Max von Thun
@maxvonthun.bsky.social
Europe Director @openmarkets.bsky.social. Former UK Parliamentary adviser and tech policy consultant. Pro-tech, anti-monopoly.
So in the end and despite Apple's threats, European consumers only had to wait a few extra months for the new feature, while (thanks to the DMA) businesses will get access to an API enabling them to build on, and hopefully compete against, Apple's product.
Seems like a good trade-off to me 🤷
Seems like a good trade-off to me 🤷
Apple AirPods live translation is coming to Europe after all, after initially blaiming the DMA.
The @ec.europa.eu response: “The aim of our digital [rules] is to preserve innovation...And this is exactly what we see today.”
www.politico.eu/article/appl...
The @ec.europa.eu response: “The aim of our digital [rules] is to preserve innovation...And this is exactly what we see today.”
www.politico.eu/article/appl...
Apple is bringing AirPods live translation to Europe after all
After initially threatening to withhold live translation due to regulatory concerns, Apple commits to roll out the AI-driven feature next month
www.politico.eu
November 10, 2025 at 8:18 AM
So in the end and despite Apple's threats, European consumers only had to wait a few extra months for the new feature, while (thanks to the DMA) businesses will get access to an API enabling them to build on, and hopefully compete against, Apple's product.
Seems like a good trade-off to me 🤷
Seems like a good trade-off to me 🤷
Important work by @skynewsrss.bsky.social proving - as many of us have experienced - that X’s algorithm is systematically boosting far-right and extreme content in the UK, confirming similar findings elsewhere.
Governments must act before it’s too late.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Governments must act before it’s too late.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
How the world's richest man is boosting the British right
How the world's richest man is boosting the British right
news.sky.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Important work by @skynewsrss.bsky.social proving - as many of us have experienced - that X’s algorithm is systematically boosting far-right and extreme content in the UK, confirming similar findings elsewhere.
Governments must act before it’s too late.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Governments must act before it’s too late.
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Max von Thun
🚨BREAKING: President Donald Trump violated the Constitution and federal law by ordering hundreds of National Guard soldiers to Portland, Oregon, earlier this year, a federal judge ruled Friday. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Trump-Appointed Judge Rules His Portland Military Takeover Was Unconstitutional
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:30 AM
🚨BREAKING: President Donald Trump violated the Constitution and federal law by ordering hundreds of National Guard soldiers to Portland, Oregon, earlier this year, a federal judge ruled Friday. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Reposted by Max von Thun
The salary for NYC mayor is $258,750. Musk was just awarded a $1 trillion pay package. Who is the true swindler? 🤑
November 8, 2025 at 4:46 AM
The salary for NYC mayor is $258,750. Musk was just awarded a $1 trillion pay package. Who is the true swindler? 🤑
Reposted by Max von Thun
“In many ways the experience of being sucked into these delusions is a lot like being drawn into a personalized cult tailored to your particular interests.”
The Chatbot Delusions: Is AI Contributing to a Novel Mental Health Crisis?
Some users are losing touch with reality during marathon sessions with ChatGPT and other bots.
www.bloomberg.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:17 AM
“In many ways the experience of being sucked into these delusions is a lot like being drawn into a personalized cult tailored to your particular interests.”
Reposted by Max von Thun
You’ve heard from all the people who think the AI boom is like the dotcom bubble. Now meet the guy who argues the AI boom is actually crazier.
www.reuters.com/commentary/b...
www.reuters.com/commentary/b...
November 8, 2025 at 8:23 AM
You’ve heard from all the people who think the AI boom is like the dotcom bubble. Now meet the guy who argues the AI boom is actually crazier.
www.reuters.com/commentary/b...
www.reuters.com/commentary/b...
Proof (if we needed it) that algorithmic amplification is dramatically accelerating, and perhaps even driving, the unravelling of our democracies.
Fixing the problem means tackling the algorithms themselves, not just trying - and failing - to address the harms they cause.
on.ft.com/49LNvCy
Fixing the problem means tackling the algorithms themselves, not just trying - and failing - to address the harms they cause.
on.ft.com/49LNvCy
November 7, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Proof (if we needed it) that algorithmic amplification is dramatically accelerating, and perhaps even driving, the unravelling of our democracies.
Fixing the problem means tackling the algorithms themselves, not just trying - and failing - to address the harms they cause.
on.ft.com/49LNvCy
Fixing the problem means tackling the algorithms themselves, not just trying - and failing - to address the harms they cause.
on.ft.com/49LNvCy
Reposted by Max von Thun
There's going to be so many tedious UK takes on yesterday's US Election...
So here are my tedious takes:
1. Messengers matter as much as messages
2. There's no inevitable victory for right populism
That's about it.
So here are my tedious takes:
1. Messengers matter as much as messages
2. There's no inevitable victory for right populism
That's about it.
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 AM
There's going to be so many tedious UK takes on yesterday's US Election...
So here are my tedious takes:
1. Messengers matter as much as messages
2. There's no inevitable victory for right populism
That's about it.
So here are my tedious takes:
1. Messengers matter as much as messages
2. There's no inevitable victory for right populism
That's about it.
Reposted by Max von Thun
How Google won friends and influenced people - while slowly gobbling up a quarter of all ad revenue on the internet.
Here's my look at two decades of Google’s ruthless tactics to secure its dominance.
www.ftm.eu/articles/goo...
Here's my look at two decades of Google’s ruthless tactics to secure its dominance.
www.ftm.eu/articles/goo...
How Google fooled Brussels: the tech giant’s playbook exposed
Regulators in the U.S. and the EU are closing on tech giant Google in an attempt to break up its dominance over the internet. An investigation by Follow the Money reveals how Google has persuaded lawm...
www.ftm.eu
November 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
How Google won friends and influenced people - while slowly gobbling up a quarter of all ad revenue on the internet.
Here's my look at two decades of Google’s ruthless tactics to secure its dominance.
www.ftm.eu/articles/goo...
Here's my look at two decades of Google’s ruthless tactics to secure its dominance.
www.ftm.eu/articles/goo...
"Much like how Saudi Arabia is a petrostate, the U.S. is a burgeoning AI state—and, in particular, an Nvidia-state...but every good earnings report further entrenches Nvidia as a precariously placed, load-bearing piece of the global economy."
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Here’s How the AI Crash Happens
The U.S. is becoming an Nvidia-state.
www.theatlantic.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:09 AM
"Much like how Saudi Arabia is a petrostate, the U.S. is a burgeoning AI state—and, in particular, an Nvidia-state...but every good earnings report further entrenches Nvidia as a precariously placed, load-bearing piece of the global economy."
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Max von Thun
Overall social media use is declining.
Between 2020 and 2024, more Americans — especially the youngest (18–24) and oldest (65+) — report using no social media at all.
A small group of heavy users remains, but the middle is thinning out.
Between 2020 and 2024, more Americans — especially the youngest (18–24) and oldest (65+) — report using no social media at all.
A small group of heavy users remains, but the middle is thinning out.
October 30, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Overall social media use is declining.
Between 2020 and 2024, more Americans — especially the youngest (18–24) and oldest (65+) — report using no social media at all.
A small group of heavy users remains, but the middle is thinning out.
Between 2020 and 2024, more Americans — especially the youngest (18–24) and oldest (65+) — report using no social media at all.
A small group of heavy users remains, but the middle is thinning out.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Down 11.5% today, honestly respect to Mark Zuckerberg, late to the party, spending way too much, pissing off everybody, doing nothing but waste money, and then seeing his stock wilt as he has no way to prove it's worth it. I hope he is the first to pull capex lol
Meta shares are plunging in heavy trading, on pace for their worst day in three years. Here's why: cnb.cx/4hAPrzH #CNBCData
October 30, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Down 11.5% today, honestly respect to Mark Zuckerberg, late to the party, spending way too much, pissing off everybody, doing nothing but waste money, and then seeing his stock wilt as he has no way to prove it's worth it. I hope he is the first to pull capex lol
New @lobbycontrol.bsky.social @corporateeurope.org data highlights tech lobbyists' tightening grip on EU policymaking:
📈 Total lobbying spend up by a third in 2 years
💼 There are now more tech lobbyists than MEPs
🗣️ Big Tech meets EU officials every single day
corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/b...
📈 Total lobbying spend up by a third in 2 years
💼 There are now more tech lobbyists than MEPs
🗣️ Big Tech meets EU officials every single day
corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/b...
Big Tech lobby budgets hit record levels | Corporate Europe Observatory
New figures show that the digital industry as a whole is now spending €151 million a year on lobbying the EU, a major increase to what was already considerable firepower.
corporateeurope.org
October 29, 2025 at 9:14 AM
New @lobbycontrol.bsky.social @corporateeurope.org data highlights tech lobbyists' tightening grip on EU policymaking:
📈 Total lobbying spend up by a third in 2 years
💼 There are now more tech lobbyists than MEPs
🗣️ Big Tech meets EU officials every single day
corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/b...
📈 Total lobbying spend up by a third in 2 years
💼 There are now more tech lobbyists than MEPs
🗣️ Big Tech meets EU officials every single day
corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/b...
Reposted by Max von Thun
📣THREAD: It’s surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you–not AWS, not Signal, not anyone–can access your comms).
It’s also concerning. 1/
It’s also concerning. 1/
PSA: we're aware that Signal is down for some people. This appears to be related to a major AWS outage. Stand by.
October 27, 2025 at 10:38 AM
📣THREAD: It’s surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you–not AWS, not Signal, not anyone–can access your comms).
It’s also concerning. 1/
It’s also concerning. 1/
‘The four “hyperscalers” alone are expected to spend nearly $400 billion on capital investments next year, more than the cost of the Apollo space program in today’s dollars.’
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-b...
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-b...
Spending on AI Is at Epic Levels. Will It Ever Pay Off?
Tech companies are pouring hundreds of billions into data centers, taking on heavy debt, but current revenue is relatively tiny. Critics warn of a new dot-com bubble.
www.wsj.com
October 26, 2025 at 10:23 PM
‘The four “hyperscalers” alone are expected to spend nearly $400 billion on capital investments next year, more than the cost of the Apollo space program in today’s dollars.’
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-b...
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-b...
Reposted by Max von Thun
CBS News is just the latest legacy news outlet to cast its lot with Trump. It settled a bogus case to please Trump, it canceled Colbert to please Trump, it hired Bari Weiss to please Trump.
The number of media outlets really willing to stand up to Trump is dwindling. Support them with your loyalty.
The number of media outlets really willing to stand up to Trump is dwindling. Support them with your loyalty.
get a load of this line of questioning from CBS's Margaret Brennan to Hakeem Jeffries aimed at bothsidesing election denial and gerrymandering
October 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
CBS News is just the latest legacy news outlet to cast its lot with Trump. It settled a bogus case to please Trump, it canceled Colbert to please Trump, it hired Bari Weiss to please Trump.
The number of media outlets really willing to stand up to Trump is dwindling. Support them with your loyalty.
The number of media outlets really willing to stand up to Trump is dwindling. Support them with your loyalty.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Musk: X will delete all heuristics from its recommendation system within six weeks. ...the familiar logic of likes, replies, and reposts that shaped Twitter for years is about to disappear. In its place, Grok, the platform's in-house Al model, will read and watch more than one hundred million posts.
October 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Musk: X will delete all heuristics from its recommendation system within six weeks. ...the familiar logic of likes, replies, and reposts that shaped Twitter for years is about to disappear. In its place, Grok, the platform's in-house Al model, will read and watch more than one hundred million posts.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Ahem.
Airbnb CEO says "he didn’t integrate his company’s online travel app with OpenAI’s ChatGPT because the startup’s connective tools aren’t 'quite ready' yet."
Airbnb CEO says "he didn’t integrate his company’s online travel app with OpenAI’s ChatGPT because the startup’s connective tools aren’t 'quite ready' yet."
October 26, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Ahem.
Airbnb CEO says "he didn’t integrate his company’s online travel app with OpenAI’s ChatGPT because the startup’s connective tools aren’t 'quite ready' yet."
Airbnb CEO says "he didn’t integrate his company’s online travel app with OpenAI’s ChatGPT because the startup’s connective tools aren’t 'quite ready' yet."
Reposted by Max von Thun
Reposted by Max von Thun
The 18th-century shift from militaries raised privately by nobles to standing armies financed by taxes is one of the central moves in the creation of the modern state. Trump is dialing it back to feudalism. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
Trump to Use $130 Million Donation to Help Pay Troops
www.nytimes.com
October 25, 2025 at 5:07 AM
The 18th-century shift from militaries raised privately by nobles to standing armies financed by taxes is one of the central moves in the creation of the modern state. Trump is dialing it back to feudalism. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
“Spagat and a group of researchers undertook a 2,000-household survey in Gaza that suggested that the official figures were likely to be undercounting the number of people killed in the war by roughly 39 percent.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/o...
Opinion | What Happened in Gaza Might Be Even Worse Than We Think
www.nytimes.com
October 25, 2025 at 9:15 AM
“Spagat and a group of researchers undertook a 2,000-household survey in Gaza that suggested that the official figures were likely to be undercounting the number of people killed in the war by roughly 39 percent.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/o...
Reposted by Max von Thun
“Mr. Bannon… asserted that there was “a plan” to circumvent the 22nd Amendment, which states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice,”… He also suggested that he was part of a team developing that plan.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
Bannon Claims ‘There Is a Plan’ for Trump to Run for a Third Term
www.nytimes.com
October 25, 2025 at 5:43 AM
“Mr. Bannon… asserted that there was “a plan” to circumvent the 22nd Amendment, which states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice,”… He also suggested that he was part of a team developing that plan.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...
Reposted by Max von Thun
[politics and economics] "don’t go undiscussed, of course, but the amount of oxygen they receive compared to tech talk is out of line. As a rule of thumb, be sceptical of any “futurologist” who doesn’t major overwhelmingly on politics."
on.ft.com/4oec9A8
Bang on as ever
on.ft.com/4oec9A8
Bang on as ever
Politics not tech makes the world go round
The future, like the recent past, will be shaped in the public realm
on.ft.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:32 AM
[politics and economics] "don’t go undiscussed, of course, but the amount of oxygen they receive compared to tech talk is out of line. As a rule of thumb, be sceptical of any “futurologist” who doesn’t major overwhelmingly on politics."
on.ft.com/4oec9A8
Bang on as ever
on.ft.com/4oec9A8
Bang on as ever
Reposted by Max von Thun
New polls from Gallup, YouGov, and out of Virginia show voters now trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy. Nationally, Dems now have a 4-point margin on the issue — an 18-point shift away from Trump since 2023. Time to update your priors
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/polls-show...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/polls-show...
Polls show voters now trust Democrats more to handle the economy
The issue that sank Democrats in 2024 now threatens to do the same to Republicans in 2025 and the 2026 midterms
www.gelliottmorris.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:45 AM
New polls from Gallup, YouGov, and out of Virginia show voters now trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy. Nationally, Dems now have a 4-point margin on the issue — an 18-point shift away from Trump since 2023. Time to update your priors
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/polls-show...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/polls-show...
Reposted by Max von Thun
The AI industry wants us to believe AI superintelligence is the real threat from generative AI.
But that narrative was crafted to distract from the many ways genAI is being used to tear our societies apart, as we saw this week when a deepfake video rocked the Irish election. It must be reined in.
But that narrative was crafted to distract from the many ways genAI is being used to tear our societies apart, as we saw this week when a deepfake video rocked the Irish election. It must be reined in.
Generative AI is a societal disaster
Governments are deluding themselves into believing investment justifies allowing AI to upend society
disconnect.blog
October 24, 2025 at 10:12 AM
The AI industry wants us to believe AI superintelligence is the real threat from generative AI.
But that narrative was crafted to distract from the many ways genAI is being used to tear our societies apart, as we saw this week when a deepfake video rocked the Irish election. It must be reined in.
But that narrative was crafted to distract from the many ways genAI is being used to tear our societies apart, as we saw this week when a deepfake video rocked the Irish election. It must be reined in.