Claire Atkin
@catthekin.checkmyads.org
Co-founder of Check My Ads, the adtech watchdog
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Another Guardian story on Substack hosting Nazi newsletters.
Here's something I wish more academics knew: There's a Cambrian explosion happening in atproto world. Where your data is yours. New apps every week. Including @leaflet.pub, a blogging platform, newsletter functionality coming soon. 1/3
Here's something I wish more academics knew: There's a Cambrian explosion happening in atproto world. Where your data is yours. New apps every week. Including @leaflet.pub, a blogging platform, newsletter functionality coming soon. 1/3
February 7, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Another Guardian story on Substack hosting Nazi newsletters.
Here's something I wish more academics knew: There's a Cambrian explosion happening in atproto world. Where your data is yours. New apps every week. Including @leaflet.pub, a blogging platform, newsletter functionality coming soon. 1/3
Here's something I wish more academics knew: There's a Cambrian explosion happening in atproto world. Where your data is yours. New apps every week. Including @leaflet.pub, a blogging platform, newsletter functionality coming soon. 1/3
Reposted by Claire Atkin
I will ha.. strongly dislike your popup when:
- Escape doesn't close it
- Clicking the background doesn't close it
- The close button is sized like this
- Escape doesn't close it
- Clicking the background doesn't close it
- The close button is sized like this
February 6, 2026 at 8:35 AM
I will ha.. strongly dislike your popup when:
- Escape doesn't close it
- Clicking the background doesn't close it
- The close button is sized like this
- Escape doesn't close it
- Clicking the background doesn't close it
- The close button is sized like this
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Once we make all social media interoperable, our next mission has to be tupperware lids
February 6, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Once we make all social media interoperable, our next mission has to be tupperware lids
Reposted by Claire Atkin
wow, Google, way to make me not trust you. I'm signing into a gmail I don't use very often and fair enough making me get a code by SMS as well as by the secondary email address you already have but sneaking in 'tells us your address for ad targetting' in the account recovery is an utter dark pattern
February 5, 2026 at 3:29 PM
wow, Google, way to make me not trust you. I'm signing into a gmail I don't use very often and fair enough making me get a code by SMS as well as by the secondary email address you already have but sneaking in 'tells us your address for ad targetting' in the account recovery is an utter dark pattern
@leaypi.bsky.social Free is a beautiful book ❤️
January 31, 2026 at 4:08 PM
@leaypi.bsky.social Free is a beautiful book ❤️
Reposted by Claire Atkin
You can test new tech ideas using the Seinfeld Test
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
January 31, 2026 at 6:57 AM
You can test new tech ideas using the Seinfeld Test
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
Would the product eliminate the plot of an episode? (Google maps, cell phones, paypal, battery packs)
Good tech.
Would the product inspire new Seinfeld plots? (NFTs, AI chatbots, crypto currency, blindboxes, metaverse land sales)
Bad tech.
This is how I learned the UK government was offering AI training
Good news: the UK Government is now offering free short courses on how to use the rabid monkey that comes taped to every computer now for some reason! You'll learn how to...
- dodge the monkey's angry fists!
- understand its tortured screams!
- write invoices in bits of poo he's left on your desk!
- dodge the monkey's angry fists!
- understand its tortured screams!
- write invoices in bits of poo he's left on your desk!
January 28, 2026 at 1:53 PM
This is how I learned the UK government was offering AI training
Reposted by Claire Atkin
The short version. They wanted to use scenes from the movie in their video for "One," but they could not get it licensed. So they just brought the entire movie themselves. Now it's owned by the band.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8b...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8b...
Metallica: One (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Metallica
www.youtube.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:49 AM
The short version. They wanted to use scenes from the movie in their video for "One," but they could not get it licensed. So they just brought the entire movie themselves. Now it's owned by the band.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8b...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8b...
Adtech is almost everything you do online. They’re using Adtech to track and investigate. Every little thing you do — shopping, browsing, checking health information, connecting on social, ChatGPT — is on Adtech.
New: Amid the escalating situation in Minneapolis, ICE posted in the Federal Register asking companies to provide info about “commercial Big Data and Ad Tech” products that would “directly support investigations activities”
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
ICE Asks Companies About ‘Ad Tech and Big Data’ Tools It Could Use in Investigations
A new federal filing from ICE demonstrates how commercial tools are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Adtech is almost everything you do online. They’re using Adtech to track and investigate. Every little thing you do — shopping, browsing, checking health information, connecting on social, ChatGPT — is on Adtech.
Reposted by Claire Atkin
ICE is using a Palantir tool that uses Medicaid and other government data to stalk people for arrest, 404 Media reports. This is exactly the kind of data privacy abuse that EFF has been warning about.
Report: ICE Using Palantir Tool That Feeds On Medicaid Data
ICE is using a Palantir tool that uses Medicaid and other government data to stalk people for arrest. This is exactly the kind of data privacy abuse that EFF has been warning about.
www.eff.org
January 16, 2026 at 1:05 AM
ICE is using a Palantir tool that uses Medicaid and other government data to stalk people for arrest, 404 Media reports. This is exactly the kind of data privacy abuse that EFF has been warning about.
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Starting a series on Open Social!
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
January 13, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Starting a series on Open Social!
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
Reposted by Claire Atkin
this is something i think about a lot, aside from all the other issues
imagine if YOU do depend on, eg, claude, to run your biz. something happens tomorrow and your whole “team” is gone.
obviously this is the game, too.
the math is platform threat ^ bus factor
imagine if YOU do depend on, eg, claude, to run your biz. something happens tomorrow and your whole “team” is gone.
obviously this is the game, too.
the math is platform threat ^ bus factor
the anthropic drama (tl;dr they blocked third party tools from using claude code subscriptions) is a useful reminder that you use LLMs at the pleasure of the companies providing them
sounds obvious but despite all the AI discourse, i don't see a lot of people talking about the consequences of this
sounds obvious but despite all the AI discourse, i don't see a lot of people talking about the consequences of this
January 10, 2026 at 12:54 AM
this is something i think about a lot, aside from all the other issues
imagine if YOU do depend on, eg, claude, to run your biz. something happens tomorrow and your whole “team” is gone.
obviously this is the game, too.
the math is platform threat ^ bus factor
imagine if YOU do depend on, eg, claude, to run your biz. something happens tomorrow and your whole “team” is gone.
obviously this is the game, too.
the math is platform threat ^ bus factor
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Apple and Google have previously removed apps providing nudify services from their app stores.
So why havent they taken action against X and Grok?
@carolinehaskins.bsky.social reports
So why havent they taken action against X and Grok?
@carolinehaskins.bsky.social reports
Why Are Grok and X Still Available in App Stores?
Elon Musk’s chatbot has been used to generate thousands of sexualized images of adults and apparent minors. Apple and Google have removed other “nudify” apps—but continue to host X and Grok.
www.wired.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Apple and Google have previously removed apps providing nudify services from their app stores.
So why havent they taken action against X and Grok?
@carolinehaskins.bsky.social reports
So why havent they taken action against X and Grok?
@carolinehaskins.bsky.social reports
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump was a mask off moment and showed the world we can’t depend on US tech companies.
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
Getting off US tech: a guide
I’m in the process of dropping US tech services. Here’s how I did it, and options you should consider.
www.disconnect.blog
July 18, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Silicon Valley’s alliance with Donald Trump was a mask off moment and showed the world we can’t depend on US tech companies.
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
For the past few months, I’ve been trying to get off US tech and I put together a guide so you find alternatives too. I hope you find it helpful!
Reposted by Claire Atkin
I think about this one a lot
January 3, 2026 at 4:19 AM
I think about this one a lot
Reposted by Claire Atkin
This was just sent to me by an LAUSD parent. A 4th grader was assigned to design a book cover for Pippi Longstocking using Adobe for Education. Here is what the AI tool generated:
December 5, 2025 at 9:49 PM
This was just sent to me by an LAUSD parent. A 4th grader was assigned to design a book cover for Pippi Longstocking using Adobe for Education. Here is what the AI tool generated:
Reposted by Claire Atkin
be the bitch doing something yourself that you want to see in the world
there’s a scene in the new documentary where Elizabeth Taylor is talking about the stigma of AIDS and how she got involved in the movement and it’s fucking everything
December 1, 2025 at 8:54 PM
be the bitch doing something yourself that you want to see in the world
Ha, this is so great. It’s simple. If you don’t want otherwise satisfied busy people to stop everything to take a stand, don’t fuck with our friends ❤️
there’s a scene in the new documentary where Elizabeth Taylor is talking about the stigma of AIDS and how she got involved in the movement and it’s fucking everything
December 2, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Ha, this is so great. It’s simple. If you don’t want otherwise satisfied busy people to stop everything to take a stand, don’t fuck with our friends ❤️
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Oh really
Three years into the generative-AI wave, demand for the technology seems surprisingly flimsy
Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening
Recent surveys point to flatlining business adoption
econ.st
December 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Oh really
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Reposted by Claire Atkin
big late breaking news: the market monitor for the largest energy grid in the u.s., covering much of the midwest and mid-atlantic, has called to block new data centers connections to the grid, saying current course of growth assures regular blackouts
No more PJM data centers unless they can be reliably served: market monitor
The PJM Interconnection’s market monitor urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rule that large data centers can only come online if the grid operator can still meet reliability metrics.
www.utilitydive.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:17 AM
big late breaking news: the market monitor for the largest energy grid in the u.s., covering much of the midwest and mid-atlantic, has called to block new data centers connections to the grid, saying current course of growth assures regular blackouts
Reposted by Claire Atkin
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet -- And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:16 PM
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Honored to serve on Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social Transition Committee on Technology. For too long, too many New Yorkers have been left behind. NYC deserves governance that centers affordability, equity, and the public good-looking forward to the work ahead. www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces transition committees
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced Monday the creation of 17 transition advisory committees made up of more than 400 people.
www.cbsnews.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Honored to serve on Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social Transition Committee on Technology. For too long, too many New Yorkers have been left behind. NYC deserves governance that centers affordability, equity, and the public good-looking forward to the work ahead. www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
Reposted by Claire Atkin
Mark MacCarthy says there is little doubt that the AI investment boom is a bubble. The real questions, he says, are when will the bubble burst, how severe will the consequences be, and what should policymakers do now to prepare for the inevitable downturn.
Policymakers Have to Prepare Now for When the AI Bubble Bursts | TechPolicy.Press
Mark MacCarthy says the fear of making a mistake in industrial policy should not paralyze policymakers.
www.techpolicy.press
November 24, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Mark MacCarthy says there is little doubt that the AI investment boom is a bubble. The real questions, he says, are when will the bubble burst, how severe will the consequences be, and what should policymakers do now to prepare for the inevitable downturn.