In the latest edition of #TwitterFiles, we learned that the FBI was spending a good bit of time perusing social media and sending certain accounts to Twitter to ‘handle’. Isn’t it fascinating how the conspiracy theories we’ve all been talking about for years now were actually true and NOT conspiracies at all?
Instead of chasing child sex predators or terrorists, the FBI has agents — lots of them — analyzing and mass-flagging social media posts. Not as part of any criminal investigation, but as a permanent, end-in-itself surveillance operation. People should not be okay with this.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 16, 2022
Gosh, you’d think if the FBI agents were scouring Twitter in the first place looking for people sharing memes and jokes they could have at least checked for ya’ know, child sex predators or terrorists.
Surely they could have multitasked just a little bit.
Ted Lieu decided to chime in for whatever reason:
Dear @mtaibbi: I’m on the House Judiciary Committee that has oversight over the @FBI and you are lying. The FBI has lots of agents chasing child sex predators and terrorists. Please stop undermining and lying about federal law enforcement. https://t.co/nUcrwRyjRU
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 17, 2022
HA HA HA HA HA HA
HOO boy.
Taibbi fired back:
Being on that committee you should know:
– How much has been spent, and how many DHS/DOJ employees have been assigned, to monitoring and flagging social media?
– Why is the FBI asking for "location information" about ordinary Americans and media outlets like @RSBNetwork? https://t.co/wWJwDxPmpl— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 17, 2022
And then Elon Musk joined the debate.
Congressman Lieu, were you aware of this program and did you approve it? Simple questions require simple answers.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
It took Lieu several hours to answer Musk.
Dear @elonmusk: Simple answer, have you tried reading FBI’s mission? From 2017 program:
“The FBI considers strategic engagement with U.S. technology companies, including threat indicator sharing, to be important in combating foreign influence actors.”https://t.co/7Z0MITQl6s https://t.co/d9OWRNLqLG
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 18, 2022
Ted knows he only made himself and the FBI look worse here, right?
So yes, he knew they were doing this and yes, he was ok with it.
We know, this isn’t shocking but you’d think he’d at least realize how bad this all looks. But then again, he’s spent years now being coddled, pampered, and protected on social media and has not been targeted by a federal agency for wrong-speak/think.
This did not go over well for Lieu.
Did Congress give them that authority? If so can you cite the legislation?
The FBI wasn't chartered to "engage with US Technology Companies" to monitor & sanction American Citizens practicing their right to free speech. Where exactly do they get that authority without warrants?— Garry (@OnalaskaGarry) December 18, 2022
So you were aware of the FBI’s unconstitutional infringement on speech and you did approve it.
— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) December 18, 2022
Hard to believe Billy Baldwin is a foreign influence actor. He's barely an actor.
— Fuzzy Chimp 🇺🇸 (@fuzzychimpcom) December 18, 2022
Serio!
Translation: I was not only aware, but completely approved of the FBI interfering with a presidential election as long as it helps my side.
— The Dank Silent Knight, Holy Knight 🎄🦇 (@capeandcowell) December 18, 2022
There's engagement and then there's collusion, maybe just admit that you're ok with the FBI telling a private company to remove accounts or tweets, but we see it for what it is, a clear violation of people's rights.
— Scott Coleman (@bandphan) December 18, 2022
That’s a cute theory— except you’re focused on interfering with AMERICAN’S free speech. Even at PTA meetings, which is ridiculous.
— LibertyJ (@LibertyJen) December 18, 2022
It just looks worse and worse you guys.
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AOC raging at NBC for temporarily suspending Ben Collins who spoke ‘truth to power’ goes SO wrong
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