Paul Bernal
@paulbernal.bsky.social
Professor of IT Law at UEA Law School. Geek. Privacy, Politics. Wolves. Irish and British.
Pinned
Paul Bernal
@paulbernal.bsky.social
· Dec 3
Banning kids from social media? A very bad idea…
As the idea of banning kids from social media is spreading round the globe – the new ban of under-16s from social media in Australia comes into action in a week or so – it is worth look…
paulbernal.wordpress.com
I've written something about why banning kids from social media could be a terrible idea.
paulbernal.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/b...
paulbernal.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/b...
Reposted by Paul Bernal
Amount of blood US has expended defending Greenland: zero. Amount of blood Denmark has expended defending the US: 43 Danish soldiers gave their lives in Afghanistan, responding to a US appeal under article 5 of NATO. Ogles has no idea about any of this, because he's an incompetent buffoon.
Ogles: "It's important that we have a stake in Greenland, that they are quite frankly a protectorate of the US. They've been in relationship with Denmark - that needs to end. We've spilled more blood protecting Greenland than the Danes... we are the dominant predator force in the Western Hemisphere"
January 7, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Amount of blood US has expended defending Greenland: zero. Amount of blood Denmark has expended defending the US: 43 Danish soldiers gave their lives in Afghanistan, responding to a US appeal under article 5 of NATO. Ogles has no idea about any of this, because he's an incompetent buffoon.
And no, Ofcom isn’t really independent of the government.
January 7, 2026 at 2:36 PM
And no, Ofcom isn’t really independent of the government.
Ofcom *does* have the power to temporarily block X until X gets its act together over Grok, under the Online Safety Act.
January 7, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Ofcom *does* have the power to temporarily block X until X gets its act together over Grok, under the Online Safety Act.
Reposted by Paul Bernal
Antisemites have long depicted Jews as members of an urban, elite social class.
So when Farage dismisses accusations of antisemitism as the exclusive concern of a London-based “upper middle class”, he’s deliberately invoking that dog-whistle stereotype.
So when Farage dismisses accusations of antisemitism as the exclusive concern of a London-based “upper middle class”, he’s deliberately invoking that dog-whistle stereotype.
January 7, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Antisemites have long depicted Jews as members of an urban, elite social class.
So when Farage dismisses accusations of antisemitism as the exclusive concern of a London-based “upper middle class”, he’s deliberately invoking that dog-whistle stereotype.
So when Farage dismisses accusations of antisemitism as the exclusive concern of a London-based “upper middle class”, he’s deliberately invoking that dog-whistle stereotype.
Reposted by Paul Bernal
"We are the dominant predator force in the Western Hemisphere" is the sort of line that gets edited out of an anime villain's evil monologue for being a bit much.
Ogles: "It's important that we have a stake in Greenland, that they are quite frankly a protectorate of the US. They've been in relationship with Denmark - that needs to end. We've spilled more blood protecting Greenland than the Danes... we are the dominant predator force in the Western Hemisphere"
January 7, 2026 at 1:33 PM
"We are the dominant predator force in the Western Hemisphere" is the sort of line that gets edited out of an anime villain's evil monologue for being a bit much.
Neither the government nor the opposition has the cojones to take on Big Tech. At all.
Nothing sums up UK politics' response to our current Big Tech dystopia better than this quote from Kemi Badenoch's spokesman about X creating sexual deep fakes of children.
"Something must be done" he says, but no idea what, if anything that something should be
bylinetimes.com/2026/01/07/k...
"Something must be done" he says, but no idea what, if anything that something should be
bylinetimes.com/2026/01/07/k...
January 7, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Neither the government nor the opposition has the cojones to take on Big Tech. At all.
Wait until he does nothing.
Keir Starmer's spokesman tells me that X and Grok's creation of sexual deepfakes of children is "completely unacceptable" but again won't commit to taking direct action against them, or to stop posting there.
Says "all options are on the table" but suggests it's a matter for Ofcom, not Government
Says "all options are on the table" but suggests it's a matter for Ofcom, not Government
January 7, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Wait until he does nothing.
It's still the domain of creeps and losers, it's just that those creeps and losers are also the world's richest men and the US's top politicians.
Eight years ago this stuff was the domain of creeps and losers, too toxic for any company to support. Now the world's richest man is being rewarded for it. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Fake-porn videos are being weaponized to harass and humiliate women: ‘Everybody is a potential target’
"Deepfake" creators target both celebrities and everyday women with photos taken from the Web. Even Scarlett Johansson says she's powerless to fight them.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:29 PM
It's still the domain of creeps and losers, it's just that those creeps and losers are also the world's richest men and the US's top politicians.
The Grok/X saga is another lovely regulatory conundrum. Is the problem AI, or is it social media? Does it come under the regulation of AI (e.g. the EU's AI Act) or regulation of social media (e.g. the EU's Digital Services Act, the UK's Online Safety Act, Australia's Online Safety Act etc)?
January 7, 2026 at 12:28 PM
The Grok/X saga is another lovely regulatory conundrum. Is the problem AI, or is it social media? Does it come under the regulation of AI (e.g. the EU's AI Act) or regulation of social media (e.g. the EU's Digital Services Act, the UK's Online Safety Act, Australia's Online Safety Act etc)?
Reposted by Paul Bernal
I reckon over the past decade I have been sexually harassed ten times more often inside the Palace of Westminster than I have on London streets
January 7, 2026 at 11:21 AM
I reckon over the past decade I have been sexually harassed ten times more often inside the Palace of Westminster than I have on London streets
Reposted by Paul Bernal
Nigel Farage had already acknowledged, generally, that many of these allegations were broadly true in 2013 and 2021. Now that there is more detailed testimony from about 30 people, he is claiming they are making up things he had previously tacitly accepted happened.
Nigel Farage calls the accusations of racism and antisemitism against him when he was at school "complete made-up fantasy", saying his accusers have political motivations, and he will not apologise.
This is yet another shift in his position.
This is yet another shift in his position.
January 7, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Nigel Farage had already acknowledged, generally, that many of these allegations were broadly true in 2013 and 2021. Now that there is more detailed testimony from about 30 people, he is claiming they are making up things he had previously tacitly accepted happened.
At some point (when I don’t have three writing projects underway) I’ll have to write something about how GamerGate led to all the problems we have now.
January 7, 2026 at 11:16 AM
At some point (when I don’t have three writing projects underway) I’ll have to write something about how GamerGate led to all the problems we have now.
Reposted by Paul Bernal
It actually isn't that big of a deal if you consider Palantir's UK contracts are only in small, non-essential organisations, like the NHS and armed forces.
The more rogue the U.S. gets, the worse this looks.
"The report concluded that it remained unclear whether or not US intelligence would be able to access the data, despite Palantir’s official reassurances otherwise. The 🇨🇭army also found other issues, in terms of its cost & the fact that it might require Palantir specialists to be permanently onsite"
January 7, 2026 at 10:49 AM
It actually isn't that big of a deal if you consider Palantir's UK contracts are only in small, non-essential organisations, like the NHS and armed forces.
AI won’t bring about a nuclear holocaust, it’ll just take all our jobs and drown us in hate-filled pornography.
January 7, 2026 at 10:46 AM
AI won’t bring about a nuclear holocaust, it’ll just take all our jobs and drown us in hate-filled pornography.
The more rogue the U.S. gets, the worse this looks.
"The report concluded that it remained unclear whether or not US intelligence would be able to access the data, despite Palantir’s official reassurances otherwise. The 🇨🇭army also found other issues, in terms of its cost & the fact that it might require Palantir specialists to be permanently onsite"
MPs question UK Palantir contracts after investigation reveals security concerns
Journalists find Swiss government rejected company over fears US intelligence might gain access to sensitive data
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:42 AM
The more rogue the U.S. gets, the worse this looks.
Two swans a-sleeping
January 7, 2026 at 10:34 AM
Two swans a-sleeping
Hands up if you think the midterms will happen peacefully, honestly and fairly.
January 7, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Hands up if you think the midterms will happen peacefully, honestly and fairly.
The only solution is to block both X and Grok. I doubt any of the relevant authorities in the EU, UK or Australia will dare.
January 7, 2026 at 9:33 AM
The only solution is to block both X and Grok. I doubt any of the relevant authorities in the EU, UK or Australia will dare.
Reposted by Paul Bernal
Telling isn't it that all the "protect our girls" people are still on X despite what Grok is doing.
January 7, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Telling isn't it that all the "protect our girls" people are still on X despite what Grok is doing.
Oooh, another investigation! Maybe some more stiff letters will follow.
Grok’s deepfake images which ‘digitally undress’ women investigated by Australia’s online safety watchdog
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Grok’s deepfake images which ‘digitally undress’ women investigated by Australia’s online safety watchdog
eSafety Australia says it ‘has received several reports relating to the use of Grok to generate sexualised images without consent’ since late 2025
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:23 AM
Oooh, another investigation! Maybe some more stiff letters will follow.
Rolling out the red carpet for the Mango Manbaby really worked out.
After all that, Starmer gets no brownie points for his carefully chosen words on Venezuela.
January 7, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Rolling out the red carpet for the Mango Manbaby really worked out.
Reposted by Paul Bernal
As I and others have been pointing out for days, what X is doing is a criminal law matter, not just an OSA matter - yet the government (and seemingly the police?) don't seem to understand what's happening. Why not?
How has Grok not been shut down yet and those responsible at X been arrested over actively generating CSAM?
January 7, 2026 at 8:27 AM
As I and others have been pointing out for days, what X is doing is a criminal law matter, not just an OSA matter - yet the government (and seemingly the police?) don't seem to understand what's happening. Why not?
Reposted by Paul Bernal
Nothing could better illustrate their helplessness.
Déformation professionnelle.
They just cannot grasp that someone might play the game not by their familiar, acknowledged rules but by his own.
Déformation professionnelle.
They just cannot grasp that someone might play the game not by their familiar, acknowledged rules but by his own.
January 7, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Nothing could better illustrate their helplessness.
Déformation professionnelle.
They just cannot grasp that someone might play the game not by their familiar, acknowledged rules but by his own.
Déformation professionnelle.
They just cannot grasp that someone might play the game not by their familiar, acknowledged rules but by his own.
Reposted by Paul Bernal
Nothing could better illustrate their helplessness.
Déformation professionnelle.
They just cannot grasp that someone might play the game not by their familiar, acknowledged rules but by his own.
Déformation professionnelle.
They just cannot grasp that someone might play the game not by their familiar, acknowledged rules but by his own.
January 7, 2026 at 8:55 AM
There’s a kind of parallel between the Democrats trying to challenge Trump by waving their hands and saying ‘Oooh, that’s unconstitutional’ and European regulators waving their hands at Musk and saying ‘oooh, Grok’s breaking the law’.
At some point you have to act.
The game has changed.
At some point you have to act.
The game has changed.
January 7, 2026 at 8:01 AM
There’s a kind of parallel between the Democrats trying to challenge Trump by waving their hands and saying ‘Oooh, that’s unconstitutional’ and European regulators waving their hands at Musk and saying ‘oooh, Grok’s breaking the law’.
At some point you have to act.
The game has changed.
At some point you have to act.
The game has changed.