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Comment by hjk2 | Hacker News Reader

No need to manipulate elections from outside. Every country does it their own way without assistance. Compare two tweets of the same agency:

1. https://x.com/CBSNews/status/1802803402545467446?t=29N_O490Q...

2. https://x.com/CBSNews/status/1823049308230324279?t=9Tr3aIPVV...

Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/y2fDLWz

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What you're leaving out is that CBS isn't posing as a "USA Citizen from Springfield", while being from another country, sponsored by a foreign state in an undisclosed way.

Do you think ID Checks on social media should be implemented to avoid those problems?

Do you? Both posts linked above were made with full identity disclosure. Does it make anyone outside of a tiny minority that understands how media works more aware of the manipulation? Does this awareness make manipulation less effective?

> Both posts linked above were made with full identity disclosure.

Well that's why I said those posts are a bad example. I'm talking about those who pose as something they're not funded to do so, covertly.

So lets say, if you had someone from a foreign country with an ID Check claim to be something they're not (you could even publicly display their country), would make all of those efforts a bit more transparent.

Or for example, with group of Youtubers known to promote propaganda, now we know they were paid to do so by a foreign country. Now you can completely dismiss them, and with an easy reminder, you can put their credibility in check.

> Does this awareness make manipulation less effective?

I think so, the best thing you can do is inform people. Of course, this should be done collectively, or else it would be targeted for conspiracy theories.

I don't think ID checks should be implemented. Few nation states aren't ready not abuse this. The US might be able to, but certainly not most European countries.

CBS is posing as journalism when it’s really just propaganda, which is worse

I don't really see how an institution being transparent about who they are, is worse about institutions hiding who they are and posing as someone they're not, while being funded by a state.

Can you explain further?

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