Older people play an outsized role in civic life. They also are more likely to be online targets for misinformation and hyperpartisan rhetoric.FORT WASHINGTON, Maryland — It’s late morning and roughly 25 senior citizens are learning how to talk to Siri. They pick up their iPads and press the home button, and pings echo around the room as Siri asks what she can do to help.“Siri, what’s the closest coffee shop?” one woman asks.“Sorry I’m having trouble with the connection, please try again?” Siri says.A handful of employees with AARP, the national nonprofit focused on Americans age 50 and...…Older people play an outsized role in civic life. They also are more likely to be online targets for misinformation and hyperpartisan rhetoric.FORT WASHINGTON, Maryland — It’s late morning and roughly 25 senior citizens are learning how to talk to Siri. They pick up their iPads and press the home button, and pings echo around the room as Siri asks what she can do to help.“Siri, what’s the closest coffee shop?” one woman asks.“Sorry I’m having trouble with the connection, please try again?” Siri says.A handful of employees with AARP, the national nonprofit focused on Americans age 50 and...WW…

"I actually couldn’t believe this was happening,” she told BuzzFeed News. Target, which operates the Starbucks location, says it was a mistake.A Muslim teenager has filed a human rights complaint after a barista at a Minnesota Starbucks gave her a cup with “ISIS” written on it instead of her name.On July 1, Aishah and a friend were at a Starbucks inside a Target store in St. Paul. The 19-year-old, who asked that her last name not be used due to safety concerns, said the barista had asked her to repeat her name when taking the order. But when Aishah was handed her drink, it came with “ISIS”...…"I actually couldn’t believe this was happening,” she told BuzzFeed News. Target, which operates the Starbucks location, says it was a mistake.A Muslim teenager has filed a human rights complaint after a barista at a Minnesota Starbucks gave her a cup with “ISIS” written on it instead of her name.On July 1, Aishah and a friend were at a Starbucks inside a Target store in St. Paul. The 19-year-old, who asked that her last name not be used due to safety concerns, said the barista had asked her to repeat her name when taking the order. But when Aishah was handed her drink, it came with “ISIS”...WW…

His resignation comes amid new revelations of entanglements with Nextdoor and the Walton Foundation.David Brooks has resigned from his position at the Aspen Institute following reporting by BuzzFeed News about conflicts of interest between the star New York Times columnist and funders of a program he led for the think tank.Eileen Murphy, a spokesperson for the Times, said in a statement that editors approved Brooks's involvement with Aspen in 2018, when he launched a project called . But current editors weren't aware that he was receiving a salary for Weave."The current Opinion editors were...…His resignation comes amid new revelations of entanglements with Nextdoor and the Walton Foundation.David Brooks has resigned from his position at the Aspen Institute following reporting by BuzzFeed News about conflicts of interest between the star New York Times columnist and funders of a program he led for the think tank.Eileen Murphy, a spokesperson for the Times, said in a statement that editors approved Brooks's involvement with Aspen in 2018, when he launched a project called . But current editors weren't aware that he was receiving a salary for Weave."The current Opinion editors were...WW…

“Pinterest just called my mom out for looking up DIY coronavirus face masks.”People seeking an online escape from coronavirus news and misinformation have found it on Pinterest.The social media site’s strict means anyone searching for “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” is sent to a with content from the World Health Organization.“Pins about this topic often violate our , which prohibit harmful medical misinformation,” reads a message at the top of the page. “Because of this, we've limited search results to Pins from internationally-recognized health organizations.”Pinterest's community guidelines...…“Pinterest just called my mom out for looking up DIY coronavirus face masks.”People seeking an online escape from coronavirus news and misinformation have found it on Pinterest.The social media site’s strict means anyone searching for “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” is sent to a with content from the World Health Organization.“Pins about this topic often violate our , which prohibit harmful medical misinformation,” reads a message at the top of the page. “Because of this, we've limited search results to Pins from internationally-recognized health organizations.”Pinterest's community guidelines...WW…

Gannett, Bonnier, Edmunds, and Elle were among the publishers receiving the traffic.It was a weed that Google kept trying and failing to kill.The browser extension kept appearing and being removed from the Chrome Web Store. Its most recent stint saw it gain more than 20,000 installs before Google booted it as a follow-up to the company’s of more than 500 malicious extensions."We take policy violations seriously. If we find any extension on the Chrome Web Store that violates our policies, we take action,” a Google spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.The mass removal was Google’s largest action...…Gannett, Bonnier, Edmunds, and Elle were among the publishers receiving the traffic.It was a weed that Google kept trying and failing to kill.The browser extension kept appearing and being removed from the Chrome Web Store. Its most recent stint saw it gain more than 20,000 installs before Google booted it as a follow-up to the company’s of more than 500 malicious extensions."We take policy violations seriously. If we find any extension on the Chrome Web Store that violates our policies, we take action,” a Google spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.The mass removal was Google’s largest action...WW…

Alex Saab may be extradited to the United States — but he has some unlikely allies.As an alleged money launderer who worked with the Venezuelan government and is fighting an extradition order to the United States, Alex Saab has some unlikely allies.Since mid-January, #FreeAlexSaab has been a rallying cry among Nigerians on Twitter, thanks to a broad influence operation with connections to employees of a Nigerian PR firm and a UK-based nonprofit called Digital Good Governance for Africa. The campaign paid influencers to tweet about Saab in an effort to sway public opinion and court...…Alex Saab may be extradited to the United States — but he has some unlikely allies.As an alleged money launderer who worked with the Venezuelan government and is fighting an extradition order to the United States, Alex Saab has some unlikely allies.Since mid-January, #FreeAlexSaab has been a rallying cry among Nigerians on Twitter, thanks to a broad influence operation with connections to employees of a Nigerian PR firm and a UK-based nonprofit called Digital Good Governance for Africa. The campaign paid influencers to tweet about Saab in an effort to sway public opinion and court...WW…

A Robert E. Lee High School in Virginia was also renamed for civil rights icon John Lewis.Statues of Christopher Columbus have been removed from Chicago parks and a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee has been taken out of the Virginia state Capitol, as the linked to racism and colonialism continues to gather momentum in the United States.Lee's name was also removed from a school in Fairfax County, Virginia, on Thursday, and for civil rights icon John Lewis, who .Two statues of Columbus were removed from Chicago's Grant Park and Arrigo Park early Friday morning after protesters had...…A Robert E. Lee High School in Virginia was also renamed for civil rights icon John Lewis.Statues of Christopher Columbus have been removed from Chicago parks and a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee has been taken out of the Virginia state Capitol, as the linked to racism and colonialism continues to gather momentum in the United States.Lee's name was also removed from a school in Fairfax County, Virginia, on Thursday, and for civil rights icon John Lewis, who .Two statues of Columbus were removed from Chicago's Grant Park and Arrigo Park early Friday morning after protesters had...WW…

Facebook’s rules to combat misinformation and hate speech are subject to the whims and political considerations of its CEO and his policy team leader.In April 2019, Facebook was preparing to ban one of the internet’s most notorious spreaders of misinformation and hate, Infowars founder Alex Jones. Then CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally intervened.Jones had for claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school massacre was a “giant hoax,” and that the teenage survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting were “crisis actors.” But Facebook had found that he was also relentlessly spreading hate...…Facebook’s rules to combat misinformation and hate speech are subject to the whims and political considerations of its CEO and his policy team leader.In April 2019, Facebook was preparing to ban one of the internet’s most notorious spreaders of misinformation and hate, Infowars founder Alex Jones. Then CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally intervened.Jones had for claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school massacre was a “giant hoax,” and that the teenage survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting were “crisis actors.” But Facebook had found that he was also relentlessly spreading hate...WW…

Earlier this week, Facebook employees warned that military product ads were being advertised against news about DC riots. The company did not act.Facebook has been running ads for body armor, gun holsters, and other military equipment next to content promoting election misinformation and news about the at the US Capitol, despite internal warnings from concerned employees.In the aftermath of an attempted insurrection by President Donald Trump’s supporters last week at the US Capitol building, Facebook has served up ads for defense products to accounts that follow extremist content, according...…Earlier this week, Facebook employees warned that military product ads were being advertised against news about DC riots. The company did not act.Facebook has been running ads for body armor, gun holsters, and other military equipment next to content promoting election misinformation and news about the at the US Capitol, despite internal warnings from concerned employees.In the aftermath of an attempted insurrection by President Donald Trump’s supporters last week at the US Capitol building, Facebook has served up ads for defense products to accounts that follow extremist content, according...WW…

Studies show pink eye can be a symptom of COVID-19, but it's rare.Vice President Mike Pence's left eye became a focus of fevered speculation during the debate on Wednesday, after people noticed it showed signs of redness and claimed this could indicate a COVID-19 infection.Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is a of COVID-19, but it is relatively rare — and many other viruses or bacteria can cause this very common condition. As of now, it's unclear what caused the redness in Pence's eye. BuzzFeed News contacted the vice president's office and the Trump campaign for comment but did not immediately...…Studies show pink eye can be a symptom of COVID-19, but it's rare.Vice President Mike Pence's left eye became a focus of fevered speculation during the debate on Wednesday, after people noticed it showed signs of redness and claimed this could indicate a COVID-19 infection.Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is a of COVID-19, but it is relatively rare — and many other viruses or bacteria can cause this very common condition. As of now, it's unclear what caused the redness in Pence's eye. BuzzFeed News contacted the vice president's office and the Trump campaign for comment but did not immediately...WW…