Michael Karanicolas
@karanicolas.bsky.social
Palmer Chair in Law and Public Policy at Dalhousie Law. Formerly @ UCLA and Yale. All things tech and democracy. Dachshund enthusiast.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
#LegalEthics Tidbit: Should I use #AI to record my conversations with clients?
NYC Bar Ethics Opinion 2025-6 addresses the ethical issues affecting the use of #artificialintelligence to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations with clients. Among ... (cont.)
lnkd.in/esXtch22
#lawsky #law
NYC Bar Ethics Opinion 2025-6 addresses the ethical issues affecting the use of #artificialintelligence to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations with clients. Among ... (cont.)
lnkd.in/esXtch22
#lawsky #law
January 2, 2026 at 1:51 PM
#LegalEthics Tidbit: Should I use #AI to record my conversations with clients?
NYC Bar Ethics Opinion 2025-6 addresses the ethical issues affecting the use of #artificialintelligence to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations with clients. Among ... (cont.)
lnkd.in/esXtch22
#lawsky #law
NYC Bar Ethics Opinion 2025-6 addresses the ethical issues affecting the use of #artificialintelligence to record, transcribe, and summarize conversations with clients. Among ... (cont.)
lnkd.in/esXtch22
#lawsky #law
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
Glad to see these enter public domain. I do think it's sort of insane that Disney has deformed our copyright laws for decades to prevent this from happening and the consequences are like.... nothing. Micky entering the public domain has not destroyed or even really impacted Disney.
Welcome to the Public Domain, THE PICNIC (1930) 🐕
🐾 Little Rover barked onto the scene as Minnie’s dog in THE PICNIC (1930). He’d get a new name (Pluto) & a new owner, Mickey Mouse, the following year.
Learn more ➡️ blog.archive.org/public-domai...
#PublicDomainDay #CopyrightFree
🐾 Little Rover barked onto the scene as Minnie’s dog in THE PICNIC (1930). He’d get a new name (Pluto) & a new owner, Mickey Mouse, the following year.
Learn more ➡️ blog.archive.org/public-domai...
#PublicDomainDay #CopyrightFree
January 1, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Glad to see these enter public domain. I do think it's sort of insane that Disney has deformed our copyright laws for decades to prevent this from happening and the consequences are like.... nothing. Micky entering the public domain has not destroyed or even really impacted Disney.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
We got Meta’s “general global playbook” for defeating advertiser verification regulations, which the company knows would reduce scams. It includes making scam ads “not findable” for regulators searching Meta’s ad library through targeted scrubbing.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Meta created ‘playbook’ to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show
As regulators pressure Meta to verify the identity of advertisers on Facebook and Instagram, the social media giant has drafted a “playbook” to stall them. A Reuters investigation examines its tactics...
www.reuters.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We got Meta’s “general global playbook” for defeating advertiser verification regulations, which the company knows would reduce scams. It includes making scam ads “not findable” for regulators searching Meta’s ad library through targeted scrubbing.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
It’s increasingly clear the mistake we made was turning them back on.
January 1, 2026 at 2:40 AM
It’s increasingly clear the mistake we made was turning them back on.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
This is exactly why I strongly opposed the move to strip Shamima Begum of her citizenship. Plenty of Brits have dual citizenship, often through a parent, or have access to another citizenship whether they intend to take it up or not, including all Jewish people & most people born in Northern Ireland
Ask this question and its follow-up. Like Begum before him, Alaa el-Fattah is being used as a crowbar to shift reasonable people - even some progressives - into a space of thinking that full citizenship, if granted recently or dual, is retroactively conditional or attracts a lower class of rights.
December 30, 2025 at 12:03 PM
This is exactly why I strongly opposed the move to strip Shamima Begum of her citizenship. Plenty of Brits have dual citizenship, often through a parent, or have access to another citizenship whether they intend to take it up or not, including all Jewish people & most people born in Northern Ireland
This is a great illustration of the resource gap between right wing and left wing institutions, where the former can throw money at grievance trolls (and thereby incentivize the industry), while the latter doesn’t have the resources to provide a safety net to people victimized by these grifts.
the only part of the Oklahoma scandal I'm still following is whether anyone so far has given the instructor involved a new job. If it happened the other way ("cancelled by the woke left") she'd already have a six-figure campus speaking tour and a corner office at Heritage.
December 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
This is a great illustration of the resource gap between right wing and left wing institutions, where the former can throw money at grievance trolls (and thereby incentivize the industry), while the latter doesn’t have the resources to provide a safety net to people victimized by these grifts.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
Is the Internet an enabler of rights or an alienation machine? What are the alternatives? Join me and my first guest, Professor @daphnek.bsky.social in exploring this questions on my micro podcast 7-minute futures.
Listen here pod.link/1859854491
Listen here pod.link/1859854491
December 27, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Is the Internet an enabler of rights or an alienation machine? What are the alternatives? Join me and my first guest, Professor @daphnek.bsky.social in exploring this questions on my micro podcast 7-minute futures.
Listen here pod.link/1859854491
Listen here pod.link/1859854491
Good, timely thread for first year law students who are about to have the jarring experience of getting their first set of grades back.
It’s a scary time (at least, it was for me!). But a D or two isn’t the end of the world, it doesn’t necessarily reflect on your actual skills and potential.
It’s a scary time (at least, it was for me!). But a D or two isn’t the end of the world, it doesn’t necessarily reflect on your actual skills and potential.
Which is what can make 1L year such a punch in the gut. First semester grades are an abrupt end to the honeymoon phase of your relationship with law school. And unlike all those prior ego-boosting successes, your current results may not reflect the reality of your efforts.
December 27, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Good, timely thread for first year law students who are about to have the jarring experience of getting their first set of grades back.
It’s a scary time (at least, it was for me!). But a D or two isn’t the end of the world, it doesn’t necessarily reflect on your actual skills and potential.
It’s a scary time (at least, it was for me!). But a D or two isn’t the end of the world, it doesn’t necessarily reflect on your actual skills and potential.
This is very funny, but if @tobymorton.bsky.social wants to keep the address he needs to set up something legit there asap before Trump files a claim accusing him of domain squatting.
My suggestion would be some commentary on the renaming which fits into fair use (ideally w no chance of confusion).
My suggestion would be some commentary on the renaming which fits into fair use (ideally w no chance of confusion).
Amazing: “But the Kennedy Center is not the current owner of trumpkennedycenter.org or trumpkennedycenter.com — because back in August, comedy writer Toby Morton registered those two domain names, expecting Trump and his allies to add Trump’s name to the D.C. landmark.”
Comedy Writer Bought ‘Trump Kennedy Center’ Domain Names, Anticipating President Would Rename Institution After Himself: ‘Satire Became Unavoidable’
In August, former 'South Park' writer Toby Morton registered 'TrumpKennedyCenter' domain names, anticipating that Trump would add his name to the D.C. landmark.
variety.com
December 27, 2025 at 2:14 AM
This is very funny, but if @tobymorton.bsky.social wants to keep the address he needs to set up something legit there asap before Trump files a claim accusing him of domain squatting.
My suggestion would be some commentary on the renaming which fits into fair use (ideally w no chance of confusion).
My suggestion would be some commentary on the renaming which fits into fair use (ideally w no chance of confusion).
America’s ability to attract the best and brightest from around the world to high skill positions is by far the most important ingredient in the country’s economic and technological success. Economic protectionism is one thing, but this is just astonishingly self-destructive.
Striking nativist editorializing by the federal judge who just upheld the $100,000 tax on high-skill immigrants.
She opines that it’s “troubling” that universities hire talent from abroad at all, instead of only native grads.
Then admits (!) that opinion is irrelevant (So why write it? Venting?)
She opines that it’s “troubling” that universities hire talent from abroad at all, instead of only native grads.
Then admits (!) that opinion is irrelevant (So why write it? Venting?)
December 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
America’s ability to attract the best and brightest from around the world to high skill positions is by far the most important ingredient in the country’s economic and technological success. Economic protectionism is one thing, but this is just astonishingly self-destructive.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
the success of the user-created For You feed while the official Discover feed flops is actually a pretty major win for Bluesky — it literally is the embodiment of their goal to decentralize feed generation and give users more control/autonomy
December 26, 2025 at 3:27 PM
the success of the user-created For You feed while the official Discover feed flops is actually a pretty major win for Bluesky — it literally is the embodiment of their goal to decentralize feed generation and give users more control/autonomy
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
We talked about running these numbers at UM soc when it became so obvious that women TAs got more complaints for the same classes. Glad someone tested it formally.
Experimental evidence that students are more likely to contest grades when they are delivered by an evaluator with a female-sounding name.
"These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."
"These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."
December 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
We talked about running these numbers at UM soc when it became so obvious that women TAs got more complaints for the same classes. Glad someone tested it formally.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
"Texas judge blocks state’s App Store age verification law." "Apple has confirmed that it will 'pause previously announced implementation plans and monitor the ongoing legal process'. " 9to5mac.com/2025/12/23/t...
Texas judge blocks state’s App Store age verification law - 9to5Mac
The decision comes just a few days before the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) was set to take effect. Here are the details.
9to5mac.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:14 PM
"Texas judge blocks state’s App Store age verification law." "Apple has confirmed that it will 'pause previously announced implementation plans and monitor the ongoing legal process'. " 9to5mac.com/2025/12/23/t...
I would take the tone policing arguments more seriously if I thought there was any possibility that a shift in tone would resolve their concerns.
Realistically, if activists stopped saying “from the river to the sea” tomorrow, by next week we’d be hearing complaints about something else.
Realistically, if activists stopped saying “from the river to the sea” tomorrow, by next week we’d be hearing complaints about something else.
My position on the debate on "From the River to the Sea" is that it should start with the party that is actually advancing this vision not only through chants but also through genocide and ethnic cleansing - the current Israeli government.
December 23, 2025 at 12:49 PM
I would take the tone policing arguments more seriously if I thought there was any possibility that a shift in tone would resolve their concerns.
Realistically, if activists stopped saying “from the river to the sea” tomorrow, by next week we’d be hearing complaints about something else.
Realistically, if activists stopped saying “from the river to the sea” tomorrow, by next week we’d be hearing complaints about something else.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
This is why @emilymbender.bsky.social @alexhanna.bsky.social say to name the specific thing rather than calling it "AI".
Right now, ChatGPT is bucketed under the same term as a model train to translate one specific language into another and which is carefully trained through curated data.
Right now, ChatGPT is bucketed under the same term as a model train to translate one specific language into another and which is carefully trained through curated data.
December 22, 2025 at 5:21 PM
This is why @emilymbender.bsky.social @alexhanna.bsky.social say to name the specific thing rather than calling it "AI".
Right now, ChatGPT is bucketed under the same term as a model train to translate one specific language into another and which is carefully trained through curated data.
Right now, ChatGPT is bucketed under the same term as a model train to translate one specific language into another and which is carefully trained through curated data.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
The thing about censorship — I say this as someone with experience living under authoritarianism — is that it’s rarely overt. The state cracks down when people flirt with the line & then folks maintain it. This 60 minutes cancellation of the episode on CECOT sent chills down my spine.
December 22, 2025 at 1:22 AM
The thing about censorship — I say this as someone with experience living under authoritarianism — is that it’s rarely overt. The state cracks down when people flirt with the line & then folks maintain it. This 60 minutes cancellation of the episode on CECOT sent chills down my spine.
I also find this sentiment puzzling. I’m pretty sure nobody paywalls articles just to be a jerk. And if an article is worth reading, maybe it’s worth paying a couple of bucks for the people who wrote it.
[preparing to get screamed at] I think I officially don’t need to know if you’re mad that an article is paywalled. Perhaps that can be an Inside Thought
December 21, 2025 at 11:16 PM
I also find this sentiment puzzling. I’m pretty sure nobody paywalls articles just to be a jerk. And if an article is worth reading, maybe it’s worth paying a couple of bucks for the people who wrote it.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
This is, of course, always where this was headed. Things will only get worse as facial recognition becomes normalized unless lawmakers ban it outright. Next up: precautionary facial surveillance of everyone, all the time, just in case (with guardrails that will also eventually be rolled back).
Dallas PD to expand use of Clearview “to Class B misdemeanors and above, which means it could use facial recognition for crimes like theft and trespassing.”
Dallas Police to expand controversial facial recognition tech to less serious crimes
The use of the tech is currently reserved for serious felonies like murder, kidnapping and rape. Now it could be used for porch pirates.
www.wfaa.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
This is, of course, always where this was headed. Things will only get worse as facial recognition becomes normalized unless lawmakers ban it outright. Next up: precautionary facial surveillance of everyone, all the time, just in case (with guardrails that will also eventually be rolled back).
Thank goodness Americans no longer have to fear foreign interference now that TikTok is owned by *checks notes* the Emir of Abu Dhabi.
continuing my rant against this stupid TikTok deal, it requires “retraining the content recommendation algorithm on U.S. user data to ensure the content feed is free from outside manipulation,” which means nothing because our regulators don't function and you can't trust anybody in this chain
TikTok U.S. Deal to Close Next Month: Oracle and Silver Lake Confirmed in Buyer Consortium
Abu Dhabi's state investment fund will also be a managing investor.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
December 19, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Thank goodness Americans no longer have to fear foreign interference now that TikTok is owned by *checks notes* the Emir of Abu Dhabi.
It takes a special kind of arrogance to publish an article like that knowing his Epstein ties would likely come out eventually. Just zero sense of public accountability.
David Brooks, who wrote in the NYT last month, "The Epstein Story? Count Me Out" is... in the latest Epstein photo dump published by @oversightdemocrats.house.gov.
He should absolutely be fired by NYT for this. Major conflict of interest that he didn't disclose.
He should absolutely be fired by NYT for this. Major conflict of interest that he didn't disclose.
December 18, 2025 at 10:31 PM
It takes a special kind of arrogance to publish an article like that knowing his Epstein ties would likely come out eventually. Just zero sense of public accountability.
This struck me as well. If expressions of Palestinian nationalism are deemed unacceptable, shouldn’t expressions of Israeli nationalism be subject to the same standard?
We’ve seen a genocide carried out under the Israeli flag: why are those still permitted?
We’ve seen a genocide carried out under the Israeli flag: why are those still permitted?
By this standard which nobody actually adheres to Jews would be precluded from identifying as Zionist because of what Zionism means to every Palestinian on the planet. Is this standard reciprocal or do are there competing claims on the basis of standpoint which need to be independently interrogated?
I'll say it again: if any other ethnic or religious minority said "please don't use this particular term or chant, you might not have bad intentions but it is deeply racist and threatening to us", the reaction would be mortified apology.
And that's without a mass terror event four days ago
And that's without a mass terror event four days ago
December 18, 2025 at 5:43 PM
This struck me as well. If expressions of Palestinian nationalism are deemed unacceptable, shouldn’t expressions of Israeli nationalism be subject to the same standard?
We’ve seen a genocide carried out under the Israeli flag: why are those still permitted?
We’ve seen a genocide carried out under the Israeli flag: why are those still permitted?
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
1/ Hope this thread helps break through the mental logjam for normies. For anyone in the game of technology/ innovation/development this is just basic facts now. For the first time in 2 centuries, the West is no longer the leader in future technology,but the follower
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
September 3, 2025 at 3:02 AM
1/ Hope this thread helps break through the mental logjam for normies. For anyone in the game of technology/ innovation/development this is just basic facts now. For the first time in 2 centuries, the West is no longer the leader in future technology,but the follower
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
One of these two makes me feel significantly better about the world; the other not so much.
More human beings have watched Ms Rachel or Cocomelon than have ever even heard of the existence of PragerU
December 18, 2025 at 1:34 AM
One of these two makes me feel significantly better about the world; the other not so much.
Reposted by Michael Karanicolas
If we are banning cell phones for kids we need to be talking about banning chatbots for boomers
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
December 17, 2025 at 4:38 PM
If we are banning cell phones for kids we need to be talking about banning chatbots for boomers
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...
www.persuasion.community/p/my-chatgpt...