BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
@bostonjoan.bsky.social
I am the founder of The Critical Internet Studies Institute and an Assistant Professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University
www.criticalinternet.org
www.criticalinternet.org
Pinned
BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
@bostonjoan.bsky.social
· Oct 16
donovan-2025-express-a-short-history-of-misinformation-at-scale-and-efforts-to-mitigate-it.pdf
drive.google.com
New paper alert!!! 🚨
“A Short History of Misinformation-at-scale and Efforts to Mitigate it” in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
drive.google.com/file/d/1Klg9...
This article traces the social construction of misinformation-at-scale through changes to content moderation.
“A Short History of Misinformation-at-scale and Efforts to Mitigate it” in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
drive.google.com/file/d/1Klg9...
This article traces the social construction of misinformation-at-scale through changes to content moderation.
One of the most destructive memes of our lifetime, “vaccines cause autism,” is now up for grabs.
Children are going to die.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTr2jY6B4/
Children are going to die.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTr2jY6B4/
The architect of the modern anti-vaccine movement and disgraced researcher Andrew Wakefield is having a reemergence as he embraced by the new MAHA and MAGA coalition. After Wakefield published a flawe...
TikTok video by MS NOW
www.tiktok.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:48 PM
One of the most destructive memes of our lifetime, “vaccines cause autism,” is now up for grabs.
Children are going to die.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTr2jY6B4/
Children are going to die.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTr2jY6B4/
I believe that Elon is using X to polarize MAGA and it's breaking the brains of many on the right wing. Soon, the vibe will shift to discussing a 3rd party or the reformation of the Republican party.
It's going to be a destructive midterms for Republicans, if they don't break from MAGA and Musk.
It's going to be a destructive midterms for Republicans, if they don't break from MAGA and Musk.
November 25, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I believe that Elon is using X to polarize MAGA and it's breaking the brains of many on the right wing. Soon, the vibe will shift to discussing a 3rd party or the reformation of the Republican party.
It's going to be a destructive midterms for Republicans, if they don't break from MAGA and Musk.
It's going to be a destructive midterms for Republicans, if they don't break from MAGA and Musk.
I do worry that we’ve left DOGE to slither away without accountability or any transparency. Big Balls, anyone?
But what if DOGE was just the battering ram to get into government databases, rake the budgets, and then retool their technology in order to begin an AI enabled mass persuasion campaign?
But what if DOGE was just the battering ram to get into government databases, rake the budgets, and then retool their technology in order to begin an AI enabled mass persuasion campaign?
November 25, 2025 at 1:52 AM
I do worry that we’ve left DOGE to slither away without accountability or any transparency. Big Balls, anyone?
But what if DOGE was just the battering ram to get into government databases, rake the budgets, and then retool their technology in order to begin an AI enabled mass persuasion campaign?
But what if DOGE was just the battering ram to get into government databases, rake the budgets, and then retool their technology in order to begin an AI enabled mass persuasion campaign?
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
Many thanks for @annamerlan.bsky.social for writing this piece and integrating my historical perspective.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
November 24, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Many thanks for @annamerlan.bsky.social for writing this piece and integrating my historical perspective.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
This is my experience too. As internet researchers were cut off at the knees for studying this shitshow, there's now even fewer levers to pull to throttle hate, harassment, fraud, and incitement on social media.
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
November 25, 2025 at 12:26 AM
This is my experience too. As internet researchers were cut off at the knees for studying this shitshow, there's now even fewer levers to pull to throttle hate, harassment, fraud, and incitement on social media.
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
As Twitter's new geolocation tool started to reveal accounts’ information, the effect was like watching the Scooby Doo kids pull one disguise after another from the villain of the week.
Hilarious and alarming though it all was, it's just the latest indication of one of the site’s oldest problems.
Hilarious and alarming though it all was, it's just the latest indication of one of the site’s oldest problems.
Twitter's foreign influence problem is nothing new
The platform's just-debuted geolocation tool illuminates a disturbing and persistent issue.
www.motherjones.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:35 PM
As Twitter's new geolocation tool started to reveal accounts’ information, the effect was like watching the Scooby Doo kids pull one disguise after another from the villain of the week.
Hilarious and alarming though it all was, it's just the latest indication of one of the site’s oldest problems.
Hilarious and alarming though it all was, it's just the latest indication of one of the site’s oldest problems.
My head is exploding with joy for New Yorkers with this announcement.
I'm so glad that Alondra is stepping up to this new challenge.
I'm so glad that Alondra is stepping up to this new challenge.
Honored to serve on Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social Transition Committee on Technology. For too long, too many New Yorkers have been left behind. NYC deserves governance that centers affordability, equity, and the public good-looking forward to the work ahead. www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces transition committees
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Monday the creation of 17 transition advisory committees made up of more than 400 people.
www.cbsnews.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 PM
My head is exploding with joy for New Yorkers with this announcement.
I'm so glad that Alondra is stepping up to this new challenge.
I'm so glad that Alondra is stepping up to this new challenge.
Joe Rogan Podcast news has 1.8 million followers
November 24, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Joe Rogan Podcast news has 1.8 million followers
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
I talked to Joan Donovan about Twitter's very old foreign influence problem, which was unmasked in the funniest possible way over the weekend: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Twitter's foreign influence problem is nothing new
The platform's just-debuted geolocation tool illuminates a disturbing and persistent issue.
www.motherjones.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
I talked to Joan Donovan about Twitter's very old foreign influence problem, which was unmasked in the funniest possible way over the weekend: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
Lots of people are calling out the fact that X is filled with fake MAGA influencers from far away countries, but I wanted to point out that this, not "ideological censorship," is why companies have trust & safety teams that work on stopping inauthentic behavior.
X’s New Feature Reveals Why Trust & Safety Work Was Never About The ‘Censorship Industrial Complex’
For the last few years, Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, and their allies have spent considerable energy attacking both academic researchers studying disinformation and the trust & safety teams…
For the last few years, Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, and their allies have spent considerable energy attacking both academic researchers studying disinformation and the trust & safety teams…
X’s New Feature Reveals Why Trust & Safety Work Was Never About The ‘Censorship Industrial Complex’
For the last few years, Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, and their allies have spent considerable energy attacking both academic researchers studying disinformation and the trust & safety teams at social media platforms working to identify and remove coordinated inauthentic behavior—particularly foreign influence operations. They've insisted that any attempt to study and limit such operations is actually just "censorship" with various forms of cover, whether academic or operational.
www.techdirt.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Lots of people are calling out the fact that X is filled with fake MAGA influencers from far away countries, but I wanted to point out that this, not "ideological censorship," is why companies have trust & safety teams that work on stopping inauthentic behavior.
Many thanks for @annamerlan.bsky.social for writing this piece and integrating my historical perspective.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
November 24, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Many thanks for @annamerlan.bsky.social for writing this piece and integrating my historical perspective.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The reason why platform companies do make it hard to find account location information is not because they believe in privacy, it's so that advertisers do not know how much is lost to low-tier engagement.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The reason why platform companies do make it hard to find account location information is not because they believe in privacy, it's so that advertisers do not know how much is lost to low-tier engagement.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
I’ve spent almost seven years covering Meta and have had a good deal of exposure to internal work product on teen well-being. But a Friday filing in the school district social media litigation breaks some ground on Meta’s causal findings regarding social media harm.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:48 AM
I’ve spent almost seven years covering Meta and have had a good deal of exposure to internal work product on teen well-being. But a Friday filing in the school district social media litigation breaks some ground on Meta’s causal findings regarding social media harm.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Anyone who still works with this company is putting their cushy job over the safety of children.
Money makes people rationalize awful deeds.
Money makes people rationalize awful deeds.
Instagram’s former head of safety and well-being Vaishnavi Jayakumar testified the company had a “17x” strike policy for accounts that engaged in the trafficking of humans for sex.
“You could incur 16 violations and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended"
time.com/7336204/meta...
“You could incur 16 violations and upon the 17th violation, your account would be suspended"
time.com/7336204/meta...
7 Allegations Against Meta in Newly Unsealed Filings
Court filings allege Meta tolerated sex trafficking, hid harms to teens, and prioritized growth over user safety for years.
time.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Anyone who still works with this company is putting their cushy job over the safety of children.
Money makes people rationalize awful deeds.
Money makes people rationalize awful deeds.
Anyone got a follow up from
@axios
on how they received the leak? What was done to verify the authenticity of the sources?
It’s gotta feel wicked embarrassing to have been a right wing pundit full-throatedly endorsing this plan, only to find out it was an information operation.
@axios
on how they received the leak? What was done to verify the authenticity of the sources?
It’s gotta feel wicked embarrassing to have been a right wing pundit full-throatedly endorsing this plan, only to find out it was an information operation.
What a shit show. Everyone could see this plan was written by the Kremlin. Adopted by Witkoff and Trump who demanded Ukraine accept it by this Thursday. After a firestorm of objections by Europe and Republican senators it appears Rubio wants to distance himself from it.
November 23, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Anyone got a follow up from
@axios
on how they received the leak? What was done to verify the authenticity of the sources?
It’s gotta feel wicked embarrassing to have been a right wing pundit full-throatedly endorsing this plan, only to find out it was an information operation.
@axios
on how they received the leak? What was done to verify the authenticity of the sources?
It’s gotta feel wicked embarrassing to have been a right wing pundit full-throatedly endorsing this plan, only to find out it was an information operation.
Stop the data profiling
Judge blocks IRS from sharing data with DHS for immigration enforcement
Judge blocks IRS from sharing data with DHS for immigration enforcement
A federal judge blocked the Internal Revenue Service from sharing data with immigration enforcement officials, ruling that the tax agency violated federal law and individual rights in its support for ...
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Stop the data profiling
Incredible emulator as interface.
So, yes, Jmail is amazing. But it also alerted me to the fact that one of the last emails in his email inbox was @flipboard.com alerting Epstein that he'd been arrested... (cc: @mmccue.bsky.social)
November 21, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Incredible emulator as interface.
Socialism is cool now.
November 21, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Socialism is cool now.
This DOJ does not care about privacy unless it’s for pdfiles
BREAKING: Federal judge rejects DOJ's effort to subpoena the names and medical records of children who have received gender-affirming medical care from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 21, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This DOJ does not care about privacy unless it’s for pdfiles
Anyone else think that Jake Lang is Temu Richard Spencer?
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re lucky.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re lucky.
November 21, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Anyone else think that Jake Lang is Temu Richard Spencer?
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re lucky.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re lucky.
I have no doubt this has to do with the memeification of hate symbols, which are now ubiquitous on some social media, chat apps, and message boards.
AOC to @pabloreports.bsky.social : A swastika is one of the clearest symbols of hatred in all of humanity… to remove that designation… indicates a possible collaboration with those very elements, which I think is genuinely frightening to any American.
November 21, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I have no doubt this has to do with the memeification of hate symbols, which are now ubiquitous on some social media, chat apps, and message boards.
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
NEW: Churches in Charlotte are hosting trainings on how to response to ICE agents — with *hundreds* filling pews.
At one training, a child led those gathered in "This Little Light of Mine" — but changed the words to “All around Border Patrol, I’m gonna let it shine" religionnews.com/2025/11/20/a...
At one training, a child led those gathered in "This Little Light of Mine" — but changed the words to “All around Border Patrol, I’m gonna let it shine" religionnews.com/2025/11/20/a...
As ICE descends on Charlotte, faith leaders draw on other cities' actions to aid immigrants
(RNS) — As many as 500 people, a mix of clergy and other volunteers, have appeared at the training sessions on how to counter ICE.
religionnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:38 PM
NEW: Churches in Charlotte are hosting trainings on how to response to ICE agents — with *hundreds* filling pews.
At one training, a child led those gathered in "This Little Light of Mine" — but changed the words to “All around Border Patrol, I’m gonna let it shine" religionnews.com/2025/11/20/a...
At one training, a child led those gathered in "This Little Light of Mine" — but changed the words to “All around Border Patrol, I’m gonna let it shine" religionnews.com/2025/11/20/a...
Reposted by BostonJoan 🏳️🌈 🦫
We joined @ultraviolet.bsky.social, @woodhullfreedom.bsky.social + others in a letter calling on lawmakers to oppose the criminalization of masking in public. Our rights to safety, privacy + protest depend on it.
🔗 to full letter in bio
🔗 to full letter in bio
November 27, 2024 at 4:16 PM
We joined @ultraviolet.bsky.social, @woodhullfreedom.bsky.social + others in a letter calling on lawmakers to oppose the criminalization of masking in public. Our rights to safety, privacy + protest depend on it.
🔗 to full letter in bio
🔗 to full letter in bio
The past week of searching through the Epstein Files with 1000s of other people reminds me a lot of previous anonymous public interest leaks.
Anyone know if there is a collective way to annotate these files?
Anyone know if there is a collective way to annotate these files?
November 18, 2025 at 1:14 AM
The past week of searching through the Epstein Files with 1000s of other people reminds me a lot of previous anonymous public interest leaks.
Anyone know if there is a collective way to annotate these files?
Anyone know if there is a collective way to annotate these files?
This is a very subtle media manipulation campaign. The story was newsworthy because there are billboards reading “courage is contagious. Release the Epstein files.” Trading up the chain to local news, and then as a national story. It was a smart way to get earned media.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMEKGuuN/
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMEKGuuN/
A new billboard calling for the public release of classified records in the Jeffrey Epstein case was placed in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It's part of a nationwide campaign as Congress prepares to vo...
TikTok video by nbcphiladelphia
www.tiktok.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:04 AM
This is a very subtle media manipulation campaign. The story was newsworthy because there are billboards reading “courage is contagious. Release the Epstein files.” Trading up the chain to local news, and then as a national story. It was a smart way to get earned media.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMEKGuuN/
www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMEKGuuN/