Owen Boswarva
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owenboswarva.bsky.social
Owen Boswarva
@owenboswarva.bsky.social
2.5K followers 2.1K following 3K posts
A mix of stuff: mainly #opendata, #FOI, #dataprotection, #geospatial, #datapolicy, #genAI, #govtech. Links and half-formed thoughts posted for my own amusement. Still on Twitter at @owenboswarva. Sites: www.owenboswarva.com and www.datadaptive.com. He/him.
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owenboswarva.bsky.social
Hansard transcript of a short debate in the Lords yesterday on why the UK Government is still using X/Twitter hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-0...

Baroness Anderson (Ruth Smeeth) responded credulously for the Government

#govcomms #techpolicy (HT Jim Waterson)
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab): My Lords, we do not spend a penny of government money on advertising on the platform. However, what is always useful when these questions come forward is that it makes you look in more detail at the subject matter. Not only are 19.2 million British citizens registered with X, but 10.8 million families use X as their main news source; that is more than any other social platform, which I find genuinely extraordinary. We would be doing a disservice by removing government communications from X when that is where people are actually accessing them; we are making sure that facts are available.
January 6, 2026 at 9:04 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
RLBA calls on government to empower homeowners in property data revolution todaysconveyancer.co.uk/rlba-call-em...

Just a trade lobby trying to carve out a market for "logbooks"; hostile to #opendata. There's no reason homeowners need or should have priority control of non-personal property data.
The RLBA is calling for homeowners to be given the right to access all public and private data about their home held on public or commercial servers, with the right to use recognised digital tools, such as logbooks and digital sales pack products, to access and manage that data. Where information about a property is generated as part of a sale, such as a search or a survey, access to the information must be restricted to participants in the sale and the rights to the information transferred to the owner on completion, the RLBA added. Where information doesn't yet exist in a recognised FAIR data format (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable), such as searches, surveys, gas safety certificates and EPC data and certification, the bodies that manage the data must be given timetables by which it will be digitally accessible, the organisation said.
January 6, 2026 at 8:16 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Generation AI: fears of 'social divide' unless all children learn computing skills www.theguardian.com/education/20...

But also take away their smartphones. Perhaps we should bring back LAN parties?

#digitalliteracy #techpolicy
January 6, 2026 at 7:22 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Anna's Archive Loses .Org Domain After Surprise Suspension torrentfreak.com/annas-archiv...

Other domains are still working annas-archive.li

#webarchiving #shadowlibraries #openweb
Anna's Archive is a meta-search engine for shadow libraries that allows users to find pirated books and other related sources. The site launched in the fall of 2022, just days after Z-Library was targeted in a U.S. criminal crackdown, to ensure continued availability of 'free' books and articles to the broader public.
January 5, 2026 at 6:59 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Judge Gary Lucie blasts 'incorrect' Crown Prosecution Service charging of Holbury man Jonathon Schindler www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/news/forest-...

UK prosecutors are so keen on the Online Safety Act that they're overlooking more serious offences?
A JUDGE blasted the "incorrect" charging of a man who made death threats. Jonathon Schindler (25), of Long Lane, Holbury, was charged under the Online Safety Act 2023 with sending a communication threatening death, Southampton Crown Court heard. He sent a voicenote to his ex-partner which said: "I'll kill your man, I'll kill him. Do you know how f***** in the head I am? I will K-I-L-L him." Judge Gary Lucie said he was surprised Schindler had not been charged with threats to kill, under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. "This is the third case this week that has been incorrectly charged," he told the court. Defending, Jamie Gammon conceded his client was "fortunate" he had not been charged with the more serious offence.
January 5, 2026 at 9:26 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Tough choice for Starmer – wait for the puppet government, or just cut out the middleman and ship Venezuela's gold straight to Mar-a-Lago?
declassifieduk.org Declassified UK @declassifieduk.org · Dec 2
As US troops encircle Venezuela, it's worth recalling that over $2bn of Venezuelan gold remains frozen in the Bank of England.

The gold was frozen in support of the US government's efforts to launch a coup against Nicolás Maduro👇
www.declassifieduk.org/why-is-venez...
Why is Venezuela’s gold still frozen in the Bank of England?
Four years ago, the UK government recognised Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s president. He’s now gone, but the Bank of England is still holding some of the country’s key assets.
www.declassifieduk.org
January 4, 2026 at 2:57 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Two days left to apply:

Ofcom - Chair apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8842

£120,000 p.a. for three days a week is decent. On the other hand you have to spend the next four years trying to kill freedom of expression and the open web, while ignoring the state of the British media
January 3, 2026 at 8:17 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
New Ofcom guidance on how to make an Online Safety Act super-complaint www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...

Use this if there's a website you think is corrupting the morals of the youth or whatever

#censorship #openweb #techpolicy
Super-complaints can only be made by organisations, not individuals. There's no set list of organisations that can bring a super-complaint, however there are criteria set out in legislation to determine which organisations are eligible to make a complaint. In summary, to be able to make a super-complaint, an organisation must demonstrate that it: ● represents people in the UK - this can be people who use regulated online services, the general public or a specific group of people ● can be relied on to act independently from regulated online services ● routinely contributes significantly, as an expert, to public discussions about any aspect of online safety matters ● can be relied on to have regard to Ofcom's guidance about making super-complaints
January 2, 2026 at 6:23 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Elon Musk's X silent as Grok makes sexual images of underage girls www.thenational.scot/news/2573503...

Reporting indicates the offending images were "sexualised" (e.g. minors in bikinis) not "sexually explicit" – a distinction that makes a difference to legality in US and UK

#genAI #techpolicy
Screenshot of post on Bluesky from ‪Sarah Owen MP‬: X/grok creating and platforming sexually explicit material of children isn’t just a lapse, it's criminal. Elon Musk and his companies should be held to account. It's been over a year since I dumped X. It was the right decision then and even more so now. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
January 2, 2026 at 2:33 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Regular reminder that porn addiction doesn't exist en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornogr...

But feel free to diagnose yourself

#OnlineSafetyAct #pornpanic #censorship #openweb #techpolicy
January 2, 2026 at 12:54 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spend data April 2010 - November 2025 drive.google.com/uc?export=do... (49.7 MB zipped XLSX)

Transactions over £250, until Sept 2024 when UK Labour increased the publication threshold to £25,000

#publicspending #opengov #opendata
January 2, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Owen Boswarva
mrosenbaum.bsky.social
New releases from the National Archives of government records from 2005 show how ministers and officials reacted uneasily to the implementation of FOI, and how they handled some initial cases - "This is becoming a real problem". What I found in the files: rosenbaum6.substack.com/p/tony-we-ha...
Memo about FOI from Jonathan Powell, chief of staff, to Blair: “This is becoming a real problem”. The prime minister writing in reply: “What is the solution?! I need a recommendation”.
December 31, 2025 at 10:24 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Last #openaddresses of the year:

Newcastle City Council in the North East of England has released its Council Tax address list as open data www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ad...

I've geocoded most of the locations (but quite a few UPRNs are missing)

#FOI #localgov #UKhousing #proptech #opendata
Screenshot of sample of Newcastle City Council's address data, visualised in Google Earth
December 31, 2025 at 9:01 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
UK Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) spend data, transactions over £25,000, April 2010 - October 2025 drive.google.com/uc?export=do... (17.8 MB XLSX)

#publicspending #opengov #opendata
December 30, 2025 at 12:20 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Filing from 4chan and KF opposing Ofcom's application to dismiss the US lawsuit against enforcement of UK's Online Safety Act www.courtlistener.com/docket/71209... (scroll down)

Legally fanciful; the case is best understood as a retaliatory infliction of process

#censorship #openweb #techpolicy
This lawsuit seeks a legal declaration and determination that will, as a practical matter, confirm that this strategy will not and cannot work against Americans. The legal authority to conscript Americans to perform censorship does not exist – and cannot, because the First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits it.
December 30, 2025 at 8:34 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
'Undermines free speech': Labour MP hits back at US government over visa ban on UK campaigners www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Leading this coverage with comments from Chi Onwurah MP only highlights the lack of pushback from Labour's front bench

#censorship #openweb #techpolicy
Onwurah said on Wednesday: "Banning people because you disagree with what they say undermines the free speech the administration claims to seek. "We desperately need a wide ranging debate on whether and how social media should be regulated in the interests of the people. Imran Ahmed gave evidence to the select committee's inquiry into social media, algorithms and harmful content, and he was an articulate advocate for greater regulation and accountability. "Banning him won't shut down the debate, too many people are being harmed by the spread of digital hate."
December 24, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Owen Boswarva
ianvisits.co.uk
The e-scooter isn’t new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago

www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the...
The e-scooter isn’t new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
The e-scooters that clutter up pavements may seem like a new thing, but a hundred years ago, there were already people zooming around London on powered scooters.
www.ianvisits.co.uk
December 24, 2025 at 7:25 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Is it bad form to start an internal review request with "Dear chuckleheads"
December 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Owen Boswarva
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Excellent, more #openaddresses:

Plymouth City Council in the South West of England has released its Council Tax address list as open data www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ad...

Thx to @plymouthcc.bsky.social

I've geocoded the locations using the magic of UPRNs

#FOI #UKhousing #proptech #opendata
Screenshot of sample of Plymouth City Council's address data, visualised in Google Earth
December 23, 2025 at 7:10 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Another classic example of UK Government disregarding its own guidance that #FOI standards should apply to written questions in Parliament questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

Clearly a request for held info. The minister just refuses to disclose – no reason given

#opengov #govcomms
UK House of Commons written question UIN 94479 answered on 18 December 2025: Nick Timothy Conservative, West Suffolk Commons To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish her internal Departmental assessments of the potential impact of smartphones on children in schools. Answer Olivia Bailey Labour, Reading West and Mid Berkshire Commons Mobile phones have no place in school. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the 'Mobile phones in schools' guidance, published in 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools(opens in a new tab). The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils' learning. There are no current assessments the department intends to publish.
December 24, 2025 at 12:09 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Reginald D Hunter 'antisemitism case' quashed in court www.thenational.scot/news/2572042...

Ruling in The Campaign Against Antisemitism -v- Reginald Hunter www.judiciary.uk/judgments/th...

The CAA was represented by Donal Lawler of 187 Chambers
20. I am quite satisfied that the failure to disclose the matters record at paragraphs 19a) to p) above were intentional. If I had been aware of those matters, I would have refused to issue a summons as I would have found the application to be vexatious. 21.The CAA have demonstrated by the misleading and partial way in which it summarised its' application and its' wilful, repeated, failure to meet its' disclosure obligations, that its' true and sole motive in seeking to prosecute RH is to have him cancelled. I have no doubt that the prosecution is abusive.
December 24, 2025 at 11:51 AM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Excellent, more #openaddresses:

Plymouth City Council in the South West of England has released its Council Tax address list as open data www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ad...

Thx to @plymouthcc.bsky.social

I've geocoded the locations using the magic of UPRNs

#FOI #UKhousing #proptech #opendata
Screenshot of sample of Plymouth City Council's address data, visualised in Google Earth
December 23, 2025 at 7:10 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Starmer considers Australian-style ban on social media for children under the age of 16 www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

#censorship #childrights #openweb #techpolicy #govcomms

Clear as mud, thanks
After the publication of this article, the Government updated its statement to add the line: "For that reason, there are no current plans to introduce a blanket ban on smartphones or social media for children."
December 22, 2025 at 6:49 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in the North West of England is the latest local authority to release its Council Tax address list as open data www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ad...

(No UPRNs unfortunately so I haven't geocoded the property locations)

#opendata #openaddresses
December 22, 2025 at 5:54 PM
owenboswarva.bsky.social
The Environment Agency for England has said today that it expects its new national coastal erosion risk map (NCERM) to be updated early next year and then yearly after that www.gov.uk/guidance/upd...

#coastalerosion #opendata
December 22, 2025 at 4:48 PM