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.

Cops arrest 14-year-old accused of gunning down business school graduate on way to ballgame

Breaking: New Hiring Twice as High as Economists Expected in Gangbusters Jobs Report

2 States Aren’t Just Defying ‘Pride Month,’ They’re Replacing Pagan Celebration With ‘Nuclear Family Month’

The Octagon on the South Lawn: Trump’s UFC Freedom 250 White House extravaganza

Democrat bankrolling Graham Platner’s campaign ripped for downplaying abuse allegations and more top headlines

Republicans face ticking midterm clock as Iran fallout keeps pressure on gas prices

Trump’s personal legal team aims to clear hush money conviction

Dem senator bankrolling Platner’s campaign ripped for downplaying abuse allegations in bombshell report

The key strategy red states are using to lower housing costs revealed

Senate push to reauthorize nation’s spy powers stumbles over controversial Trump decision

Handcuffed suspect allegedly slips restraints, steals Dallas police cruiser with officer trapped in back seat

Overcrowded migrant vessel with 240 people on board intercepted near Turks and Caicos

Rubio sanctions Cuban groups with ties to US nonprofit network funded by communist donor Neville Roy Singham

New Jersey man accused of killing wife with barbell allegedly confessed in messages to relatives: report

Trump announces ‘rally to end all rallies’ in DC to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary

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.