Michael Zimmer
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michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer
@michaelzimmer.bsky.social
2.6K followers 420 following 440 posts

Privacy & data ethics scholar. Professor in Computer Science and Director of @MUDataEthics.bsky.social at Marquette University. I also curate @ZuckerbergFiles.bsky.social

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Michael Zimmer is a privacy and data ethics scholar. He currently is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Marquette University and Director of the Center for Data, Ethics, and Society. Previously, he was on the faculty at the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and director of the Center for Information Policy Research. Zimmer is on the advisory board of the Future of Privacy Forum, and was on the executive committee of the Association of Internet Researchers from 2009-2016. He was the Microsoft Resident Fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School from 2007-2008. .. more

Computer science 32%
Political science 22%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

newsguy.bsky.social
Steve Herman @newsguy.bsky.social · 20h
"We love America. And we make no apologies for saying so." - CBS Evening News

Reposted by Michael Zimmer, Sarah Roberts

mrsbettybowers.bsky.social
Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 22h
Donald J. Trump is, undoubtedly, the stupidest, most needy person to ever become president, but the case can be made that he is the stupidest, most needy person to ever become famous.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 4 more

radosh.bsky.social
Daniel Radosh @radosh.bsky.social · 23h
Parker's piece nails why this matters. "Tech companies... would rather not answer for their products’ failures. Every headline that says “Grok apologizes” or “Grok admits” or “Grok says” creates a world where the chatbot takes the fall while Musk and his executives face no scrutiny whatsoever."

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more

parkermolloy.com
Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 1d
I wrote about Grok's CSAM problem and how journalists keep fumbling the story

www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
Grok Can't Apologize. Grok Isn't Sentient. So Why Do Headlines Keep Saying It Did?
Elon Musk’s chatbot has been “undressing” women and children in public. Journalists are letting xAI off the hook by pretending the bot is responsible.
www.readtpa.com

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

deckofcarterhist.bsky.social
Michael E. Carter @deckofcarterhist.bsky.social · 1d
Leave it to Donald Trump to try to lose the Cold War decades later.
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
www.nytimes.com

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 1d
Y'all publishing in 2026 already?
Screenshot of bar chart from Google Scholar showing citation counts from 2019 to 2026, with 17 citations already logged for 2026.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Jason Mittell, Dorothy Bishop , and 5 more

moranstephen1000.bsky.social
Stephen Moran. @moranstephen1000.bsky.social · 1d
Mamdani has only been Mayor for a day & criminals are already fleeing New York

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

404media.co
404 Media @404media.co · 1d
Meta thinks its camera glasses, which are often used for harassment, are no different than any other camera.

Here's 404 Media's guide to the PR team at Meta:
www.404media.co/whats-the-di...
What’s the Difference Between AI Glasses and an iPhone? A Helpful Guide for Meta PR
Meta thinks its camera glasses, which are often used for harassment, are no different than any other camera.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Joe R. Feagin, Will Jennings , and 17 more

crampell.bsky.social
Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d
What does it mean when your doctors keep insisting you redo the cognitive exam

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Will Jennings, Peter Thorne , and 11 more

janinegibson.ft.com
Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 1d
Ex-Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun has Lunch with the FT and in one of those instances so rare that you know he didn't sign an NDA, says exactly why as.ft.com/r/e503690d-8...

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Michael Zimmer , and 1 more

maryannefranks.bsky.social
Mary Anne Franks @maryannefranks.bsky.social · 1d
As I told @kattenbarge.bsky.social (who has been doing absolutely incredible reporting on image-based abuse for years) last June, "X is going to continue to be one of the worst offenders and probably one of the pioneers of horrible ways to hurt women.” spitfirenews.com/p/grok-tribu...

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 4 more

maryannefranks.bsky.social
Mary Anne Franks @maryannefranks.bsky.social · 1d
Child exploitation content on X/Twitter sharply increased under Musk, who not only abruptly disbanded the group of volunteer experts advising the platform on child safety, image exploitation, and other abuses in 2022, but tried to blame them for the company's CSAM problem www.npr.org/2022/12/12/1...

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 2d
Just in time for me heading back into the classroom.

(Last semester was the first time my student evaluations mentioned I was "too anti-Musk". Time to go all-in!)

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

socialmedialab.ca
Social Media Lab @socialmedialab.ca · 2d
"Here's everything Elon Musk promised in 2025 – and failed to deliver" mashable.com/article/elon...
Everything Elon Musk promised in 2025, but didn't deliver
Musk is now infamous for his false promises, but even this is excessive.
mashable.com

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 2d
2026 feels like an inflection point. Academia is hard right now: funding uncertainty, genAI upheaval, and a shitload more service. Hoping I can sustain my health while pivoting toward higher-level impact: shaping the field & building ethical infrastructure. Otherwise, it may be time to move on...

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 2d
I know it helps you write emails or whatever, but this needs to be shut down.
nkalamb.bsky.social Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 3d
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Julian Webb, Peter Campbell , and 3 more

nkalamb.bsky.social
Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 3d
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Reposted by Michael Zimmer, Kate Starbird

rebekahtromble.bsky.social
Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · 3d
An excellent op-ed by @attorneynora.bsky.social laying out the Trump admin’s campaign of censorship.

In her full report (www.freepress.net/download/cho...), she chronicles ~200 instances of attempted censorship this year.

It’s incredibly important reading.

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
Opinion | I Counted Trump’s Censorship Attempts. Here’s What I Found.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

techpolicypress.bsky.social
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 3d
Editor's picks from 2025: Emily Tucker argues that the AI regulation debate largely misses the point: the real threat to democracy is unchecked data extraction and accumulation that is fueling corporate power.
To Have Democracy, We Must Contest Data | TechPolicy.Press
Emily Tucker makes the case for redlines for data, not AI—real limits on corporate data collection to protect democracy and political self-determination.
buff.ly

Reposted by Jason Mittell, Peter Thorne, Mark D. White , and 3 more

mattseybold.bsky.social
Matt Seybold @mattseybold.bsky.social · 3d
what a shocking turn of events
who could’ve seen this coming
OpenAI Reportedly Planning to Make ChatGPT "Prioritize" Advertisers in Conversation
OpenAI employees working on ChatGPT report plans to unleash sponsored advertisements above organic results.
futurism.com

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 3d
I stood in line behind Bruce Willis at an Eddie Bauer on the Upper West Side. He was buying a belt.
bolt451.bsky.social Deck the Halls with Bolt451 @bolt451.bsky.social · Jun 13
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie

Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

liedra.net
Prof. Catherine Flick @liedra.net · 3d
Omg shut up already, this is absolute bullshit and you should know better. Argh I’m so tired of this crap www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
AI showing signs of self-preservation and humans should be ready to pull plug, says pioneer
Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio warns against granting legal rights to cutting-edge technology
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Michael Zimmer

anthropunk.bsky.social
Dr. S.A. Applin @anthropunk.bsky.social · 3d
New Article Alert By me @fastcompany.com 🚨
"Digital surveys may have hit the #AI point of no return."
Quantitative surveys can now be taken by AI that undetectably mimics humans. This can compromise results that will impact decisions based on these outcomes. A way forward? Qualitative Research!
Digital surveys may have hit the AI point of no return
A new study shows bots can be indistinguishable from humans in survey responses.
www.fastcompany.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Philip N. Cohen, Michael Zimmer , and 2 more

ketanjoshi.co
Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 4d
I hate these charts so much because they imply chatgpt is comparable to the internet or phones

You could create the same graphic for full screen pop-up advertising on websites and make them look like ultra-rapid technology adoption when really they were just baked unavoidably into the internet
steverattner.bsky.social Steve Rattner @steverattner.bsky.social · 4d
In 2025, AI became pervasive in American life and the economy, with ChatGPT surging in adoption much faster than any other major technology in memory. @nytopinion.nytimes.com

Reposted by Mary Rice, Michael Zimmer, Stephen D. Murphy , and 2 more

steverattner.bsky.social
Steve Rattner @steverattner.bsky.social · 4d
In 2025, AI became pervasive in American life and the economy, with ChatGPT surging in adoption much faster than any other major technology in memory. @nytopinion.nytimes.com

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 5d
Yet another horrifying account of how this product is fundamentally harmful. In any other industry, this would be pulled immediately, but instead it's full steam ahead, with bullsh*t exuses and "guardrails".
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
74 suicide warnings and 243 mentions of hanging: What ChatGPT said to a suicidal teen
Analysis of high-schooler Adam Raine’s ChatGPT account by attorneys for his parents shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
www.washingtonpost.com

michaelzimmer.bsky.social
Michael Zimmer @michaelzimmer.bsky.social · 5d
Thanks for taking this important work on @natematias.bsky.social. I'm available if additional hands might be helpful.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Tom Clark, Scott L. Greer , and 8 more

mcopelov.bsky.social
Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 6d
Barely a blip in the news. 🦗from the New York Times editorial and opinion pages. Compare with days of Hunter Biden Hysteria about unprecedented abuse of the pardon power.

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Brendan Nyhan, Michael Zimmer , and 3 more

wired.com
WIRED @wired.com · 7d
Amazingly, reaction times using screens while driving are worse than being drunk or high—no wonder 90 percent of drivers hate using touchscreens in cars. Finally the auto industry is coming to its senses.
Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again
Amazingly, reaction times using screens while driving are worse than being drunk or high—no wonder 90 percent of drivers hate using touchscreens in cars. Finally the auto industry is coming to its…
wrd.cm

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Axel Bruns, Brendan Nyhan , and 33 more

jjvincent.bsky.social
James Vincent @jjvincent.bsky.social · 7d
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls