VassB
@vassb.bsky.social
policy designer + writer
Managing Director of the Canadian Shield Institute (@canadianshieldinstitute.ca)
+ Co-author of The Big Fix, which is all about improving Canada’s competition policy
https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/product/the-big-fix/
Managing Director of the Canadian Shield Institute (@canadianshieldinstitute.ca)
+ Co-author of The Big Fix, which is all about improving Canada’s competition policy
https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/product/the-big-fix/
Reposted by VassB
Bank of Canada surveys show persistent pessimism among firms and consumers as the ongoing US trade war deepens uncertainty.
Trade Uncertainty Sapping Optimism, Bank of Canada Surveys Show
Bank of Canada surveys show persistent pessimism among firms and consumers as the ongoing US trade war deepens uncertainty.
bloom.bg
January 20, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Bank of Canada surveys show persistent pessimism among firms and consumers as the ongoing US trade war deepens uncertainty.
Reposted by VassB
Online hate and disinformation do not have easy solutions. But the Trump administration’s lies about European regulation are not about free speech. They are about power – preserving its own, promoting its far-right allies in Europe, and protecting Big Tech, writes David Kaye. buff.ly/ruwwdxJ
The Trump Lie About Europe and Why it Matters
The Trump administration is promoting disinformation about European law and policy for reasons that go well beyond social media regulation, writes David Kaye.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Online hate and disinformation do not have easy solutions. But the Trump administration’s lies about European regulation are not about free speech. They are about power – preserving its own, promoting its far-right allies in Europe, and protecting Big Tech, writes David Kaye. buff.ly/ruwwdxJ
“
Extraordinary article from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. But I’m going to say this again, where are the Democrats saying that any illegal or forced annexation of Greenland will be reversed as soon as they take power. Why aren’t they making this clear www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
Opinion | I’m the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. This Is Something I Thought I’d Never Have to Write.
www.nytimes.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:14 AM
“
Reposted by VassB
I was very pleased to join Paul Haavardsrud on CBC's Cost of Living to talk about the economic national security elements of Canada's trade agreement with China.
www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.
www.cbc.ca
January 18, 2026 at 6:45 PM
I was very pleased to join Paul Haavardsrud on CBC's Cost of Living to talk about the economic national security elements of Canada's trade agreement with China.
www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
Reposted by VassB
In the second Trump administration, online conspiracy theories are shaping real-world policies like never before.
Everything Is Content for the ‘Clicktatorship’
In the second Trump administration, online conspiracy theories are shaping real-world policies like never before.
wrd.cm
January 18, 2026 at 4:05 PM
In the second Trump administration, online conspiracy theories are shaping real-world policies like never before.
Reposted by VassB
Grok stands as the clearest example of an AI that is both ideologically aligned and operationally embedded in a social media platform, says Matthew Kirschenbaum; its mechanisms should be taken apart under bright lights, in much the same way people learn how to defuse a bomb. buff.ly/BveKSAw
Grok is an Epistemic Weapon
Elon Musk's Grok claims to be truth-seeking while shaping discourse and amplifying ideology, argues Matthew Kirschenbaum.
buff.ly
January 17, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Grok stands as the clearest example of an AI that is both ideologically aligned and operationally embedded in a social media platform, says Matthew Kirschenbaum; its mechanisms should be taken apart under bright lights, in much the same way people learn how to defuse a bomb. buff.ly/BveKSAw
Reposted by VassB
New tariff just dropped.
Americans set to pay an additional 10% tax on all goods from Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
It starts in two weeks, rising to 25% by June.
(Aside: A trade war with one EU country is a trade war with the entire EU).
Americans set to pay an additional 10% tax on all goods from Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
It starts in two weeks, rising to 25% by June.
(Aside: A trade war with one EU country is a trade war with the entire EU).
January 17, 2026 at 5:26 PM
New tariff just dropped.
Americans set to pay an additional 10% tax on all goods from Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
It starts in two weeks, rising to 25% by June.
(Aside: A trade war with one EU country is a trade war with the entire EU).
Americans set to pay an additional 10% tax on all goods from Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
It starts in two weeks, rising to 25% by June.
(Aside: A trade war with one EU country is a trade war with the entire EU).
Reposted by VassB
My story from Mexico this week. It’s part of a package of reports in the Globe this weekend from places particularly feeling the Trump threat post-Venezuela, all of which I think are worth your time. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Mexico’s cool-headed Trump strategy faces new tests after Venezuela
So far, Claudia Sheinbaum has urged her country to play it cool. U.S. actions in Latin America are making industries nervous
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 17, 2026 at 4:52 PM
My story from Mexico this week. It’s part of a package of reports in the Globe this weekend from places particularly feeling the Trump threat post-Venezuela, all of which I think are worth your time. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Reposted by VassB
As more and more AI slop dominates our feeds, some digital platforms are drawing lines in the sand. YouTube won’t monetize AI-generated content. Vine is relaunching with a no-AI policy. Spotify, on the other hand, is making no such distinction. thewalrus.ca/can-canadian-cul...
January 10, 2026 at 11:01 PM
As more and more AI slop dominates our feeds, some digital platforms are drawing lines in the sand. YouTube won’t monetize AI-generated content. Vine is relaunching with a no-AI policy. Spotify, on the other hand, is making no such distinction. thewalrus.ca/can-canadian-cul...
Reposted by VassB
We’re all participating in an ongoing pricing experiment—and most of us don’t even know it.
Prices are becoming increasingly individualized, with consumers targeted using data they never explicitly agreed to share. Vass Bednar explores: https://ow.ly/c0hp50XXGcp
Prices are becoming increasingly individualized, with consumers targeted using data they never explicitly agreed to share. Vass Bednar explores: https://ow.ly/c0hp50XXGcp
January 16, 2026 at 5:01 PM
We’re all participating in an ongoing pricing experiment—and most of us don’t even know it.
Prices are becoming increasingly individualized, with consumers targeted using data they never explicitly agreed to share. Vass Bednar explores: https://ow.ly/c0hp50XXGcp
Prices are becoming increasingly individualized, with consumers targeted using data they never explicitly agreed to share. Vass Bednar explores: https://ow.ly/c0hp50XXGcp
Reposted by VassB
A single line from Mark Carney’s Beijing press conference stopped me in my tracks, so I wrote my column around it. #cdnpoli www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/opi...
Opinion: It’s clear Carney is now dealing with the world ‘as it is’
There are no good guys among the superpowers seeking to carve up the globe like so many pieces of pie
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:29 PM
A single line from Mark Carney’s Beijing press conference stopped me in my tracks, so I wrote my column around it. #cdnpoli www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/opi...
Reposted by VassB
New, from me: A year in, did DOGE deliver on its promises?
Not the promises it made to us (cut spending, modernize government, improve services). It worsened state capacity.
But it was part of a successful broligarchy exercise in state capture. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/a-year-on-...
Not the promises it made to us (cut spending, modernize government, improve services). It worsened state capacity.
But it was part of a successful broligarchy exercise in state capture. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/a-year-on-...
A Year On: The DOGE Disaster
A Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly of your government
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 12:43 PM
New, from me: A year in, did DOGE deliver on its promises?
Not the promises it made to us (cut spending, modernize government, improve services). It worsened state capacity.
But it was part of a successful broligarchy exercise in state capture. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/a-year-on-...
Not the promises it made to us (cut spending, modernize government, improve services). It worsened state capacity.
But it was part of a successful broligarchy exercise in state capture. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/a-year-on-...
Reposted by VassB
Glad this rule is being put into place, but it's a sad state of things that a rule is needed to address this problem
www.theverge.com/news/863597/...
www.theverge.com/news/863597/...
Fortnite blocks creators from selling prize wheel spins
“Do not offer any in-island transactions that directly or indirectly influence prize wheels.”
www.theverge.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Glad this rule is being put into place, but it's a sad state of things that a rule is needed to address this problem
www.theverge.com/news/863597/...
www.theverge.com/news/863597/...
Reposted by VassB
This week in the @canadianshieldinstitute.ca newsletter, @vassb.bsky.social writes about how we don't really have a way to put our money behind national sovereignty.
Here's an idea: Bring back Canada Savings Bonds.
Let's invest in nation building!
app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...
Here's an idea: Bring back Canada Savings Bonds.
Let's invest in nation building!
app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...
January 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM
This week in the @canadianshieldinstitute.ca newsletter, @vassb.bsky.social writes about how we don't really have a way to put our money behind national sovereignty.
Here's an idea: Bring back Canada Savings Bonds.
Let's invest in nation building!
app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...
Here's an idea: Bring back Canada Savings Bonds.
Let's invest in nation building!
app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...
We’ve turned “buying Canadian” into a consumptive hobby. What if we made it an investment option again? We had fun scrolling through @library-archives.canada.ca to look at some of the campaign art associated with savings bonds when they kicked off.
Canada once let citizens invest directly in building the country.
But we scrapped that tool and never replaced it.
As defence and infrastructure needs grow, is it time to revive savings bonds? Read this week’s newsletter here: app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...
But we scrapped that tool and never replaced it.
As defence and infrastructure needs grow, is it time to revive savings bonds? Read this week’s newsletter here: app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...
January 16, 2026 at 5:32 PM
We’ve turned “buying Canadian” into a consumptive hobby. What if we made it an investment option again? We had fun scrolling through @library-archives.canada.ca to look at some of the campaign art associated with savings bonds when they kicked off.
Reposted by VassB
By the point of the article but this struck me as the most interesting line: “only 67% of exports went to the United States in October. That figure, which was as high as 76% before Mr Trump’s tariffs, marks the lowest share of exports going to the United States since 1997.”
Whether or not Donald Trump likes it, a rebalancing of trade between Canada, China and the United States is likely econ.st/4qQqV12
Photo: AP
Photo: AP
January 15, 2026 at 11:08 PM
By the point of the article but this struck me as the most interesting line: “only 67% of exports went to the United States in October. That figure, which was as high as 76% before Mr Trump’s tariffs, marks the lowest share of exports going to the United States since 1997.”
Reposted by VassB
You’re not imagining it: you may be paying more than your neighbour for the exact same item. Algorithms can now serve every individual an individual price tailored by their data, habits, and perceived desperation. Affordability has a new enemy. https://ow.ly/NCHy50XX0LQ
January 15, 2026 at 1:01 PM
You’re not imagining it: you may be paying more than your neighbour for the exact same item. Algorithms can now serve every individual an individual price tailored by their data, habits, and perceived desperation. Affordability has a new enemy. https://ow.ly/NCHy50XX0LQ
Reposted by VassB
A London UK 🇬🇧 private contractor rewrites Wikipedia entries for billionaire oligarchs and corrupt governments (w/ comments from @citizenlab.ca's @fittarelli.com )
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
London PR firm rewrites Wikipedia for governments and billionaires
Founded by Keir Starmer’s comms chief, Portland helps rich clients ‘protect their reputation’ – with a shady, off-the-books service
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:09 PM
A London UK 🇬🇧 private contractor rewrites Wikipedia entries for billionaire oligarchs and corrupt governments (w/ comments from @citizenlab.ca's @fittarelli.com )
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Reposted by VassB
"Everything costs more because the algorithm says so"
@vassb.bsky.social is really on one about personalized pricing. And she's right. It's predatory, and it makes it more difficult for us all to navigate the world.
It should be illegal.
thewalrus.ca/everything-c...
@vassb.bsky.social is really on one about personalized pricing. And she's right. It's predatory, and it makes it more difficult for us all to navigate the world.
It should be illegal.
thewalrus.ca/everything-c...
Everything Costs More Because the Algorithm Says So | The Walrus
Tariffs and inflation dominate headlines, but personalized pricing is the real affordability crisis
thewalrus.ca
January 15, 2026 at 2:19 PM
"Everything costs more because the algorithm says so"
@vassb.bsky.social is really on one about personalized pricing. And she's right. It's predatory, and it makes it more difficult for us all to navigate the world.
It should be illegal.
thewalrus.ca/everything-c...
@vassb.bsky.social is really on one about personalized pricing. And she's right. It's predatory, and it makes it more difficult for us all to navigate the world.
It should be illegal.
thewalrus.ca/everything-c...
Reposted by VassB
Companies now know more than ever about our habits. That’s powerful information — not just for advertising, but to understand how much any given person might pay for something beyond the realities of dynamic pricing.
Different customers, different prices: Companies use data for personalized pricing
Between surveillance pricing and discounting, it's harder than ever to figure out if you're getting the best price.
mktplc.org
January 14, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Companies now know more than ever about our habits. That’s powerful information — not just for advertising, but to understand how much any given person might pay for something beyond the realities of dynamic pricing.
Reposted by VassB
Danish and Greenland ministers just left the White House. It did not go well.
I have a long discussion here of Trump's attempt to get Greenland and why it could lead to World War III.
(Gifted.)
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
I have a long discussion here of Trump's attempt to get Greenland and why it could lead to World War III.
(Gifted.)
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Trump’s Most Dangerous Gambit
His irrational obsession with Greenland could lead to global conflict.
www.theatlantic.com
January 14, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Danish and Greenland ministers just left the White House. It did not go well.
I have a long discussion here of Trump's attempt to get Greenland and why it could lead to World War III.
(Gifted.)
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
I have a long discussion here of Trump's attempt to get Greenland and why it could lead to World War III.
(Gifted.)
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Reposted by VassB
Why Canada’s reaction to the Grok scandal is so muted in the midst of a global outcry
Why Canada’s reaction to the Grok scandal is so muted in the midst of a global outcry
Governments around the world are clamping down on Grok’s production of nonconsensual sexual images. Why does Canada seem to be missing in action?
theconversation.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Why Canada’s reaction to the Grok scandal is so muted in the midst of a global outcry
Reposted by VassB
I wrote about the rise of prediction markets, which have FINALLY made it possible for crypto bros to cosplay as war profiteers while getting fleeced by actual war profiteers
How Prediction Markets Turned Life Into a Dystopian Gambling Experiment
What are Polymarket and Kalshi? Why are they taking over the world? And is there anything stopping actors on these platforms from exploiting almost everything and everyone?
www.theringer.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:28 PM
I wrote about the rise of prediction markets, which have FINALLY made it possible for crypto bros to cosplay as war profiteers while getting fleeced by actual war profiteers
Reposted by VassB
“Without more public shaming, what seems to be the implacable forward march of A.I. is unstoppable,” Jessica Grose writes.
Opinion | Public Shame Is the Most Effective Tool for Battling Big Tech
Our federal government won’t regulate fast enough (or at all), but that doesn’t mean regular Americans are helpless.
nyti.ms
January 14, 2026 at 3:30 PM
“Without more public shaming, what seems to be the implacable forward march of A.I. is unstoppable,” Jessica Grose writes.
Reposted by VassB
