Charlie Kirk Assassination Sparks Social Media Crackdown
6 hours ago
- #privacy concerns
- #government surveillance
- #social media
- An Atlanta man was contacted by police after sharing a photo of a T-shirt similar to one worn by Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, raising concerns about privacy and government monitoring.
- Discord clarified there's no evidence the shooter used its platform, yet politicians like Utah Governor Spencer Cox have condemned social media, comparing it to 'fentanyl' for its addictive and divisive nature.
- FBI Director Kash Patel revealed over 11,000 leads in the investigation, indicating a broad surveillance approach, including monitoring private Discord messages without user notification.
- Emergency Disclosure Requests (EDRs) allow social media platforms to share private communications with authorities in perceived emergencies, bypassing traditional legal processes.
- The Atlanta man's case highlights potential overreach, as police seemed unaware he hadn't posted a photo of the shooter, just a similar T-shirt, yet accessed his private Discord chat.
- Discord responds to about two EDRs daily, often within an hour, without informing users, raising transparency and privacy concerns.
- Critics argue the focus should be on societal inequality rather than blaming social media, with warnings about approaching 'thoughtcrime' levels of surveillance.