Jan Rydzak
@janrydzak.bsky.social
Leading Big Tech accountability at the World Benchmarking Alliance. Teeth cut at Ranking Digital Rights (now at WBA), Stanford GDPi, and researching internet shutdowns in the Grand Canyon State.
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
imagine investing in public media and ensuring that media literacy (and spotting unreliable narrators) was integral in primary school education
Finland has emerged as a global leader in countering “fake news”. Here's how they've done it
Teaching when to trust
As fake news accelerates, we need to teach our children how to think critically. Finnish schools are leading the charge
newhumanist.org.uk
December 7, 2025 at 2:32 PM
imagine investing in public media and ensuring that media literacy (and spotting unreliable narrators) was integral in primary school education
Quite a thing to emerge from an end-of-week writing spree and learn about:
1. new policies targeting people in my community as enemies of the state,
2. another colossal corporate mashup further consolidating the tech and media landscape,
3. the Cocomelon Peace Prize.
1. new policies targeting people in my community as enemies of the state,
2. another colossal corporate mashup further consolidating the tech and media landscape,
3. the Cocomelon Peace Prize.
December 5, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Quite a thing to emerge from an end-of-week writing spree and learn about:
1. new policies targeting people in my community as enemies of the state,
2. another colossal corporate mashup further consolidating the tech and media landscape,
3. the Cocomelon Peace Prize.
1. new policies targeting people in my community as enemies of the state,
2. another colossal corporate mashup further consolidating the tech and media landscape,
3. the Cocomelon Peace Prize.
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
December 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
"Although the trading platform surged in popularity last year when people used it to predict the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, a large portion of Kalshi’s trades are actually tied to sports"
so...glorified gambling.
techcrunch.com/2025/12/02/k...
so...glorified gambling.
techcrunch.com/2025/12/02/k...
The co-founder of Kalshi says: " The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion."
December 4, 2025 at 11:46 AM
"Although the trading platform surged in popularity last year when people used it to predict the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, a large portion of Kalshi’s trades are actually tied to sports"
so...glorified gambling.
techcrunch.com/2025/12/02/k...
so...glorified gambling.
techcrunch.com/2025/12/02/k...
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
NY’s new law requires companies to disclose when algorithms set prices. Though it doesn’t stop surveillance pricing, its real power may be giving researchers and watchdogs new ways to investigate algorithmic harms, argues Stephanie T. Nguyen, Fmr. Chief Technologist at the Federal Trade Commission.
How to Test New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Law | TechPolicy.Press
New York’s ADPA exposes algorithmic pricing. Stephanie T. Nguyen discusses how these disclosures could reveal fairness issues and potential consumer impacts.
www.techpolicy.press
November 27, 2025 at 12:28 AM
NY’s new law requires companies to disclose when algorithms set prices. Though it doesn’t stop surveillance pricing, its real power may be giving researchers and watchdogs new ways to investigate algorithmic harms, argues Stephanie T. Nguyen, Fmr. Chief Technologist at the Federal Trade Commission.
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
Coming VERY SOON (tuesday)! WE WILL RISE AGAIN, an anthology of speculative fiction, essays, and interviews about activism that @cxorlando.bsky.social called "An incredibly important book" - pre-order now!
We Will Rise Again
From genre luminaries, esteemed organizers, and exciting new voices in fiction, an anthology of stories, essays, and interviews that offer transfor...
www.simonandschuster.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Coming VERY SOON (tuesday)! WE WILL RISE AGAIN, an anthology of speculative fiction, essays, and interviews about activism that @cxorlando.bsky.social called "An incredibly important book" - pre-order now!
I see the @washingtonpost.com Editorial Board's bold new publishing philosophy is "We generate crude rage bait."
November 8, 2025 at 1:40 AM
I see the @washingtonpost.com Editorial Board's bold new publishing philosophy is "We generate crude rage bait."
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
New: Apple banned an app that simply archived videos of ICE abuses. Rather than other apps that record ICE official's real-time location, Eyes Up is to "preserve evidence until it can be used in court." Videos from TikTok etc. Every submission manually reviewed
www.404media.co/apple-banned...
www.404media.co/apple-banned...
Apple Banned an App That Simply Archived Videos of ICE Abuses
Eyes Up's purpose is to "preserve evidence until it can be used in court." But it has been swept up in Apple's crackdown on ICE-spotting apps.
www.404media.co
October 8, 2025 at 7:13 PM
New: Apple banned an app that simply archived videos of ICE abuses. Rather than other apps that record ICE official's real-time location, Eyes Up is to "preserve evidence until it can be used in court." Videos from TikTok etc. Every submission manually reviewed
www.404media.co/apple-banned...
www.404media.co/apple-banned...
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
The new Platform Work Directive gives workers the right to challenge automated decision-making, to peer inside the algorithms used, to speak to a responsible human about disputes, and to have their privacy and other fundamental rights protected on the job. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
What Europe’s New Gig Work Law Means for Unions and Technology
At EFF, we believe that tech rights are worker’s rights. Since the pandemic, workers of all kinds have been subjected to increasingly invasive forms of bossware. These are the “algorithmic
www.eff.org
October 4, 2025 at 9:01 PM
The new Platform Work Directive gives workers the right to challenge automated decision-making, to peer inside the algorithms used, to speak to a responsible human about disputes, and to have their privacy and other fundamental rights protected on the job. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
“'The fact that we don't have money to pay journalists, but we have money to pay Bari Weiss between $100 and 200 million is indicative of what the Ellisons' true goal here is,' a network correspondent said. 'And it's not journalism.'"
CBS News staffers are ‘literally freaking out’ about Bari Weiss taking over newsroom
EXCLUSIVE: ‘People are using words like depressing and doomsday – feels like some sort of doomsday,’ one source told The Independent about the mood inside CBS News right now.
www.independent.co.uk
October 3, 2025 at 8:49 PM
“'The fact that we don't have money to pay journalists, but we have money to pay Bari Weiss between $100 and 200 million is indicative of what the Ellisons' true goal here is,' a network correspondent said. 'And it's not journalism.'"
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
The richest man on earth owns X.
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
September 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The richest man on earth owns X.
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
so many dead canaries and we just keep on mining
September 17, 2025 at 11:10 PM
so many dead canaries and we just keep on mining
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits
September 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
the complete embrace of nihilism and the rejection of being genuine is the greatest danger to humanity right now
August 27, 2025 at 10:06 PM
the complete embrace of nihilism and the rejection of being genuine is the greatest danger to humanity right now
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
D.C. has more residents than two U.S. states. They pay more per capita in federal taxes than any other state.
But they don’t get a serious seat at the table to decide how they’re governed.
D.C. statehood now.
But they don’t get a serious seat at the table to decide how they’re governed.
D.C. statehood now.
August 22, 2025 at 7:47 PM
D.C. has more residents than two U.S. states. They pay more per capita in federal taxes than any other state.
But they don’t get a serious seat at the table to decide how they’re governed.
D.C. statehood now.
But they don’t get a serious seat at the table to decide how they’re governed.
D.C. statehood now.
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
They say phones only make us miserable but I just got this news alert and laughed for a solid minute so who is to say
August 21, 2025 at 2:28 AM
They say phones only make us miserable but I just got this news alert and laughed for a solid minute so who is to say
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
New special coverage at @globalvoices.org to celebrate the Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples!
globalvoices.org/special/day-...
globalvoices.org/special/day-...
Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2025 · Global Voices
Global Voices is celebrating the rich tapestry of Indigenous languages and cultures and how people are working to amplify and promote them within their own communities.
globalvoices.org
August 6, 2025 at 7:55 AM
New special coverage at @globalvoices.org to celebrate the Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples!
globalvoices.org/special/day-...
globalvoices.org/special/day-...
A few months from now, as it bends back toward the dirt, this statue will embody the time-honored Confederate tradition of being humiliated over and over again.
A statue of a Confederate general that demonstrators toppled and burned in D.C. in 2020 will be reinstalled, the National Park Service announces.
Confederate general statue toppled in 2020 to be reinstalled in D.C.
The bronze statue depicting Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, which was torn down and burned by protesters in 2020, is being restored, the Park Service said Monday.
nbcnews.to
August 4, 2025 at 11:11 PM
A few months from now, as it bends back toward the dirt, this statue will embody the time-honored Confederate tradition of being humiliated over and over again.
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
live your life so the pierogi guy doesn't hate you
July 31, 2025 at 10:16 PM
live your life so the pierogi guy doesn't hate you
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
The introduction of age-verification in the UK this weekend appears to be an unmitigated disaster. Anyone accessing socials now has to upload ID, scan their face or otherwise verify. The outrage is widespread and everyone is just finding workarounds.
The government has gone into defense.
The government has gone into defense.
Starmer defends Online Safety Act as `child protection´
Rules introduced under the Act on July 25 require online platforms to take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content.
www.dailymail.co.uk
July 28, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The introduction of age-verification in the UK this weekend appears to be an unmitigated disaster. Anyone accessing socials now has to upload ID, scan their face or otherwise verify. The outrage is widespread and everyone is just finding workarounds.
The government has gone into defense.
The government has gone into defense.
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
Hey is it bad if google AI search results stop people from leaving google dot com 99% of the time? All our news and information creators can survive just fine with one percent of their previous search traffic right? I’m sure it’s fine. www.404media.co/googles-ai-i...
![Yesterday the Pew Research Center released a report based on the internet browsing activity of 900 U.S. adults which found that Google users who encounter an Al summary are less likely to click on links to other websites than use 's who don't encounter an Al summary. To be precise, only [my emphasis] 1 percent of users who encountered an Al summary clicked the link to the page Google is summarizing.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rfoctmk4guq56gensuermj7q/bafkreihrwrukrvisav54a24jeuv7tlhfwe62yvui5d27gxhnopbdworowe@jpeg)
July 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Hey is it bad if google AI search results stop people from leaving google dot com 99% of the time? All our news and information creators can survive just fine with one percent of their previous search traffic right? I’m sure it’s fine. www.404media.co/googles-ai-i...
Reposted by Jan Rydzak
The important thing to understand about the current state of affairs is that Andreessen hired a partner at the most influential VC firm in the tech industry solely on the basis that the man strangled a Black man to death in my neighborhood.
oh, we have some straightforward gutter racism. “the blacks and the browns are the reason white people can’t get ahead” www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
July 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The important thing to understand about the current state of affairs is that Andreessen hired a partner at the most influential VC firm in the tech industry solely on the basis that the man strangled a Black man to death in my neighborhood.
Stoked for this!
I am so excited for this book that I co-edited with @drkarenlord.bsky.social and @annaleen.bsky.social and featuring speculative stories about collective action from incredible writers, plus essays and interviews with activists - if you're excited too, now is a great time to pre-order!
July 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Stoked for this!