David Kaye
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davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye
@davidakaye.bsky.social
16K followers 960 following 480 posts

californian. human rights, free expression, tech, international law. uc irvine. fulbright. article 19. prior: UN special rapporteur, GNI chair.

edu coalition (dm for details)

go bears!

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David Kaye is an American politician who served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression between August 2014 and July 2020, succeeded by Irene Khan. .. more

Law 28%
Political science 21%
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davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · Sep 3
👀 Jim Jordan held a House Judiciary Committee hearing on . . . how Europe censors Americans. Nigel Farage came along! Let's just say I have a slightly different view than them. My written and oral testimony are here: ijclinic.law.uci.edu/2025/09/03/h...

Here are my concluding paras:
last paragraph of testimony: "I urge this Committee to consider the real threat to Americans’ freedom of expression, the one here at home. I have noted a handful of areas where this administration is putting freedom of expression under direct attack. Where is the opposition, let alone outrage, given the attack not only on speakers – journalists, public media, professors, students, whistleblowers, civil servants – but on every American’s right of access to information about the issues important to our democracy and to our public’s health? That, I would respectfully submit, is the real threat to American speech and innovation, and I look forward to helping this Committee, in any way you see fit, work to address it."

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 7h
there is a way in which this is perfectly consistent with trump's (and maga's) refusal to hear -- let alone consider -- any criticism. they can stick their fingers in their ears & they can skip out on meetings, but that doesn't change the reality of abuses they are perpetrating.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 8h
spoken like a true nobel laureate
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h
Trump: "I stopped 8 wars in the last 9 months. I don't want to be in wars. If I am in a war, we're gonna win the thing fast and it'll be violent."

Reposted by David H. Kaye, David Darmofal

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h
Trump: "I stopped 8 wars in the last 9 months. I don't want to be in wars. If I am in a war, we're gonna win the thing fast and it'll be violent."

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 10h
pretty much

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 10h
💯

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 10h
i think it's important to write these pieces still. it's just that they have to be grounded in the reality that this admin doesn't want debate, doesn't want good or provocative ideas, unless they advance trump's financial or political interests.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 10h
it just amazes me that people still write think pieces about what the admin should or shouldn't do without acknowledging that normal, rational, national-interest thinking (as hollow as that even was) has nothing to do with the way this admin views things.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 10h
there is no separation at all between trump admin governance & donald trump's personal/family greed & ambitions. this is in part why all discussion of admin "policy" that neglects this baseline fact is so hollow & naive, & mystifying that ppl still write about policy without this framing.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 13h
highly recommend @qjurecic.bsky.social's piece in the atlantic. i think it's crucial to understand, as she notes, how overtly political trump admin repression is. it's not abt some bipartisan sense of threat. it's censorship to squash debate, civic space, criticism. the extremes of authoritarianism.
The Third Red Scare
The Trump administration is cracking down on Americans’ freedom of speech with a new viciousness, but the First Amendment won’t go down without a fight.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by David H. Kaye

aclu.org
ACLU @aclu.org · 14h
The Trump administration is setting a dangerous precedent.

The world is watching this administration's attempts to limit our constitutional and human rights.
US skips human rights review by UN body as countries appeal for its return next year
The United States on Friday snubbed a U.N. body charged with keeping tabs on the human rights records of all its member countries, on orders of the Trump administration — which has turned its back on the Human Rights Council.
apnews.com

Reposted by David H. Kaye, Rosemary A. Joyce

governor.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 1d
Tonight’s Senate vote on the federal government shutdown should have been a time for strength.

Instead we saw capitulation and a betrayal of working Americans.

The American people need more from their leaders.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
those who cave, if they do, will never have a quiet lunch in public again. shame and shun.
joshtpm.bsky.social Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d
2/ The Senators who want to vote yes on basically any terms appear to be shaheen, Hassan, king and Fetterman. Slightly less clear but I think pushing that way are Peters and Durbin. You’ll note that four of these six are retiring. Others who seem on the fence include the two sens from Georgia and …

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
yikes.

on one flight from dushanbe to fergana the pilots invited me to join them in the cockpit the entire trip. cool but can you imagine?

Reposted by David H. Kaye, Caroline T. Schroeder

joshtpm.bsky.social
Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d
2/ The Senators who want to vote yes on basically any terms appear to be shaheen, Hassan, king and Fetterman. Slightly less clear but I think pushing that way are Peters and Durbin. You’ll note that four of these six are retiring. Others who seem on the fence include the two sens from Georgia and …

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
if they could get me from
nyc to LA fast, i’d be on ‘em

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
this is really unfortunate news to read while waiting to board a ua flight at ewr.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
this is a big and extremely dangerous deal. pegasus has been a tool of repression around the world.

is this the pivot to attacking american journalists, lawyers, civil society activists?
jsrailton.bsky.social John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · 1d
UPDATE: NSO just hired former Trump ambassador to Israel.

They're trying to push Pegasus spyware to 🇺🇸America.

Your rights and freedoms are in danger.

NSO Group is no friend to the US & has spent years undermining our security & values 1/

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
harrowing actually. started with a near miss. a third of the seats were non operational.

Reposted by David H. Kaye

jsrailton.bsky.social
John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · 1d
UPDATE: NSO just hired former Trump ambassador to Israel.

They're trying to push Pegasus spyware to 🇺🇸America.

Your rights and freedoms are in danger.

NSO Group is no friend to the US & has spent years undermining our security & values 1/

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
last time i had a flight like this it was on aeroflot from fergana uzbekistan to moscow, 1992. and it was unnerving to say the least.
mmasnick.bsky.social Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 1d
Looks like this is real. About 40% of the flight at 8k feet, then bumped up to 10k, and then finally went up higher, but only to 20k feet. Much slower than normal flight and likely burned a lot more fuel. But the view out the window was probably impressive.

www.flightaware.com/live/flight/...

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 1d
congrats! impressive!

Reposted by David H. Kaye

kimlanelaw.bsky.social
Kim Lane Scheppele @kimlanelaw.bsky.social · 1d
The US government is trying as hard as it can to ensure that Americans starve. The USG is threatening states that are trying to help.
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 1d
Here's the unbelievable "undo" letter USDA sent: www.fns.usda.gov/snap/updated...
SUBJECT: Updated Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) November Benefit Issuance This memorandum is a follow up to the guidance shared on October 10, October 24, November 4, November 5, and November 7, 2025, regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture an administrative stay of the orders issued by the District Court of Rhode Island in Rhode Island State Council of Churches, et al. v. Rollins, 25-cv-569. Pending any explicit direction to the contrary from Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), States must not transmit full benefit issuance files to EBT processors. Instead, States must continue to process and load the partial issuance files that reflect the 35 percent reduction of maximum allotments detailed in the November 5 guidance. To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized. Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025. Please advise the appropriate FNS Regional Office representative of steps taken to correct any actions taken that do not comply with this memorandum. Per 7 CFR 271.7(h), failure to comply with this memorandum may result in USDA taking various actions, including cancellation of the Federal share of State administrative costs and holding States liable for any overissuances that result from the noncompliance. We are committed to keeping you as up to date as possible and appreciate your continued partnership to serve program beneficiaries across the country. State agencies with questions should contact their FNS Regional Office representative.

Reposted by David H. Kaye

jonseidel.bsky.social
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 1d
JUST IN: The Justice Department formally appeals U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis' preliminary injunction, which restricts the use of force against protesters and journalists.
NOTICE OF APPEAL IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION CHICAGO HEADLINE CLUB et al. ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) KRISTI NOEM, Secretary of U.S. ) Department of Homeland Security, in her ) No. 25-cv-12173 Hon. Sara L. Ellis, ) United States District Judge Defendants hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit this Court’s preliminary injunction order, see ECF Nos. 250 & 256, including this Court’s Opinion and Order granting class certification, see ECF Nos. 252 & 256, to the extent the Court’s grant of a class-wide preliminary injunction depends on that decision.

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, David H. Kaye

mmasnick.bsky.social
Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 1d
Looks like this is real. About 40% of the flight at 8k feet, then bumped up to 10k, and then finally went up higher, but only to 20k feet. Much slower than normal flight and likely burned a lot more fuel. But the view out the window was probably impressive.

www.flightaware.com/live/flight/...

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 3d
if you are in NYC and have any interest in diplomacy, climate change, int'l negotiations, & america's role in the world (and the perception of it), i urge you to catch kyoto. unusually perceptive, makes negotiations over bracketed text seem exciting!
In ‘Kyoto,’ Seeking to Save the Earth but Veering Off Course
www.nytimes.com

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 3d
🚨🚨🚨
jsrailton.bsky.social John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · 3d
YIKES: NSO floats Pegasus spyware used in hypothetical "time of domestic crisis" in 🇺🇸America.

I believe they won't stop lobbying until they get Pegasus into USA.

To hack Americans. 1/

Reposted by David H. Kaye, David Murakami Wood

jsrailton.bsky.social
John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · 3d
YIKES: NSO floats Pegasus spyware used in hypothetical "time of domestic crisis" in 🇺🇸America.

I believe they won't stop lobbying until they get Pegasus into USA.

To hack Americans. 1/

Reposted by David H. Kaye

bnovak.bsky.social
benjamin novak @bnovak.bsky.social · 3d
Trump and Orban will meet at the White House today.

David Pressman, former US Ambassador to the UN Security Council and Hungary, explains what Orban is doing in Washington, and offers a very strong take on what Trump and Orban really have in common.

time.com/7332003/vikt...
Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump’s Attacks on Independence
Independence is "fundamental to the health of any democracy—and it has been systematically dismantled in Hungary."
time.com

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, David H. Kaye, Stacy D. VanDeveer , and 3 more

alaw202.bsky.social
Alex Lawson @alaw202.bsky.social · 4d
I had a run in with ICE snatching a man out of his car while walking my children to school this morning in NW DC

I asked a neighbor to continue walking my kids to school and I turned back to document and confront the ICE agents.

I am in contact with @dcmigrantmutualaid.org with the full video.

davidakaye.bsky.social
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 4d
“the weaponization of doubt”
samgregory.bsky.social Sam Gregory @samgregory.bsky.social · 5d
"How we choose to act now will determine whether our shared basis for reality — what we see and hear — remains trustworthy."

Generative video's threat to visual truth and what we can do about it, and why concerted action matters now, in @transformernews.ai

www.transformernews.ai/p/sora-is-he...
Sora Is Here. The window to save visual truth is closing
Opinion: Sam Gregory argues that generative video is undermining the notion of a shared reality, and that we need to act before it’s lost forever
www.transformernews.ai