Twitter Files #19: Sinister Surveillance & Suppression: The Shocking Secrets of the Virality Project

The Twitter Files #19 sheds light on the alarming actions of the Virality Project, a secretive collaboration between Stanford University, federal agencies, and various NGOs. The project's primary goal was to monitor billions of social media posts across major platforms such as Twitter, Google/YouTube, Facebook/Instagram, Medium, TikTok, and Pinterest for potential Covid-19 related disinformation. The Virality Project not only targeted blatantly false information but also true material and legitimate political opinions. In many instances, it was factually incorrect itself.

Matt Taibbi @mtaibbi

1.TWITTER FILES #19 The Great Covid-19 Lie Machine Stanford, the Virality Project, and the Censorship of “True Stories”

The approach of the Virality Project to digital censorship evolved from judging content based on truth or falsehood to focusing on controlling political narratives at the expense of facts. This Orwellian system of information suppression was a resounding success, as government, academia, and an oligopoly of powerful corporations quickly organized behind a secret, unified effort to manipulate political messaging.

The project began in February 2021 when Stanford reached out to Twitter to discuss the collaboration. By April 2022, the Virality Project called for a "rumor-control mechanism" and a "Misinformation and Disinformation Center of Excellence" to be housed within the Department of Homeland Security.

Tweets reveal the concerning actions of the Virality Project:

"@ShellenbergerMD and I testified in the House last week, Virality Project emails were found in the #TwitterFiles describing 'stories of true vaccine side effects' as actionable content."

"The Virality Project in 2021 worked with the government to launch a pan-industry monitoring plan for Covid-related content."

"VP told Twitter that 'true stories that could fuel hesitancy,' including things like 'celebrity deaths after vaccine' or the closure of a central NY school due to reports of post-vaccine illness, should be considered 'Standard Vaccine Misinformation on Your Platform.'"

The Virality Project often framed real testimonials about vaccine side effects as misinformation, focusing on audience response to gauge disinformation. It warned against people "just asking questions" and characterized "Worldwide Rally for Freedom planned over Telegram" as a disinformation event.

"VP encouraged platforms to target people, not posts, using Minority Report-style 'pre-crime' logic. Describing 'repeat offenders' like Robert Kennedy, Jr., it spoke of a 'large volume of content that is almost always reportable.'"

The project's core partners included Pentagon-funded Graphika, National Science Foundation-funded Center for an Informed Public (CIP), GEC-funded DFRLab, and NYU Center for Social Media and Politics (CSMaP). It also partnered with several government agencies, such as the Office of the Surgeon General, the CDC, DHS’s CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), and GEC.

"By October 2020, Stamos was hinting at the direction of the future Virality Project, telling a national cybersecurity conference that the 'Anti-Disinformation' mission needed a new focus."

The Virality Project's actions highlight a shift in America's information mission. It moved from focusing on counterterrorism abroad to stopping "foreign interference" from reaching domestic audiences, and eventually to an 80% focus on domestic content, much of which was true. While the "Disinformation Governance Board" is no longer active, the practice of policing the truth has not ceased.

"Special thanks to @NAffects for hard work on this story, with @Techno_Fog, @ShellenbergerMD, and others. The full details of the Virality Project's activities are beyond the scope of Twitter's character limit, but the implications for our society are clear."

The Virality Project's methods and reach raise questions about the future of free speech and the consequences of allowing an unregulated oligopoly of private corporations and government entities to control the flow of information.

"The extent of the Virality Project's influence in shaping narratives and stifling free speech is staggering. This level of control should concern everyone who values the right to free expression."

The #TwitterFiles shed light on a concerning collaboration between big tech, the government, and academic institutions that threatens the foundations of our democracy. The Virality Project's actions demonstrate the importance of transparency and accountability to prevent the manipulation of information and protect our fundamental rights.

"The Virality Project's secret efforts to control information and silence dissenting voices are a chilling reminder of the power that lies in the hands of a few. We must push for transparency and demand accountability to preserve our freedom."

As public awareness grows and more people question the motives and actions of the Virality Project, it is crucial that we remain vigilant and continue to expose the covert efforts to manipulate and control public discourse in our society.