Ellery Roberts Biddle
@elleryrb.bsky.social
Editor, writer, tech skeptic, human rights fan. Views mine. She/her. https://ellerybiddle.com/
Good reminder here: Immigration authorities in the U.S. have been collecting social media data since Trump 1.0. Now they're using it to justify their "catch and revoke" scheme.
Important reporting and analysis by @tekendra-parmar.bsky.social
www.compiler.news/mahmoud-khal...
Important reporting and analysis by @tekendra-parmar.bsky.social
www.compiler.news/mahmoud-khal...
The chilling effects of using A.I. to hunt ‘pro-Hamas’ activists
The State Department is attempting to use artificial intelligence to target visa holders in the United States who express views counter to U.S. foreign policy. Is the real goal legitimizing a politica...
www.compiler.news
March 20, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Good reminder here: Immigration authorities in the U.S. have been collecting social media data since Trump 1.0. Now they're using it to justify their "catch and revoke" scheme.
Important reporting and analysis by @tekendra-parmar.bsky.social
www.compiler.news/mahmoud-khal...
Important reporting and analysis by @tekendra-parmar.bsky.social
www.compiler.news/mahmoud-khal...
Reposted by Ellery Roberts Biddle
SCOOP: More than 300 FTC blogs published under FTC Chair Lina Khan disappeared this morning. They included posts critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and generative AI.
www.wired.com/story/federa...
www.wired.com/story/federa...
FTC Removes Posts Critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI Companies
Business-guidance content published during the Biden administration has been removed from the Federal Trade Commission website.
www.wired.com
March 18, 2025 at 6:04 PM
SCOOP: More than 300 FTC blogs published under FTC Chair Lina Khan disappeared this morning. They included posts critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and generative AI.
www.wired.com/story/federa...
www.wired.com/story/federa...
Reposted by Ellery Roberts Biddle
BREAKING: Hundreds of Jews and allies have taken over Trump Tower chanting “We want justice, you say how. Bring Mahmoud home now!” and “Fight Nazis, not students.”
The civil disobedience is spawned by the ICE arrest of Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil.
The civil disobedience is spawned by the ICE arrest of Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil.
March 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM
BREAKING: Hundreds of Jews and allies have taken over Trump Tower chanting “We want justice, you say how. Bring Mahmoud home now!” and “Fight Nazis, not students.”
The civil disobedience is spawned by the ICE arrest of Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil.
The civil disobedience is spawned by the ICE arrest of Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil.
Universities are doing Trump's bidding, purging voices of dissent from their halls. Among them is Swarthmore, a college with a foundation in Quaker values of peaceful resistance and civil disobedience. We must hold them to account -- sign & share if you agree. actionnetwork.org/petitions/de...
Demand Swarthmore College Reverse the Suspension of a Peaceful Protestor
SWARTHMORE COLLEGE ISSUES ITS FIRST SUSPENSION FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST On Thursday, March 6th 2025, Swarthmore college SUSPENDED a student for peaceful protest activities in the Fall of 2023. The studen...
actionnetwork.org
March 13, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Universities are doing Trump's bidding, purging voices of dissent from their halls. Among them is Swarthmore, a college with a foundation in Quaker values of peaceful resistance and civil disobedience. We must hold them to account -- sign & share if you agree. actionnetwork.org/petitions/de...
Reposted by Ellery Roberts Biddle
It’s economic independence—not the lofty and abstract ideas of academic freedom, but the indispensable fact that colleges become the sole economic engines in their regions—that Trump and his acolytes want to curtail.
Trump Is Cracking Down on the Colleges That Cave to Him
Columbia University complied with the demand to aid in Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest. It didn’t save it from the president’s wrath.
newrepublic.com
March 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
It’s economic independence—not the lofty and abstract ideas of academic freedom, but the indispensable fact that colleges become the sole economic engines in their regions—that Trump and his acolytes want to curtail.
Good read on gov't bureaucracy, the current limitations of tech, and the coming human toll of Musk's AI-driven slash-and-burn strategy, via @benzevgreen.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/doge-plan-to...
March 13, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Good read on gov't bureaucracy, the current limitations of tech, and the coming human toll of Musk's AI-driven slash-and-burn strategy, via @benzevgreen.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/doge-plan-to...
What Yale, Columbia and other universities are doing has precious little to do with anti-semitism. The GOP is exploiting a crack in academia that divides people focused on scholarship and truth-telling from those with political and economic capital. Rich people with values, please come forward.
March 12, 2025 at 8:34 PM
What Yale, Columbia and other universities are doing has precious little to do with anti-semitism. The GOP is exploiting a crack in academia that divides people focused on scholarship and truth-telling from those with political and economic capital. Rich people with values, please come forward.
"The decision came three days after a news site, *powered at least in part by artificial intelligence,* published a story about Dr. Doutaghi....The news site called her a member of a terrorist group."
Shame on Yale. Cowardice will end free thought in this country.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/u...
Shame on Yale. Cowardice will end free thought in this country.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/u...
Yale Scholar Banned After A.I. News Site Accuses Her of Terrorist Link
The deputy director of a liberal project at Yale Law School was put on leave over allegations that she is linked to Samidoun, a group the U.S. government has said funds terrorists.
www.nytimes.com
March 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
"The decision came three days after a news site, *powered at least in part by artificial intelligence,* published a story about Dr. Doutaghi....The news site called her a member of a terrorist group."
Shame on Yale. Cowardice will end free thought in this country.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/u...
Shame on Yale. Cowardice will end free thought in this country.
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/u...
Reposted by Ellery Roberts Biddle
New: we've obtained a leaked list of the more than 200 sites, services, apps an ICE surveillance contractor monitors. Bluesky, OnlyFans, many more. Used to track targets. Highly relevant with the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil by ICE. We've published the full list here: www.404media.co/the-200-site...
The 200+ Sites an ICE Surveillance Contractor is Monitoring
404 Media has obtained the list of sites and services that ICE contractor ShadowDragon pulls data from. ShadowDragon sources data from all over the web and lets government analysts easily search it an...
www.404media.co
March 12, 2025 at 1:02 PM
New: we've obtained a leaked list of the more than 200 sites, services, apps an ICE surveillance contractor monitors. Bluesky, OnlyFans, many more. Used to track targets. Highly relevant with the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil by ICE. We've published the full list here: www.404media.co/the-200-site...
Fear of retribution has rapidly become a feature of working as a journalist in the U.S. Here's a tip from working with journos in Cuba and China: Partner up with a journalist in a safer jurisdiction. Work together on the reporting, but put the story out under their byline.
March 12, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Fear of retribution has rapidly become a feature of working as a journalist in the U.S. Here's a tip from working with journos in Cuba and China: Partner up with a journalist in a safer jurisdiction. Work together on the reporting, but put the story out under their byline.
EVERYONE ought to read this piece from @mmasnick.bsky.social. If I were an editor at @niemanreports.org or @columjournreview.bsky.social I would be begging to republish a version. www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...
Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)
While political reporters are still doing their view-from-nowhere “Democrats say this, Republicans say that” dance, tech and legal journalists have been watching an unfortunately recogn…
www.techdirt.com
March 7, 2025 at 3:02 AM
EVERYONE ought to read this piece from @mmasnick.bsky.social. If I were an editor at @niemanreports.org or @columjournreview.bsky.social I would be begging to republish a version. www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/w...
If you're in the weeds of Meta's policy change blitz, this is a good thread 👇🏻
Folks are mostly missing the forest for the trees re: the recent Meta announcement. Specifically, the focus on the move from fact checking to community notes. There two different changes that are a much bigger deal that have received less focus. 🧵 1/11
January 15, 2025 at 2:18 PM
If you're in the weeds of Meta's policy change blitz, this is a good thread 👇🏻
When censorship happens on Meta's platforms, Meta must be held accountable. Fact-checkers, contrary to what Zuckerberg insinuated, never censored anything. True to form, @factchecknet.bsky.social has set the record straight 👇🏻
January 10, 2025 at 3:32 PM
When censorship happens on Meta's platforms, Meta must be held accountable. Fact-checkers, contrary to what Zuckerberg insinuated, never censored anything. True to form, @factchecknet.bsky.social has set the record straight 👇🏻
Some very nice coverage of a very dark turn at Meta, with a quote from me. Thanks @inafried.bsky.social for reaching out and reporting with such care! www.axios.com/2025/01/09/m...
Meta's new content policies will let many groups be targeted
Changes in moderation will release a flood of hate speech and could even fuel real-world violence, experts say.
www.axios.com
January 10, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Some very nice coverage of a very dark turn at Meta, with a quote from me. Thanks @inafried.bsky.social for reaching out and reporting with such care! www.axios.com/2025/01/09/m...
WTAF...This is Meta, a company that has spent years insisting that it's all about authentic identities and "real" people and "real" conversations.
www.firstpost.com/tech/meta-is...
www.firstpost.com/tech/meta-is...
Meta is planning to deploy millions of AI-bots on Facebook and Instagram as user base shrinks
These AI-bots, according to Meta’s vice-president of product for generative AI, Connor Hayes, will function similarly to traditional user accounts, complete with bios, profile pictures, and will have ...
www.firstpost.com
January 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM
WTAF...This is Meta, a company that has spent years insisting that it's all about authentic identities and "real" people and "real" conversations.
www.firstpost.com/tech/meta-is...
www.firstpost.com/tech/meta-is...
US colleagues: Pay attention to what's coming for non-profits that are pushing for equitable, rights-protective technology. And look to your counterparts in India, Hungary, Turkey for tips. They have plenty.
Senator Ted Cruz's letter to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland arguing that Europe and AI Safety organizations are engaged in illegal political activity in the US www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...
December 4, 2024 at 4:32 PM
US colleagues: Pay attention to what's coming for non-profits that are pushing for equitable, rights-protective technology. And look to your counterparts in India, Hungary, Turkey for tips. They have plenty.
Reposted by Ellery Roberts Biddle
Trump seized the phone records of NYT reporters. Patel has vowed to do it again, if not engage in even more invasive surveillance. And its headline team is going with "wow, bold choice." That is really, really something.
December 2, 2024 at 6:02 AM
Trump seized the phone records of NYT reporters. Patel has vowed to do it again, if not engage in even more invasive surveillance. And its headline team is going with "wow, bold choice." That is really, really something.
Glad to see my piece on legal threats against researchers is making the rounds here on @bsky.app, where I've finally set up camp. Thanks to @heymike.bsky.social & @compiler.news for all the support. Please read and share --- more relevant than ever.
The right's attacks on #misinformation research have left academics struggling to maintain support & fearful of retribution. @ninajankowicz.com, @noupside.bsky.social, @kkarahal.bsky.social, @rebekahtromble.bsky.social & others talk about this ongoing threat:
👉 www.compiler.news/misinformati...
👉 www.compiler.news/misinformati...
These researchers wanted to protect democracy. Now, they are getting sued.
A rising tide of legal threats against misinformation researchers is having a chilling effect on the field—and threatening a key tool for accountability.
www.compiler.news
December 1, 2024 at 6:51 PM
Glad to see my piece on legal threats against researchers is making the rounds here on @bsky.app, where I've finally set up camp. Thanks to @heymike.bsky.social & @compiler.news for all the support. Please read and share --- more relevant than ever.