Daily Beast Says Facebook Helped Them Dox Trump Supporter

The Daily Beast recently doxed a black forklift driver and reported Trump supporter for the alleged high crime of creating a parody video of Democrat speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi. But there’s more to the story — it appears Facebook may have helped the left-wing journalists identify him.

The Daily Beast identified the video creator as Shawn Brooks, whom they described as a forklift driver and Trump supporter from the Bronx.

A Twitter account claiming to be Brooks disputed key details of the story, claiming he is not a Trump supporter, did not create the parody video, and does not live in the Bronx.

By doxing Brooks, The Daily Beast followed the example of CNN, which threatened to unmask an anonymous Trump supporter over a parody video, forcing to him apologize in exchange for not revealing his identity. The scandal caused “CNNBlackmail” to trend on Twitter.

But there’s another aspect to the Daily Beast story which has major implications for the privacy of Facebook users — according to the Daily Beast reporter himself, Facebook gave him information on Brooks’ activity on the platform.

Venezuela releases multiple American citizens from prison following military operation

Rand Paul says GOP colleagues ‘don’t give a s‑‑t about these people in the boats’: They ‘say they’re pro-life’

DOJ says ‘no basis’ for civil rights investigation into Minneapolis ICE officer killing

GOP senator suggests Fed chair Powell resign now to dodge potential criminal indictment

House Democrats Flip, Join Republicans to Overturn Biden-Era Regulation

Minneapolis-area leaders condemn ICE, call for removal amid Trump deportation campaign

Suspected Venezuelan gangster in Portland CBP attack tied to shooting at apartment complex: police

Trump Issues Stern Mandate, Tells Tech Titans They Will Not Run Up American Utility Bills

RECKONING: Minnesota Republicans Preparing to Impeach Democratic Gov. Tim Walz

Anti-ICE Demonstrators Claimed Law Enforcement Ran Over a Protester – Then Dashcam Footage Was Released

Johnson: ‘No boots on the ground’ for Trump’s Greenland acquisition plans amid military speculation

Trump flips off Ford factory worker who yelled ‘pedophile protector’

Rubio says US can’t return 137 deported Venezuelans due to ‘delicate’ negotiations with Maduro’s successor

11 House Dems buck party to side with Republicans in reversal of Biden-era shower regulation

Supreme Court Justice’s Simple Question Blows Gaping Hole in Transgender Athlete’s Case

Via the Daily Beast:

It’s conceivable that someone else actually edited the clip. But a Facebook official, confirming a Daily Beast investigation, said the video was first posted on Politics WatchDog directly from Brooks’ personal Facebook account. [emphasis ours]

If the Daily Beast’s description of Facebook’s actions is accurate, Facebook compromised the privacy of one of its users, handing over information on his activity to a journalist who was clearly engaged in a politically motivated hatchet-job.

Facebook has been rocked by repeated privacy scandals over the past two years, including giving major corporations access to user data without permission. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently unveiled a re-branding effort emphasizing the company’s commitment to protecting the privacy of its users.

“I believe that the future is private,” Zuckerberg said at a recent Facebook conference.

Even left-wing feminist Caroline Orr, who described the Pelosi parody as “disgusting” (it’s simply a video of Pelosi slowed down to make her words appear slurred), expressed shock at the idea of Facebook handing over private information about its users.