Ashley Belanger
@ashleybelanger.bsky.social
Cursed to love reading legal docs.
Senior policy reporter for Ars Technica
ashleybelanger.com
Signal: @ashleybelanger.77
Senior policy reporter for Ars Technica
ashleybelanger.com
Signal: @ashleybelanger.77
Discord users had questions about how age checks will work to secure their data. I spoke to companies and dug into the policies and partnerships to better understand why their concerns were warranted. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Discord faces backlash over age checks after data breach exposed 70,000 IDs
Discord to block adult content unless users verify ages with selfies or IDs.
arstechnica.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Discord users had questions about how age checks will work to secure their data. I spoke to companies and dug into the policies and partnerships to better understand why their concerns were warranted. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
Neocities sites are slowwwwwly popping back up in Bing results, I'm told, but this remains one of the weirdest exchanges I've had with a tech company, where Microsoft admitted there was an issue but wouldn't connect directly to resolve it. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Neocities founder stuck in chatbot hell after Bing blocked 1.5 million sites
Microsoft won’t explain why Bing blocked 1.5 million Neocities websites.
arstechnica.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Neocities sites are slowwwwwly popping back up in Bing results, I'm told, but this remains one of the weirdest exchanges I've had with a tech company, where Microsoft admitted there was an issue but wouldn't connect directly to resolve it. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
SCTV is on Internet Archive if you'd like to enjoy the early work of Catherine O'Hara and her fellow sketch comedy gods.
S1: archive.org/details/sctv...
S2: archive.org/details/sctv...
S3: archive.org/details/19-m...
S4-5: archive.org/details/66-s...
S6 + Cinemax: archive.org/details/sctv... #TVSky
S1: archive.org/details/sctv...
S2: archive.org/details/sctv...
S3: archive.org/details/19-m...
S4-5: archive.org/details/66-s...
S6 + Cinemax: archive.org/details/sctv... #TVSky
January 31, 2026 at 4:32 PM
SCTV is on Internet Archive if you'd like to enjoy the early work of Catherine O'Hara and her fellow sketch comedy gods.
S1: archive.org/details/sctv...
S2: archive.org/details/sctv...
S3: archive.org/details/19-m...
S4-5: archive.org/details/66-s...
S6 + Cinemax: archive.org/details/sctv... #TVSky
S1: archive.org/details/sctv...
S2: archive.org/details/sctv...
S3: archive.org/details/19-m...
S4-5: archive.org/details/66-s...
S6 + Cinemax: archive.org/details/sctv... #TVSky
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
I keep reading that some people in leadership roles insist on using ChatGPT bc it's the chatbot they know, without seeming to understand why it may not be the best tool for the job...
January 29, 2026 at 2:44 PM
I keep reading that some people in leadership roles insist on using ChatGPT bc it's the chatbot they know, without seeming to understand why it may not be the best tool for the job...
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
Experts told me that TikTok users freaked out by "bugs" censoring anti-Trump content are not paranoid, they're just used to platforms manipulating what they see. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
TikTok users “absolutely justified” in fearing MAGA makeover, experts say
TikTok’s tech issues abound as censorship fears drive users to delete app.
arstechnica.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Experts told me that TikTok users freaked out by "bugs" censoring anti-Trump content are not paranoid, they're just used to platforms manipulating what they see. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
TikTok settled at the last minute, but Meta and YouTube are still facing down a jury over alleged social media addiction for the first time, if you're wondering what the stakes are:
“IG is a drug”: Internal messages may doom Meta at social media addiction trial
A loss could cost social media companies billions and force changes on platforms.
arstechnica.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:25 PM
TikTok settled at the last minute, but Meta and YouTube are still facing down a jury over alleged social media addiction for the first time, if you're wondering what the stakes are:
In case you're wondering, TikTok US just now directly addressed the whole "0 views" thing and claims it's a temporary glitch and creators won't lose money, as actual data and engagement is supposedly being logged. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
TikTok explained why some US creators are seeing posts with "0 views"
US TikTok users experienced a wide range of errors, sparking conspiracies.
arstechnica.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:37 AM
In case you're wondering, TikTok US just now directly addressed the whole "0 views" thing and claims it's a temporary glitch and creators won't lose money, as actual data and engagement is supposedly being logged. arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
DHS withdrew its request for subscriber info after the owner of Facebook and Instagram community watch groups sued to block the summons as unconstitutional. It's a playbook community watch groups may increasingly use to block unmasking as ICE tensions escalate:
DHS keeps trying and failing to unmask anonymous ICE critics online
Community watch groups have a playbook to keep ICE away from subscriber information.
arstechnica.com
January 23, 2026 at 8:26 PM
DHS withdrew its request for subscriber info after the owner of Facebook and Instagram community watch groups sued to block the summons as unconstitutional. It's a playbook community watch groups may increasingly use to block unmasking as ICE tensions escalate:
Still thinking about this gross catch-22 where the quickest way to remove images is to ask Grok but if you ask Grok and the images don’t come down, the act of asking Grok to remove them may make it harder to sue.
January 23, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Still thinking about this gross catch-22 where the quickest way to remove images is to ask Grok but if you ask Grok and the images don’t come down, the act of asking Grok to remove them may make it harder to sue.
It seems xAI wants to turn victims begging Grok to remove images into a legal shield forcing lawsuits into Musk’s favorite Texas court…
January 22, 2026 at 9:23 PM
It seems xAI wants to turn victims begging Grok to remove images into a legal shield forcing lawsuits into Musk’s favorite Texas court…
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
January 15, 2026 at 1:47 PM
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
Hey! @wired.com is doing a bunch of hiring. Here we go with a thread of five great jobs, with a few more coming shortly:
1) We are hiring a senior editor for our science desk, which means you get to work with geniuses like @timmarchman.bsky.social @mollytaft.com and @emilymullin.bsky.social
1) We are hiring a senior editor for our science desk, which means you get to work with geniuses like @timmarchman.bsky.social @mollytaft.com and @emilymullin.bsky.social
Senior Editor, Science
WIRED is where a better future is imagined. For three decades, we have been the indispensable guide to a world in constant transformation. We cover humanity’s biggest challenges, from climate change t...
condenast.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Hey! @wired.com is doing a bunch of hiring. Here we go with a thread of five great jobs, with a few more coming shortly:
1) We are hiring a senior editor for our science desk, which means you get to work with geniuses like @timmarchman.bsky.social @mollytaft.com and @emilymullin.bsky.social
1) We are hiring a senior editor for our science desk, which means you get to work with geniuses like @timmarchman.bsky.social @mollytaft.com and @emilymullin.bsky.social
looks like California's AG may have broken Musk's resolve to refuse to block Grok's gross outputs. X Safety says it blocked everyone including paid X users and Grok app users from nudifying images: arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Grok was finally updated to stop undressing women and children, X Safety says
California's AG will investigate whether Musk’s nudifying bot broke US laws.
arstechnica.com
January 14, 2026 at 11:39 PM
looks like California's AG may have broken Musk's resolve to refuse to block Grok's gross outputs. X Safety says it blocked everyone including paid X users and Grok app users from nudifying images: arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
It wasn’t a total win for plaintiffs, who did not prevail on First Amendment claims, and there are many hundreds of awardees whose grant terminations have not yet been impacted by the narrow ruling.
Judge: Trump violated Fifth Amendment by ending energy grants in only blue states
Donald Trump’s social media post triggers rare Fifth Amendment ruling.
arstechnica.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:15 PM
It wasn’t a total win for plaintiffs, who did not prevail on First Amendment claims, and there are many hundreds of awardees whose grant terminations have not yet been impacted by the narrow ruling.
Reposted by Ashley Belanger
echoing The Verge here and adding that X declined to say if it's going to close those loopholes or not, as Senators urge app stores to drop Grok and X:
January 9, 2026 at 4:58 PM
echoing The Verge here and adding that X declined to say if it's going to close those loopholes or not, as Senators urge app stores to drop Grok and X:
I was trying to figure out how a paywall solved anything when the safety guidelines on Github remain the same. I think it maybe only stops Grok spouting the images on X from a company feed? arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
January 9, 2026 at 1:55 PM
I was trying to figure out how a paywall solved anything when the safety guidelines on Github remain the same. I think it maybe only stops Grok spouting the images on X from a company feed? arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...