Christopher Whitaker
@civicwhitaker.com
Civic Technologist | Executive Director, Alliance of Civic Technologists | Army Veteran | Alumni of Code for America, Defense Digital Service and USDS #civictech #chicago
Really doesn’t like bullies
Signal: civicwhitaker.53
Really doesn’t like bullies
Signal: civicwhitaker.53
Pinned
Christopher Whitaker
@civicwhitaker.com
· Nov 10
Home
ACT is a decentralized network of civic tech volunteer organizations.
www.civictechnologists.org
#Introductions
Hi, I'm Christopher Whitaker & I'm a civic technologist w/ a hybrid background as a product manager & bureaucrat. I currently serve as director of the Alliance of Civic Technologists - a network of local #civictech volunteer groups. www.civictechnologists.org
Army vet / #chicago
Hi, I'm Christopher Whitaker & I'm a civic technologist w/ a hybrid background as a product manager & bureaucrat. I currently serve as director of the Alliance of Civic Technologists - a network of local #civictech volunteer groups. www.civictechnologists.org
Army vet / #chicago
I may have used some @protopasta.bsky.social to inadvertently kickstart my Whistle Avenger Collection
February 9, 2026 at 11:49 PM
I may have used some @protopasta.bsky.social to inadvertently kickstart my Whistle Avenger Collection
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Shocked. Shocked, I say, to find that Abundance is, in fact, a smuggle for tech fascism.
Courtesy @levernews.com
Courtesy @levernews.com
![A On the payroll. A new "pro-growth" centrist Democrat dark money group — pushing for, you guessed it, deregulation — has turned up on Capitol Hill, and it's being led by a former lawmaker-turned-lobbyist for OpenAI, the Big Tech behemoth behind ChatGPT. In 2025, former Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-III.) also lobbied on behalf of Oracle, the computing giant led by MAGA megadonor Larry Ellison, and the Solana Policy Institute, a cryptocurrency advocacy group.
• Bustos will now serve as president of Next American Era, a nonprofit aligned with the anti-progressive Abundance movement to "[make] it easier to build and to generate opportunity" by cutting so-called red tape.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:776hcssquwcv2ihpptzvttxj/bafkreidhysao5mrqlsbjy5x5opwrtv47x6jkwvt6yprevdric4aubqn2fq@jpeg)
February 9, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Shocked. Shocked, I say, to find that Abundance is, in fact, a smuggle for tech fascism.
Courtesy @levernews.com
Courtesy @levernews.com
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
& ICYMI, I'm hiring at SF Digital Services! if you are or know an strong eng leader with amazing communication skills & a civic bent (already pursued or nascent!) please read this thread!!
hallo, I am hiring again! - SF Digital Services is looking for a new Engineering Director careers.sf.gov/role/?id=374...
This reports directly to me, & I’m looking for a practical & flexible technical expert with excellent communication & coaching skills, who is excited to do both. More below...
This reports directly to me, & I’m looking for a practical & flexible technical expert with excellent communication & coaching skills, who is excited to do both. More below...
Engineering Director - Digital Services (0932)
The Office of the City Administrator and its 25+ divisions and departments operate core internal and public-facing services in San Francisco. The Office of the City Administrator’s Mission and Visio...
careers.sf.gov
February 9, 2026 at 3:52 PM
& ICYMI, I'm hiring at SF Digital Services! if you are or know an strong eng leader with amazing communication skills & a civic bent (already pursued or nascent!) please read this thread!!
I didn't see the Ring ad live, but I went back and looked at it and sweet baby yoda we need to rip these things out of doors and the internet
February 9, 2026 at 3:59 PM
I didn't see the Ring ad live, but I went back and looked at it and sweet baby yoda we need to rip these things out of doors and the internet
Seriously, what are the alternatives here?
Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month
Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month
Age verification for all.
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Seriously, what are the alternatives here?
Gab, now I gotta convert a whole community to something new and I really didn’t want it to be Slack
February 9, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Gab, now I gotta convert a whole community to something new and I really didn’t want it to be Slack
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Today the crew of weirdo printers that I call the whistle goblins passed A HALF MILLION whistles printed and shipped. I wrote about how we got there and how you can start printing whistles yourself. dansinker.com/posts/2026-0...
Whistle Up 2: Rise of the Whistle Goblins | dansinker.com
dansinker.com
February 8, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Today the crew of weirdo printers that I call the whistle goblins passed A HALF MILLION whistles printed and shipped. I wrote about how we got there and how you can start printing whistles yourself. dansinker.com/posts/2026-0...
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Y'all, we did it. 💕 This crew of chaotic nerds has sent half a million whistles to people requesting them, for free. With your help!
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
February 8, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Y'all, we did it. 💕 This crew of chaotic nerds has sent half a million whistles to people requesting them, for free. With your help!
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Do you work in tech?
We’re building stronger pathways into public interest tech and civic tech, and we want to hear from people in the field.
Share what you’re seeing and help guide what comes next. beta.nyc/wfd-surveys
We’re building stronger pathways into public interest tech and civic tech, and we want to hear from people in the field.
Share what you’re seeing and help guide what comes next. beta.nyc/wfd-surveys
February 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Do you work in tech?
We’re building stronger pathways into public interest tech and civic tech, and we want to hear from people in the field.
Share what you’re seeing and help guide what comes next. beta.nyc/wfd-surveys
We’re building stronger pathways into public interest tech and civic tech, and we want to hear from people in the field.
Share what you’re seeing and help guide what comes next. beta.nyc/wfd-surveys
Can confirm this too on the Chicago side. Running red lights, speeding, and deliberately brake checking….in a school zone.
There are so very many things that are fucked up about how things are in Minnesota right now and it is hard to tell what the outside world knows about.
The street blockades may seem odd . . . if you haven't seen the way ICE & CBP drive.
The street blockades may seem odd . . . if you haven't seen the way ICE & CBP drive.
February 8, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Can confirm this too on the Chicago side. Running red lights, speeding, and deliberately brake checking….in a school zone.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Minnesota is famously known for its palm trees.
Reasons not to repost this:
Pic doesn't have alt text.
There's greenery in the background - so definitely not a recent pic from Minnesota.
There is no source for the claim being made.
Check the profile - this person doesn't live in Minneapolis or MN.
This person doesn't interact on here.
Pic doesn't have alt text.
There's greenery in the background - so definitely not a recent pic from Minnesota.
There is no source for the claim being made.
Check the profile - this person doesn't live in Minneapolis or MN.
This person doesn't interact on here.
February 7, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Minnesota is famously known for its palm trees.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Investigations like this take months of labor to complete.
We rely entirely on voluntary reader support to keep our reporting free of paywalls and ads. If you'd like to pitch in ($3 monthly subs available!), here's how to do so:
We rely entirely on voluntary reader support to keep our reporting free of paywalls and ads. If you'd like to pitch in ($3 monthly subs available!), here's how to do so:
February 6, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Investigations like this take months of labor to complete.
We rely entirely on voluntary reader support to keep our reporting free of paywalls and ads. If you'd like to pitch in ($3 monthly subs available!), here's how to do so:
We rely entirely on voluntary reader support to keep our reporting free of paywalls and ads. If you'd like to pitch in ($3 monthly subs available!), here's how to do so:
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Hey, remember that time I said that pointing out that AI is giving bad data to ICE is missing the point because ICE doesn't actually care if the data is good? Check out how right I am.
NEW: Records reviewed by WIRED show DHS’s facial recognition app (Mobile Fortify) isn’t designed to actually "verify" identity—despite DHS claims and its agents relying on its matches to support probable cause in the field.
ICE and CBP’s Face-Recognition App Can’t Actually Verify Who People Are
ICE has used Mobile Fortify to identify immigrants and citizens alike over 100,000 times, by one estimate. It wasn't built to work like that—and only got approved after DHS abandoned its own privacy r...
www.wired.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Hey, remember that time I said that pointing out that AI is giving bad data to ICE is missing the point because ICE doesn't actually care if the data is good? Check out how right I am.
Flock Alert! @404media.co
Defense attorneys say law enforcement obtained "30 days" of camera images of Marimar Martinez's car all over Chicago.
"They presumably wanted to be able to show her driving from the dynamite factory … to the suicide vest store."
They say she was likely caught going to Target, instead.
"They presumably wanted to be able to show her driving from the dynamite factory … to the suicide vest store."
They say she was likely caught going to Target, instead.
February 5, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Flock Alert! @404media.co
Holy fuck this reporting
In one of videos, Sveum mentioned enjoying our running trails, which led us to find his Strava account. His account was public (no longer), so we can see he was talking about the Des Plains River Trail and he stayed at the Lincolnshire Marriott.
We only found this after he left Chicago. But...
We only found this after he left Chicago. But...
February 5, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Holy fuck this reporting
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
A special corps of health care workers have been called in to work with detained immigrants and many feel deeply conflicted about the assignment, saying they're not able to provide good care.
Some Public Health Service officers quit rather than serve in ICE detention centers
A special corps of health care workers have been called in to work with detained immigrants and many feel deeply conflicted about the assignment, saying they're not able to provide good care.
n.pr
February 5, 2026 at 4:19 PM
A special corps of health care workers have been called in to work with detained immigrants and many feel deeply conflicted about the assignment, saying they're not able to provide good care.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Jumping in to keep up with all the whistlemakers!
Protopasta is ready to donate filament to keep the momentum going! Reach out to our support team at support@protoplant.com to find how you can be involved, too!
Protopasta is ready to donate filament to keep the momentum going! Reach out to our support team at support@protoplant.com to find how you can be involved, too!
February 4, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Jumping in to keep up with all the whistlemakers!
Protopasta is ready to donate filament to keep the momentum going! Reach out to our support team at support@protoplant.com to find how you can be involved, too!
Protopasta is ready to donate filament to keep the momentum going! Reach out to our support team at support@protoplant.com to find how you can be involved, too!
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Washington Post is shuttering its book section, part of the ongoing war against literacy & knowledge.
We at Current Affairs want to pick up the slack by expanding book reviews. Writers: pitch us anytime! And if you subscribe/donate we'll use the funding to commission book coverage.
We at Current Affairs want to pick up the slack by expanding book reviews. Writers: pitch us anytime! And if you subscribe/donate we'll use the funding to commission book coverage.
February 4, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Washington Post is shuttering its book section, part of the ongoing war against literacy & knowledge.
We at Current Affairs want to pick up the slack by expanding book reviews. Writers: pitch us anytime! And if you subscribe/donate we'll use the funding to commission book coverage.
We at Current Affairs want to pick up the slack by expanding book reviews. Writers: pitch us anytime! And if you subscribe/donate we'll use the funding to commission book coverage.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
400k whistles shipped since mid-December and 100k since Sunday. Whistle Goblins Forever.
WE DID IT! And @romancingthevote.com volunteer & @peculiarityshop.bsky.social artist @shivaniswriting.bsky.social is the one who tipped us over! 💓
February 5, 2026 at 2:59 AM
400k whistles shipped since mid-December and 100k since Sunday. Whistle Goblins Forever.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
Some people got together to create a new iteration of Free Geek Chicago - a nonprofit that takes in e-waste, restores devices to function, sells refurbished electronics for well below market value, and diverts remaining odds and ends to electronics recycling programs.
Free Geek Chicago
Including everyone in our digital future
freegeekchi.org
February 4, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Some people got together to create a new iteration of Free Geek Chicago - a nonprofit that takes in e-waste, restores devices to function, sells refurbished electronics for well below market value, and diverts remaining odds and ends to electronics recycling programs.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
Identified: the El Paso BORTAC crew rampaging through the Midwest
One violent duo in particular, U.S. Border Patrol agents Michael Sveum (EZ-2) and Edgar Vazquez (EZ-17), have been frequently seen alongside former commander-at-large Greg Bovino terrorizing crowds wi...
unraveledpress.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:24 PM
NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
NEW: The FBI has been unable to access a Washington Post reporter’s seized iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, a sometimes overlooked feature that makes iPhones broadly more secure, according to recently filed court records.
FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled
Lockdown Mode is a sometimes overlooked feature of Apple devices that broadly make them harder to hack. A court record indicates the feature might be effective at stopping third parties unlocking some...
www.404media.co
February 4, 2026 at 2:14 PM
NEW: The FBI has been unable to access a Washington Post reporter’s seized iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, a sometimes overlooked feature that makes iPhones broadly more secure, according to recently filed court records.
Reposted by Christopher Whitaker
At 12 ET today me and Jason are doing AMA on the main technology subreddit about the tech ICE is using, the nationwide network of AI Flock cameras around the U.S., and the state of surveillance in general. Get your questions in before then: www.reddit.com/r/technology...
From the technology community on Reddit: Hi! We're 404 Media's Jason Koebler and Joseph Cox. AMA (us) about the tech ICE is using, Flock and the state of surveillance in the US on Feb. 4, 12 pm ET
Explore this post and more from the technology community
www.reddit.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:42 PM
At 12 ET today me and Jason are doing AMA on the main technology subreddit about the tech ICE is using, the nationwide network of AI Flock cameras around the U.S., and the state of surveillance in general. Get your questions in before then: www.reddit.com/r/technology...
I doubt it’ll stick, but the fact that they’re trying should make hotel executives nervous. I don’t know the comparison between money coming in from the federal GSA contact vs alcohol … but maybe might be enough of a tipping point if enough cities try it
A Minneapolis City Council committee delayed action Tuesday on renewing liquor licenses for two Minneapolis hotels that have housed federal immigration officers.
Minneapolis Council committee delays liquor licenses for 2 hotels over hosting federal agents
The City Council will hold a public hearing on the liquor licenses for the Canopy by Hilton in the Mill District and Depot Renaissance Hotel.
www.startribune.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:44 AM
I doubt it’ll stick, but the fact that they’re trying should make hotel executives nervous. I don’t know the comparison between money coming in from the federal GSA contact vs alcohol … but maybe might be enough of a tipping point if enough cities try it