Renate Samson
@renatesamson.bsky.social
Longtime policy wonk, consultant, researcher and speaker about the impact of data driven tech and AI.
immersed in researching young people’s digital lives and AI in education. Previously biometrics, online harms, digital ID, online privacy
immersed in researching young people’s digital lives and AI in education. Previously biometrics, online harms, digital ID, online privacy
Reposted by Renate Samson
🚨NEW PODCAST🚨
Is the push for more AI and ed tech in classrooms a big opportunity or big risk?
@catscutt.bsky.social and @renatesamson.bsky.social explore the three recent DfE announcements that could see technology given a greater role in schools and colleges.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
Is the push for more AI and ed tech in classrooms a big opportunity or big risk?
@catscutt.bsky.social and @renatesamson.bsky.social explore the three recent DfE announcements that could see technology given a greater role in schools and colleges.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:09 AM
🚨NEW PODCAST🚨
Is the push for more AI and ed tech in classrooms a big opportunity or big risk?
@catscutt.bsky.social and @renatesamson.bsky.social explore the three recent DfE announcements that could see technology given a greater role in schools and colleges.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
Is the push for more AI and ed tech in classrooms a big opportunity or big risk?
@catscutt.bsky.social and @renatesamson.bsky.social explore the three recent DfE announcements that could see technology given a greater role in schools and colleges.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
Reposted by Renate Samson
The NCSC has issued an alert to critical national infrastructure providers, urging them to act now to protect against “severe” cyber threats.
It comes following cyber-attacks which targeted Poland’s energy infrastructure with malware in December. 👀
www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ncsc-wa...
It comes following cyber-attacks which targeted Poland’s energy infrastructure with malware in December. 👀
www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ncsc-wa...
NCSC Issues Warning Over “Severe” Cyber-Attacks Targeting CNI
NCSC call firms to ‘act now’ following disruptive malware attacks targeting Polish energy providers
www.infosecurity-magazine.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:55 PM
The NCSC has issued an alert to critical national infrastructure providers, urging them to act now to protect against “severe” cyber threats.
It comes following cyber-attacks which targeted Poland’s energy infrastructure with malware in December. 👀
www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ncsc-wa...
It comes following cyber-attacks which targeted Poland’s energy infrastructure with malware in December. 👀
www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ncsc-wa...
Reposted by Renate Samson
“Not only is most of the chatter on Moltbook meaningless, but there’s also a lot more human involvement that it seems. Many people have pointed out that a lot of the viral comments were in fact posted by people posing as bots.”
Moltbook was peak AI theater
The viral social network for bots reveals as much about our own current mania for AI as it does about the future of agents.
www.technologyreview.com
February 8, 2026 at 8:41 PM
“Not only is most of the chatter on Moltbook meaningless, but there’s also a lot more human involvement that it seems. Many people have pointed out that a lot of the viral comments were in fact posted by people posing as bots.”
Reposted by Renate Samson
Lost my job at the Washington Post today, along with many of the best in the business. I want to keep covering tech and the internet. If you have leads on jobs for me or my colleagues, please reach out. I’m so proud of our work.
February 4, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Lost my job at the Washington Post today, along with many of the best in the business. I want to keep covering tech and the internet. If you have leads on jobs for me or my colleagues, please reach out. I’m so proud of our work.
Reposted by Renate Samson
Quilicura, Chile, one of the communities I wrote about in EMPIRE OF AI, has launched a brilliant initiative to inspire more responsible AI prompting. Today, don't use AI; ask the townspeople instead: quili.ai. So heartened to see this creative act of resistance.
January 31, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Quilicura, Chile, one of the communities I wrote about in EMPIRE OF AI, has launched a brilliant initiative to inspire more responsible AI prompting. Today, don't use AI; ask the townspeople instead: quili.ai. So heartened to see this creative act of resistance.
Reposted by Renate Samson
Very much enjoying this discussion and the view that politicians want the responsibility of power but not the risk associated with it, proposed by Paul Ovenden.
📅 Next week, we'll be joined by a cross-party line-up of thinkers and former insiders to rethink how power operates.
We'll explore where power lies, how this undermines effective govt and what needs to change to make it work for the public.
Sign up now ⬇️
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-govern...
We'll explore where power lies, how this undermines effective govt and what needs to change to make it work for the public.
Sign up now ⬇️
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-govern...
January 27, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Very much enjoying this discussion and the view that politicians want the responsibility of power but not the risk associated with it, proposed by Paul Ovenden.
Reposted by Renate Samson
Thousands of newly obtained documents show that Clearview AI’s founders always intended to target immigrants and the political left.
Now their digital dragnet is in the hands of the Trump administration.
Now their digital dragnet is in the hands of the Trump administration.
The shocking far-right agenda behind the surveillance tech used by ICE and the FBI
Clearview AI’s founders always intended to target immigrants and the political left. Now their digital dragnet is in the hands of the Trump administration.
www.motherjones.com
January 14, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Thousands of newly obtained documents show that Clearview AI’s founders always intended to target immigrants and the political left.
Now their digital dragnet is in the hands of the Trump administration.
Now their digital dragnet is in the hands of the Trump administration.
Reposted by Renate Samson
@matildamartin.bsky.social tonight set the agenda, reporting first that government was considering ditching mandatory digital ID
"It's hard to find a backbench MP who'll advocate for mandatory digital ID in public, or a minister who will defend it in private," a Labour MP told her
Her exc story 👇
"It's hard to find a backbench MP who'll advocate for mandatory digital ID in public, or a minister who will defend it in private," a Labour MP told her
Her exc story 👇
Government Considers Watering Down Mandatory Element Of Digital ID
Exclusive: There are discussions within government about introducing a key part of the digital ID scheme as optional, rather than as mandatory, Pol...
www.politicshome.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:28 PM
@matildamartin.bsky.social tonight set the agenda, reporting first that government was considering ditching mandatory digital ID
"It's hard to find a backbench MP who'll advocate for mandatory digital ID in public, or a minister who will defend it in private," a Labour MP told her
Her exc story 👇
"It's hard to find a backbench MP who'll advocate for mandatory digital ID in public, or a minister who will defend it in private," a Labour MP told her
Her exc story 👇
Reposted by Renate Samson
Reposted by Renate Samson
Following receipt of information from X on Friday, UK regulator Ofcom has decided on Monday to open a formal investigation into potential breaches of the Online Safety Act's risk assessment, illegal content, and protection of children duties.
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
Investigation into X Internet Unlimited Company and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content and child users from harmful content
www.ofcom.org.uk
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Following receipt of information from X on Friday, UK regulator Ofcom has decided on Monday to open a formal investigation into potential breaches of the Online Safety Act's risk assessment, illegal content, and protection of children duties.
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
Reposted by Renate Samson
As flagged by @fullfact.org, there's an ENTIRELY AI-GENERATED video of a fake UK politician in the House of Commons doing the rounds on TikTok
It has more than 5 million views
While the original video is flagged as AI, it has been reposted by many other accounts (where it is not labelled as AI)
It has more than 5 million views
While the original video is flagged as AI, it has been reposted by many other accounts (where it is not labelled as AI)
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
As flagged by @fullfact.org, there's an ENTIRELY AI-GENERATED video of a fake UK politician in the House of Commons doing the rounds on TikTok
It has more than 5 million views
While the original video is flagged as AI, it has been reposted by many other accounts (where it is not labelled as AI)
It has more than 5 million views
While the original video is flagged as AI, it has been reposted by many other accounts (where it is not labelled as AI)
Leading story on @theguardian.com on university students discontent with course taught using AI generated content.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
‘We could have asked ChatGPT’: students fight back over course taught by AI
Staffordshire students say signs material was AI-generated included suspicious file names and rogue voiceover accent
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Leading story on @theguardian.com on university students discontent with course taught using AI generated content.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Renate Samson
ICYMI: The White House has laid out a plan to challenge any and all state AI regulations and Trump could sign the EO to do so as early as this week.
More w/ @mzeff.bsky.social
www.wired.com/story/trump-...
More w/ @mzeff.bsky.social
www.wired.com/story/trump-...
Trump Takes Aim at State AI Laws in Draft Executive Order
The draft order, obtained by WIRED, instructs the US Justice Department to sue states that pass laws regulating AI.
www.wired.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
ICYMI: The White House has laid out a plan to challenge any and all state AI regulations and Trump could sign the EO to do so as early as this week.
More w/ @mzeff.bsky.social
www.wired.com/story/trump-...
More w/ @mzeff.bsky.social
www.wired.com/story/trump-...
Great day in Cambridge discussing policy opportunities for AI in education.
Great to speak to get to talk about my research on the topic www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/a-lea...
Great to speak to get to talk about my research on the topic www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/a-lea...
A learning curve?
A Iandscape review of AI and education in the UK
www.adalovelaceinstitute.org
November 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Great day in Cambridge discussing policy opportunities for AI in education.
Great to speak to get to talk about my research on the topic www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/a-lea...
Great to speak to get to talk about my research on the topic www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/a-lea...
Reposted by Renate Samson
📢 CCDH's research shows that ChatGPT is exploiting vulnerable users.
OpenAI should stop pretending ChatGPT is safe – and fix it.
Agree? Add your name now to urge AI companies and governments to put people’s safety first 👇
https://act.counterhate.com/page/179641/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=bs_organic
OpenAI should stop pretending ChatGPT is safe – and fix it.
Agree? Add your name now to urge AI companies and governments to put people’s safety first 👇
https://act.counterhate.com/page/179641/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=bs_organic
act.counterhate.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:20 PM
📢 CCDH's research shows that ChatGPT is exploiting vulnerable users.
OpenAI should stop pretending ChatGPT is safe – and fix it.
Agree? Add your name now to urge AI companies and governments to put people’s safety first 👇
https://act.counterhate.com/page/179641/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=bs_organic
OpenAI should stop pretending ChatGPT is safe – and fix it.
Agree? Add your name now to urge AI companies and governments to put people’s safety first 👇
https://act.counterhate.com/page/179641/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=bs_organic
Reposted by Renate Samson
NEW: Google is taking legal action against Chinese cybercriminals responsible for sending out millions of scam text messages—including those parcel delivery scams.
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
This Is the Platform Google Claims Is Behind a 'Staggering’ Scam Text Operation
Google is suing 25 people it alleges are behind a “relentless” scam text operation that uses a phishing-as-a-service platform called Lighthouse.
www.wired.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:36 AM
NEW: Google is taking legal action against Chinese cybercriminals responsible for sending out millions of scam text messages—including those parcel delivery scams.
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
Reposted by Renate Samson
Kudos to Sky News for a project trying to measure the political bias of the X algorithm. Looks like a lot of work involved here:
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Kudos to Sky News for a project trying to measure the political bias of the X algorithm. Looks like a lot of work involved here:
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Renate Samson
After a monthslong trade war, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet Thursday in Korea. “What’s at stake is America’s ability to keep innovating and leading in the industries of the future,” Eric Schmidt and Selina Xu argue.
What the U.S. Can Learn From China’s Technological Success
America only hurts itself by discounting what China has done well.
bit.ly
October 30, 2025 at 12:22 AM
After a monthslong trade war, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet Thursday in Korea. “What’s at stake is America’s ability to keep innovating and leading in the industries of the future,” Eric Schmidt and Selina Xu argue.
Reposted by Renate Samson
AI browsers face a security flaw as inevitable as death and taxes
AI browsers face a security flaw as inevitable as death and taxes
Agentic features open the door to data exfiltration or worse
Feature With great power comes great vulnerability. Several new AI browsers, including OpenAI's Atlas, offer the ability to take actions on the user's behalf, such as opening web pages or even shopping. But these added capabilities create new attack vectors, particularly prompt injection.…
dlvr.it
October 28, 2025 at 12:53 PM
AI browsers face a security flaw as inevitable as death and taxes
Publication Day 🎉 today work I’ve been doing exploring and understanding the digital lives of in 14-24 year olds has been published.
To read the report and my own personal reflection on the project www.nuffieldfoundation.org/research/our...
To read the report and my own personal reflection on the project www.nuffieldfoundation.org/research/our...
Deep Dive Workshop: Digital Lives - Nuffield Foundation
www.nuffieldfoundation.org
October 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Publication Day 🎉 today work I’ve been doing exploring and understanding the digital lives of in 14-24 year olds has been published.
To read the report and my own personal reflection on the project www.nuffieldfoundation.org/research/our...
To read the report and my own personal reflection on the project www.nuffieldfoundation.org/research/our...
Reposted by Renate Samson
We monitored an AI chatbot service popular with teens and found characters modelled on alt-right extremists, school shooters and even real people – including Jeffrey Epstein
Character AI has millions of users – and the app has been downloaded 2m+ times in the UK alone
Character AI has millions of users – and the app has been downloaded 2m+ times in the UK alone
October 22, 2025 at 10:02 AM
We monitored an AI chatbot service popular with teens and found characters modelled on alt-right extremists, school shooters and even real people – including Jeffrey Epstein
Character AI has millions of users – and the app has been downloaded 2m+ times in the UK alone
Character AI has millions of users – and the app has been downloaded 2m+ times in the UK alone
Talking to people outside oh the usual bubble is so invigorating
October 21, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Talking to people outside oh the usual bubble is so invigorating
Reposted by Renate Samson
Absolute bombshell from @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social:
Meta's internal research found that Instagram's algorithms preferentially displayed harmful content to vulnerable teens.
I'm glad I left Instagram back when I did, even if it was for other reasons (their anti-LGBTQ policies).
Meta's internal research found that Instagram's algorithms preferentially displayed harmful content to vulnerable teens.
I'm glad I left Instagram back when I did, even if it was for other reasons (their anti-LGBTQ policies).
Exclusive: Instagram shows more ‘eating disorder adjacent’ content to vulnerable teens, internal Meta research shows
Meta researchers found that teens who report that Instagram regularly made them feel bad about their bodies saw significantly more “eating disorder adjacent content” than those who did not, according to an internal document reviewed by Reuters.
www.reuters.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Absolute bombshell from @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social:
Meta's internal research found that Instagram's algorithms preferentially displayed harmful content to vulnerable teens.
I'm glad I left Instagram back when I did, even if it was for other reasons (their anti-LGBTQ policies).
Meta's internal research found that Instagram's algorithms preferentially displayed harmful content to vulnerable teens.
I'm glad I left Instagram back when I did, even if it was for other reasons (their anti-LGBTQ policies).