkodMEJRv
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) February 24, 2021
Twitter’s first use of its ‘hacked materials’ policy kicked up major controversy last year, barring links to an October New York Post story reporting on the foreign business dealings of then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The company updated the policy following the backlash, unblocking links to the Post piece, and since then has apparently added a ‘hacking’ label to only one other story – in that case on Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in January – as was noted by Mashable’s Matt Binder.
The notice has prompted heated criticism from journalists and other observers online. Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah argued that by labeling the material as ‘hacked’, Twitter aims to discredit the story as a whole, while others said the flagging itself is less concerning than Twitter’s threat to suspend those sharing so-called ‘hacked materials’.
Twitter adds a warning to @MaxBlumenthal's report in @TheGrayzoneNews on leaked UK gov't files (https://t.co/R7bpqP91xP) exposing a major propaganda campaign targeting Russia: "These materials may have been obtained through hacking."
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) February 23, 2021
Is this warning applied equally? I doubt it. pic.twitter.com/3pL1LItCsr
Got one of these pop-up warnings too. You're keeping Ben Nimmo busy.
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) February 23, 2021
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