Samantha Lai
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samlai.bsky.social
Samantha Lai
@samlai.bsky.social
Product Policy Manager at Instagram/Threads. Previously at @ieproject.bsky.social and @brookings.edu.
Defederation on decentralized social media offers new possibilities for online governance. How can it be used responsibly, in a way that balances speech and safety?

Read more here:
New Paradigms in Trust and Safety: Navigating Defederation on Decentralized Social Media Platforms
Defederation on decentralized social media offers new possibilities for online governance. Experts consider how it can be used responsibly, in a way that balances speech and safety.
carnegieendowment.org
March 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Our very own @samlai.bsky.social will be speaking at this panel next Wednesday. Learn more here:
Join @knightgtown.bsky.social for an essential discussion on the evolving social media landscape. Details, speakers (@noupside.bsky.social, @seanmartinmcdonald.bsky.social, & more), and registration link👇🏼
🔗 : bit.ly/4bNB1cI
📅 Mar 19 | ⏰ 10AM - 11:30 AM EST
Reckoning with the Evolving Social Media Landscape – Knight-Georgetown Institute
bit.ly
March 14, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Governments are intervening in information ecosystems with very little understanding of how they work. That leads to a belief that there are lessons learned in one that can be applied to others. But what might work in Finland could be disastrous elsewhere:
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Assessing National Information Ecosystems
To know how a system has changed, one must first know what constitutes the system and its prior state.
carnegieendowment.org
February 12, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
@lageneralista.ca, @samlai.bsky.social and John Hicks propose a framework for assessing national information ecosystems that can help policymakers understand the operating environment where threats like foreign interference exist.

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Assessing National Information Ecosystems
To know how a system has changed, one must first know what constitutes the system and its prior state.
carnegieendowment.org
February 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
In a new publication, @samlai.bsky.social, @benimmo.bsky.social, Derek Ruths and @lageneralista.ca lay out four key questions that underpin successful measurement of changes caused by GenAI:
Measuring Changes Caused by Generative Artificial Intelligence: Setting the Foundations
Informed policy that leads to beneficial change is extremely challenging to develop without being able to measure the material impacts of GenAI.
carnegieendowment.org
January 9, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Congrats to @samlai.bsky.social and a big thank you to everyone who contributed. Shout out to Jon Bateman for his help on the final stretch. @ieproject.bsky.social takes a village to be sure.
December 13, 2024 at 12:36 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Each info ecosystem is different. But often researchers/policymakers look at their own and devise frameworks to apply elsewhere. @samlai.bsky.social has put many months into this piece for @ieproject.bsky.social highlighting why we need a more inductive approach to understand the info environment.
In what ways do Global North approaches to research and policymaking on the information environment fall short at addressing Majority World concerns? How can they be improved? I spoke with 54 experts around the world to learn more:

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Understanding the Information Environment: Insights from the Majority World
Researchers around the world address shortcomings and provide recommendations on Global North approaches to research and policymaking.
carnegieendowment.org
December 13, 2024 at 12:32 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Phenomenal work by @samlai.bsky.social at CEIP - featuring my comments on public health communication in Vietnam and the persistence of legacy media infrastructure, in particular the loudspeaker network.
In what ways do Global North approaches to research and policymaking on the information environment fall short at addressing Majority World concerns? How can they be improved? I spoke with 54 experts around the world to learn more:

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Understanding the Information Environment: Insights from the Majority World
Researchers around the world address shortcomings and provide recommendations on Global North approaches to research and policymaking.
carnegieendowment.org
December 12, 2024 at 10:41 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
What is interesting about this excellent article by @samlai.bsky.social is that many of these concerns also apply in global minority countries. Understanding better how the context affects the demand of information quality is probably the next research question

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Understanding the Information Environment: Insights from the Majority World
Researchers around the world address shortcomings and provide recommendations on Global North approaches to research and policymaking.
carnegieendowment.org
December 12, 2024 at 7:44 PM
In what ways do Global North approaches to research and policymaking on the information environment fall short at addressing Majority World concerns? How can they be improved? I spoke with 54 experts around the world to learn more:

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Understanding the Information Environment: Insights from the Majority World
Researchers around the world address shortcomings and provide recommendations on Global North approaches to research and policymaking.
carnegieendowment.org
December 12, 2024 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
I did a podcast on the fediverse -- especially Bluesky -- with @samlai.bsky.social. Quite timely, if I say so myself! Check it out.

podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/391...
391: Dispatch from the Fediverse | Tech Policy Podcast
Samantha Lai (Carnegie Endowment) discusses the state of federated social media (Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, etc.). Topics include: - A map of the fediverse - What makes Bluesky new? - Tools for tin...
podcast.techfreedom.org
December 4, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Thanks @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social for inviting me on to chat about decentralized social media, Bluesky, and the trust and safety challenges associated with the space!
It’s good to be on Bluesky!

On the latest Tech Policy Podcast, @samlai.bsky.social of @carnegieendow.bsky.social discusses federated social media—the architecture, the vibes, the content moderation, and more.

podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/391...
December 2, 2024 at 5:00 PM
I compile these weekly threads on jobs and opportunities on all things related to the information environment. Hoping it’s useful to some folks out there, please do check it out!
Welcome to #WorkWednesday! Read on for a thread of jobs and opportunities related to conflict and governance in the information environment.
November 20, 2024 at 5:09 PM
The project I work on at CEIP joined Bluesky today. Give us a follow to get regular updates on publications and opportunities in the space!
November 13, 2024 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Periodic reminder that I made a #trustandsafety starter pack. Let me know about new arrivals who should be added to this list!
October 23, 2024 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
If we want to empower consumers and rebuild social media on decentralized platforms, we need to develop shared trust and safety capabilities, write Samantha Lai and Yoel Roth. www.techpolicy.press/online-safet...
Online Safety and the “Great Decentralization” – The Perils and Promises of Federated Social Media | TechPolicy.Press
If we want to empower consumers and rebuild social media, we need to develop shared trust and safety capabilities, write Samantha Lai and Yoel Roth.
www.techpolicy.press
October 17, 2024 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
If we want to empower consumers and rebuild social media, we need to develop shared trust and safety capabilities, write @samlai.bsky.social and @yoyoel.com.
Online Safety and the “Great Decentralization” – The Perils and Promises of Federated Social Media | TechPolicy.Press
If we want to empower consumers and rebuild social media, we need to develop shared trust and safety capabilities, write Samantha Lai and Yoel Roth.
www.techpolicy.press
October 17, 2024 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
More than anything else I’ve written, my new piece about the “compliance-ization” of Trust and Safety felt like news reporting. It describes major changes in platform content moderation that are self-evident to many people inside platforms, and largely invisible to everyone else.

t.co/pwriZQqZhM
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-rise-of-the-compliant-speech-platform
t.co
October 17, 2024 at 2:44 PM
Decentralized social media platforms offer the promise of alternative governance, but remain ill-equipped to address threats to online safety. How can we change that?

Here’s the latest from @yoyoel.com and I:

www.techpolicy.press/online-safet...
Online Safety and the “Great Decentralization” – The Perils and Promises of Federated Social Media | TechPolicy.Press
If we want to empower consumers and rebuild social media, we need to develop shared trust and safety capabilities, write Samantha Lai and Yoel Roth.
www.techpolicy.press
October 17, 2024 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
And some news! Hurst is publishing my first book, drawing on more than 5 years of work. “The Information Animal: Humans, Technology and the Competition for Reality” argues the need to understand the system to address fears of new tech in the info environment: www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-inf...
The Information Animal | Hurst Publishers
Humanity has always craved, and feared, information. Alicia Wanless offers a fresh understanding of the relationship between people, technology and knowledge, today and throughout history.
www.hurstpublishers.com
October 14, 2024 at 10:24 AM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Oh hey it’s @aaron.bsky.team, @mmasnick.bsky.social @samlai.bsky.social @evan.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy and Liz Arcamona from threads talking T&S in the fediverse
September 26, 2024 at 9:04 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
Should be a really interesting discussion. I'm moderating, but will have representatives from Bluesky, Threads & ActivityPub talking about decentralized moderation...
Very excited to attend the third annual Trust and Safety Research Conference hosted by the Stanford Internet Observatory, where I’ll be speaking on a panel about decentralized platforms and trust & safety with @evan.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy, @aaron.bsky.team, Liz Arcamona and @mmasnick.bsky.social!
September 25, 2024 at 6:04 PM
Very excited to attend the third annual Trust and Safety Research Conference hosted by the Stanford Internet Observatory, where I’ll be speaking on a panel about decentralized platforms and trust & safety with @evan.cosocial.ca.ap.brid.gy, @aaron.bsky.team, Liz Arcamona and @mmasnick.bsky.social!
September 25, 2024 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Samantha Lai
The @stanfordio.bsky.social #TrustandSafety Research Conference is next week, and the agenda is *stacked*

A few things I am particularly excited about ⬇️
September 18, 2024 at 2:36 PM