Aliya Bhatia
@aliyabhatia.bsky.social
Senior policy analyst, Free Expression @cdt.org
Posts, thoughts, dreams my own.
Not Alia Bhatt
aliya-bhatia.com
Posts, thoughts, dreams my own.
Not Alia Bhatt
aliya-bhatia.com
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
Interested in #TechPolicy #internships? Join us at @cdt.org next summer! Several options: Legal, research, comms, etc.
cdt.org/careers/
cdt.org/careers/
Careers
Current Openingsfind yourself engaged in passionate discussions about privacy policies? Are you yearning to put your expertise to work on internet neutrality legislation? If so, you might be a great f...
cdt.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Interested in #TechPolicy #internships? Join us at @cdt.org next summer! Several options: Legal, research, comms, etc.
cdt.org/careers/
cdt.org/careers/
Incredibly well-argued piece countering Haidt's Anxious Generation written with such passion and care from youth advocate Maximilian Milovidov. "Could it be that our phones became mirrors of a broken adult world, not the cause of its fractures?" joanganzcooneycenter.org/2025/11/06/w...
We're Not The Anxious Generation
In his best-selling book, The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt argues that smartphones have “rewired” childhood and broken a generation. He calls Gen-Z the least flourishing generation in modern hi...
joanganzcooneycenter.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Incredibly well-argued piece countering Haidt's Anxious Generation written with such passion and care from youth advocate Maximilian Milovidov. "Could it be that our phones became mirrors of a broken adult world, not the cause of its fractures?" joanganzcooneycenter.org/2025/11/06/w...
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
In CDT’s latest blog, Andy Crawford explains why it’s time for Congress and US DOT to step up and protect travelers’ privacy — even at 30,000 feet.
Totally Exposed at 30,000 Feet
Airlines know an awful lot about their customers. They know where they travel to and from and when they do it. They know their names, contact information, frequent flyer numbers, credit card numbers, and details from travel documents like driver’s licenses or passports. They collect data about individual passengers’ meal preferences, seat assignments, and the […]
cdt.org
November 6, 2025 at 8:49 PM
In CDT’s latest blog, Andy Crawford explains why it’s time for Congress and US DOT to step up and protect travelers’ privacy — even at 30,000 feet.
"It turns out you can’t rely on your citizenship or legal status to save you — whether you’re grabbed off the street and held in ICE detention could be determined by the whims of erratic AI software." Read my colleague @jakelaperruque.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/ices-reckles...
ICE’s Reckless Reliance on Facial Recognition Puts Us All In Danger | TechPolicy.Press
Jake Laperruque raises the alarm on ICE’s reckless use of facial recognition and its risks for wrongful detainment.
www.techpolicy.press
November 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
"It turns out you can’t rely on your citizenship or legal status to save you — whether you’re grabbed off the street and held in ICE detention could be determined by the whims of erratic AI software." Read my colleague @jakelaperruque.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/ices-reckles...
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
MUST READ: CDT’s @aliyabhatia.bsky.social & @npdoty.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy propose safeguards that should accompany mandates to deploy age assurance mechanisms to mitigate risks to users’ rights, along with privacy-preserving alternatives to age verification.
Mitigating risk to rights with age verification: Privacy-preserving guardrails that should accompany deployments of age verification approaches
Around the world, age verification tools are popping up more and more frequently. In the UK, in the aftermath of the enactment of the Online Safety Act, users have been required to to submit identity documents or have their faces scanned to access not just adult-content providers and even certain other online content on services […]
cdt.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:30 PM
MUST READ: CDT’s @aliyabhatia.bsky.social & @npdoty.techpolicy.social.ap.brid.gy propose safeguards that should accompany mandates to deploy age assurance mechanisms to mitigate risks to users’ rights, along with privacy-preserving alternatives to age verification.
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
Treating facial recognition as a definitive ID is at odds with virtually every law enforcement agency in America that has policies & procedures for using the tech.
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
October 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Treating facial recognition as a definitive ID is at odds with virtually every law enforcement agency in America that has policies & procedures for using the tech.
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
Don't treat a match as a defintive ID is perhaps the most basic rule of the tech, including by DHS. These actions violate agency rules:
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
A chilling story about an ex-partner weaponizing Apple's family sharing. www.wired.com/story/apples...
This happened with AirTags and connected car services (see @kashhill.bsky.social). And apparently it's hard to ditch the primary account holder when they're no longer part of the family.
This happened with AirTags and connected car services (see @kashhill.bsky.social). And apparently it's hard to ditch the primary account holder when they're no longer part of the family.
October 29, 2025 at 11:46 AM
A chilling story about an ex-partner weaponizing Apple's family sharing. www.wired.com/story/apples...
This happened with AirTags and connected car services (see @kashhill.bsky.social). And apparently it's hard to ditch the primary account holder when they're no longer part of the family.
This happened with AirTags and connected car services (see @kashhill.bsky.social). And apparently it's hard to ditch the primary account holder when they're no longer part of the family.
Humbled to be on a panel with truly inspirational leaders tomorrow talking about the flawed and prejudicial beliefs underpinning social media monitoring technologies and the chilling effects of using this tech to surveil immigrants (and the citizens the tech dragnet inevitably catches too). Tune in!
Starting tomorrow! Join CDT & Stand Together Trust for The Age of Constitutional Evasion: Jawboning and Other Forms of Government Pressure to Control Private Speech — a 2-day virtual event exploring free expression & government influence online.
📅 Oct 28–29 | 12–3 PM ET
🔗 standtogether.swoogo...
📅 Oct 28–29 | 12–3 PM ET
🔗 standtogether.swoogo...
October 28, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Humbled to be on a panel with truly inspirational leaders tomorrow talking about the flawed and prejudicial beliefs underpinning social media monitoring technologies and the chilling effects of using this tech to surveil immigrants (and the citizens the tech dragnet inevitably catches too). Tune in!
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
I receive so many questions about what research in civil society is like -- Join our virtual panel to hear more about exactly that! @cdt.org @datasociety.bsky.social @aclu.org
With @thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social @alicetiara.bsky.social and @mkgerchick.bsky.social
To register:
cdt.org/event/advoca...
With @thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social @alicetiara.bsky.social and @mkgerchick.bsky.social
To register:
cdt.org/event/advoca...
Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society
Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society November 13, 2025, 10-11am ET online Civil society is struggling to address how technology and the tech industry contribute to e...
cdt.org
October 27, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I receive so many questions about what research in civil society is like -- Join our virtual panel to hear more about exactly that! @cdt.org @datasociety.bsky.social @aclu.org
With @thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social @alicetiara.bsky.social and @mkgerchick.bsky.social
To register:
cdt.org/event/advoca...
With @thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social @alicetiara.bsky.social and @mkgerchick.bsky.social
To register:
cdt.org/event/advoca...
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
"Today, as we see the American civic space becoming more hostile to protest, and weapons of state power wielded aggressively against dissenting views, it is time once again to demonstrate that Canada’s Charter values are distinct, by recognizing the importance of protest to our democratic order."
Opinion: Bill C-9 puts Canadians’ Charter rights in peril
The Combatting Hate Act is far too broad in the powers it grants to police and prosecutors in dealing with protests
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 27, 2025 at 4:56 PM
"Today, as we see the American civic space becoming more hostile to protest, and weapons of state power wielded aggressively against dissenting views, it is time once again to demonstrate that Canada’s Charter values are distinct, by recognizing the importance of protest to our democratic order."
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
Online censorship is one of the many levers of state power right-wingers have been pulling to try and snuff out queer and trans existence. But instead of fighting back, some Democrats are helping them at the controls. Read the full #OpEd from @fightforthefuture.org
Why Are Some Democrats Backing MAGA's Anti-LGBTQ+ Censorship?
From late-night host cancellations to removing LGBTQ+ history from government sites, politicians in both parties are contributing to the overwriting of the internet — a place where lots of queer and t...
www.teenvogue.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Online censorship is one of the many levers of state power right-wingers have been pulling to try and snuff out queer and trans existence. But instead of fighting back, some Democrats are helping them at the controls. Read the full #OpEd from @fightforthefuture.org
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
The federal government "jawbones" private companies by pressuring them to silence voices they can’t legally censor themselves, and Big Tech has erased ICE‑watching apps and an ICE-Sighting Chicago Facebook group.
The full story: lataco.com/big-tech-ice
By Nik Venet
The full story: lataco.com/big-tech-ice
By Nik Venet
October 21, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The federal government "jawbones" private companies by pressuring them to silence voices they can’t legally censor themselves, and Big Tech has erased ICE‑watching apps and an ICE-Sighting Chicago Facebook group.
The full story: lataco.com/big-tech-ice
By Nik Venet
The full story: lataco.com/big-tech-ice
By Nik Venet
one day I will learn how to spell jeopardize correctly in the first go
October 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
one day I will learn how to spell jeopardize correctly in the first go
Not a zoho ad on a dc bus
October 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Not a zoho ad on a dc bus
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...
www.propublica.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
BREAKING from PP
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*
The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:
Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer
More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado
www.propublica.org/article/immi...
by @nicolefoy.bsky.social
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
📢 Today, CDT Europe is proud to announce the creation of its new Advisory Council, an exciting milestone for our organisation as we strengthen our work at the intersection of #technology, policy, and democracy in Europe.
👇🏻 Read more on our website: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
👇🏻 Read more on our website: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
CDT Europe Announces Inaugural Advisory Council
The Advisory Council Membersto announce the creation of its new Advisory Council, an exciting milestone for our organisation as we strengthen our work at the intersection of technology, policy, and de...
cdt.org
October 16, 2025 at 9:58 AM
📢 Today, CDT Europe is proud to announce the creation of its new Advisory Council, an exciting milestone for our organisation as we strengthen our work at the intersection of #technology, policy, and democracy in Europe.
👇🏻 Read more on our website: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
👇🏻 Read more on our website: cdt.org/insights/cdt...
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
The perfect coda to this story: after publication, the State Department's press office responded to my questions about the legal basis for revoking visas based on speech. Their response, in full (we were NOT off-record).
October 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
The perfect coda to this story: after publication, the State Department's press office responded to my questions about the legal basis for revoking visas based on speech. Their response, in full (we were NOT off-record).
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
I have a lot of respect for Zolan Kanno-Youngs and @haleaziz.bsky.social and have talked to both many times in the past. That the Times lets them be so blunt about what is happening with the U.S. refugee admissions program is a good sign of how much the Trump admin is not even trying to deny it.
October 15, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I have a lot of respect for Zolan Kanno-Youngs and @haleaziz.bsky.social and have talked to both many times in the past. That the Times lets them be so blunt about what is happening with the U.S. refugee admissions program is a good sign of how much the Trump admin is not even trying to deny it.
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
“This shift in policy also signals a change in the US’ stance on internet freedom globally. Once a global leader in championing individual rights & freedoms, the US is now peer to nations w/ authoritarian surveillance regimes, getting closer to actors that are not respectful of individual rights.”
October 9, 2025 at 10:51 PM
“This shift in policy also signals a change in the US’ stance on internet freedom globally. Once a global leader in championing individual rights & freedoms, the US is now peer to nations w/ authoritarian surveillance regimes, getting closer to actors that are not respectful of individual rights.”
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
CDT’s @aliyabhatia.bsky.social in BankInfoSecurity: “This case lays bare the privacy risks of even so-called 'privacy-protective' age-assurance approaches.”
Discord Vendor Hack Exposes ID Data in Ransom Bid
A vendor breach linked to Discord exposed government ID uploads used in age verification, raising alarms among privacy experts who warn that third-party data
www.bankinfosecurity.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:47 PM
CDT’s @aliyabhatia.bsky.social in BankInfoSecurity: “This case lays bare the privacy risks of even so-called 'privacy-protective' age-assurance approaches.”
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
Strong report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Protection of Freedom of Expression on "the paradigm shift" in the governance of social media platforms that has "alarming consequences for freedom of expression online". www.ohchr.org/en/documents...
A/80/341: Threats to freedom of expression online in turbulent times
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression focuses on a paradigm shift in the governance of social media platforms ...
www.ohchr.org
October 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Strong report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Protection of Freedom of Expression on "the paradigm shift" in the governance of social media platforms that has "alarming consequences for freedom of expression online". www.ohchr.org/en/documents...
Request for headline writers to stop using the phrase "Gen Z protest". So many protests and movements have been mobilized by young people - what's new?
October 7, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Request for headline writers to stop using the phrase "Gen Z protest". So many protests and movements have been mobilized by young people - what's new?
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
I wrote about an under-appreciated aspect of AAUP v. Rubio. It is the first case of the Trump Era to explicitly identify and reject the primary and most pernicious form of speech suppression employed by this Administration: Chill.
balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/aaup...
balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/aaup...
Balkinization: AAUP v. Rubio and the Big Chill
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
I wrote about an under-appreciated aspect of AAUP v. Rubio. It is the first case of the Trump Era to explicitly identify and reject the primary and most pernicious form of speech suppression employed by this Administration: Chill.
balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/aaup...
balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/aaup...
Reposted by Aliya Bhatia
Join us at APRIGF 2025 on 13 October at 10 AM IST for a virtual fireside chat with @aliyabhatia.bsky.social of Center for Democracy & Technology and Torsha Sarkar on how content moderation practices of LLM-powered chatbots may be shaping content governance norms across the APAC region!
October 7, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Join us at APRIGF 2025 on 13 October at 10 AM IST for a virtual fireside chat with @aliyabhatia.bsky.social of Center for Democracy & Technology and Torsha Sarkar on how content moderation practices of LLM-powered chatbots may be shaping content governance norms across the APAC region!