Google's Shadow Algorithm: The Search Results They Hide | James O'Keefe Part 2 DSH #1010 - Digital Social Hour

Summary5 min read

Digital Social Hour Episode Summary: "Google's Shadow Algorithm: The Search Results They Hide | James O'Keefe Part 2 DSH #1010"

Release Date: December 24, 2024

In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in an in-depth conversation with investigative journalist and founder of Project Veritas, James O'Keefe III. The discussion delves into James's latest exposés, his experiences combating powerful institutions, and his perspectives on media freedom and censorship. This summary encapsulates the key topics, insightful discussions, and significant conclusions drawn during their conversation.

1. Introduction to James O'Keefe's Recent Activities

The episode opens with James O'Keefe III sharing his recent fieldwork experiences, highlighting his confrontations with individuals he suspects of espionage.

James O'Keefe III [00:05]: "And with me, I'm a reporter, so I publish it. But I said to the guy, confronted him on this week, I said, 'You're lucky I'm not a Chinese spy.'"

James recounts an encounter where his assertion led the subject to flee, demonstrating the tense nature of his investigative methods.

2. Supporting Whistleblowers and Exposing Institutional Failures

James discusses the importance of defending whistleblowers who expose misconduct within powerful organizations.

James O'Keefe III [00:40]: "There was two border patrol agents, one Disney, one FEMA. These are people who witness, for example, children being trafficked or FEMA not doing their jobs."

He emphasizes the bravery of these individuals and announces his initiative to support them financially and legally, ensuring their stories reach the public.

3. "Line in the Sand" Documentary and Border Issues

A significant portion of the conversation centers around James's documentary, "Line in the Sand," co-produced with Tucker Carlson.

James O'Keefe III [01:15]: "It's a very special movie because it was a documentary, but it was not really like any documentary everyone's ever seen. It shows versus tells. It takes you there."

The documentary follows illegal immigrants traveling from Mexico to major U.S. cities, shedding light on child trafficking and the inadequate response of organizations like FEMA and NGOs.

James provides insights into the high costs associated with illegal border crossings, revealing that some individuals pay up to $30,000 for assistance.

James O'Keefe III [01:40]: "Sometimes it could range... from $1,500 to $30,000 for some of the Chinese illegal immigrants."

The discussion also highlights the overlooked issues at the Canadian border, where significant illegal crossings are occurring.

4. Exposing Google's Machine Learning Algorithms

Sean and James delve into James's investigation of Google's search algorithms, uncovering potential biases and censorship.

James O'Keefe III [05:37]: "Zachary Voorhees exposed Google's machine learning algorithms about fairness. And if the information is unfair, they'll change the search results to make it fair."

James cites the example of the Trump-Rogan episode being deliberately suppressed in search results, illustrating Google's influence over public information.

James O'Keefe III [06:12]: "That's an example. It's a circumstantial example... Jen Janai from Google said, 'We have to prevent the next Trump situation.'"

This revelation raises concerns about the transparency and fairness of algorithms that shape public discourse.

5. Legal Battles and the Chilling Effect on Journalism

The conversation shifts to James's personal legal struggles, including an FBI raid linked to his investigation into the Ashley Biden diary.

James O'Keefe III [07:37]: "I've spent millions on legal fees and motions, and they raided me... And perhaps one of the most venal sins to do it to a reporter because you're chilling out."

James expresses frustration over the lack of accountability and the impact of such actions on press freedom.

6. Views on Edward Snowden and Press Freedom

James articulates his support for whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, advocating for pardons to uphold national transparency.

James O'Keefe III [08:58]: "I think you should be pardoned. The public must know things like that."

He underscores the necessity of exposing governmental overreach to maintain democratic consent and governance.

7. Impact of Elon Musk's Acquisition of X (formerly Twitter)

James shares his perspective on Elon Musk's purchase of X, viewing it as a pivotal moment for First Amendment rights.

James O'Keefe III [09:56]: "I think it was the greatest thing that ever happened to the First Amendment in the history of Western civilization."

This acquisition, according to James, revitalizes platforms for free speech and journalistic endeavors.

8. Future Projects and Continued Investigations

Looking ahead, James discusses his plans to widely distribute "Line in the Sand" and hints at upcoming investigative projects, including potential inquiries into figures like Bill Gates.

James O'Keefe III [11:05]: "In late January, I got something coming."

He emphasizes the importance of evidence-based journalism, relying on concrete data rather than mere testimonies.

9. Personal Insights and Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with a personal exchange about their shared roots in New Jersey and the cultural perceptions shaped by media portrayals like "Jersey Shore." James reiterates his commitment to uncovering truth despite adversities.

James O'Keefe III [12:10]: "People want to see this sort of thing."

His unwavering dedication to investigative journalism serves as a testament to his role as a maverick outsider challenging entrenched institutions.

Notable Quotes

James O'Keefe III [01:02]: "We're going to defend them, pay their legal bills and support them when they speak the truth."
James O'Keefe III [04:45]: "If you're doing something wrong, you're trying to hide it, I'll expose you."
James O'Keefe III [07:55]: "To raid a journalist's house, that's the greatest chilling effect ever."
James O'Keefe III [09:04]: "Sometimes you just have to do things that are uncouth or not necessarily legal."
James O'Keefe III [10:08]: "But not for Elon Musk. I don't think that any of that would happen."

Conclusion

In this episode, James O'Keefe III offers a candid look into the challenges of investigative journalism in the modern era. From exposing hidden algorithms and institutional misconduct to battling personal legal battles, James underscores the vital role of transparency and accountability. Sean Kelly facilitates a conversation that not only highlights James's fearless investigations but also raises critical questions about media freedom, government oversight, and the power dynamics shaping our information landscape.

For listeners seeking to understand the intricate mechanisms behind search algorithms, the struggles of whistleblowers, and the relentless pursuit of truth against formidable opposition, this episode of Digital Social Hour provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking exploration.

Stay Connected with James O'Keefe III:

Website: O'keefemediagroup.com
Social Media: Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook
Nonprofit: Citizen Journalism Foundation

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Transcript161 lines

[00:01]
James O'Keefe
I mean, I'm sure other countries have sent spies and gotten information and we don't know it.
[00:05]
James O'Keefe III
And with me, I'm a reporter, so I publish it. But I said to the guy, confronted him on this week, I said, you're lucky I'm not a Chinese spy.
[00:13]
James O'Keefe
What was his response?
[00:14]
James O'Keefe III
He was mute. They. They run away. Usually they park the car like way far away. So it was a long.
[00:19]
James O'Keefe
I love how you filmed that part too. All right, guys, we got James here. He just did 20 pull ups right.
[00:29]
James O'Keefe III
Over there with wearing this freaking thing. It's like £20.
[00:32]
James O'Keefe
So it's like a weighted vest.
[00:33]
James O'Keefe III
It's a weighted vest right there.
[00:34]
Unknown
Yeah.
[00:35]
James O'Keefe
Well done, man. And you just had four whistleblowers on stage with you?
[00:39]
James O'Keefe III
Yes.
[00:40]
James O'Keefe
What were they talking about?
[00:41]
James O'Keefe III
So there was two border patrol agents, one Disney, one fema. And these are people who are witness to, for example, children being trafficked or FEMA not doing their jobs. The Disney guy, children being transitioned to a different gender. And they are very brave people. On stage with me and we're announcing this program. We're going to defend them, pay their legal bills and support them when they speak the truth.
[01:03]
James O'Keefe
Wow. So the two border ones, is the government going after them?
[01:07]
James O'Keefe III
Yes, well, they are, but there's a new administration coming January 20th, so hopefully that'll change.
[01:12]
Unknown
Yeah.
[01:13]
James O'Keefe
And Line in the sand just came out. Congratulations.
[01:15]
James O'Keefe III
Line in the Sand. I'm very proud of the film with Tucker Carlson. It was really a special movie because it was a documentary, but it was not really like any documentary everyone's ever seen. It shows versus tells. It takes you there. I go to Mexico, I follow them on the train. All illegal immigrants all the way to Los Angeles, New York City, where the fraud is being perpetrated. And in Texas, where they have the NGOs that house all the unaccompanied children.
[01:38]
Unknown
Yeah.
[01:38]
James O'Keefe
How much did it cost to get across the border?
[01:41]
James O'Keefe III
Oh, so me personally, I didn't cross the border, but they about $10,000 for many of the people that we put cameras on. And sometimes it could range. It could be from 1500 to 30,000 for some of the Chinese illegal immigrants.
[01:57]
James O'Keefe
Wow. And that's the Mexican border, right?
[01:59]
James O'Keefe III
Yes.
[02:00]
James O'Keefe
I wonder if that's going on in Canada too.
[02:02]
James O'Keefe III
It is. Zachary Apotheker, one of the border patrol agents stationed in Vermont on the Canadian border. I did not realize how porous it was there, but a lot of people sneaking into Vermont from Quebec.
[02:12]
James O'Keefe
Really? I did not know that. That's not really being covered too much in the mainstream.
[02:15]
James O'Keefe III
No, it's not. And Zachary, in the end of the film, if you seen Line of the sand, it's very powerful. He, he, he's in his patrol car on the Canadian border just crying because he's so frustrated by the, the COVID ups of, of children getting raped.
[02:31]
Unknown
Right.
[02:32]
James O'Keefe III
And he speaks publicly. You're not supposed to speak publicly when you're in your patrol car. He does. So they took his gun, his badge away for speaking out.
[02:39]
Unknown
Damn.
[02:40]
James O'Keefe
I also saw you recently expose Biden. Someone was talking about how he was pretty much declining mentally.
[02:45]
James O'Keefe III
An advisor to the National Security Council and the White House was caught on one of my hidden cameras on a date spilling all this information about Biden. Can't complete a sentence that may not be that shocking. But he said, it's worse than we think. And further, the guy works for the National Security Council, which is like high level. And he's just blabbing in a restaurant. And it begs the question, what type of people do we have working in the intelligence community? That. That's stupid. It's the worst espionage ever to be out there and just telling what if I was a Chinese spy?
[03:18]
Unknown
Right.
[03:18]
James O'Keefe III
And that, I think that was the real big headline of that story.
[03:21]
James O'Keefe
I mean, I'm sure other countries have sent spies and gotten information and we don't know it.
[03:25]
Unknown
Yeah.
[03:26]
James O'Keefe III
And with me, I'm a reporter, so I publish it. But I said to the guy, confronted him on this week. I said, you're lucky I'm not a Chinese spy.
[03:34]
Unknown
Right.
[03:35]
James O'Keefe
What was his response?
[03:36]
James O'Keefe III
He was mute. They. They run away and usually they park the car like way far away. So it was a long.
[03:42]
James O'Keefe
I love how you film that part too. You questioned them all the way out?
[03:46]
James O'Keefe III
Yes. I was wearing a tuxedo because I was coming from an event and it was a long walk.
[03:51]
Unknown
Yeah.
[03:51]
James O'Keefe
You're good at lining up those dates, man.
[03:53]
James O'Keefe III
Yes.
[03:54]
James O'Keefe
Well done. Here's what we do. Smooth talker.
[03:56]
James O'Keefe III
Yeah. And, you know, you just got to talk about them. You got to express interest in them. And people, people confess their secrets.
[04:01]
Unknown
Yeah.
[04:02]
James O'Keefe
I loved your investigation into Disney, by the way.
[04:04]
James O'Keefe III
He did Disney over the summer and the, the guy here from Disney was one of the guys inside the company that gave us the intel and they fired him and we just gave him $100,000 check to support him.
[04:15]
James O'Keefe
Well done, man. Well done. Disney just removed a transgender scene. I don't know if you saw this from one of their movies.
[04:20]
James O'Keefe III
I did not know that.
[04:20]
James O'Keefe
Yeah, it happened recently. There was a scene about transitioning and it Got removed.
[04:25]
James O'Keefe III
I didn't know what movie it was.
[04:27]
James O'Keefe
I don't. We'll have to link it below. But yeah, I think you played a role in that so well.
[04:32]
James O'Keefe III
And people said, don't go after Disney. They're too powerful. And I don't know, I just, I think, I think the public will respect me more if I don't show favor or lack of favor for this or that. If you're doing something wrong, you're trying to hide it, I'll expose you.
[04:46]
James O'Keefe
Yeah, that's what I love about you. You're not scared of any company.
[04:48]
James O'Keefe III
I mean, I, I was in LA making this film in post production and everyone's like, don't go after Disney. Don't go for Disney. And there were conversations and people said, don't go after Disney. And I said, no, I'm not going to not go after if it hurts. You know, it'd be worse for me if I took that advice.
[05:05]
James O'Keefe
Yeah, I mean, you went after Google, you went after a lot of big companies.
[05:08]
James O'Keefe III
Rock, Pfizer, the FBI, Disney, the cartel is in the film. That was a little terrifying.
[05:15]
James O'Keefe
The most powerful enemies in the world.
[05:18]
James O'Keefe III
Yes. And you have the back of the people and you have. And you're the enemy. As you know, I was, I was terminated from my own creation. I was fired from Project Veritas. The institution I created in many regards do the same work is. It's. It runs contrary to being part of an institution. You kind of have to be a maverick. You have to be an outsider to do this.
[05:37]
Unknown
Yeah.
[05:37]
James O'Keefe
Insane. What did you find out at Google?
[05:39]
James O'Keefe III
I did many stories on Google. I think the one that comes to mind is Zachary Voorhees exposed Google's machine learning algorithms about fairness. And if the information is unfair, they'll change the search results to make it fair.
[05:54]
James O'Keefe
You saw that with the Trump episode, whatever that means.
[05:57]
James O'Keefe III
I mean, that's like, that's like science fiction stuff. I mean, what, what do you mean? Information is fair. I think you want. When I think you want true information. So that was a really interesting one.
[06:07]
James O'Keefe
I mean, you saw with the Trump Rogan episode, you couldn't search it on Google.
[06:10]
James O'Keefe III
Well, there you go.
[06:11]
James O'Keefe
It didn't pop up.
[06:11]
James O'Keefe III
That's an example.
[06:12]
James O'Keefe
And certain topics are still shadow banned to this day.
[06:15]
James O'Keefe III
Yes, and I mean, and, and that's. That, that's definitely an example. It's a circumstantial example. And you got to go into the code and get the, and get the damning. There was one quote we got from Jen Janai Google said, we have to quote, this is in 2020, 2019. She said we have to prevent the next Trump situation. She was saying, we got to prevent Trump from winning the election. So they have them say it to have the code that shows it. That's what you need. Yeah.
[06:38]
James O'Keefe
Act Blue was a big expose you did as well.
[06:41]
James O'Keefe III
20, 23 and 24, we exposed FEC donations to Act Blue. Very curious that there were people that were in poverty donating hundreds of thousands of dollars.
[06:51]
James O'Keefe
Do you think campaign financing laws should be changed? Because there's certain parties raising way more than others.
[06:56]
James O'Keefe III
I think the Federal Election Commission needs to investigate that situation. I. I don't know. I never got to the bottom of why that was happening. Was it money laundering from a foreign country? Was it something to do with stripe and the payment processor? Was it a glitch on the FEC website? We never got the answer. It's remarkable how few people were curious. Except for the. The people, not the institutions. They didn't care. Right. So we're not yet. We haven't found the truth on that one.
[07:24]
James O'Keefe
FBI still has your phones?
[07:26]
James O'Keefe III
Yeah, I've been. I was raided three and a half years ago. They still have my devices on. I mean, I can get them back, but they probably put all type of spyware on there. So I don't know if I want.
[07:34]
James O'Keefe
Yeah, I wouldn't want those back.
[07:36]
James O'Keefe III
In principle, I should have them back.
[07:37]
Unknown
Yeah.
[07:38]
James O'Keefe
Three and a half years and you've probably made numerous requests and they're just being ignored.
[07:41]
James O'Keefe III
I've spent millions on legal fees and motions, and they raided me and they could still indict me. I don't think they will. The ACLU is defending me. And it was definitely a chilling effect. You want to talk about chilling effect on the press?
[07:56]
Unknown
Yeah.
[07:56]
James O'Keefe III
To raid a journalist's house, that's the greatest chilling effect ever.
[08:00]
Unknown
Yeah.
[08:01]
James O'Keefe III
And perhaps one of the most venal sins to do it to a reporter because you're chilling out. All the sources come forward. It was really despicable and traumatizing.
[08:10]
James O'Keefe
Absolutely. Did they ever tell you what story that caused that?
[08:13]
James O'Keefe III
Yeah, it was the Ashley Biden diary. The daughter of the country.
[08:16]
James O'Keefe
Biden.
[08:17]
James O'Keefe III
Ashley, his sister has a diary. And someone provided it to me and I looked into it. Never published it. They rated me anyway.
[08:25]
James O'Keefe
Wow. That's nuts, man. I hope you beat that case. Dude, I'll be.
[08:29]
James O'Keefe III
I hope I do more than beat it. I hope the people who do this go to jail.
[08:31]
Unknown
Yeah.
[08:32]
James O'Keefe III
Because it's illegal. The Attorney General of the United States Merrick Garland forbid, expressly forbids force against news reporters. And they just broke their own law.
[08:41]
Unknown
Yeah.
[08:41]
James O'Keefe III
And that's why the laws don't really matter. It's. Who's the one enforcing them.
[08:45]
James O'Keefe
Well, Christopher resigned, so we have a.
[08:48]
James O'Keefe III
I think we have a change of. Of momentum, or the pendulum is shifting here for a little while, for sure.
[08:53]
James O'Keefe
Absolutely. You posted on X that you believe Edward Snowden should be pardoned.
[08:57]
James O'Keefe III
I do.
[08:58]
James O'Keefe
I do as well. I think Trump can make a big decision with that one. Do you think he'll do it?
[09:04]
James O'Keefe III
Do I think he'll do it? I. I don't know. I don't know about predicting whether he will do it. I think he should do it. And I think what he uncovered with spying on people is, you know, sometimes that's what you have to do. Sometimes you just have to do things that are uncouth or not necessarily legal. If you're a whistleblower doing it, you have to do it because we are predicated as a country on the public's right to know information. That is what our. If you want to live in a different country where you are abiding by a different set of values, but America is based on the consent of the govern, and therefore the public must know things like that. Therefore, I think you should be pardoned.
[09:48]
James O'Keefe
Absolutely. Elon Musk buying X, Was that the savior of social media, in your opinion?
[09:52]
James O'Keefe III
I think it was the greatest thing that ever happened to the First Amendment in the history of Western civilization.
[09:57]
James O'Keefe
I think it was massive for someone like you, because you could actually share your stories.
[10:00]
James O'Keefe III
Like, literally weeks after I was banned on Twitter, and then weeks before I broke that Pfizer story, Elon put me back on.
[10:08]
James O'Keefe
Wow.
[10:09]
Unknown
So.
[10:09]
James O'Keefe III
But not for Elon Musk. I don't think that any of that would happen. And, you know, I've been fighting these people most of my life. I've been doing this since I was in college. So 20 years and embattled and underdog and constantly under. So it does feel weird to have the culture climate that we're in right now.
[10:25]
Unknown
Yeah.
[10:25]
James O'Keefe
We went to the same college, by the way.
[10:27]
James O'Keefe III
Is that right?
[10:28]
James O'Keefe
Rutgers.
[10:28]
James O'Keefe III
I think I remember you telling me that.
[10:29]
Unknown
Yeah.
[10:30]
James O'Keefe III
What year did you graduate?
[10:31]
James O'Keefe
I did not graduate.
[10:32]
James O'Keefe III
More power to you.
[10:33]
James O'Keefe
Yeah, I started in 2015.
[10:35]
James O'Keefe III
Okay.
[10:35]
James O'Keefe
Made it a year.
[10:36]
James O'Keefe III
Well, workers. New Brunswick.
[10:38]
Unknown
Yeah.
[10:38]
James O'Keefe III
Okay.
[10:39]
James O'Keefe
Of course.
[10:40]
James O'Keefe III
New Brunswick. Is that where you're from?
[10:41]
James O'Keefe
I'm from New Jersey.
[10:42]
Unknown
Yeah.
[10:42]
James O'Keefe III
Where?
[10:42]
James O'Keefe
Bridgewater.
[10:43]
James O'Keefe III
I'm from Bergen County.
[10:44]
James O'Keefe
Let's go.
[10:45]
James O'Keefe III
Yeah, let's go.
[10:46]
James O'Keefe
Jersey people work Hard man.
[10:47]
James O'Keefe III
Jersey people, they're loyal. Jersey people are, you know, special people.
[10:53]
James O'Keefe
They are. Jersey Shore painted us in a bad light.
[10:55]
James O'Keefe III
I don't even know. I think all those people are from, like, New York, Binghamton or something. They weren't even from New Jersey.
[11:00]
James O'Keefe
When are you investigating Bill Gates? Because that's needed.
[11:05]
James O'Keefe III
You know, I can't comment on things I'm doing at the moment, but in late January, I got something coming.
[11:12]
James O'Keefe
I love it, dude. I love it. You probably get pulled in so many directions.
[11:15]
James O'Keefe III
There's too many. I mean, and that's why you have to be careful with your time, because everyone's got a story to tell. But it really comes down to the evidence that you're showing. Not just the testimony, but the evidence.
[11:25]
Unknown
Yeah.
[11:25]
James O'Keefe
What do you think of all the drone stuff happening in Jersey, in New York?
[11:28]
James O'Keefe III
I don't have a comment because I don't know. I don't like to speculate and I'd have to speculate. I haven't looked into that. Yeah, I don't know.
[11:33]
James O'Keefe
I'll like that. You know, people could have made up an answer.
[11:35]
James O'Keefe III
I don't know. I, I, I tried to only say things I know. So we'll see.
[11:43]
Unknown
Yeah.
[11:43]
James O'Keefe
Any documentaries you're working on next, though?
[11:45]
James O'Keefe III
Well, I'm trying to get Line in the sand, widely distributed right now. It's on Tucker.
[11:50]
Unknown
Yeah.
[11:50]
James O'Keefe III
And I'm working on maybe theaters, maybe. Nice, because I really think it's a really important and seminal work for me. It was really, really hard to make and a very unusual film.
[12:00]
James O'Keefe
That's going to be a tough battle because what they did to that one movie, the child trafficking one, I forget the name. It was a couple years. Yeah, they blocked it in a lot of theaters. Right.
[12:11]
James O'Keefe III
I, I think that things are changing in the, in the, the market economy. I think that's going to change. I think people want to see this sort of thing.
[12:19]
James O'Keefe
That's good, man. Well, I can't wait to keep up with you. Where can people keep up, up to date with what you're up to?
[12:24]
James O'Keefe III
I mean, I'm James O'Keefe III. James O'Keefe. I, I, I on Instagram x Facebook. O'keefemediagroup.com is my company. Citizen Journalism foundation is my nonprofit. And I'm here at amfest. And tonight we're having a party called Make America Rave Again. And you're coming?
[12:41]
James O'Keefe
I'm coming. We're going to rave, guys.
[12:42]
James O'Keefe III
All right, let's go.
[12:43]
Unknown
See ya.
[12:44]
James O'Keefe III
Boom.