WaPo’s Taylor Lorenz: Facebook’s Campaign Against TikTok Used ‘Dog Whistle’ and ‘QAnon’ Messaging

JACKSON Hard not to ░░░░░░░░ about the fact that ░░░░░░░░ we have a company ░░░░░░░░ Meta in Facebook that ░░░░░░░░ been plagued with issues ░░░░░░░░ misinformation spreading widely on ░░░░░░░░ platform and now they ░░░░░░░░ paying to spread intentionally ░░░░░░░░ hope harmful information about ░░░░░░░░ other company about TikTok ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Exactly The irony ░░░░░░░░ not lost especially the ░░░░░░░░ that Facebook has had ░░░░░░░░ an impact in local ░░░░░░░░ and really decimated the ░░░░░░░░ news market and now ░░░░░░░░ they are trying to ░░░░░░░░ all of these anti ░░░░░░░░ stories in local papers ░░░░░░░░ Talk about what your ░░░░░░░░ showed and as somebody ░░░░░░░░ Taylor is the best ░░░░░░░░ the beat in getting ░░░░░░░░ this kind of thing ░░░░░░░░ anything surprise you as ░░░░░░░░ were looking through these ░░░░░░░░ as you were reporting ░░░░░░░░ the course of the ░░░░░░░░ LORENZ Yeah I was ░░░░░░░░ surprised at how aggressive ░░░░░░░░ was They really hit ░░░░░░░░ on all fronts And ░░░░░░░░ just the dog whistle ░░░░░░░░ of it The two ░░░░░░░░ attacks that I found ░░░░░░░░ this whole campaign are ░░░░░░░░ is dangerous and bad ░░░░░░░░ kids and then stoking ░░░░░░░░ China sentiment These are ░░░░░░░░ messages that really resonate ░░░░░░░░ with the conservative base ░░░░░░░░ lot of it honestly ░░░░░░░░ sort of almost QAnon ░░░░░░░░ they way it s ░░░░░░░░ save the children we ░░░░░░░░ to protect the children ░░░░░░░░ a lot of these ░░░░░░░░ about all of this ░░░░░░░░ actually on Facebook But ░░░░░░░░ I was just kind ░░░░░░░░ struck by those messages ░░░░░░░░ Let me talk about ░░░░░░░░ responses from these companies ░░░░░░░░ because Targeted Victory told ░░░░░░░░ they were proud of ░░░░░░░░ work they ve done ░░░░░░░░ Meta over the years ░░░░░░░░ is saying they are ░░░░░░░░ deeply concerned about this ░░░░░░░░ but Meta is saying ░░░░░░░░ should in their words ░░░░░░░░ a level of scrutiny ░░░░░░░░ with their growing success ░░░░░░░░ that sound to you ░░░░░░░░ what is your assessment ░░░░░░░░ it mean Facebook is ░░░░░░░░ to keep going with ░░░░░░░░ that Meta is going ░░░░░░░░ continue on this path ░░░░░░░░ I think Facebook s ░░░░░░░░ shows that it s ░░░░░░░░ unapologetic about this campaign ░░░░░░░░ really have kind of ░░░░░░░░ open about it They ░░░░░░░░ t push back very ░░░░░░░░ on a lot of ░░░░░░░░ And I think their ░░░░░░░░ shows that they feel ░░░░░░░░ this is completely valid ░░░░░░░░ s just it s ░░░░░░░░ little bit wild because ░░░░░░░░ s a difference between ░░░░░░░░ criticism and a kind ░░░░░░░░ backhanded or underhanded attack ░░░░░░░░ This is the type ░░░░░░░░ thing you see in ░░░░░░░░ with oppo research and ░░░░░░░░ stories and planting op ░░░░░░░░ from allegedly concerned parents ░░░░░░░░ are drafted in coordination ░░░░░░░░ Meta It s kind ░░░░░░░░ shocking but at the ░░░░░░░░ time I guess they ░░░░░░░░ like they have nothing ░░░░░░░░ apologize for this is ░░░░░░░░ these days JACKSON So ░░░░░░░░ should a discerning news ░░░░░░░░ let s say know ░░░░░░░░ or not to be ░░░░░░░░ s say skeptical or ░░░░░░░░ about a negative story ░░░░░░░░ they see about TikTok ░░░░░░░░ in the world What ░░░░░░░░ the clues give us ░░░░░░░░ news you can use ░░░░░░░░ are the hints that ░░░░░░░░ you re looking at ░░░░░░░░ that Meta could be ░░░░░░░░ LORENZ Absolutely I think ░░░░░░░░ just have to really ░░░░░░░░ where you re getting ░░░░░░░░ information from I think ░░░░░░░░ narratives emerge especially in ░░░░░░░░ local press Local news ░░░░░░░░ great journalism but I ░░░░░░░░ if you re getting ░░░░░░░░ that are just from ░░░░░░░░ groups or cops and ░░░░░░░░ s no actual links ░░░░░░░░ TikTok videos for instance ░░░░░░░░ can raise some alarms ░░░░░░░░ say go to journalists ░░░░░░░░ trust don t just ░░░░░░░░ on any link that ░░░░░░░░ see floating around Follow ░░░░░░░░ on these beats If ░░░░░░░░ re seeing a bunch ░░░░░░░░ local news stories about ░░░░░░░░ type of thing but ░░░░░░░░ look at reputable tech ░░░░░░░░ they haven t talked ░░░░░░░░ it that s a ░░░░░░░░ flag JACKSON Taylor it ░░░░░░░░ good to have you ░░░░░░░░ Thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ being with us Great ░░░░░░░░ I commend folks to ░░░░░░░░ it on The Washington ░░░░░░░░ Appreciate it.”