Alex Engler
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alexengler.bsky.social
Alex Engler
@alexengler.bsky.social
1.5K followers 300 following 60 posts
Executive Director of Penn Center on Media, Tech & Democracy | "If you can keep it" | Alum: DemTech at White House NSC & AI Policy at OSTP; Brookings; Urban Institute; Taught at UChicago & Georgetown
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Reposted by Alex Engler
dimitridrekonja.bsky.social
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.

White. Hot. Rage.
January 24, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
startribune.com
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026
January 23, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
thomaszimmer.bsky.social
A society that has any aspiration to be free and democratic cannot - it must not! - tolerate the existence of an agency like ICE.

In both personnel and institutionalized culture, ICE is a stronghold of violent authoritarianism, simply incompatible with the fundamental values of a democratic society
donmoyn.bsky.social Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 13d
This guy went to work today, put a mask on, kidnapped a 5 year old child, and then used him as bait so both he and his father could be sent behind bars
A masked ICE officials with a 5 year old child
January 22, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
profsanderlinden.bsky.social
New real-world field study *inoculating* against misinformation in live social media scroll feeds out in Harvard Misinfo Review @misinforeview.bsky.social

We targeted +375k users with a short ad on Insta using a novel quasi-experimental method (1/3)

misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/preb...
January 23, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
rincewind.run
pepper spraying someone in the face from inches away while they are already restrained on the ground should get you fired and land you in jail, no exceptions
amreports.bsky.social Ashley Miller @amreports.bsky.social · 13d
An observer arrested in Suth Minneapolis. Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune
Several agents hold a person down and sprays them with pepper spray.
January 21, 2026 at 9:38 PM
alexengler.bsky.social
The new Penn Center is now on LinkedIn, bringing you the latest and greatest research on the information ecosystem!

New paper overviews from Duncan Watts, Matt Levendusky, Diana Mutz, and Dan Hopins out today in our growing (in beta) Research Compendium

www.linkedin.com/company/penn...
January 21, 2026 at 9:26 PM
alexengler.bsky.social
This was extremely predictable, and a good criticism of US AI policy has been an overly strong focus on large models, rather than specific uses / applications where value is clearly demonstrated and real competition is happening already.
willknight.bsky.social Will Knight @willknight.bsky.social · 14d
In @wired.com's new China issue, I take an in-depth look at the fast-rising robotics firm Unitree. It's low-cost machines, which are found in many US research labs already, reveal China's big manufacturing edge as the AI industry pivots to the physical world.
www.wired.com/story/china-...
Your First Humanoid Robot Coworker Will Probably Be Chinese
Explosive acceleration, limited dexterity, eyes in the back of its head. What could possibly go wrong?
www.wired.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
caseynewton.bsky.social
Google traffic to publishers dropped by ONE THIRD in 2025 pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
Global publisher Google traffic dropped by a third in 2025
Google search traffic was down globally by a third in the year to November, according to new Chartbeat data.
pressgazette.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
ryanlcooper.com
this is superb data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
The Wall Looks Permanent Until It Falls
On the optimism of preparation in a time of democratic decay.
data4democracy.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
kwerb.com
Registration is open for the first Accountable AI Research Conference, at The Wharton School in Philadelphia on Feb. 6, 2026.

ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu/wharton-acco...

If you're an AI governance practitioner or researcher, looking for insights on the future of responsible AI, please join us!
December 5, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
I see this take around from time to time and totally disagree. ICE just murdered a woman standing up to them. No Kings is among the largest protests in history.

The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership
Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof X.com I'm struck by the contrast between the passion for democracy shown by Iranians willing to die for it and the complacency with which many Americans have accepted an authoritarian slide. Americans should cheer for Iran's democrats--and also learn from their determination.
January 11, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
dkreiss.bsky.social
As our government seeks to erase the truth of five years ago, I am deeply grateful for all those researchers whose words shine with such clarity in our Media and January 6th @oxfordunipress.bsky.social book: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
global.oup.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:48 PM
alexengler.bsky.social
ICYMI -

As of Jan 1, Virginia has a 1-hour limit on any individual social media app for youth under 16 years old (so, 1-hour limit on _each_ TikTok, IG, X, etc).

Parents are also allowed to change that limit for their children, apparently without restriction.

lis.virginia.gov/bill-details...
January 5, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
jakejohnsonmn.bsky.social
I strongly disagree with Congressman Finstad’s support for these illegal attacks and regime change in Venezuela.

We have to stop risking American lives and wasting taxpayer dollars on these invasions that primarily benefit military contractors and Big Oil.
January 3, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
gregsargent.bsky.social
Scathing response from @schiff.senate.gov:

"“Acting without Congressional approval or the buy-in of the public, Trump risks plunging a hemisphere into chaos and has broken his promise to end wars instead of starting them...Congress must bring up a new War Powers Resolution and reassert its power."
January 3, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
volts.wtf
"Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power."
House Republicans Buried the Jack Smith Transcript on New Year’s Eve. I Read It So You Don’t Have To.
12 takeaways from Smith's closed-door testimony
www.readtpa.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
reckless.bsky.social
Just pure incoherence from a product Google is shipping to billions of people. Also already being hacked by SEO games
Snow falling off solar panels is usually a good thing, as the dark, warm surfaces cause it to melt and slide off, often in large, heavy sheets called "roof avalanches" that can be dangerous to property and people below; installing /nav!/nav>> snow guards or "snow retention" helps manage this by holding snow until it melts gradually, protecting roofs, gutters, and anything underneath from sudden, forceful releases.
December 27, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
natematias.bsky.social
Good news; a judge has blocked the detention of a technology researcher that the State Department had slated to deport.

However, this is just the start of what will certainly be a longer-term challenge. What can we do about this? A thread.

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate
www.nytimes.com
December 26, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
justinhendrix.bsky.social
US issues visa ban on former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton as well as Imran Ahmed, the British CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI).
US targets former EU commissioner, activists with visa bans over alleged censorship
The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed visa bans on a former European Union commissioner and anti-disinformation campaigners it says were involved in censoring U.S. social media platforms, in the...
www.reuters.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
annabower.bsky.social
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
News Team, Thank you for the notes and texts. I apologize for not reaching out earlier. I learned on Saturday that Bari Weiss spiked our story, INSIDE CECOT, which was supposed to air tonight. We (Ori and I) asked for a call to discuss her decision. She did not afford us that courtesy/opportunity. Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now-after every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one. We requested responses to questions and/or interviews with DHS, the White House, and the State Department. Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. Their refusal to be interviewed is a tactical maneuver designed to kill the story. If the administration's refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a "kill switch" for any reporting they find inconvenient. If the standard for airing a story becomes "the government must agree to be interviewed," then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state. These men risked their lives to speak with us. We have a moral and professional obligation to the sources who entrusted us with their stories. Abandoning them now is a betrayal of the most basic tenet of journalism: giving voice to the voiceless. CBS spiked the Jeffrey Wigand interview due to legal concerns, nearly destroying the credibility of this broadcast. It took years to recover from that "low point." By pulling this story to shield an administration, we are repeating that history, but for political optics rather than legal ones. We have been promoting this story on social media for days. Our viewers are expecting it. When it fails to air without a credible explanation, the public will correctly identify this as corporate censorship. We are trading 50 years of "Gold Standard" reputation for a single week of political quiet. I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight. Sharyn
December 22, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Reposted by Alex Engler
donmoyn.bsky.social
Yeah, here is the thing: Bari Weiss is fine with conspiracy theories that target her enemies. The biggest causes of political violence in America? Universities, which operate like madrassas.
That’s a conspiracy theory dressed up as respectable middle-of-the-road punditocracy. That’s what it is.
The acceleration of political violence has been frightening: from the attack on the Capitol in January 2021, to the murder of a healthcare executive allegedly by Luigi Mangione, to the attempted assassinations of Trump, to the killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., to the shooting of state lawmakers in Minnesota. And now Kirk's murder. There are many guilty parties in the rise of political violence. But to our minds, among the biggest culprits are the universities. In the same way that madrassas radicalize jihadis, America's campuses are among the places in the U.S. most hostile to disagreement and debate. Where they preach "inclusion," they actually practice exclusion -shouting down speakers they disagree with, for instance. Where they promote "diversity," they actually enforce a uniformity of thought, denying tenure to dissenters.
December 19, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Reposted by Alex Engler
travisrh.bsky.social
Come and work with me! We're building out our state engagement team at CDT, and are looking for a Senior Policy Counsel to help fight for digital rights at the state level. cdt.org/careers/#op-...
Careers
Current Openingsfind yourself engaged in passionate discussions about privacy policies? Are you yearning to put your expertise to work on internet neutrality legislation? If so, you might be a great f...
cdt.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Alex Engler
donmoyn.bsky.social
The networks were afraid not to run Trump because they assumed he would use his office to punish them if they didn’t. The irony is that this is what Biden was warning about, a warning they chose not to share with America.
December 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM