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YouTube to delete thousands of accounts after it bans supremacists, conspiracy theorists and other 'harmful' users

Andrew Griffin
Independent
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 07:45 UTC
youtube
© Pixabay / germany_photography
YouTube will delete thousands of accounts after banning "supremacists", conspiracy theorists and other harmful accounts, it has claimed.

The decision was made after an in-depth review of its rules on hateful content, YouTube said. While it has always banned hate content in general, the site has allowed some specific kinds of harmful videos - such as those promoting Nazi ideology or claiming 9/11 did not happen - to continue being hosted on the site.

Those videos, as well as other kinds of "supremacist" content, will now be officially banned.

"Today, we're taking another step in our hate speech policy by specifically prohibiting videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status," it wrote in a blog post.

Comment: See also:

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People 2

Three men announce plans to hold a "Straight Pride Parade" in Boston

Danielle Garrand
CBS News
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:27 UTC
straight pride flag
© SUPER HAPPY FUN AMERICAThe group refers to this flag as the, "Straight Pride Flag."
June is LGBTQ Pride month and cities all over the world are hosting rainbow festivities, festivals and parades to celebrate the community. However, a group led by three men is trying to champion a different community and says they are planning their own parade in Boston -- to celebrate "Straight Pride."

The organization Super Happy Fun America, which claims to advocate "on behalf of the straight community in order to foster respect and awareness with people from all walks of life," is planning the event, according to its website. The parade appeared to be a reaction to the city's rejection of the group's application to raise its "straight pride flag" at Boston's City Hall earlier this spring.

"We are disappointed that the Walsh administration has chosen hate and discrimination," a blog post on the site from April 20 reads. "Therefore, we have decided to launch a campaign to educate the public, politicians, and civil servants about the straight community and the unique problems we face. We have determined that a parade would be the best way to promote our community and its diverse history, culture, and identity. We anticipate that the city will eventually choose to embrace tolerance and inclusivity."

Comment: If there was any doubt that this is an epic troll campaign, we have this from Reuters:
'Straight Pride' parade group in Boston wants Brad Pitt as its mascot
N'dea Yancey-Bragg and Joey Garrison,USA TODAY - June 5, 2019

...

The group, on its website, says Brad Pitt is its mascot, calling him "a hero to straight men all around the world." Hugo is quoted calling straight people an "oppressed majority," adding that, "We will fight for the right of straights everywhere to express pride in themselves without fear of judgement and hate."

Organizers say they are "committed to creating spaces for people of all identities to embrace the vibrancy of the straight community."

...
See also:

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Snakes in Suits

Mega-church leader Joaquin Garcia arrested for major sex trafficking crimes

Oscar Flores
FOX 11
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 14:19 UTC
Joaquin Garcia
He is the leader of La Luz Del Mundo church but now, Joaquin Garcia is behind bars accused of human trafficking and much more.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced on Tuesday that mega-church leader Joaquin Garcia and others associated with him face charges of human trafficking, production of child pornography, forcible rape of a minor, among other felonies.

Becerra says Garcia committed the crimes between 2015 and 2018 while leading La Luz Del Mundo, an international religious organization headquartered in Mexico with over one million followers reported worldwide.

In the criminal complaint, it is alleged that García and his "co-defendants" allegedly coerced victims into performing sexual acts by telling them that if they went against any of his desires or wishes as "the Apostle," that they were going against God.
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Bulb

Yandex refuses to turn over encryption keys to Russia's FSB


RFE/RL
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 21:38 UTC
Yandex headquarters
Yandex's headquarters in Moscow
Russian media reported that Yandex, the country's largest search engine, has refused to turn over encryption keys that would give the country's law enforcement the ability to decode its entire e-mail traffic.

Yandex would not confirm the report, first made by the newspaper RBK on June 4, instead issuing a statement saying that it could meet law enforcement demands without compromising personal privacy.

The report comes as the Kremlin has tightened control in recent years over the country's Internet -- a move that opponents of President Vladimir Putin say is aimed at squashing discontent and challenges to his rule.


Comment: Opponents being the propagandists at RFE/RL and the like. More likely is the FSB is seeking to root out actual threats rather than the phantom ones the US cries about. That said, Yandex still made a good move by respecting their users privacy.

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Sheriff

CA State Bar: Avenatti poses 'substantial threat of harm to clients or the public', moves to suspend law license

Gregg Re
Fox News
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 19:05 UTC
avenatti nike extortion
© Stephanie Keith/Getty ImagesMichael Avenatti speaks to the media after being arrested for allegedly trying to extort Nike for $15-$25 million on March 25, 2019 in New York City.
The California State Bar, which oversees discipline for all California-licensed attorneys, issued a "consumer alert" Monday evening concerning Michael Avenatti, saying it was moving to suspend him from the practice of law because his alleged conduct "poses a substantial threat of harm to clients or the public."

The sudden development further accentuated Avenatti's dramatic public fall from grace -- he was once celebrated in liberal media circles as a potential challenger to President Trump -- as he faces numerous federal criminal charges in both California and New York courts for allegedly trying to blackmail the clothing giant Nike, impersonating a client, misappropriating client funds for personal purchases, and related matters.
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Cardboard Box

Depression is greatly afflicting millennials, but 20% of them don't seek treatment because they can't afford it

Hillary Hoffower
Business Insider
Tue, 04 Jun 2019 00:00 UTC
Depression is on the rise among millennials.
© JGI/Tom Grill/Getty ImagesDepression is on the rise among millennials.
Major depression is on the rise among millennials - but one in five of them don't seek treatment, according to research released by the Blue Cross.

According to a recent report analyzing data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index, major depression diagnoses are rising at a faster rate for millennials and teens compared to any other age group.

Since 2013, millennials have seen a 47% increase in major depression diagnoses. The overall rate increased from 3% to 4.4% among 18 to 34 year olds.

These findings were underscored by an additional Blue Cross Blue Shield report on millennial health. It analyzed the data of 55 million commerically insured American millennials, there defined as aged 21 to 36 in 2017. It found that major depression had the highest prevalence rate, or the likelihood of a person having a disease, among health conditions affecting millennials.

The most prominent symptom of major depression is "a severe and persistent low mood, profound sadness, or a sense of despair," according to Harvard Medical School.
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Megaphone

Anti-Trump 'climate protesters' leave London streets littered with signs and placards


RT
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:53 UTC
Trump protesters
© REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Thousands of anti-Trump protesters thronged the streets of London to greet the US president. However, despite many of them carrying placards decrying climate change, they seemingly forgot to take their trash home with them.

Climate change protesters, peace activists, and feminists showed up en masse to express their disagreement with and disgust at the controversial president and his policies as he met with British Prime Minister Theresa May and the Queen.

The protests were accompanied by the inflatable 'Baby Trump' which grabbed the headlines last year, in addition to an effigy of Trump atop a golden toilet.

However, the message of cleaning up both international politics and the environment may be seen as somewhat hypocritical given the vast quantities of rubbish left behind. London's streets were littered with anti-Trump and pro-environment messages after placards were left strewn across the pavement.

Comment: 'Do as we say, not as we do!'

Shocking mindlessness.

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Eye 1

Major tech companies uniting in opposition to UK spyware proposal 'Ghost Protocol'

Lauren von Bernuth
Citizen Truth
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:29 UTC
whatsApp on phone
© Max PixelApp Messenger Technology WhatsApp Cell
"The 'ghost' proposal would pose serious threats to cybersecurity and thereby also threaten fundamental human rights, including privacy and free expression" - Open Letter to GCHQ
In an open letter to the U.K.'s Government Communications Headquarters, 47 signatories including Google, WhatsApp, Apple, the ACLU and more raised concern that a new British government proposal posed "serious threats to cybersecurity and fundamental human rights including privacy and free expression."

The program nicknamed "Ghost Protocol" by CNBC would give the U.K. government the ability to eavesdrop on encrypted messages.

Some messaging apps like WhatsApp, iMessage and Signal feature "end-to-end" encryption, meaning only the sender and recipient can read the message and nobody in between has access, not even WhatsApp itself. While end-to-end encryption is an attractive feature for users, it's a frustration for governments.
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Star of David

Israeli NGO B'Tselem launches interactive map highlighting 52-years of Zionist occupation: 'Conquer and Divide'


RT
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:04 UTC
israel occupation map
© B’TselemA still from B’Tselem's video project 'Conquer and Divide'
To mark the 52nd anniversary of Israel's territorial encroachment into the West Bank, human rights NGO B'Tselem has unveiled a new interactive map creatively illustrating the decades-long history of the occupation.

The organization says that their new project "traces how government resolutions, military orders and state planning" came together to create an ever-expanding system of settlements and military check-points, helping Israeli authorities "promote [their] interests at the expense of Palestinians' rights." The project was created in tandem with the independent research agency Forensic Architecture, and launched on Wednesday.
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Bizarro Earth

Segregation is the new tolerance? Virginia Tech offers 10 ethnically-divided graduations

Helen Buyniski
RT
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 19:34 UTC
student protester
© Reuters / Mark Makela
Civil rights activists who risked their lives to racially integrate American schools must be turning in their graves as Virginia Tech proudly offers 10 segregated graduation ceremonies based on race, sexuality, and... sobriety?

Virginia Tech may be the most extreme example, but it's hardly alone. The school exemplifies a relatively recent trend in US higher education in which student identity groups demand and are given their own facilities, programs and (safe) spaces. While legally-mandated racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine was struck down in the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, a National Association of Scholars survey of 173 colleges published last month revealed that fully 72 percent now offer segregated graduation ceremonies, with 43 percent boasting segregated student residences.
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