Alexios Mantzarlis
@mantzarlis.com
Tech, facts, and carbonara.
mantzarlis.com
mantzarlis.com
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2025: The year tech embraced fakeness
This year, powerful people, companies, and institutions welcomed digital deception like never before. The rest of us faced the consequences.
indicator.media
From the moment Zuck shot his hostage video on Jan 7, the tone was set for a year of rampant digital deception.
Platforms rolled back interventions on misinformation, bad actors embraced AI, brainrot infected startup culture, and scam states thrived.
Indicator's 2025 Wrapped for Digital Deception:
Platforms rolled back interventions on misinformation, bad actors embraced AI, brainrot infected startup culture, and scam states thrived.
Indicator's 2025 Wrapped for Digital Deception:
Air travel in 2025 is just a long series of small insults, that you get to pay for
December 23, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Air travel in 2025 is just a long series of small insults, that you get to pay for
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
The smear campaign against Mustapha Kharbouch -- falsely accused of the Brown shooting and MIT murder by powerful politicians, pundits and plutocrats -- is a prime example of how pervasive racism has become. It's also a story largely ignored by the mainstream media www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Islamophobic Elites Lied to Destroy the Life of a Palestinian Brown Student
Plutocrats, pundits, and government officials joined together in a racist smear campaign against a queer Palestinian student at Brown University.
www.thenation.com
December 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The smear campaign against Mustapha Kharbouch -- falsely accused of the Brown shooting and MIT murder by powerful politicians, pundits and plutocrats -- is a prime example of how pervasive racism has become. It's also a story largely ignored by the mainstream media www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
For many, the end of the year is an opportunity to catch up on reading or to purchase books as gifts. In 2025, a number of authors joined the Tech Policy Press podcast, providing fresh insights into how technology interacts with people, politics, and power. Check out the list:
Tech Policy Press: The Year in Books 2025 | TechPolicy.Press
In 2025, a number of authors joined the Tech Policy Press podcast, providing fresh insights into how technology interacts with people, politics, and power.
www.techpolicy.press
December 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
For many, the end of the year is an opportunity to catch up on reading or to purchase books as gifts. In 2025, a number of authors joined the Tech Policy Press podcast, providing fresh insights into how technology interacts with people, politics, and power. Check out the list:
this is my favorite, but the whole list is fun / depressing
And if the price is too good to be true, it probably is, even on Temu and Shein. Like this reddit user who ordered what looks like a large 3D knitted door decoration, but instead got a print on fabric (including the AI door)
December 22, 2025 at 7:13 PM
this is my favorite, but the whole list is fun / depressing
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Even with an available fact-check, Twitter/X failed to display it on 80% of the posts misidentifying the Bondi Beach hero.
indicator.media/p/how-the-cr...
indicator.media/p/how-the-cr...
How the Crabtree conspiracy played out on X’s Community Notes
A case study on crowdsourced fact-checking during breaking news events
indicator.media
December 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Even with an available fact-check, Twitter/X failed to display it on 80% of the posts misidentifying the Bondi Beach hero.
indicator.media/p/how-the-cr...
indicator.media/p/how-the-cr...
How well did X's Community Notes handle misinformation about the identity of Ahmed al-Ahmed, the man who disarmed one of the Bondi Beach terrorists?
It's complicated...
new on @indicator.media:
It's complicated...
new on @indicator.media:
How the Crabtree conspiracy played out on X’s Community Notes
A case study on crowdsourced fact-checking during breaking news events
indicator.media
December 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
How well did X's Community Notes handle misinformation about the identity of Ahmed al-Ahmed, the man who disarmed one of the Bondi Beach terrorists?
It's complicated...
new on @indicator.media:
It's complicated...
new on @indicator.media:
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
It looks like it's been scrubbed from every official 60 Minutes page now.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
December 22, 2025 at 1:33 AM
It looks like it's been scrubbed from every official 60 Minutes page now.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
Helpful overview of someone whose account is pushed to me any time I open the hellscape app
Elon Musk Loves What This Guy Has to Say
www.nytimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Helpful overview of someone whose account is pushed to me any time I open the hellscape app
This story is bonkers
The Hermès heist: how an heir to the luxury dynasty was swindled out of $15bn of shares
Nicolas Puech had a 6% stake in the French fashion house. Then his stock went missing
economist.com
December 21, 2025 at 10:32 PM
This story is bonkers
10 years since the Macedonian teens, we continue to see clickbait-amplifying platforms providing financial incentives for the same type of fake news generation
Derrière la vidéo du faux coup d’Etat en France dénoncée par Emmanuel Macron, un adolescent burkinabé qui voulait « percer »
Le président français a dénoncé une vidéo Facebook générée par IA comme un exemple de propagation de fausses informations et des manquements de Meta. Le diffuseur des images assure, lui, qu’il ne cher...
www.lemonde.fr
December 21, 2025 at 4:38 PM
10 years since the Macedonian teens, we continue to see clickbait-amplifying platforms providing financial incentives for the same type of fake news generation
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
The Epstein Files, everybody!
December 19, 2025 at 9:13 PM
The Epstein Files, everybody!
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Gonna stop looking at the Epstein Files in a second because I'm frankly way too skeeved out to keep going but I will say this: the CSAM isn't blacked out nearly enough while the faces of guys in ties are obscured by vanta black rectangles the size of the sun.
December 19, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Gonna stop looking at the Epstein Files in a second because I'm frankly way too skeeved out to keep going but I will say this: the CSAM isn't blacked out nearly enough while the faces of guys in ties are obscured by vanta black rectangles the size of the sun.
Usually when you publish things at the end of day on the Friday before Christmas you’re aiming for maximum dissemination and transparency
December 19, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Usually when you publish things at the end of day on the Friday before Christmas you’re aiming for maximum dissemination and transparency
I still can't get over the fact that the AI Safety Institute, which produces safety guidance like this one published yesterday, had to be renamed "AI Security Institute" because safety is a trigger word for some
Our approach to tackling AI-generated child sexual abuse material | AISI Work
How we’re partnering with government and experts to prevent the creation and spread of AI‑generated CSAM
www.aisi.gov.uk
December 18, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I still can't get over the fact that the AI Safety Institute, which produces safety guidance like this one published yesterday, had to be renamed "AI Security Institute" because safety is a trigger word for some
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Craig was on On the Media!
He spoke about our analysis of the year in digital deception, which is free to read: indicator.media/p/2025-the-y...
He spoke about our analysis of the year in digital deception, which is free to read: indicator.media/p/2025-the-y...
New pod is up and it's a good one! Brooke speaks with @craigsilverman.bsky.social of @indicator.media about the digital fakery that defined 2025. Listen:
Big Tech Embraced Fakeness in 2025 | On the Media | WNYC Studios
This year, Silicon Valley poured its collective resources in AI. Billions and billions of dollars. But behind the snazzy ads and glowing endorsements, some users and journalists are ...
www.wnycstudios.org
December 18, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Craig was on On the Media!
He spoke about our analysis of the year in digital deception, which is free to read: indicator.media/p/2025-the-y...
He spoke about our analysis of the year in digital deception, which is free to read: indicator.media/p/2025-the-y...
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
I'm quoted in the Indicator end of year newsletter
https://indicator.media/p/elon-musk-is-this-year-s-king-of-digital-deception?gift_content=53363763-29b4-4e41-af4d-e7f52601e919
Come at me pessimists!
https://indicator.media/p/elon-musk-is-this-year-s-king-of-digital-deception?gift_content=53363763-29b4-4e41-af4d-e7f52601e919
Come at me pessimists!
December 18, 2025 at 7:42 AM
I'm quoted in the Indicator end of year newsletter
https://indicator.media/p/elon-musk-is-this-year-s-king-of-digital-deception?gift_content=53363763-29b4-4e41-af4d-e7f52601e919
Come at me pessimists!
https://indicator.media/p/elon-musk-is-this-year-s-king-of-digital-deception?gift_content=53363763-29b4-4e41-af4d-e7f52601e919
Come at me pessimists!
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
The Digital Deception awards by Indicator Media are out...
I will be a contrarian here, I'm not among the voters but I think AI in Community Notes has significant positive potential. 🤷♀️ Not bc of factuality -human voters/reviewers matter- but for neutral language.
indicator.media/p/elon-musk-...
I will be a contrarian here, I'm not among the voters but I think AI in Community Notes has significant positive potential. 🤷♀️ Not bc of factuality -human voters/reviewers matter- but for neutral language.
indicator.media/p/elon-musk-...
December 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM
The Digital Deception awards by Indicator Media are out...
I will be a contrarian here, I'm not among the voters but I think AI in Community Notes has significant positive potential. 🤷♀️ Not bc of factuality -human voters/reviewers matter- but for neutral language.
indicator.media/p/elon-musk-...
I will be a contrarian here, I'm not among the voters but I think AI in Community Notes has significant positive potential. 🤷♀️ Not bc of factuality -human voters/reviewers matter- but for neutral language.
indicator.media/p/elon-musk-...
This preprint suggests the introduction of Grok may have reduced both the demand and the supply for Community Notes on X (h/t @dgrand.bsky.social). And if I had to bet on which of the two is going to get more resources in the future...
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
December 18, 2025 at 10:30 PM
This preprint suggests the introduction of Grok may have reduced both the demand and the supply for Community Notes on X (h/t @dgrand.bsky.social). And if I had to bet on which of the two is going to get more resources in the future...
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
hm. is anyone else having trouble downloading Community Notes data on X?
December 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
hm. is anyone else having trouble downloading Community Notes data on X?
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
This made me genuinely laugh out loud.
December 18, 2025 at 4:56 PM
This made me genuinely laugh out loud.
io glieli auguro 685,000 abbonati a @ilpost.it ma credo che l'IA di Google abbia preso una bella cantonata citando un articolo scritto dal Post ma riguardante il Corriere della Sera
December 18, 2025 at 3:48 PM
io glieli auguro 685,000 abbonati a @ilpost.it ma credo che l'IA di Google abbia preso una bella cantonata citando un articolo scritto dal Post ma riguardante il Corriere della Sera
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Happy to share a gift link to this excellent reporting I've been interviewed in by @mantzarlis.com - according to experts, 'Elon Musk is this year’s King of Digital Deception' indicator.media/p/elon-musk-...
Elon Musk is this year’s King of Digital Deception
And some more serious findings – including a great reading list – from our survey of 53 experts
indicator.media
December 17, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Happy to share a gift link to this excellent reporting I've been interviewed in by @mantzarlis.com - according to experts, 'Elon Musk is this year’s King of Digital Deception' indicator.media/p/elon-musk-...
Reposted by Alexios Mantzarlis
Honored to be one of the experts for this end-of-the-year roundup!
No surprise to me reading the summary of what my colleagues said as well!
No surprise to me reading the summary of what my colleagues said as well!
New on @indicator.media:
I asked 53 experts of digital deception from 15 countries to rate the key figures and moments of 2025.
I asked 53 experts of digital deception from 15 countries to rate the key figures and moments of 2025.
Elon Musk is this year’s King of Digital Deception
And some more serious findings – including a great reading list – from our survey of 53 experts
indicator.media
December 17, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Honored to be one of the experts for this end-of-the-year roundup!
No surprise to me reading the summary of what my colleagues said as well!
No surprise to me reading the summary of what my colleagues said as well!