All articles tagged with #online activism
Toby Morton, a former South Park writer turned online activist, has been purchasing domain names of right-wing politicians to satirize and critique their motivations and power structures, notably acquiring domains related to Trump's Kennedy Center takeover to highlight political spectacle and influence.
Bill Ackman defends online activism as he plans to launch a new fund, emphasizing the positive impact of social media on the investment landscape and its ability to hold companies accountable.
Fake placenames with anti-Israel messages have flooded Google Maps' depiction of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Cyber activists took advantage of a feature on Google Maps that allows users to create and contribute information about businesses and landmarks. Dozens of anti-Israel placenames were found in Arabic and English, including offensive messages. Google has disabled its live traffic data in Israel and Gaza, but it is unclear if this action is related to the targeting of Google Maps. The company is actively reviewing and removing policy-violating content. Cyber vandalism is a politically agnostic form of hacktivism that can be carried out anonymously.
Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year and the platform plunged into chaos, some organizers and digital media experts have been bracing for the impact that his controversial policy changes and mass layoffs may have on social movements going forward. Musk upended traditional Twitter verification and turned it into a pay-for-play system, leading to the impersonation of government accounts and the spread of fake images. For organizers who opt not to pay the monthly subscription fee for a blue check, that also means a loss of credibility and visibility.
Elon Musk has threatened to reassign National Public Radio's (NPR) Twitter account to another company after NPR stopped posting content to its 52 official Twitter feeds last month in protest against a Twitter designation that implied government involvement in its editorial content. Musk suggested that he would reassign the network's main account, under the @NPR handle, to another organization or person. Twitter later dropped the labels but the outlets that were targeted have not resumed activity.