Former Twitter executive: Trump is in denial over social media threat to midterms

[DonViejo]

Source: Yahoo News


David Knowles,Yahoo News•June 27, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO — President Trump often complains about “fake news,” but with the 2018 midterm elections fast approaching, his administration has done little to try to combat those who would use it to subvert American democracy.

“I think that the biggest problem with 2018 is the fact that the administration still won’t really acknowledge that there is a problem,” Adam Sharp, Twitter’s former head of news, government and elections told Grant Burningham, host of the new Yahoo News podcast “Bots & Ballots.”

“To the extent that there is any effort to make sure that our systems and public debate around the election are not manipulated by foreign powers,” he continued, “that effort is being led entirely by the private sector, by Twitter and Facebook and Google, each working independently to try to do the right thing, but in their own ways, on their own, with their own duties to their shareholders.”

Sharp, who left Twitter just before the 2016 presidential election, says Americans using social media remain vulnerable to foreign election interference and blames the federal government.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-twitter-executive-trump-denial-social-media-threat-midterms-090008041.html

[unblock]

1. denial? don't make me laugh. he's *counting* on it.

[NewJeffCT]

2. agreed

that is why Republican senators are meeting Putin soon, and then John Bolton is going as well. They're strategizing for the mid terms

[Midnight Writer]

9. I think the former Twitter executive is the one in denial

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. So Adam Sharp - take your pay and run - what did you know, and when did you know it..

Twitter’s former head of news, government and elections - damage is done...just maybe, our social networkers will now support our country rather than the almighty dollar...

Sharp, who left Twitter just before the 2016 presidential election, says Americans using social media remain vulnerable to foreign election interference and blames the federal government.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. The feds don't even know how the internet works, let alone try and stop hacking efforts etc...

If someone is relying on the feds to do anything about hacking and so forth on the internet (or parts of it), forget it. Doing so means coordinating w/ multiple corporate entities and their network control centers to really track where an entity is coming onto the internet, and then try and do something about it, e.g., knock them off.

Too many pieces and too much coordination for the feds to even attempt, let alone have the understanding of what to do, in case of bad actors.

Best bet is to trust your own instincts, and ignore the obvious misguided attempts to misdirect and confuse users.

[AllyCat]

5. he's got it rigged so he's not worried.

[lagomorph777]

6. Correct - he's not in denial; he's in delight.

[kimbutgar]

7. Twitter can fix the problem of troll bots

They can track the account that come from Eastern Europe and suspend them. I wish twitter would just shut down on September 1 and then come back online November 7th. I know it’s a fantasy but if twitter really cares about American they would do this to save our democracy.

[tblue37]

8. I doubt he is in denial about it. nt