Isabel Linzer
@isabelalinzer.bsky.social
Elections & democracy @ CDT. Probably posting about human rights, tech, authoritarianism, transnational repression, etc. Opinions my own.
Initial thoughts on US withdrawal from 66 IOs:
1. It's Bad, and indeed it's The Great Unravelling that @oonahathaway.bsky.social described.
2. Must remember that at least some of these orgs/treaties have withdrawal protocols that take time, a memo isn't magic www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
1. It's Bad, and indeed it's The Great Unravelling that @oonahathaway.bsky.social described.
2. Must remember that at least some of these orgs/treaties have withdrawal protocols that take time, a memo isn't magic www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United
www.whitehouse.gov
January 8, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Initial thoughts on US withdrawal from 66 IOs:
1. It's Bad, and indeed it's The Great Unravelling that @oonahathaway.bsky.social described.
2. Must remember that at least some of these orgs/treaties have withdrawal protocols that take time, a memo isn't magic www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
1. It's Bad, and indeed it's The Great Unravelling that @oonahathaway.bsky.social described.
2. Must remember that at least some of these orgs/treaties have withdrawal protocols that take time, a memo isn't magic www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
It's not about drugs, or oil and it's definitely not about democracy.
Donald Trump's assault on Venezuela and capture of Maduro is all about proving the 2020 election was stolen from him—at least according to election deniers and MAGa influencers
www.wired.com/story/electi...
Donald Trump's assault on Venezuela and capture of Maduro is all about proving the 2020 election was stolen from him—at least according to election deniers and MAGa influencers
www.wired.com/story/electi...
Election Deniers Think the Venezuela Attack Is All About 2020
Election deniers are sure that the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is proof that the Venezuelan government rigged the 2020 election in Joe Biden’s favor.
www.wired.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:25 PM
It's not about drugs, or oil and it's definitely not about democracy.
Donald Trump's assault on Venezuela and capture of Maduro is all about proving the 2020 election was stolen from him—at least according to election deniers and MAGa influencers
www.wired.com/story/electi...
Donald Trump's assault on Venezuela and capture of Maduro is all about proving the 2020 election was stolen from him—at least according to election deniers and MAGa influencers
www.wired.com/story/electi...
A couple notable articles this week on the role/importance of political influencers.
I recommend paring them with our recent @cdt.org deep dive on the applicability of platform and gov policy (spoiler: both are insufficient in ways that are Bad for democracy) cdt.org/insights/arc...
I recommend paring them with our recent @cdt.org deep dive on the applicability of platform and gov policy (spoiler: both are insufficient in ways that are Bad for democracy) cdt.org/insights/arc...
January 7, 2026 at 3:15 PM
A couple notable articles this week on the role/importance of political influencers.
I recommend paring them with our recent @cdt.org deep dive on the applicability of platform and gov policy (spoiler: both are insufficient in ways that are Bad for democracy) cdt.org/insights/arc...
I recommend paring them with our recent @cdt.org deep dive on the applicability of platform and gov policy (spoiler: both are insufficient in ways that are Bad for democracy) cdt.org/insights/arc...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
h/t to @brbarrett.bsky.social who did a really good piece on some specific chatbot breakdowns over the weekend
The US Invaded Venezuela and Captured Nicolás Maduro. ChatGPT Disagrees
Some AI chatbots have a surprisingly good handle on breaking news. Others decidedly don’t.
www.wired.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:34 PM
h/t to @brbarrett.bsky.social who did a really good piece on some specific chatbot breakdowns over the weekend
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
New from @garymarcus.bsky.social and me—
Chatbots are:
1. Bad at providing info during breaking news events
2. Used by many people to find that info anyway
3. Making it harder for journalists to get their material seen online
4. Great vectors for manipulated media and propaganda
Not great!
Chatbots are:
1. Bad at providing info during breaking news events
2. Used by many people to find that info anyway
3. Making it harder for journalists to get their material seen online
4. Great vectors for manipulated media and propaganda
Not great!
@Grok, Did Venezuela ‘Deserve It’?
The information war will be fought through chatbots.
www.theatlantic.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:33 PM
New from @garymarcus.bsky.social and me—
Chatbots are:
1. Bad at providing info during breaking news events
2. Used by many people to find that info anyway
3. Making it harder for journalists to get their material seen online
4. Great vectors for manipulated media and propaganda
Not great!
Chatbots are:
1. Bad at providing info during breaking news events
2. Used by many people to find that info anyway
3. Making it harder for journalists to get their material seen online
4. Great vectors for manipulated media and propaganda
Not great!
Have the lasses defamed the kitchen?
Has feminism failed women? Have women ruined the workplace? Have dames sullied the jazz club???
December 19, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Have the lasses defamed the kitchen?
Meta is testing a policy that would require a paid subscription in order to shared external links, and I have some questions techcrunch.com/2025/12/17/f...
Facebook is testing a link-posting limit for professional accounts and pages | TechCrunch
Meta said that the test impacts professional accounts and pages on Facebook.
techcrunch.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Meta is testing a policy that would require a paid subscription in order to shared external links, and I have some questions techcrunch.com/2025/12/17/f...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Think of the most private thing you've ever looked up or done online. Now imagine it linked to your driver's license in a database for anyone to access. As age assurance spreads to more and more services, this will keep happening.
PornHub confirms that more than 200 million records were exposed, including email addresses and keyword searches. That’s bad. Imagine how much worse it would be if that data set also included government IDs. www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
Porn Hack—Has Your Pornhub Search And View History Leaked?
Pornhub user data now in criminal hands — are you affected and what happens next?
www.forbes.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Think of the most private thing you've ever looked up or done online. Now imagine it linked to your driver's license in a database for anyone to access. As age assurance spreads to more and more services, this will keep happening.
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Great to see #Texas taking action against the data-hungry "smart TV" industry
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/release...
#privacy
#data
#DataProtection
#SmartTV
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/release...
#privacy
#data
#DataProtection
#SmartTV
Attorney General Paxton Sues Five Major TV Companies, Including Some with Ties to the CCP, for Spying on Texans
Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against five major television companies for spying on Texans by secretly recording what consumers watch in their own homes.
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov
December 16, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Great to see #Texas taking action against the data-hungry "smart TV" industry
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/release...
#privacy
#data
#DataProtection
#SmartTV
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/release...
#privacy
#data
#DataProtection
#SmartTV
ICYMI amid *waves hands*, the USG is building a makeshift national identity verification system covering US citizens and immigrants. It's not good.
Yesterday we @cdt.org + our partners @protectdemocracy.org @civilrightsorg.bsky.social published this explainer: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
Yesterday we @cdt.org + our partners @protectdemocracy.org @civilrightsorg.bsky.social published this explainer: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
CDT, the Leadership Conference, and Protect Democracy Release New Analysis of Federal Efforts to Access Voter Data
As the federal government rapidly seeks to gain access to state voter data, CDT, the Leadership Conference’s Center for Civil Rights and Technology, and Protect Democracy developed an explainer that a...
cdt.org
December 16, 2025 at 3:13 PM
ICYMI amid *waves hands*, the USG is building a makeshift national identity verification system covering US citizens and immigrants. It's not good.
Yesterday we @cdt.org + our partners @protectdemocracy.org @civilrightsorg.bsky.social published this explainer: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
Yesterday we @cdt.org + our partners @protectdemocracy.org @civilrightsorg.bsky.social published this explainer: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Don't let anyone tell you that the Commission's DSA enforcement against X is about speech or censorship.
That would, indeed, be interesting. But this is just the EU enforcing some normal, boring laws that would get bipartisan support in the U.S. (I bet similar bills *have* had that support.) 1/
That would, indeed, be interesting. But this is just the EU enforcing some normal, boring laws that would get bipartisan support in the U.S. (I bet similar bills *have* had that support.) 1/
December 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Don't let anyone tell you that the Commission's DSA enforcement against X is about speech or censorship.
That would, indeed, be interesting. But this is just the EU enforcing some normal, boring laws that would get bipartisan support in the U.S. (I bet similar bills *have* had that support.) 1/
That would, indeed, be interesting. But this is just the EU enforcing some normal, boring laws that would get bipartisan support in the U.S. (I bet similar bills *have* had that support.) 1/
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
In a new CDT report, @isabelalinzer.bsky.social and @beccabranum.bsky.social explore how creators, platforms, and policymakers are reshaping political speech and where regulatory gaps leave elections vulnerable. Read more: cdt.org/insights/arc...
December 3, 2025 at 7:38 PM
In a new CDT report, @isabelalinzer.bsky.social and @beccabranum.bsky.social explore how creators, platforms, and policymakers are reshaping political speech and where regulatory gaps leave elections vulnerable. Read more: cdt.org/insights/arc...
Spotify out here proving that age estimation does not, in fact, work
December 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Spotify out here proving that age estimation does not, in fact, work
Reveal yourselves, fellow weirdos!
December 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reveal yourselves, fellow weirdos!
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Today is #GivingTuesday! CDT is working to ensure innovation respects your rights—from defending free expression and online privacy, to advancing responsible AI, to preparing for the 2026 elections. Support CDT today with a gift of any size. cdt.org/2025givingtu...
December 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Today is #GivingTuesday! CDT is working to ensure innovation respects your rights—from defending free expression and online privacy, to advancing responsible AI, to preparing for the 2026 elections. Support CDT today with a gift of any size. cdt.org/2025givingtu...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
#GivingTuesday is tomorrow! Stand with CDT in advancing civil rights & civil liberties in the digital age. From defending free expression to protecting people’s privacy and advancing responsible AI, our impact is powered by supporters like you. Donate here: cdt.org/2025givingtu...
December 1, 2025 at 5:30 PM
#GivingTuesday is tomorrow! Stand with CDT in advancing civil rights & civil liberties in the digital age. From defending free expression to protecting people’s privacy and advancing responsible AI, our impact is powered by supporters like you. Donate here: cdt.org/2025givingtu...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Genuinely spellbound by the anecdotes in @lilashroff.bsky.social's new article, such as: "one tech worker in her 20s, who asked to remain anonymous out of embarrassment ... asked Claude whether she should call 911 when her fire alarm kept going off." Google-everything culture on steroids.
The People Outsourcing Their Thinking to AI
Rise of the LLeMmings
www.theatlantic.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Genuinely spellbound by the anecdotes in @lilashroff.bsky.social's new article, such as: "one tech worker in her 20s, who asked to remain anonymous out of embarrassment ... asked Claude whether she should call 911 when her fire alarm kept going off." Google-everything culture on steroids.
This time last year the big Q was how much AI affected elections. But what's changed over the past year? What will the 2026 midterms look like?
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
Countdown to the Midterms: The Changing AI Threat Landscape for Elections
2024 was billed as “the year of AI elections.” And while widespread access to the technology changed how governments, political campaigns, technology companies, and civil society did their work, gener...
cdt.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
This time last year the big Q was how much AI affected elections. But what's changed over the past year? What will the 2026 midterms look like?
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
CDT’s @isabelalinzer.bsky.social + @beccabranum.bsky.social's new report examines how creators, platforms, and policymakers are redefining political speech in the digital age. cdt.org/insights/arc...
November 17, 2025 at 7:56 PM
CDT’s @isabelalinzer.bsky.social + @beccabranum.bsky.social's new report examines how creators, platforms, and policymakers are redefining political speech in the digital age. cdt.org/insights/arc...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
A lot of people didn’t like the Washington Post journalist who was tortured and dismembered with a bone saw for writing critically about the man sitting next to me
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 5:51 PM
A lot of people didn’t like the Washington Post journalist who was tortured and dismembered with a bone saw for writing critically about the man sitting next to me
A true public service 🫡
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
A true public service 🫡
Good reporting on what's happening with SAVE. Something they hint at but is worth stating more plainly: DHS is expanding SAVE beyond people in the immigration system to include US-born citizens. Given potential errors, that raises the risk of disenfranchisement & improper immigration enforcement
Scoop from @abbyvesoulis.bsky.social & me: new docs obtained by @weareoversight.bsky.social show DHS trying to obtain drivers license data from all 50 states to weaponize Trump’s false claims of voter fraud & possibly remove voters from rolls before midterms www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
New docs show DHS is gathering drivers’ license data in voter fraud crusade
Experts worry the Trump administration will use the info to disenfranchise voters.
www.motherjones.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Good reporting on what's happening with SAVE. Something they hint at but is worth stating more plainly: DHS is expanding SAVE beyond people in the immigration system to include US-born citizens. Given potential errors, that raises the risk of disenfranchisement & improper immigration enforcement
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
“Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech” electionlawblog.org?p=153011
"Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech" #ELB
Important new report from CDT: A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influence...
electionlawblog.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:39 PM
“Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech” electionlawblog.org?p=153011
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Political speech is indispensable and worth fighting for. At the same time, we all deserve an information ecosystem that’s transparent and empowers us to know who’s working (and paying) to win our votes and attention.
November 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Political speech is indispensable and worth fighting for. At the same time, we all deserve an information ecosystem that’s transparent and empowers us to know who’s working (and paying) to win our votes and attention.
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
So excited to share @cdt.org's latest report, marrying my two great loves: free expression and campaign finance regulation! (Kidding - but only a little) cdt.org/insights/arc...
Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech
[ PDF version ] A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influencer ranted in a v...
cdt.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM
So excited to share @cdt.org's latest report, marrying my two great loves: free expression and campaign finance regulation! (Kidding - but only a little) cdt.org/insights/arc...