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Americans are most negative about the impact that social media has on democracy, according to a poll of 19 countries conducted by the Pew Research Organization.
Sixty-four percent of Americans say social media is a bad thing, which is almost twice the 19-country median of 35 percent.
Nearly eight in ten (79 percent) of Americans believe the internet has made people more divided in their political opinion, while 69 percent say social media has increased incivility.
Singapore, Hungary, Sweden, Israel and Poland are the countries that are most positive about social media as more than 65 percent of respondents in those nations view the Internet as a good thing.
Elon Musk: the Boss from Hell. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of Americans would not like Musk to be their boss, while 80 percent would refuse to buy the products or services from a from a company that treats employees like garbage, according to a poll of 1,000 adults released Dec. 15 by tech firm Bospar.
Sixty six percent of respondents believe Musk’s takeover of Twitter is not good for users of the social media site.
While Elon has positioned himself as the leader against the “woke” crowd, only 44 percent of Republicans believe his control of Twitter is a good thing. Thirty-six percent of Democrats are okay with Elon in charge.
Tom Carpenter, principal at Bospar, said the firm will continue to take the public’s pulse on the Twitter situation throughout the new year as individuals and brands react to changes at “our common digital town square.”
FARA Exemption for LDA Filers Will Be Killed in '23. The Department of Justice is backing the closing of the Foreign Agents Registration Act loophole that allows US subsidiaries of foreign companies to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which requires far less rigorous disclosure requirements.
Congress enacted the LDA in 1995 and amended FARA to add an exemption for those who lobbied on behalf of foreign commercial interests and registered under the LDA.
In a letter to Sen Bob Menendez, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Carlos Felipe Uriarte, Assistant Attorney General, noted that LDA filings have not proven to be an adequate substitute for transparency when FARA requirements would otherwise apply.
He wrote: “Besides the less rigorous LDA disclosure requirements applicable to those who lobby on behalf of foreign commercial interests, the Department has found that foreign governments increasingly use state-owned enterprises for a mix of commercial and geo-political strategic purposes, making it more difficult to disentangle agents for foreign commercial interests (who may obtain the LDA exemption) and those who are agents for foreign governments and political parties (who are not eligible for the LDA exemption).
“As such, the FARA exemption for LDA registrants can shield from the more rigorous FARA disclosure obligations persons who would otherwise be FARA registrants engaged in furthering (directly or indirectly) the public or political interests of a foreign government.”
The Justice Dept is working on recommendations to overhaul FARA and killing the LDA exemption will be part of the package.
Old Glory Waves Proudly Again. Old Glory Bank plans to introduce Old Glory Pay mobile banking systems early next year to customers from sea to shining sea who openly support the flag, patriotism, freedom, US military, first responders and the hard working Americans who make America great.
The closed-loop system means that payments will never leave the Old Glory ecosystem so law-abiding citizens will never have their accounts “canceled” for exercising their freedoms, according to the Dec. 13 announcement from the Elmore City, OK bank.
Old Glory is looking to cash-in on “those who feel marginalized for believing in the greatness of America.”
It was co-founded by “the leading voices supporting freedom and love of country,” which apparently includes former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, TV/radio host Larry Elder and country music crooner John Rich.
Old Glory hopes it won't follow the footsteps of GloriFi, a Texas digital bank that targeted believers in pro-American values such as capitalism, family, law enforcement and the freedom to celebrate your love of God and family without the fear of cancellation.
It went kaput in November.
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