Is Homeland Security chasing bots? Because that’s the bottiest name I’ve ever seen. If so, please continue. 🍿
Homeland Security Spying on Reddit Users
Submitted 2 weeks ago by Beep@lemmus.org to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/homeland-security-spies-on-reddit
Comments
EvilBit@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
otter@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
I find it odd, but a lot of newer users on Reddit go with the default suggested username and those follow the
word-word-0000template.At the same time, it might be better for privacy to do that since it’s less likely that someone can track you across platforms if you use the generator built into each platform.
EvilBit@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Fair enough. Maybe I’m too old for the internet.
dan@upvote.au 2 weeks ago
I see it a lot, too. Reddit’s been around for 20 years, so all the good usernames are already taken.
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Its been a long time since you could build relationships with other users in places like Reddit. The usernames don’t matter anymore so you may as well just use randoms.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I think the current flow for Reddit account creation is they give you the auto generated username and you have to change it when you’re done creating the account. You don’t get to set it during creation. So because it’s an extra step I think some people don’t. (Though I may be misremembering. It’s been years since I used it.)
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
thats how they mass-create bot accounts, just create a large number without carefully making one that reddit wont immediately ban you on.
DarkSideOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I did that with my new user. It’s easier to use an account for a year or two and burn it. I don’t care about the fake points. And I am not doing anything wrong. But if tou give a lot of oppinions it’s a lot of data for social engineering, so for privacy reason it’s a good practice to not be attached to any account.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
yes, and PALINTIR is active on reddit using propaganda bots, along side the russian and MOSSAD ones.
hector@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
I don’t disbelieve it, do you recall where you read that?
Railcar8095@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I had a similar names. I didn’t care about “expressing myself” and didn’t want you link it to myself in any way, so every time I would just accept the random gibberish reddit suggests when creating a new account.
JayGray91@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Yeah now I’m kind of worried about my pseudonym. This isn’t my first pseudonym mind you, and it won’t be the last, but this is the most “well known” around my internet friends.
ToTheGraveMyLove@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Reddit suggested usernames are always dumb shit like that.
nonentity@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Fascists are the weakest and most brittle snowflakes.
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Fascists are the weakest and most brittle snowflakes.
So, it should be easy to break them, right.
All Americans would have to do is organize themselves and end this increasing dystopia.
OctopusNemeses@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Reddit is State Department agitprop. This leak is probably a tiny fraction of their operations on reddit.
It’s crazy how success that platform is because nobody suspects it. Redditors all hate the other social media platforms. They cannot fathom that reddit is just as bad or worse.
But why is that. Is it the illusion of control. Because ostensibly its a user curated site. Because they think they have voting power. All of these things have proven to be completely false time and again. Yet the illusion of reddit persists.
NewSocialWhoDis@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
While I agree that Reddit is awash in (multiple) state propaganda, and that posting violent rhetoric there is likely to put you on a list (or multiple), I don’t think Reddit users really trust it’s that safe. In the last year and a half, since Luigi, there has been huge amounts of bitterness over the censorship of content and strict banning policies. People have discussed, and followed through on, leaving on droves. Give amounts of old content are no longer available because people scrubbed their post history on the way out.
If the current discourse doesn’t reflect that, I would suffer it’s because :
- the real people still there remain to discuss uncontroversial niche topics
- political discussion there is largely driven by bots and paid actors now
BanMe@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It’s an addiction just like any other social media site, being cut off from the supplier is one of a few ways to end addiction, so I’ve appreciated their ban-happiness lately (for myself included).
Felis_Rex@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
The user interactionetrics they’ve added have been interesting tho. Millions of south and SE Asians are flocking to reddit.
It’s been wild to watch how the site has grown over the past 15 years for me. Back durning trump’s first term I deleted my account and alts due to paranoia. I’m starting to think I should do the same for newer accounts or abandon the site entirely; hense my presence here.
I heard murmurs about Lemmy when the API shit was going down a few years ago but it was so small back then the switch didn’t really make sense for me. Now that the paranoia is back I don’t feel as comfortable/safe commenting on reddit anymore
jungle@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Redditors all hate the other social media platforms.
What other examples of bullshit can you give us?
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Between reddit’s control freak mods, their selective enforcement of rules, their lack of mod behavior restrictions, ads made to look like postings, etc you have very little freedom outside of porn surprisingly. You have to stick to the groupthink in subs or get banned which makes most comments predictable, agreeable and milktoast.
Bruncvik@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Learned from growing up in a communist dictatorship: don’t discuss politics and religion with strangers. And even with friends or acquaintances, don’t discuss it in writing. It doesn’t mean you can’t have strong opinions, but don’t make them public. Talking (not writing) one-to-one or in small groups eventually toppled almost all communist dictatotships, so there’s absolutely no need to broadcast your opinions, unless your goal is to be martyred.
sommerset@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
Communists were nice.
themurphy@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
Well, there is no such thing as communism with a dictator. It’s simply two opposites.
Communism is without a state. Meaning no true communist country have ever existed in modern time.
Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I used reddit for over a decade, but I was never willing to buy reddit gold or support it because I didn’t trust any site where I shared my political opinions to have those opinions tied with by real name or any other billing info. Same with discord. At least with lemmy, you can support it without tying it to your account.
FudgyMcTubbs@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I tend to think that – for myself for sure but probably most other people – after a decade plus on Reddit, you’ve likely said and posted enough stuff that somebody could follow the breadcrumbs back to you. Theyd have to really want to and it would take a lot of reading your posts, but it could probably be done. Anonymity doesn’t exist without a vpn, and even then you’re probably still identifiable. Don’t say, post or do anything on the internet that youre not willing to defend/pay for in real life.
Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve always isolated my username from irl stuff and I don’t make any social media posts from my irl stuff. You’d have to be very interested in me specifically and I’ve always tried to be slightly less noisy then the background noise.
ProdigiousInsanity@lemmus.org 2 weeks ago
Got permabanned for up voting a post about ice having their secret identities found out as it was ‘i citing violence’. Because law enforcement should be protected from public backlash as the piss on the Constitution and practice illegal acts on people, it seems to reddit mods.
isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Wtf you can be banned for upvoting?
BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Yup, Reddit has gone full mask off in the past year now. Spez is a known nazi simp.
Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I got permabanned for comparing israel to the Nazis. Fuck Reddit.
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Imagine being Budget-Chicken-2425 and waking up one day to find out the entire world is reading your FBI domestic terrorist dossier.
That’s enough to radicalize a chicken.
TRBoom@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Budget-Chicken-2425
Looks like his account is suspended now.
hector@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Ha, homeland security is back to it’s old tricks. Probably not just them now, but they were submitting lists of users and social media was finding other pretexts to violate/ban them. I’m pretty sure some of my previous accounts were on those lists.
As always, they got the support to do it by stressing these rw accounts denying vaccinations and elections and the like, and then the fascists in homeland security predictably went after the left with it primarily. Often going after things like parody accounts, allowed under the rules, for making fun of political leaders. It’s all dishonest. As per reporting in The Intercept at the time. The leak of information covered like twitter and FB and I forget, but I’ve no doubt it extends to other platforms, and other units than the one we learned about in homeland security, that is just the tip of the iceberg we can see above the reflection of that ocean of social media.
I am saying an agency gave lists of users to violate that included his, and that reddit found excuses to violate them, likely for unrelated reasons that are not even against the rules, they don’t have to try, so they don’t try, to enforce rules fairly. Which is why we need the fediverse to be constructed better to reach critical mass. We need clear rules and enforcements with appeals that end in jury trials of users for actions.
Zombie@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
youtube.com/shorts/h9DRcWStaC4
“Some very rich old white men are exerting their power to suppress our own people, thus creating a feeling of civil war in the streets.”
Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’m certain the Reddit management allowed the tracking.
innermachine@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Of course, any time your information is on a privatized network you might as well just assume it’s for sale.
Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
100% correct!
hydroptic@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Although, do be mindful that the same applies to open protocols like activitypub too
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
i’m certain ghislaine is reddit management so…
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If they get subpoenaed they have no choice.
TheObviousSolution@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Reddit has been leaking information to the feds for ages. They had a warrant canary that is no more, it has ceased to be, and bereft of life, it rests in peace since 2015: aclu.org/…/bye-bye-birdie-reddits-warrant-canary-…
It has been a while since spez sold himself out completely. Leaking user information to special interests is part of the silent agreement that has kept them from being under investigation.
Murdoc@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
It’s not dead, it’s just pining for the fjords.
cheesybuddha@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’m 100% certain Reddit also fully cooperating with them. They run CBP recruitment ads. Fuck them, fascist collaborators
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
they have palintir bots which they know about but wont do anything, plus russian propaganda is almost rarely get cleaned out when they do actual purges, which targets real users instead. they also now have israeli mods/bots to gatekeep criticism against israel. all the purges have target the lowest hanging fruits, irl users, than OF/link spamming the ones that are cutting into thier profits somehow.
FalschgeldFurkan@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
To summarise: it’s all just bots nowadays. Reddit is complete junk now.
dizzle18@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
The first four years or so that I was on Reddit, I never once received a ban for anything. Since Trump was elected, I pretty much got temp bans every couple of months. Every one was from me being mean to obvious Russian trolls. And then this morning, I got permanently banned for a comment I made over a week ago, that according to Reddits own metrics, received a grand total of zero views. I called a fascist a, um, fascist, and that he wasn’t just licking boots, he was deep throating them. That was a step too far, according to Reddit. And now I’m here.
MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Fuck Reddit and Fuck Spez.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
You know, looking back getting banned for saying “fuck trump and Obama” was a blessing in disguise. I still miss my cheap knockoff watch sub though :(
kablez@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
All my email addresses are perma-banned for replying to right wingers. I had death threats, people questioning my sanity and calling me slurs. When I tried to respond with even an iota of the same energy - banned. On Reddit, the right wing is king.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
on Reddit, the right wing is king.
Yup. Despite all their virtue signaling, they give miles more leeway to chuds. Funny enough, despite my decade plus on there arguing with right winged idiots, I never got a “KYS” message. But only two months on here some hexbear bitch popped my cherry because I had the audacity to claim Hasan Piker did in fact shock his dog for the crime of wanting to move out of frame.
Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
reddit is run by nazis, for nazis.
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
You were banned from Reddit for saying that? I feel like I’ve said worse and somehow haven’t got one yet.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Yup, apparently I was “inciting violence”
Dayroom7485@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Have you considered starting a cheap watch sub? I recently bought a quartz watch from the 70s for cheap and I’m refurbishing it (new strap, had the watchmaker oil the mechanics for 10 bucks). I’d hang out in that sub!
hector@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
You got a permaban for saying fuck the president and obama? I said that all the time on there, the democratic cheerleaders get on my case but I’ve reason on my side, obama was a failure, biden was a failure, not fit for the moment, although at least obama could work a crowd biden was just embarrassing.
How many other violations had you gotten on that account before then? I always drop them after the 2nd one to prevent getting a permaban, but then quit for quite a while, first time a year and a half before I overcame my spite about being violated dishonestly for what I suspect was Israel related in fact but seized on unrelated posts not even against the rules.
whereIsTamara@lemmy.org 2 weeks ago
I got perm banned from news@lemmy.world for saying “good” when Trump got a bloody ear
SethTaylor@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’m defo never gonna be allowed into the US. Ever.
Good.
Means I’m less likely to get shot. Ever.
JamesBlonde@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Hopefully they never invade your country either
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Wherever OP is, the U.S. is probably already there, in some capacity. You can say it’s not an invasion, but could you ever really make us leave?
Bullerfar@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yeah, fuck reddit, fuck usa and fuck trump
architect@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
These people will not be contained to the usa.
You have allies in the states. Don’t abandon them.
PhoenixDog@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I have several allies. Most of them LGBTQ+. If shit goes down we’re getting them to apply for asylum here.
pleaseletmein@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Notorious terrorist, Budget Chicken.
tackleberry@thelemmy.club 2 weeks ago
yeah Reddit has gone to shit now. That’s why I am here
nulluser@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You don’t honestly think that DHS doesn’t know Lemmy exists, do you? If they’re monitoring Reddit, you’d have to be a fool to not realize that they’re probably here, too.
SethTaylor@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
DHS! DHS, over here! Oh! Oh! DHS! Look here! DHS! Down here, DHS! Look here! No, not there! Here, look at me! Are you looking?
Fuck you.
Bytemeister@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Let’s face it. If you want to be invisible to DHS right now, just find an old article from the daily stormer or something and start posting far left stuff in the comments. This admin is going to go faaaaaaaar out of their way to avoid pissing off the nationalist hate groups that give their stochastic terrorism some real teeth.
BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
I’d argue it was pretty shit for a long while. The fact that r/conservative with the vile spew they have is still allowed is all you need to understand.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
and its consistently on the front page, which started around election year is very red flag. other far right subs try to make it to front page, but they get buried,i used to filter them out.
Smoogs@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ok homeland security, good luck arresting all them AI bots.
betanumerus@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
They’re not anti-ICE, they’re anti-abusers. Now if ICE abuses people, ICE chooses to become a target of the anti-abusers.
DylanMc6@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
It’s a good thing I got permanently banned from Reddit just for saying “gill o’ teen”. Like this is America, it’s free speech.
Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Deleted my account years ago.
- the new home algorithm is filled with problematic subs, and is an opportunity for algorithmic propaganda
- After forcing emails it’s been downhill
- Needing to app for “incognito” is suspicious as hell
- I do not like their leadership
- The website runs like crap, and the redesign is not new at all. Every time I see the old design it’s a breath of fresh air and several hundred MB back to my OS.
- Lately all is filled with US critical posts that get deleted for no stated reason.
brachiosaurus@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Homeland security if you are reading this shame on you! you are working for a pedophile!
gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Gauge deez nuts, ICEatzgruppen
Liuone@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’m guessing people soon will accidentally start falling out the windows in US too.
HubertManne@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
this kinda makes me want to make a new reddit account. flaming-icefqr69
HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
1st fucking amendment you fucking Nazis
Baguette@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Tbh if its a social/discussion based website, it will have federal agents monitoring it. Lemmy isn’t free from this either, though in our defense we are probably pretty low on the watchlist (but then again who knows)
RabbitBBQ@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Reddit should bring back Ghislaine Maxwell as a mod
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
That username sounds like a bot pretending to be a person that loves knock-off KFC and them being anti-ICE is just the LLM misinterpreting their programmers’s desire of this personality to include liking warm sodas
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It should be everyones moral responsibility to grow a dick, if only so that homeland security can suck it.
tidderuuf@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
They can gauge this: Fuck ICE.