Twitter launches privacy-protected version of site to bypass Russia's block
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Updated: 6:58 PM CST Mar 9, 2022
WE LCOME TO "MATTER OF FACT." THE WORLD HAS BATTLED MASSEIV DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS BEFORE. IN 1939, IT WAS ADOLPH HITRLE MANIPULATING A MESSAGE TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR THE GERMAN ARMY鈥橲 INVASION OF POLAND. NOW IT鈥橲 A WAR IN UKRAINE. WITH THE GUNRODWORK FOR RUSSIA鈥橲 INVASION RELYING IN PART ON A FLOOD OF KREMLIN-SPONSORED DISINFORMATION. BUT THERE鈥橲 ALSO A FLOODF O MISINFORMATION BEING POSTED BY PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SHARING IMAGES OUT OF CONTEXT. SO WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MOUNT A DEFENSE AGAINST THE GREAT DISINFORMATION CAMPAN?IG EMILY BELL IS THE FOUNNGDI DIRECTOR OF THE TOW CENTER FOR DIGITAL JOURLINASM AT COLUMBIA JOURNALISM SCHL.OO EMILY BELL, ALWAYS NICE TO SEE U.YO IT鈥橲 BEEN NOW MORE THAN A WEEK SINCE RUSSIA INVADED UKRAI,NE AND WE鈥橵E ALREADYEE SN MANY, MANY, MANY EXAMPLES OF BHOT MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATI.ON EMILY: THERE ARE THINGS THAT I WOULD CALL MISINFORMATION, WHICH IS JUST STUFF THAT鈥橲 WRONG ON THE INTERNET, AND ETH DISINFORMATION IS THE INTENTION OF WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE CALLED PROPAGANDA IN THE PAST, AND I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY SRTTA CALLING IT PROPAGANDA AGN.AI YOU鈥橵E HAD A NARRATIVE ON, SAY, RT, WHICH IS A KREMLIN SPONSORED CHANL.NE IT鈥橲 VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT鈥橲 BEEN RESTRICTED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THIS WEEK, AND QUITE A LOT OF THE TALK SHOWS THERE DISCUSS THINGS LIKE WESTERN AGGRESSION. WHY IS NATO PUSHING FOR A WAR IN UKRAINE? IT鈥橲 FRAMED IN A COLEMPTELY DIFFERENT WAY TO THE WAY THAT AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN MEDIA IS FRAMING THIS. AND IT鈥橲 HAD THAT BACKGROUND OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, UKRAINE ISOT N A HAPPY COUNTRY, WE NEED TO GO IN AND WE NEED TO HELP THEM. AND THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN DIFREFENT WAYS. SOLEDAD: I WAS READING THIS MORNING ABOUT RUSSIAN SOLDIERS WHO BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD BE GREETED BY UKRAINIANS BEUSCA THEY WERE TOLD -- PROPAGANDA- - THAT THE UKRAINIANS NEEDED TO BE LIBERATED. AND THOSE NAATRRIVES ARE NOT JUST STORIES THAT DON鈥橳 HAVE IMPACT. EMILY: WELL, SO, ONE REASON IT MATTERS IN THIS CONFLICT FOR IS, IS VERY CLEAR, WHICH IS THERE鈥橲 CONSCRIPTION IN UKRAE.IN THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING ANYBODY BETWEEN THE AGES O IF, THINK18, AND 60 TO SIGN UP. AND THIS IS WHERE IT鈥橲 INTERESTING THAT WE鈥橰E SEEGIN VIDEO OF RUSSIAN SOLDISER APPARENTLY UNPREPARED FOR THE RECEPTION THAT THEY鈥橰E GETTING IN UKRAINE. THAT鈥橲 A REALLY HELPFUL ORAVE NARRATIVE FOR UKRAINE TO BE ADVANCING. IT COULD BE TRUE, BUT WE DON鈥橳 REALLY KNOW. SOLEDAD: THAT NARRATIVE ALSO MOVES OTHER COUNTRIES TO REACT, WHETHER IT IS WITH SANCTIONS, WHETHER IT IS WITH DECIDGIN THEY鈥橰E GOING TO BLOCK THEIR AIRSPACE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. SO, IT DOESN鈥橳 JUST EXI ISTN A VACU.UM HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU'R鈥� BEING RESPONSIBLE AND NOT PROPAGATING MISINFORMATION THAT JUST IS WRONG OR DISINFORMATION THAT鈥橲 INTENTIONALLY MISLEADI?NG EMILY: MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO A RANGE OF CREDIBLE NEWS OUTLETS. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO SHARE ANYTHING, YOU MUST SIFT, WHICH IS STOP, INVESTIGATE, FIND, ACTR SO, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MIGHT BE SHARING WHAT SEEMS TO BE A VERY MOVING PIECE OF VIDEO OF PRISONERS OF WAR. YOU SHOULDN鈥橳 BE IDENTIFYING THEIR FACES. TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE. POSTING A PHOTO, IF YOU ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE, POSNGTI PHOTO OF CROWDS GATHERING IS NOW A SECURITY RISK. OSTHE THINGS CAN BE GEO-LOCADTE IN A SECOND. YOU DON鈥橳 WANT TO DO YOURSELF OR ANYBODY ELSE ANY HARM. SOLEDAD: EMILY BELL, ALWAYS NICE TO TALK TO
Twitter launches privacy-protected version of site to bypass Russia's block
![AP logo]()
Updated: 6:58 PM CST Mar 9, 2022
Twitter has launched a privacy-protected version of its site to bypass surveillance and censorship after Russia restricted access to its service in the country.Russia has blocked access to Facebook and has limited Twitter in an attempt to try to restrict the flow of information about its war in Ukraine. Both companies have said they are working on restoring access to people inside Russia even as they restrict the country's state media from their services.Known as an "onion" service, users can access this version of Twitter if they download the Tor browser, which allows people to access sites on what is also referred to as the "dark web." Instead of .com, onion sites have a .onion suffix.While the term "dark web" connotes illegal sites such as the now-defunct Silk Road drug market, it is also often used by people seeking to remain anonymous for their safety and also to access sites censored by repressive governments.Facebook and other sites such as the BBC also have versions accessible on Tor.Software engineer and internet security expert Alec Muffett, who has worked with other companies to set up onion sites, announced Twitter's new service on his own Twitter account."This is possibly the most important and long-awaited tweet that I鈥檝e ever composed," he wrote on Tuesday.
Twitter has launched a privacy-protected version of its site to bypass surveillance and censorship after Russia restricted access to its service in the country.
Russia has blocked access to Facebook and has limited Twitter in an attempt to try to restrict the flow of information about its war in Ukraine. Both companies have said they are working on restoring access to people inside Russia even as they restrict the country's state media from their services.
Known as an "onion" service, users can access this version of Twitter if they download the Tor browser, which allows people to access sites on what is also referred to as the "dark web." Instead of .com, onion sites have a .onion suffix.
While the term "dark web" connotes illegal sites such as the now-defunct Silk Road drug market, it is also often used by people seeking to remain anonymous for their safety and also to access sites censored by repressive governments.
Facebook and other sites such as the BBC also have versions accessible on Tor.
Software engineer and internet security expert Alec Muffett, who has worked with other companies to set up onion sites, announced Twitter's new service on .
"This is possibly the most important and long-awaited tweet that I鈥檝e ever composed," he wrote on Tuesday.
