Disinfo: Western governments impose censorship and silence dissidents

Summary

The real goal of the “fight against fake news” conducted by Western governments is to eliminate freedom of information and freedom of thought, impose censorship, silence non-mainstream and dissident thinkers and bloggers by taking down their websites, social media accounts, and blogs, and introduce a kind of Orwellian thoughtcrime. Moreover, such governments have exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to set up, under the guise of “fake news task forces”, an Orwellian-type Ministry of Truth tasked with deciding what is true and what is false, silencing and repressing dissidents, and censoring alternative information that is unwelcome to the powerful. Yet it is precisely mainstream media that spreads enormous amounts of false information and resorts to sophisticated forms of manipulation that are comparable to war propaganda.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory. No evidence is provided to support the article’s claims. The article repeats a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the effort to fight fake news is really aimed at censoring information that is unwelcome to Western governments and at silencing critics of dominant Western narratives. The article also contains the recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative claiming the efforts of Western governments, including EU member states, to counter coronavirus-related disinformation are attempts to censor and persecute dissenting views. The article’s messages are consistent with the broad pro-Kremlin narrative that seeks to discredit liberal democratic societies by claiming that the latter are totalitarian systems ruled by “globalist elites” and “shadow governments” which persecute anyone who expresses views that dissent from dominant “politically correct” liberal-globalist thinking. Disinformation (including Pro-Kremlin disinformation and malign influence campaigns) is not an imaginary problem used to justify censorship, but is an issues of genuine concern for many governments around the world, because it represents a threat to a nation’s security and stability , as well as to democratic governance. In particular, the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation around COVID-19 throughout the world has potentially harmful consequences for public health and effective crisis communication. Therefore, Western governments, the EU and its member states have been trying to counter coronavirus-related disinformation, including through detection, analysis and exposure of disinformation campaigns related to the pandemic. The European Union as a whole, is committed to respecting the freedom and pluralism of the media as well as the right to freedom of expression - which includes the right to receive and impart information without interference by public authority. This committment is enshrined in Article 11 of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. Read a previous case claiming that the EU Commission and the EU Parliament wish to censor views skeptical of Western government and media fear-momngering about COVID-19.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 208
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/07/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Italian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Italy
  • Keywords: coronavirus, social media, fake news, Mainstream media, Censorship, Media
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Disinfo: What YouTube and Google did to Tsargrad is a political repression

It turns out that YouTube and Google consider themselves entitled to act extraterritorially, that is, by spreading their laws on the territory of other states. Well, then Russians have to stop using it and kick them out from Russia. NewsFront, Roman Ostashko, Tsargrad, almost all Donetsk residents, even a newspaper with news from Donbas were banned. Well, this is, in fact, political repression. This is war. And we need to make big far-reaching conclusions.

Disproof

A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Russophobia, allegedly directed at the pro-Kremlin media. The account on Youtube of the TV channel "Tsargrad", owned by Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeev, was blocked there due to a violation of the law. Google representatives commented to RBC about it. “Google complies with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws. If we find that an account violates these laws, then we take appropriate action,” the company said. The lawyers of the "Tsargrad" explained the reason for the blocking by the fact that Konstantin Malofeev is on the US sanctions lists. According to the US Department of the Treasury, Malofeev is on the sanction list because "he is responsible for, complicit in, or has engaged in, actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine and has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to, or in support of, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic." You can read similar cases claiming that "US senators and Macron accused Sputnik and RT of election interference with no evidence", "Europe's position in the situation with Sputnik Estonia - criminal silence", "Russian media are being discriminated in Baltic states", etc.

Disinfo: Investigations in the US media about Russia is what totalitarianism looks like

The GRU is once again in the spotlight of the American press. The Associated Press and the New York Times published articles about how Russian intelligence is conducting a campaign of misinformation about the coronavirus among Americans in order to instil in them uncertainty about the future and undermine stability. The media refer to some declassified intelligence materials and their own sources. What we see now is what totalitarianism looks like. Real and authentic. When you can declare any quantity and carry any stupidity.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to depict accusations of Russian meddling in Western life as factually unfounded and driven by "Russophobia". According to the New York Times, declassified U.S. intelligence accuses Moscow of pushing propaganda through alternative websites as Russia refines techniques used in 2016. United States government officials mostly described disinformation focused on the pandemic, but they also outlined ties between Russian intelligence and a think tank that had published articles on politics. From late May to early July, about 150 articles on the pandemic were published by the Russian intelligence-backed effort, American officials said. Information portal oneworld.press and news agency InfoRos, which were mentioned in the investigation, featured as well in the EU DisinfoLab OSINT Investigation. “InfoRos is evolving in a shady grey zone, where regular information activities are mixed with more controversial actions that could be quite possibly linked to the Russian state’s information operations,” the report said. The Washington Post also has previously reported that InfoRos was linked to the GRU.

Disinfo: EU and NATO has a primitive understanding of Crimea, engage in militarization along Russian borders

The European Union is unable to objectively assess the situation in the world, continuing to demonstrate primitive understanding of what is happening in Russia and Crimea. If anyone is engaging in deliberate militarisation, it is NATO countries, gradually and unceremoniously approaching the Russian borders.

Disproof

These are recurring pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives claiming that the West's policies are aggressive and colonial and that NATO is belligerent towards Russia and other countries. The disinformation message appeared after a the negative reaction of the European Union to the on-going militarisation of the peninsula. The EU has once again stressed that Russia's actions in relation to Crimea are a violation of international law. “The recent keel-laying ceremony of two assault ships in Kerch is yet another clear step in the ongoing militarisation of the peninsula, with a considerable negative impact on regional security in the Black Sea,” the EU said. "Another concern is the latest restrictions of the freedom of movement for Ukrainian citizens to and from the Crimean peninsula. Access to mainland Ukraine and the right to return to the place of residence has to be granted unconditionally and should not require a Russian passport," the EU said. "The European Union is unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders." The international community, including the European Union, recognises and condemns clear violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014.