Merz Goes for Nine

What type of data is this German request wishing to scrutinize, and for what reason? Is that information available? There is a great deal of fake posting on X. Gazans, for example, showing pictures of themselves buried in rubble whose IP is located in the French Riviera. That is a type of fake posting commonly used on X.

cdor (View Comment):

What type of data is this German request wishing to scrutinize, and for what reason? Is that information available? There is a great deal of fake posting on X. Gazans, for example, showing pictures of themselves buried in rubble whose IP is located in the French Riviera. That is a type of fake posting commonly used on X.

Most pertinent is Germany requesting data on Hungarian accounts. Beyond the standard privacy questions, there is the matter of Germany attempting to exercise sovereignty over Hungary. The EU is interesting teeter tot that in some ways approximates our union under the Articles of Confederation rather then our current constitutional republic. Even in our more intimate current arrangement, Virginia demanding broad data on Maryland X users would be similarly suspect.

From today's Politico Europe article:

A court in Germany on Tuesday ordered Elon Musk's social media site X to hand over data related to the upcoming election in Hungary to researchers for scrutiny.

The court in Berlin ruled in favor of rights group Democracy Reporting International in its bid to access data to research influence campaigns and disinformation in the election. The group took its case to court after X in November refused its data access requests.

The European Union’s rules for social media platforms, the Digital Services Act, obliges big online platforms like X to grant external researchers access to data to scrutinize how platforms handle risks, including election interference. The European Commission in December fined X €40 million for breaching that obligation, as part of a €120 million levy.

In practice, what they are asking for is raw user data filtered by location, the kind of data they frequently use to direct disinformation campaigns and retaliate against legitimate political opposition.

Sisyphus (View Comment):

In practice, what they are asking for is raw user data filtered by location, the kind of data they frequently use to direct disinformation campaigns and retaliate against legitimate political opposition.

Yes, "researchers" seems to be the preferred term of art. "Targeters" or "Reputation Assassins" might be more apt.

Sisyphus (View Comment):

Most pertinent is Germany requesting data on Hungarian accounts. Beyond the standard privacy questions, there is the matter of Germany attempting to exercise sovereignty over Hungary. The EU is interesting teeter tot that in some ways approximates our union under the Articles of Confederation rather then our current constitutional republic. Even in our more intimate current arrangement, Virginia demanding broad data on Maryland X users would be similarly suspect.

Thanks for your explanation, Sisyphus. The above paragraph seems especially egregious. I assume Hungary is also very unhappy about this inquiry. However, they might be interested for their own reasons.

Sisyphus (View Comment):
Most pertinent is Germany requesting data on Hungarian accounts. Beyond the standard privacy questions, there is the matter of Germany attempting to exercise sovereignty over Hungary. The EU is interesting teeter tot that in some ways approximates our union under the Articles of Confederation rather then our current constitutional republic. Even in our more intimate current arrangement, Virginia demanding broad data on Maryland X users would be similarly suspect.

cdor (View Comment):

Thanks for your explanation, Sisyphus. The above paragraph seems especially egregious. I assume Hungary is also very unhappy about this inquiry. However, they might be interested for their own reasons.

Merz's (and the EU's) objective is to crush Hungary's President Orban and replace him with a good EU Stepford Wife-style leadership obedient to the EU's Globalist sensibilities. This being the EU's ninth fling with election interference toward that end in recent years. But they say the reason their popularity is at rock bottom is Putin's vile machinations, for values of they that include but are not limited to EU President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Merz, French President Macron, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.