Presidential tweet accuses Facebook of being “anti-Trump”; social network counters that it is pro-truth and pro-democracy, citing a broad series of measures it took to during this week’s German election to prove it.‎ Study suggests breadth of Russian influence operations via Twitter, focused on stoking social and cultural divisions. Counterfeit Washington Post crops up online in China, fooling millions of readers. BuzzFeed News investigation finds more than 154 incidents of hate speech and violence over the past year on college campuses. -Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

Presidential tweet accuses Facebook of being “anti-Trump”
President Trump accused Facebook of being “anti-Trump,” hinting without evidence that the social media giant colluded with “Fake News” organizations such as The New York Times and Washington Post.
POLITICO

Facebook Responds to Trump and Positions Itself as Election-Ready
After Trump called Facebook “anti-Trump,” it counters that it is pro-democracy and pro-truth. Is Facebook ready for the next election? To answer this question, it cites a broad series of measures it took to during this week’s German election.
NEW YORK TIMES

Study: Russia may have used Twitter more than Facebook to sway 2016 election
Study shows that Twitter may have been used even more extensively during the Russian campaign, with a focus on “creating societal division, identifying divisive issues, and fanning the flames.”
THE WEEK

“Imagine Being Surrounded By People Who Hate You And Want To See You Dead”
BuzzFeed News found 154 incidents of hate speech and violence at more than 120 campuses nationwide over the past year. More than a third of the incidents cited Trump’s name or slogans; more than two-thirds promoted white supremacist groups or ideology.
BUZZFEED NEWS

BuzzFeed steps up legal fight for feds’ info on Trump dossier
BuzzFeed is escalating its legal battle for details on how the federal government handled a dossier containing salacious allegations about President Donald Trump.
POLITICO

 
Global

Fake news: Washington Post clone emerges in China
The Chinese-language articles credited the Post’s reporters and the news of the day mirrored the selection on the U.S. website, only to be proved that it’s not run by the U.S. newspaper. The lookalike website highlights hazards for western media operating in Chinese market
THE FINANCIAL TIMES

Why the BBC’s Star Political Reporter Now Needs a Bodyguard
Laura Kuenssberg, one of the public broadcaster’s top correspondents, was assigned protection during a Labour Party gathering after a series of vitriolic abuse and threats of violence.
NEW YORK TIMES

‘Great Firewall’ Of China Blocks WhatsApp Amid Growing Online Censorship Problem
The app has previously experienced a series of temporary disruptions, with users unable to send photos and videos for a certain period. Now, even text messages are disallowed. It’s the latest move by Beijing ahead of the 19th National Congress scheduled next month.
TECH TIMES

‘Now, freedom to kill seems to be the norm’
“Freedom of expression is written into the Constitution but now freedom to kill seems to be the norm.” Srinivas Reddy, a senior journalist in India, suggests that Section 499 of Cr PC is being used in a major way to silence journalists.
THE HINDU

Pakistan breaks down gender barriers, one bike at a time
A new bike-sharing program has started up on a sprawling university campus in Islamabad. The goal was to reduce commute time, but it also helped campus society “accept that women are equal to men and their modes of transport should also be the same” and brought greater freedom for female students.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

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