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The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday said it seized two domain names that nefarious actors in Russia used to craft almost 1,000 fake accounts on the social media platform X. One of the individuals, an unnamed editor at Russian state-run news agency RT, worked with Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB, to create the fake accounts, the department said. Government personnel and other employees at RT then used the accounts to spread misinformation in the United States and other countries, according to the Justice Department.

What sort of alleged misinformation did these bots spread? One of the accounts in question claimed that Russias war in Ukraine was about founding a new world order and not about territorial conflict or achieving geopolitical balance, the Justice Department said. Another account alleged that fewer foreign fighters were serving alongside Ukrainian forces than many public estimates indicated. Another account indicated that Russia had gifted Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine certain geographical areas after freeing them from Nazism in World War II.

How did the Justice Department discover these accounts were Russian bots? The FBI began investigating the X accounts, and the domain names used to create them, after receiving a tip from another, unidentified U.S. government agency, according to court documents. The FBI sifted through the layers of false email accounts, bitcoin payments, and disguised IP addresses to identify the individuals allegedly involved in the scheme.

How did Russia create so many bots and how did this all work? The United States, the Netherlands, and Canada released a joint statement explaining how the Russian government used an artificial intelligence software program called Meliorator to create the bots. Some of the bots passed themselves off as real users while sharing propaganda, while other bots served only to like misinformation shared by the original bots.

Has the U.S. government also been tracking Chinese hacking efforts? The National Security Agency, along with the Australian Signals Directorate and other agencies, on Monday issued a report on APT 40, a Chinese hacking group that has targeted companies, networks, and agencies in the United States and Australia. The group has exploited software loopholes to infiltrate widely used networks and used home office devices as operational infrastructure, the NSA said. The NSA suggested that network defenders patch all internet-exposed devices, segment their networks, and disable unused network features.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift from last month about Polands efforts to bolster its cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent Russian hacking attempts.

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Russia using bots to spread misinformation on social media, DOJ says - WORLD News Group

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There is a fine line between dunking on a rival and giving them motivation to just beat their head in, in real life. Thats the line the Los Angeles Chargers social media team crossed according to Las Vegas Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams with their post comparing the six-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team AP All-Pro receiver to a garbage-flavored Pop Tart.

During his appearance on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, the host asked him, How responsible do you feel for the entire Chargers team giving up on their coach in this game. Referring to the 63 points the Raiders hung on the Chargers in Week 15 that resulted in the firing of Brandon Staley. Adams caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in that game. Davante pivoted away from talking about that specific game and to the teams social media post and its inaccuracy. Here is what he had to say;

They posted me and then like a trash can or something like that. I thought about responding on social media to it and and being funny there, but I figured itd be better to just beat their head in in real life and continue doing it my way because my first game against them I dont know they, clearly forgot like 10 catches 141 yards and a touchdown and then the next time that same year it was like 177 yards and two touchdowns. I think it was that game.

So I just wanted to kind of remind them what theyve been going through as it pertains to playing against me. Hopefully the people that made that post because its not the players fault they didnt have anything to do with the post but this is directed strictly toward the Charger social media page. Please keep my name out your mouth.

In his four games against the Chargers since going the Raiders, Adams has caught 34 passes for 494 yards and four touchdowns. The teams have split the series with two wins each. In addition to the two games he mentioned from 2022, Adams caught eight passes for 75 yards in Week 4 and eight for 101 in the aforementioned Week 15 game.

The Chargers will kick off the 2024 season against Adams and the Raiders at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, September 8th. They will also wrap up the season in Vegas in Week 18 against the Raiders on January 5th.

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Chargers Social Media Team Goes Too Far, Gives Bulletin Board Material to Top WR - LAFB Network

The proliferation of AI-generated images "has made Facebook a very bizarre, very creepy place for me," said Casey Morris, an attorney in Northern Virginia. Facebook hide caption

The proliferation of AI-generated images "has made Facebook a very bizarre, very creepy place for me," said Casey Morris, an attorney in Northern Virginia.

Casey Morris, an attorney in Northern Virginia, recently started checking Facebook again after a long break. Among posts from friends and family, she noticed a strange trend.

"The caption will say, 'Close your eyes 70% and see magic.' And without squinting at all, it's very obviously sort of an image of Jesus, but it will be made up of, like, vegetables and a tractor and a little girl that are sort of distorted," she said.

That wasn't the only oddity in Morris' feed. Similar pictures with identical captions recurred. So did different, more emotionally exploitative posts depicting disabled mothers and children in the mud or smiling amputees, with captions asking for a birthday wish.

"It has made Facebook a very bizarre, very creepy place for me," Morris said.

Between their subject matter, stylistic clues and odd errors, it quickly became obvious to Morris that these images were fake the products of artificial intelligence.

They're not being posted by people she knows or follows. Instead, Facebook is suggesting she might be interested in them and they seem to be really popular.

"They're getting thousands of reactions and thousands of comments [from] people who seem to think they're real, so wishing them a happy birthday or saying something religious in the comments," she said.

"These weren't sporadic images here or there that only a few people were interacting with. They were really getting a ton of traction," said Josh Goldstein, a research fellow at Georgetown University. Facebook hide caption

Morris isn't the only Facebook user whose feed has started to fill up with AI-generated spam. Reporters at the tech website 404 Media tracked a surge in apparently AI-generated posts on Facebook, which is owned by Meta, in recent months. AI-generated images like these are starting to show up on other social media sites too, including Threads, which is also owned by Meta, and LinkedIn.

On Facebook, in many cases, it appears that the platform's own algorithm is boosting AI posts.

When researchers at Georgetown and Stanford universities investigated more than 100 Facebook pages that routinely post AI content sometimes dozens of times a day they found that many are engaging in scams and spam.

"We saw AI-generated images of everything you can imagine, from log cabins to grandmas with birthday cakes to children with masterful paintings that just simply couldn't be real," said Josh Goldstein, a research fellow at Georgetown University and co-author of the preprint study, which hasn't yet undergone peer review.

Goldstein and his co-author also found that Facebook is actively recommending some of this AI content into users' feeds potentially creating a cycle where the posts get more engagement, so they get recommended to even more users. Some individual posts from the pages they analyzed have accumulated hundreds of thousands and even millions of interactions.

"These weren't sporadic images here or there that only a few people were interacting with. They were really getting a ton of traction," Goldstein said.

Their analysis found that some of these pages are classic spam, posting links to websites where they can collect ad revenue. Others are scammers, advertising AI-generated products that don't appear to actually exist.

But many of the pages don't have a clear financial motivation, Goldstein said. They seem to simply be accumulating an audience for unknown purposes.

"It could be that these were nefarious pages that were trying to build an audience and would later pivot to trying to sell goods or link to ad-laden websites or maybe even change their topics to something political altogether," Goldstein said. "But I suspect more likely, many of these pages were simply creators who realized it was a useful tactic for getting audience engagement."

Clickbait has always been on social media. But in the past few years, Facebook has doubled the amount of posts it recommends to users, as it seeks to keep up with changes in social media pioneered by TikTok. On a recent earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told analysts that recommended posts now account for about 30% of users' feeds.

At the same time, AI-generated content is now easier than ever for anyone to make. Together, these dynamics are creating a recipe for weird renderings of Jesus, disturbing birthday posts and impossible architecture and handicrafts to go viral.

"It's mimicking, like, all of the elements of what made something go viral. But they're putting in the most bizarre images I've ever seen," said Brian Penny, a freelance writer who has been tracking AI on Facebook for nearly two years. He's part of a group dedicated to sharing and debunking AI images.

Penny has seen a shift from pictures that have some grounding in reality like the AI-generated depiction of Pope Francis in a puffy coat that went viral last year to something far more uncanny.

"We work to reduce the spread of content that is spammy or sensational because we want users to have a good experience, which is why we offer them controls to what they see in their feed," a spokesperson for Meta told NPR in a statement.

Facebook says it will soon begin labeling some content created by AI tools. Facebook hide caption

The company plans to begin labeling AI-generated content created with some industry-leading tools soon. Last week, TikTok started applying similar labels to some AI-generated posts on its platform.

In the meantime, the surge in AI spam is turning off many people.

Katrina McVay, who lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., says she has had to discourage her mom from buying woodwork and other home decor she sees on Facebook that are clearly fake.

"She'd be like, 'Wouldn't this be so cool for your daughter?'" McVay said. "And I'm like, 'That's not real, though.'"

Some Facebook users are considering leaving the platform entirely because of their frustrations with being recommended spammy AI images.

"Am I supposed to sift through all this to see that my cousin's just been to the Sahara desert?" asked Borys Rzonca, a Los Angeles furniture designer. "It's no longer worth it for me."

Beyond finding AI spam on Facebook annoying, many people NPR spoke with say they're worried about the larger stakes of artificial images showing up everywhere.

"It just sort of reinforces people's disbelief and ... makes it harder to see what is real," said Hobey Ford, a puppeteer in North Carolina who has seen AI images pop up in Facebook groups dedicated to science, claiming to depict new discoveries.

"And I think that's dangerous in our world right now," he said.

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AI-generated spam is starting to fill social media. Here's why - NPR

Decentralized social networks remain a hot topic as concerns over data privacy, censorship, and corporate influence continue to escalate. People seek more control over their digital interactions, so the promise of Web3, offering a decentralized, user-controlled alternative, has intrigued both technologists and ordinary users.

BeInCrypto sat down with Suji Yan, the founder of Mask Network, to explore the current state of this narrative and the Mask Networks role in shaping the future of decentralized social networks.

Mask Network, led by founder Suji Yan, develops blockchain-based tools that allow users to perform cryptocurrency transactions and access decentralized applications directly through social media platforms. Suji Yan, whose background includes roles as an AI engineer and journalist, is driven by a commitment to privacy and free speech. He envisions Mask Network as a cornerstone in creating an independent cyberspace where users govern themselves and interact without traditional corporate oversight. His ambitious goal is to transform social media into a secure, decentralized environment that supports a fully autonomous digital society.

Suji begins by tracing the origins of his company to the early ideas sparked by the limitations of traditional finance. Bitcoin is great it saves the money, right? Bitcoin is the peer money and digital gold. And Ethereum is the programmable machine, the infinite machine on a smart contract, he articulates.

His vision, however, extends beyond these pioneering technologies towards a grander aim of creating a fully autonomous digital society.

My bigger dream, my bigger perspective for our industry is that we eventually can become an independent cyberspace, he explains, envisioning a new kind of governance, society, and communication platform grounded in blockchain technology. If you want to create a society, you will need your own platforms where people can gather and talk without worrying that one day AWS is going to kill the Facebook server and you will be de-platformized.

Suji enthusiastically recounts the early days when Mask Network was still taking shape. The team was officially assembled in 2016, with the company forming in 2017 amidst a bull market with its ICO craze. Mask Network, however, was keen on building a sustainable long-term vision. We did a lot of research. We write a lot of codes. And we built something that people never seen before, he says, emphasizing the innovative spirit of his team.

Mask Network quickly garnered support from key figures in the blockchain community. Ethereum co-founders Vitalik Buterin and Mihai Aliesie were early users of the Mask extension. This period of subsequent adoption of their technology laid a solid foundation for Mask Networks ambitions, setting the stage for further development and continued evolution toward a decentralized digital society.

Suji recognizes the journey toward decentralizing social networks as a long-term endeavor. Reflecting on discussions in 2018, he noted how major platforms like Facebook initially flirted with decentralization before stepping back. Interestingly, they are revisiting these ideas, paralleling X/Twitters intermittent experiments with decentralization strategies, including during Jack Dorseys tenure and more recently under Elon Musks direction, who has shifted his focus towards integrating AI.

This narrative underlines that developing a comprehensive suite of technologies for decentralized social networks presents significant challenges. Unlike more straightforward financial applications in the blockchain space, such as DeFi or cryptocurrency exchanges, which benefit from clear, measurable success metrics like trading volume or total value locked (TVL), social platforms require nuanced, complex solutions that must evolve to meet the diverse needs of users and the nature of social interaction online. This complexity makes the path to decentralization innovative and fraught with continuous learning and adaptation.

Despite all hurdles, Suji remains optimistic about the future, drawing parallels with the early days of DeFi, which also faced skepticism and slow initial growth. He anticipates a similar trajectory for decentralized social networks, with gradual acceptance leading to more significant breakthroughs.

Social [networks] is very different it needs a series of events to make people realize we really need decentralization, he explains, citing pivotal moments such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal and recent regulatory actions against TikTok. For DeFi, it took 7 years: from the BitShare story, BitUSD story, and then EOS, then people moved to Ethereum, then the DeFi summer. If history repeats itself, well see decentralized social networks boom in 2028, maybe 2029.

Suji believes that these foundational shifts in the digital field, catalyzed by major public events, serve as critical moments that will eventually drive widespread adoption. The awareness and understanding of the importance of user control over personal data increase, so will the demand for decentralized solutions.

Beyond developing its proprietary technology, Mask Network has played a crucial role in supporting decentralized social networks and infrastructure projects. In 2021, the team initiated the Bonfire Union the venture arm involved in funding various initiatives, including social platforms, blockchain infrastructure projects, and other innovative technologies that align with the decentralized ethos of Mask Network.

Bonfire Union has invested in a diverse array of projects, including:

Bonfire Unions AUM is over a $100 millions now, but when we launched it, it was just $42 millions, Suji reflects. There are many other social things we invest in: decentralized social networks, infrastructure. Financial VC, they dont see whats going on. But were early and true believers, so we know there are many things that are lacking in this industry.

Mask also became one of the largest contributors to Mastodon, a decentralized and federated social network, and a key shareholder of Lens Protocol, demonstrating a strategic approach to nurturing the ecosystems growth.

The commitment of Mask Network extends beyond financial investments. In December 2023, Mask established a non-profit entity, Mask Network Academy, which provides financial and technological support to the worlds top universities and journalism programs to promote Web3 research and story-telling.

We actively engage with educational institutions worldwide to foster a deeper understanding of blockchain and decentralized technologies, Suji explains. For instance, weve partnered with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and supported Korea University, focusing on encouraging young students to explore decentralized applications. We find it crucial to support these educational endeavors through donations, such as the one we made to the UOPI Foundation, using cryptocurrency to facilitate these contributions. Our goal is not just to fund, we want to inspire and collaborate with the next generation of innovators who can carry forward the vision of a decentralized future.

This dedication to education and development highlights Mask Networks holistic approach to advancing the Web3 ecosystem. By providing both financial backing and hands-on opportunities, they ensure that emerging talents have the resources and knowledge needed to succeed in shaping a more decentralized and transparent digital future.

Suji believes it is still too early to fully assess the impact of their efforts, noting that many in the industry still need APIs, infrastructure, or SaaS solutions. In response, Mask Network plans to offer significant support by providing free infrastructure to their ecosystem, which has yet to be publicly announced. This initiative will cover server and gas costs, allowing emerging projects within their network to develop without financial barriers during their first year.

Mask Networks founder explained that while the company cannot cover excessive costs for projects that secure substantial funding, the team i committed to opening a gateway for those still in the early financial stages. This support includes free SaaS and other resources from Mask Network and its DAO, removing the burden of gas fees and allowing developers to focus on innovation and learning.

In the broader narrative of blockchain and decentralization, under Suji Yans leadership, Mask Network aims to be more than just a technology provider. They are deeply involved in crafting a decentralized framework for social interactions, where privacy, security, and user autonomy are paramount. Suji emphasizes the importance of this mission in his own words:

Our vision at Mask Network is to foster an environment where digital sovereignty is the norm, not the exception. Were building tools that allow individuals to control their own data, communicate freely without censorship, and transact securely without intermediaries.

Through ongoing product development, community initiatives, and strategic partnerships, Mask Network is laying the groundwork for what Suji believes will be the next major evolution in how we interact online. Integrating advanced blockchain solutions into everyday social media functionality is paving the way for a future where digital interactions are as secure and private as they are ubiquitous. Sujis commitment to this vision is clear as he steers Mask Network towards a world where decentralized technologies redefine our digital interactions, making them safe and user-centric.

Disclaimer

In compliance with the Trust Project guidelines, this opinion article presents the authors perspective and may not necessarily reflect the views of BeInCrypto. BeInCrypto remains committed to transparent reporting and upholding the highest standards of journalism. Readers are advised to verify information independently and consult with a professional before making decisions based on this content. Please note that ourTerms and Conditions,Privacy Policy, andDisclaimershave been updated.

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Exclusive Decentralization Unleashed: How Mask Network is Rethinking Social Media and Privacy - BeInCrypto

Can we have an honest discussion without fear of censorship, shadow-banning, or blacklisting? If you are looking for health and wellness solutions that might include cannabis, psilocybin, and other stigmatized solutions, likely not. Until now.

Many people are looking for health and wellness solutions after years of suffering. The United States regulators seem poised to switch cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III. A Schedule I compound is defined as having no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Cannabis is deemed to have no currently accepted medical use, and yet there is limited research and an abundance of anecdotal testimonials that contradict this.

RELATED:Could hemp save the cannabis industry?

I guess Jack Nicholson was wrong

via GIPHY

You can handle the truth and there are many people whose quality of life depends on it. And you can open all those conversations in an uncensored environment.

Censorship is widespread on mainstream platforms, which impose strict content and advertising restrictions, leading communities to have to self-censor and live in fear of shutdown, especially those discussing controversial alternative health topics like the use of cannabis and psychedelics.

Shadow banning is another form of censorship- it limits visibility, stifling free expression by hiding prohibited content without users knowledge. Shadow banning is highly prevalent, with analysis indicating that most platforms shadow ban users, limiting the visibility of posts containing prohibited words and stifling free expression and debate without user notification.

Surveys by organizations like the Center for Democracy and Technology indicate a noticeable percentage of social media users feel theyve been shadow-banned, affecting their online presence and interaction. The Strict Community Guidelines Mainstream platforms adopt, due to their expansive range of demographics, disproportionately limit the reach and marketing capabilities of alternative wellness companies, significantly affecting their online presence.

Health and wellness communities are scattered across various platforms, complicating user access and interaction. This requires navigating multiple sign-ups and memberships, diluting user experience and community strength.

Information on emerging health trends is decentralized and often unreliable, leading to confusion and misinformation. Theres a significant need for platforms dedicated to health and wellness to facilitate genuine discussion and sharing of effective practices. Community-validated insights are vital. Data shows a high trust level in peer reviews, especially among younger demographics, who value authenticity and community endorsements over the SEO-driven content prevalent in most online searches.

Introducing The Health and Wellness Hub powered by CanMar, designed to overcome the constraints of advertising bans, complex regulations, and content limitations, connecting the world of health and wellness. The Health and Wellness Hubs mission is straightforward yet transformative to #ChangeLives.

How is this achieved? By creating a community for communities. A place where each group, regardless of its focus, finds a home to thrive, connect, and expand. The Health and Wellness Hub ensures open, uncensored dialogue and streamlined access for health and wellness communities, empowering them to connect and share trusted information without barriers. A recent study found that 91% of 18 to 34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, illustrating the significant influence of community-driven validation.

RELATED:This app is changing the way the world views weed

Picture The Health and Wellness Hub as a vibrant neighborhood, a central hub where each health and wellness community owns a piece of virtual real estate. Visit, and you will experience three foundational principles:

CanMar serves as a safe haven for authentic conversations and genuine interactions. CanMars Health and Wellness Hub does more than connect communities. It empowers them to forge the future of health and wellness. The Health and Wellness Hub isnt merely an app available for IOS and Android and available onlineits a movement. By uniting diverse health and wellness communities under one roof, fostering a collaborative environment where authentic conversations drive transformation.

*This article was submitted by a guest contributor to GreenState. The author is solely responsible for the content.

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CanMar Health and Wellness Hub promises censorship-free social networking | GreenState - GreenState