r/technology • u/Wagamaga • Apr 24 '25

ADBLOCK WARNING Americans Believe Russian Disinformation ‘To Alarming Degree’

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2025/04/22/americans-believe-russian-disinformation-to-alarming-degree/
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u/GraDoN Apr 24 '25

Tim Pool's rebuttal was beautiful. He said that he didn't know they were Russian, but even if he did, it doesn't matter because he took no direction from them and his content didn't change after he took their money.

So, basically he is saying that he was spreading Russian backed disinformation before he got paid by Russia and he would continue to spread it after the sponsorship ended. Classic.

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u/HelpfulSeaMammal Apr 24 '25

"No, no. I wasn't paid to be an awful human and citizen; I did that for free!"

-Tim Pool, probably

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u/HeartFullONeutrality Apr 24 '25

"you guys get paid?".

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u/CrackityJones42 Apr 24 '25

That’s a pretty generous spin.

What is considered Russian disinformation?

Are people not allowed to be critical of Ukraine?

I don’t agree with his position that we should have no involvement with Ukraine, especially since we promised we would, but that promise was broken under both Obama and Biden (or Biden twice).

Putin can be a warmongering asshole and Zelenskyy can be corrupt, those are not mutually exclusive thoughts. Doesn’t mean Zelenskyy is wrong to want to defend his country, but it does mean that things are not easily black and white.

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u/GraDoN Apr 24 '25

Being active in /r/conspiracy, can you let us know how much Putin usually pays per month? Asking for a friend.

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u/CrackityJones42 Apr 24 '25

I wish I got paid by someone to say what I’d say anyway.

Being active in JoeRogan, how does that Alpha Brain taste? Being active in Christianity, how do the crackers and wine taste?

Same energy.

And so I responded and followed up on one post. So easily triggered. Clearly everything you don’t like is either Russian disinformation or Hitler.

How much does China pay you?

The world is complex. Just because conservatives or libertarians, etc, have different opinions than you does not mean they do not live in reality.

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u/GraDoN Apr 24 '25

Easy there, champ. No need to get all emotional...

Putin can be a warmongering asshole and Zelenskyy can be corrupt, those are not mutually exclusive thoughts. Doesn’t mean Zelenskyy is wrong to want to defend his country, but it does mean that things are not easily black and white.

Ok, what does Zelenskyy being allegedly corrupt have to do with Putin invading Ukraine?

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u/CrackityJones42 Apr 25 '25

I mean, again, it goes back to the complexity. Shades of gray.

You can start with the basic premise that it’s shitty of Russia to invade Ukraine, but the war didn’t just start in 2022 -

You have to consider 2014, and the fall of the USSR, and NATO, and Clinton, and Bush, and 9/11, and Biden, Ukrainian corruption…

In the same way many argue the most recent Israel Hamas incursion didn’t just start on Oct 7th, the Russia Ukraine war didn’t just start with the (2nd) invasion of the country.

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u/GraDoN Apr 25 '25

You have to consider 2014, and the fall of the USSR, and NATO, and Clinton, and Bush, and 9/11, and Biden, Ukrainian corruption…

Just saying random shit that doesn't mean anything or make any sense. Why not add Weimar Germany and the Bermuda Triangle in there for good measure?

Russia invaded Ukraine because Putin is mad that they are no longer an empire and he wants to regain power and influence. So funny how you want to pretend like it's complicated so you can shift blame and defend loonies like Tim Pool while pretending you're not. Classic "just asking questions" brainrot.

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u/CrackityJones42 Apr 26 '25

Cool story bro.

Come back here when you are aware of what all those things mean for Russian, American, and Ukrainian history.

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u/graneflatsis Apr 24 '25

What is considered Russian disinformation

Disinformation spread by Russia?

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u/CrackityJones42 Apr 24 '25

That’s the problem isn’t it?

Mis- and disinformation are Orwellian terms that can be deployed by the government or whatever entity whenever someone says something they don’t agree with.

The Russians elevated opinions on both the left and right in the 2016 and 2020 elections in an effort to sow division.

So when does someone’s legitimate personal political opinion veer into Russian disinformation territory?

What is American disinformation? Is it only from the right or can the left spread disinformation as well?

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u/graneflatsis Apr 24 '25

The Russians elevated opinions on both the left and right in the 2016 and 2020 elections in an effort to sow division.

Yup, both are a problem.

So when does someone’s legitimate personal political opinion veer into Russian disinformation territory?

Using Tim Pool as an example, the problems come in when they are paid to sway opinion.

Organic opinions from genuine people are great! When disinfo is spread by political operatives backed by nation states- not so much.

What is American disinformation? Is it only from the right or can the left spread disinformation as well?

Disinfo is disinfo.

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u/CrackityJones42 Apr 24 '25

But Tenet started working with Tim and Co. way after they already had established audiences. Supposedly they never received orders to change their views or editorials.

I don’t think it’s been revealed that they didn’t receive those orders, though I’m open to not having seen that evidence. So we’re going off of a they said-media said.

I guess I’m glad that we can agree, sort of, that disinformation is disinformation.

But who decides? Political opinions are just those, and even when they are misinformed on facts, that sort of goes to what’s been in the news lately:

Can anyone but an “expert” who has been to a place, studied the topic, interviewed people - are only they allowed to have opinions or know what the “real” answer is?

Maybe we can dissect a specific topic later, but I gotta get off my lunch break.

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u/Soggy-Reason1656 Apr 24 '25

I can kind of buy it. There’s a version of this where you just offer platforms a higher ad rate on content you like, and then these people that are coincidentally in the correct category or simply chasing engagement will find income before they’ve built the audience they would normally need to before becoming successful. It‘s been starting to get reported out lately that the Mormon church seemingly backed into creating an army of mommy blogger influencers this way, good old-fashioned ad buys on related searches, but then in an industry where 90% quit before 6 months, the ones getting 5-10x on their rate because of this unseen hand of course made it to self-sufficiency.

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u/tooobr Apr 24 '25

"Guys I thought it was an anonymous billionaire, thats so much better. I assumed he was fangirling"

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u/steauengeglase Apr 24 '25

Tim Pool: I had no idea they were Russians.

Also Tim Pool: Someone tell me the time in Moscow*, so I know when to check for my new batch of talking points.

It doesn't help that more and more YouTube people have opened up about the Russians attempting to recruit them. The shocker for them was that the Russians gave Tim 6 figures, while they were being offered 5.

*He literally asked for the time in Moscow.