Gretchen Peters
@gretchenpeters.bsky.social
ED of Alliance to Counter Crime Online, Advisory Board of SOMI. Tech companies should have the same duties to protect users on their platforms as brick & mortar companies have to protect people on their premises.
Protecting the privacy of political dissidents and other people who need online anonymity doesn't have to mean you also have to protect pedophiles. It's not an either/or situation. #TOR #CSAM @cdnchildprotect.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Privacy at a cost: the dark web’s main browser helps pedophile networks flourish, experts say
The Tor network’s privacy architecture creates a safe haven for predators to share child sexual abuse material
www.theguardian.com
August 25, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Protecting the privacy of political dissidents and other people who need online anonymity doesn't have to mean you also have to protect pedophiles. It's not an either/or situation. #TOR #CSAM @cdnchildprotect.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
The cult vibes have escaped contain.
Mark Zuckerberg Already Knows Your Life. Now He Wants His AI to Run It
In a sweeping new plan, the Meta CEO is assembling an AI
gizmodo.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM
The cult vibes have escaped contain.
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
UPDATE: This has gotten worse. Blackburn struck a deal to facially exempt certain types of state AI regs, but actually included a provision that would prohibit nearly all regulation on tech companies including those that Blackburn seemed to try to get out of the law
🧵A dangerous part of the fed budget bill would BAN states from regulating AI for 10 yrs unless they forgo $ for broadband expansion. This is bullying + an abdication of Congress' duty to rep constituents instead of tech corps - call your reps ASAP and tell them to remove the provision (1/9)
June 30, 2025 at 1:43 PM
UPDATE: This has gotten worse. Blackburn struck a deal to facially exempt certain types of state AI regs, but actually included a provision that would prohibit nearly all regulation on tech companies including those that Blackburn seemed to try to get out of the law
This crazy provision in the OBBB will remove states’ capacity to regulate driverless vehicles, AI in aircraft, medical devices. It will gut various ongoing lawsuits. Never thought I’d see republicans denying states’ rights!
www.wsj.com/politics/rep...
www.wsj.com/politics/rep...
GOP Aims to Ban State AI Laws After Megabill Deal
Whether recent changes in the Senate will win over other GOP holdouts is an open question
www.wsj.com
June 30, 2025 at 11:13 PM
This crazy provision in the OBBB will remove states’ capacity to regulate driverless vehicles, AI in aircraft, medical devices. It will gut various ongoing lawsuits. Never thought I’d see republicans denying states’ rights!
www.wsj.com/politics/rep...
www.wsj.com/politics/rep...
This is a good start but next time add a few zeros to the fine or it won’t have teeth.
www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-medi...
www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-medi...
Data Protection Commission
The Irish Data Protection Commission has today announced its final decision following an Inquiry into TikTok Technology Limited (“TikTok”).
www.dataprotection.ie
May 4, 2025 at 6:21 PM
This is a good start but next time add a few zeros to the fine or it won’t have teeth.
www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-medi...
www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-medi...
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
There it is.
Curtailing people’s ability to read widely and carefully, to locate, assess, and compare different sources for themselves, and to write in their own voice about what they find and what it means, is arguably more effective than censorship. It is also one of the most obvious effects of generative AI.
April 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
There it is.
Shocking story by @bcmerchant.bsky.social about striking mental health care professionals at #kaiser. This is what #bigtech and #bighealth have in mind for our healthcare. www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/therapists...
Therapists went on a hunger strike to protest 'assembly line' conditions and the automation of mental healthcare
Kaiser mental health workers have been striking for more time with patients, better pay, and to fight algorithmic triage—healthcare automation that puts patients at risk.
www.bloodinthemachine.com
April 12, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Shocking story by @bcmerchant.bsky.social about striking mental health care professionals at #kaiser. This is what #bigtech and #bighealth have in mind for our healthcare. www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/therapists...
Incredible report shared by @counteringcrime.bsky.social's @kenyadan.bsky.social about chimps smuggled from DRC to Indian for a billionaire's zoo.
africageographic.com/stories/how-...
africageographic.com/stories/how-...
How DRC's endangered chimpanzees end up in a billionaire’s Indian zoo - Africa Geographic
Controversy erupts over wild chimpanzees trafficked from DRC to India’s Vantara Zoo using suspect CITES permits. NGOs demand global action
africageographic.com
April 11, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Incredible report shared by @counteringcrime.bsky.social's @kenyadan.bsky.social about chimps smuggled from DRC to Indian for a billionaire's zoo.
africageographic.com/stories/how-...
africageographic.com/stories/how-...
The incredible work of @counteringcrime.bsky.social members @atharproject.bsky.social are now being featured in a documentary. Archeologists go undercover to save antiquities stolen by ISIS and sold on...wait for it...FACEBOOK.
Check out the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngc...
Check out the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngc...
Artifact War: Official Trailer (2024)
YouTube video by IGN
www.youtube.com
April 2, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The incredible work of @counteringcrime.bsky.social members @atharproject.bsky.social are now being featured in a documentary. Archeologists go undercover to save antiquities stolen by ISIS and sold on...wait for it...FACEBOOK.
Check out the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngc...
Check out the trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sngc...
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
“A new survey of the six leading publicly available AI voice cloning tools found that five have easily bypassable safeguards, making it simple to clone a person’s voice without their consent.”
4 of the services only require checking a box saying the person whose voice is used gave authorization.
4 of the services only require checking a box saying the person whose voice is used gave authorization.
AI voice cloning software has flimsy guardrails, report finds
It’s easy to bypass steps that voice cloning services have taken to prevent nonconsensual voice cloning, according to the report.
www.nbcnews.com
March 10, 2025 at 11:42 AM
“A new survey of the six leading publicly available AI voice cloning tools found that five have easily bypassable safeguards, making it simple to clone a person’s voice without their consent.”
4 of the services only require checking a box saying the person whose voice is used gave authorization.
4 of the services only require checking a box saying the person whose voice is used gave authorization.
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
Social media feeds shape what we see—but how do they actually work? Cybersecurity for Democracy Project co-director Laura Edelson details a new framework that breaks down algorithmic feeds into four key dimensions, helping users & researchers understand their impact.
A New Framework for Understanding Algorithmic Feeds and How to Fix Them | TechPolicy.Press
Laura Edelson details a new framework for more useful public conversations about social media feeds and better research into user safety.
www.techpolicy.press
March 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Social media feeds shape what we see—but how do they actually work? Cybersecurity for Democracy Project co-director Laura Edelson details a new framework that breaks down algorithmic feeds into four key dimensions, helping users & researchers understand their impact.
What could possibly go wrong, version 1585826364868573737
@hypervisible.bsky.social @jonathanhaidt.bsky.social
@hypervisible.bsky.social @jonathanhaidt.bsky.social
This mental health chatbot aims to fill the counseling gap at understaffed schools
This mental health chatbot aims to fill the counseling gap at understaffed schools
As school districts struggle to support the mental health of their students, a startup called Sonar Mental Health has built a “wellbeing companion” called Sonny to help. As described in the Wall Street Journal, Sonny is a chatbot that relies on a…
tcrn.ch
February 24, 2025 at 2:21 AM
What could possibly go wrong, version 1585826364868573737
@hypervisible.bsky.social @jonathanhaidt.bsky.social
@hypervisible.bsky.social @jonathanhaidt.bsky.social
"We can’t have solutions that swap in one obstacle for
families with another... it just won’t work if we remove Section 230 immunity, but replace it with the requirement that a plaintiff must plead the platform had actual
knowledge" of CSAM or trafficking crimes. 🙌👏 @cagoldberglaw.bsky.social
families with another... it just won’t work if we remove Section 230 immunity, but replace it with the requirement that a plaintiff must plead the platform had actual
knowledge" of CSAM or trafficking crimes. 🙌👏 @cagoldberglaw.bsky.social
February 20, 2025 at 1:26 AM
"We can’t have solutions that swap in one obstacle for
families with another... it just won’t work if we remove Section 230 immunity, but replace it with the requirement that a plaintiff must plead the platform had actual
knowledge" of CSAM or trafficking crimes. 🙌👏 @cagoldberglaw.bsky.social
families with another... it just won’t work if we remove Section 230 immunity, but replace it with the requirement that a plaintiff must plead the platform had actual
knowledge" of CSAM or trafficking crimes. 🙌👏 @cagoldberglaw.bsky.social
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
Match Group made a show of hiring trust & safety workers to assure users it platform was safe. When negative media attention and congressional scrutiny died down, the company laid off its core safety team and outsourced their jobs.
Read more from @eedugdale.bsky.social & Hanisha Harjani:
Read more from @eedugdale.bsky.social & Hanisha Harjani:
Rape under wraps: how Tinder, Hinge and their corporate owner chose profits over safety
Match Group has known for years about abusive users on its dozen dating apps, but leaves millions of people in the dark
www.theguardian.com
February 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Match Group made a show of hiring trust & safety workers to assure users it platform was safe. When negative media attention and congressional scrutiny died down, the company laid off its core safety team and outsourced their jobs.
Read more from @eedugdale.bsky.social & Hanisha Harjani:
Read more from @eedugdale.bsky.social & Hanisha Harjani:
I applaud #tinasmith for retiring at an appropriate age and wish every US Senator her age and older would follow her lead. #termlimits
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/u...
Senator Tina Smith Won’t Run in 2026 as Democrats Face a Brutal Map
The Minnesota Democrat will leave her party defending another open seat as it confronts an uphill battle to retake the Senate. The move could also prompt a run from Gov. Tim Walz.
www.nytimes.com
February 18, 2025 at 11:09 PM
I applaud #tinasmith for retiring at an appropriate age and wish every US Senator her age and older would follow her lead. #termlimits
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/u...
I recommend @techpolicypress.bsky.social for balanced (ie not tech funded) analysis of tech policy.
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buff.ly
February 1, 2025 at 2:12 PM
I recommend @techpolicypress.bsky.social for balanced (ie not tech funded) analysis of tech policy.
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
Are social media companies doing enough to combat illegal wildlife trafficking? Numbers from new report suggest they are blocking fewer postings. Read more: wp.me/p9BenY-1Q3 @gretchenpeters.bsky.social @sarahdurant.bsky.social @alexverbeek.bsky.social @bigearthdata.bsky.social
Social Media Companies Removing Fewer Posts by Traffickers in Illegal Wildlife · Eye on Global Transparency
By Toby McIntosh Social media companies may have slowed down in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking online, according to a numerical hint dropped by…
wp.me
January 29, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Are social media companies doing enough to combat illegal wildlife trafficking? Numbers from new report suggest they are blocking fewer postings. Read more: wp.me/p9BenY-1Q3 @gretchenpeters.bsky.social @sarahdurant.bsky.social @alexverbeek.bsky.social @bigearthdata.bsky.social
I did it years ago. I got back tons of time and my mental health improved.
Google searches for deleting Facebook, Instagram explode after Meta ends fact-checking
Google searches for deleting Facebook, Instagram explode after Meta ends fact-checking
Google searches for how to cancel and delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts have seen explosive rises in the U.S. since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will end its third-party fact-checking system, loosen content moderation…
tcrn.ch
January 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I did it years ago. I got back tons of time and my mental health improved.
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
Fact checking is free speech.
January 8, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Fact checking is free speech.
Translation: We still quietly take money from Meta so we will applaud their bullshit moves but frame it as a good faith effort while pretending to be guardians of personal freedom when we are actually tech industry puppets.
We applaud Meta’s efforts to try to fix its over-censorship problem but will watch closely to make sure it is a good-faith effort and rolled out fairly and not merely a political maneuver to accommodate the upcoming U.S. administration change.
EFF Statement on Meta's Announcement of Revisions to Its Content Moderation Processes
In general, EFF supports moves that bring more freedom of expression and transparency to platforms—regardless of their political motivation. We’re encouraged by Meta's recognition that automated flagg...
www.eff.org
January 8, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Translation: We still quietly take money from Meta so we will applaud their bullshit moves but frame it as a good faith effort while pretending to be guardians of personal freedom when we are actually tech industry puppets.
Reposted by Gretchen Peters
From @anntelnaes.bsky.social: "As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post." anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-qui...
Why I'm quitting the Washington Post
Democracy can't function without a free press
anntelnaes.substack.com
January 4, 2025 at 2:10 AM
From @anntelnaes.bsky.social: "As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post." anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-qui...
#Meta takes down too much harmless stuff, and leaves up too much bad stuff, so you're really failing on both ends @nickclegg.
www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24...
www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24...
Meta says it’s mistakenly moderating too much
A top exec says the company is working to bring down its moderation “error rates.”
www.theverge.com
December 6, 2024 at 5:34 PM
#Meta takes down too much harmless stuff, and leaves up too much bad stuff, so you're really failing on both ends @nickclegg.
www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24...
www.theverge.com/2024/12/3/24...
Huge news in the tech litigation space!! Snap's petition in the CA Appeals Court has been denied. Neville v Snap now moves into discovery.
December 6, 2024 at 12:44 AM
Huge news in the tech litigation space!! Snap's petition in the CA Appeals Court has been denied. Neville v Snap now moves into discovery.