CNN threatens to expose the identity of a Reddit user after posting Trump wrestling meme

[Nineshadow]

 

I browse reddit fairly frequently and I remember seeing the meme in question a day or so ago. It shows Trump pummeling a guy with CNN's logo over his face. I thought it was pretty funny at the time but CNN seems to have been offended by it.

 

Here's the article in question: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/04/politics/kfile-reddit-user-trump-tweet/index.html

 

Quote

Reddit user "HanA**holeSolo" first shared the GIF last Wednesday of Trump pummeling a wrestler with CNN's logo imposed on his face. CNN could find no earlier instance of the GIF. The GIF was later edited into a video with sound and tweeted by the President on Sunday.

 

On Reddit, "HanA**holeSolo" took credit for inspiring the tweet. Soon after, "HanA**holeSolo's" other posts on Reddit, some of which included racist and anti-Semitic imagery, quickly circulated on social media.

 

Now the user is apologizing, writing in a lengthy post on Reddit that he does not advocate violence against the press and expressing remorse there and in an interview with CNN for other posts he made that were racist and anti-Semitic.

 

The apology came after CNN's KFile identified the man behind "HanA**holeSolo." Using identifying information that "HanA**holeSolo" posted on Reddit, KFile was able to determine key biographical details, to find the man's name using a Facebook search and ultimately corroborate details he had made available on Reddit.

 

On Monday, KFile attempted to contact the man by email and phone but he did not respond. On Tuesday, "HanA**holeSolo" posted his apology on the subreddit /The_Donald and deleted all of his other posts.

 

[Long apology, check the article if you're interested]

 

After posting his apology, "HanA**holeSolo" called CNN's KFile and confirmed his identity. In the interview, "HanA**holeSolo" sounded nervous about his identity being revealed and asked to not be named out of fear for his personal safety and for the public embarrassment it would bring to him and his family.

 

CNN is not publishing "HanA**holeSolo's" name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again. In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same.

 

CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.

 

TL;DR: Reddit user makes a Trump meme which eventually appears on the President's twitter feed. CNN discovers the real identity of the user and threatens to expose it if he doesn't issue an apology and takes down his offending post(s).

 

I have no words for this. CNN doxing a private citizen because of a meme? Oh boy...the world we live in.

Additionally, I can't but think about the meme war that's gonna be on Reddit now.

[SCHISCHKA]

I cant say I care much for this person's racist and anti-semetic views but I enjoyed the CNN pro wresting video. MSM no longer has any ethics. They push out a lot of propaganda and they invent news. Journalists are suppose to observe and report. They are not suppose to take advantage of their platform to push their political views.

[captain_to_fire]

T

27 minutes ago, Nineshadow said:

I have no words for this. CNN doxing a private citizen because of a meme? Oh boy...the world we live in.

As much as I agree to this, I don't think this thread will still see the light of day. Luke and the mods ahave eyes and ears everywhere. 

[Tr3vor]

Gotta love it when journalists have to blackmail people to push their narrative. 

[Urishima]

1 hour ago, SCHISCHKA said:

I cant say I care much for this person's racist and anti-semetic views

I sincerely question whether or not the guy actually holds views like that, or is just shitposting like a proper kekistani.

[SCHISCHKA]

1 minute ago, Urishima said:

I sincerely question whether or not the guy actually holds views like that, or is just shitposting like a proper kekistani.

you wouldnt run a nazi bot in a way that would link back to you unless you are incredibly dim.

[Teddy07]

Censorship is getting worse everywhere.

 

We here in Germany have a new law which forces social media websites to remove "hate" posts. I like the idea but I have read that social media companies preemptively remove content before a complaint is filed.

 

I am not really affected since I don't use social media sites often and I barely post. I think it is waste of time but it still pisses me off.

[minibois]

Isn't it illegal to doxx a person for a big media outlet like CNN?

[Majestic]

9 minutes ago, Minibois said:

Isn't it illegal to doxx a person for a big media outlet like CNN?

 

[Majestic]

"CNN logo" top#1 search result now. GIFS literally everywhere and everyone except CNN journo's pissed at CNN

 

Great comeback after the Nothingburger debacle. No really, fucking brilliant.

[AshleyAshes]

14 minutes ago, Minibois said:

Isn't it illegal to doxx a person for a big media outlet like CNN?

Absolutely not.  All CNN would do is post the individuals name, the name of an individual who did a thing that gained sufficient notoriety that the President of the United States posted it on their Twitter.  You guys only care because this guy was an asshole. If someone had anonymously posted some beautiful patriotic flower arrangement on the internet and the President retweeted it on the 4th of July and CNN tracked that individual to be all 'We found the anonymously poster behind the flower arrangement, it's this guy Kevin.  Kevin, tell us about why you did this, it's amazing?' none of you would care.  But that's not what this is, instead, this guy was a racist asshole on the internet and now he's afraid that his mom is going to find out.  So suddenly we are imagining that he has more rights than he really has.  Let's be clear here; You do not have any legal right to anonymity if you do something of notoriety and the media then basically Deep Dive's you in Google till they find your name.  If you're going to be a racist asshole on the internet, you should PROBABLY make sure that your username and other details don't leave a trail to your real identity that one could just follow with Google.

 

Also, CNN wouldn't be 'Doxing' him.  Doxing is when you post private information, home address, phone number, place of employment.  CNN would simply be releasing the name of a person who did a thing of notoriety and literally that's what every news agency does all day, every day.

 

...However I'll bet you $100 that if his name was released, individuals on Reddit would use that to Dox him and phone up his mom about his being a racist asshole on the internet.   Also, they're going to dox him anyway now, hell they probably already have.  Threads like this one, hundreds others just like it on countless other facebook groups, forums and other places online exist now and all CNN ever did was follow a trail of breadcrumbs on the internet. Other individuals are now, if they haven't already, following the same trail that CNN followed to find his name for themselves.

[Majestic]

[You_are_a_cunt]

I'd freakin' one-up CNN and reveal my own identity if I were the guy.

What's the worst that can happen? _/s

[Majestic]

1 minute ago, revsilverspine said:

I'd freakin' one-up CNN and reveal my own identity if I were the guy.

What's the worst that can happen? _/s

Some deranged Berniebro burns your house down.

[You_are_a_cunt]

1 minute ago, Majestic said:

Some deranged Berniebro burns your house down.

Still a dick move from CNN.

Goes to show you journalism is as craptastic as politics these days.

[Tr3vor]

1 hour ago, AshleyAshes said:

Absolutely not.  All CNN would do is post the individuals name, the name of an individual who did a thing that gained sufficient notoriety that the President of the United States posted it on their Twitter.  You guys only care because this guy was an asshole. If someone had anonymously posted some beautiful patriotic flower arrangement on the internet and the President retweeted it on the 4th of July and CNN tracked that individual to be all 'We found the anonymously poster behind the flower arrangement, it's this guy Kevin.  Kevin, tell us about why you did this, it's amazing?' none of you would care.  But that's not what this is, instead, this guy was a racist asshole on the internet and now he's afraid that his mom is going to find out.  So suddenly we are imagining that he has more rights than he really has.  Let's be clear here; You do not have any legal right to anonymity if you do something of notoriety and the media then basically Deep Dive's you in Google till they find your name.  If you're going to be a racist asshole on the internet, you should PROBABLY make sure that your username and other details don't leave a trail to your real identity that one could just follow with Google.

 

Also, CNN wouldn't be 'Doxing' him.  Doxing is when you post private information, home address, phone number, place of employment.  CNN would simply be releasing the name of a person who did a thing of notoriety and literally that's what every news agency does all day, every day.

 

...However I'll bet you $100 that if his name was released, individuals on Reddit would use that to Dox him and phone up his mom about his being a racist asshole on the internet.   Also, they're going to dox him anyway now, hell they probably already have.  Threads like this one, hundreds others just like it on countless other facebook groups, forums and other places online exist now and all CNN ever did was follow a trail of breadcrumbs on the internet. Other individuals are now, if they haven't already, following the same trail that CNN followed to find his name for themselves.

This isn't about doxxing, this is about blackmail. They used the information he didn't want publicly available to coerce him to remove all his "offensive posts" and remove his accounts. 

 

This is not censorship, this is not journalism, this is vigilante justice against people who don't agree with them politically.

 

Sure, anyone else could have dug this up, but this is supposed to be a reliable news source, not 4chan. What they did is illegal, unless blackmail is somehow legal now. On top of that they are displaying how truly untrustworthy they are, how little journalistic integrity they actually have. CNN has sunk far below Fox News. 

[ravenshrike]

1 hour ago, AshleyAshes said:

1 hour ago, Minibois said:

 

Absolutely not.  All CNN would do is post the individuals name, the name of an individual who did a thing that gained sufficient notoriety that the President of the United States posted it on their Twitter.  You guys only care because this guy was an asshole.

If CNN had actually posted the guy's name it would not have been a crime. Unfortunately they did not. What they DID do at the very least falls under New York's second degree coercion law. Depending on just how big of morons they were when they went about it and how much was discussed behind the scenes they very well may also fall under a much more serious federal law. Specifically 18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights.

 

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If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—

They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

 

[Ezzy-525]

I'm no fan of The Donald. To paraphrase the words of Captain John Patrick Mason, "Personally, I think he's a f***ing idiot".

 

But it seems to me like CNN need to stop being pussies about it. It's essentially a satirical creation.

 

Them doing this only gives Trump followers more ammunition. Stupid move on CNN's part if it's true.

[ravenshrike]

Moreover if someone now goes after the little shit and kills him that opens up the death penalty for the federal law in question. Its pretty damn clear that CNN didn't bother to consult their lawyers before pulling this little stunt or if they did then they need to hire better lawyers.

[JoostinOnline]

Wow.  Normally Internet Trump fans (not all of them of course) are the most sensitive people in the world (always calling you a snowflake in the middle of their rage), but CNN wins the butthurt trophy here.

[Tech_Dreamer]

Aaaaand afterwards he would go to jail for a gif?? what's your plan CNN?  

[Tech_Dreamer]

they should make an effort to release the identity of anonymous source of Russian collusion  (oh wait) , But this is more important for credibility

[Monkey Dust]

To side step the rights and the wrongs of this occurrence; This is a reminder that you are rarely as anonymous on the internet as you like to think, even without tech companies being forced to hand over your identity, security backdoors etc... Without explicitly stating them, most of us will give away, over a number of posts, our country of origin, possibly even the region of that country, ethnicity, age, region, class, education level, political alignment (if any), profession, and plenty more besides to anyone with experience in analysing such things. That 'profile' combined with cross-checking against what material is posted else where on other social media that matches the account you wish to identify can give a reasonably degree certainty about the identity of the individual in question. All from information you voluntarily put out there.

[Atmos]

7 hours ago, revsilverspine said:

I'd freakin' one-up CNN and reveal my own identity if I were the guy.

What's the worst that can happen? _/s

One word, the now officially recognized domestic terrorist organization in the US...

Antifa

[Urishima]