Kerry Maeve Sheehan
@kmaeve.bsky.social
Legal Advocacy Counsel at Chamber of Progress. Tech Policy lawyer. Free speech, free culture, free people enthusiast. Former iFixit, Meta, EFF, Public Knowledge. Feminist. She/her. Views my own.
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Tackled by ICE agents, tear-gassed by CBP: Since 2017, @pressfreedomtracker.us has documented immigration-related press freedom violations against journalists, including incidents tagged under immigration, Department of Homeland Security and ICE detention.
Explore more here:
Explore more here:
Immigration-related press freedom violations, 2017-present
Immigration-related press freedom violations, 2017-present
pressfreedomtracker.us
November 14, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Tackled by ICE agents, tear-gassed by CBP: Since 2017, @pressfreedomtracker.us has documented immigration-related press freedom violations against journalists, including incidents tagged under immigration, Department of Homeland Security and ICE detention.
Explore more here:
Explore more here:
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Mamdani cracks 1M votes, the first NYC mayor to do so since John Lindsay in 1969
November 5, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Mamdani cracks 1M votes, the first NYC mayor to do so since John Lindsay in 1969
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Congratulations to the people of MAINE
QUESTION ONE WAS DEFEATED
VOTED NO !!
QUESTION ONE WAS DEFEATED
VOTED NO !!
November 5, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Congratulations to the people of MAINE
QUESTION ONE WAS DEFEATED
VOTED NO !!
QUESTION ONE WAS DEFEATED
VOTED NO !!
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Live Updates: In New York, Mayor’s Race Draws Highest Turnout Since 2001 www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
Live Updates: Mamdani Wins N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race After Highest Turnout in Decades
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Live Updates: In New York, Mayor’s Race Draws Highest Turnout Since 2001 www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
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 Kerry Maeve Sheehan
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 27, 2025 at 10:11 PM
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...
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
ICE had access to a nationwide network of AI-enabled surveillance cameras that constantly track vehicles', and by extension peoples, movements without a warrant www.404media.co/ice-secret-s...
October 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
ICE had access to a nationwide network of AI-enabled surveillance cameras that constantly track vehicles', and by extension peoples, movements without a warrant www.404media.co/ice-secret-s...
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
The politician in South Carolina who has introduced a bill redefining contraception as abortion also wants people who share websites to be charged with aiding and abetting homicide.
October 16, 2025 at 5:37 AM
The politician in South Carolina who has introduced a bill redefining contraception as abortion also wants people who share websites to be charged with aiding and abetting homicide.
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Bluesky and Dreamwidth blocked all Mississippi users from using their services because Mississippi’s oppressive age verification mandate makes it impossible for smaller platforms to comply. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Age Verification Is A Windfall for Big Tech—And A Death Sentence For
If you live in Mississippi, you may have noticed that you are no longer able to log into your Bluesky or Dreamwidth accounts from within the state. That’s because, in a chilling early warning sign
www.eff.org
September 14, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Bluesky and Dreamwidth blocked all Mississippi users from using their services because Mississippi’s oppressive age verification mandate makes it impossible for smaller platforms to comply. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
The FTC is vastly overstepping its authority, and forcing Pornhub to take actions that will effectively keep actual CSAM purveyors out of jail.
Prosecutors can't use the results of these state-mandated scans as evidence in prosecutions w/o a warrant. That's under a ruling by then-Judge Gorsuch.
Prosecutors can't use the results of these state-mandated scans as evidence in prosecutions w/o a warrant. That's under a ruling by then-Judge Gorsuch.
BREAKING: A Utah federal judge just approved the proposed stipulated order. That is, the government has now officially ordered Aylo to scan all uploaded files for CSAM & NCII. That means Aylo is an agent of the government under the 4th Amendment. Criminal defense attorneys, start your engines.
This is SO problematic:
* If imperfect content moderation is a deceptive-prong violation, then any UGC platform is a target, bc perfection is impossible.
* Big 4A govt agent problems if this means Aylo must monitor uploads.
* 18 USC 2257 is not the FTC's to enforce.
www.ftc.gov/news-events/...
* If imperfect content moderation is a deceptive-prong violation, then any UGC platform is a target, bc perfection is impossible.
* Big 4A govt agent problems if this means Aylo must monitor uploads.
* 18 USC 2257 is not the FTC's to enforce.
www.ftc.gov/news-events/...
September 8, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The FTC is vastly overstepping its authority, and forcing Pornhub to take actions that will effectively keep actual CSAM purveyors out of jail.
Prosecutors can't use the results of these state-mandated scans as evidence in prosecutions w/o a warrant. That's under a ruling by then-Judge Gorsuch.
Prosecutors can't use the results of these state-mandated scans as evidence in prosecutions w/o a warrant. That's under a ruling by then-Judge Gorsuch.
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Also, since FTC regulates via consent orders, not litigation, this order puts *other* adult & UGC sites on notice that scanning is now expected. So CSAM/NCII defendants caught by scans on *other* sites can point to the Aylo order and say "see, this scan wasn't voluntary, it was for fear of FTC."
The FTC is vastly overstepping its authority, and forcing Pornhub to take actions that will effectively keep actual CSAM purveyors out of jail.
Prosecutors can't use the results of these state-mandated scans as evidence in prosecutions w/o a warrant. That's under a ruling by then-Judge Gorsuch.
Prosecutors can't use the results of these state-mandated scans as evidence in prosecutions w/o a warrant. That's under a ruling by then-Judge Gorsuch.
BREAKING: A Utah federal judge just approved the proposed stipulated order. That is, the government has now officially ordered Aylo to scan all uploaded files for CSAM & NCII. That means Aylo is an agent of the government under the 4th Amendment. Criminal defense attorneys, start your engines.
September 8, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Also, since FTC regulates via consent orders, not litigation, this order puts *other* adult & UGC sites on notice that scanning is now expected. So CSAM/NCII defendants caught by scans on *other* sites can point to the Aylo order and say "see, this scan wasn't voluntary, it was for fear of FTC."
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
In looking at the impacts of the UK Online Safety act, a huge takeaway is not more transparency, but rather the emergence of a thicket of snarled law you must wade through to understand anything
Which of course increases dependence on European consultancy now necessary to meet compliance standards…
Which of course increases dependence on European consultancy now necessary to meet compliance standards…
Keeping up with UKOS is fine if you have a giant public policy team like Meta or Alphabet. But for me, or small NGOs, or Wikimedia... It's a meaningful barrier that you can't understand what is going on without reading twenty interconnected documents and understanding a complex procedural history.
August 13, 2025 at 4:47 PM
In looking at the impacts of the UK Online Safety act, a huge takeaway is not more transparency, but rather the emergence of a thicket of snarled law you must wade through to understand anything
Which of course increases dependence on European consultancy now necessary to meet compliance standards…
Which of course increases dependence on European consultancy now necessary to meet compliance standards…
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
OK, I read the UK ruling about Wikipedia and the Online Safety Act, and... I definitely don't recommend it. Unless you enjoy the elevation of process over substance, in which case go for it.
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
www.judiciary.uk
August 12, 2025 at 5:38 PM
OK, I read the UK ruling about Wikipedia and the Online Safety Act, and... I definitely don't recommend it. Unless you enjoy the elevation of process over substance, in which case go for it.
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
just like cigarette companies and McDonald’s trying to hook kids young, scanning faces with liveness detection (for a population that may not have an ID or credit card yet) means collecting their biometric data and getting them used to handing it over early
August 6, 2025 at 5:49 PM
just like cigarette companies and McDonald’s trying to hook kids young, scanning faces with liveness detection (for a population that may not have an ID or credit card yet) means collecting their biometric data and getting them used to handing it over early
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
the roll out age verification in the UK has clearly been devastating (clear examples of censorship & discrimination, & they’re scanning young people’s faces) but if platforms are also now blocking VPN workarounds that’s the end of the ability to “freely travel” online
August 6, 2025 at 5:43 PM
the roll out age verification in the UK has clearly been devastating (clear examples of censorship & discrimination, & they’re scanning young people’s faces) but if platforms are also now blocking VPN workarounds that’s the end of the ability to “freely travel” online
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Website/device age verification is a privacy and security nightmare and everyone who tells you that this is a solved problem is lying to you.
Looks like we’re going to get age verification on our phones. gizmodo.com/supreme-cour...
Supreme Court Says Age Verification Laws for Porn Sites Are Constitutional
Nineteen states have age verification laws.
gizmodo.com
June 27, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Website/device age verification is a privacy and security nightmare and everyone who tells you that this is a solved problem is lying to you.
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
"Now is not the time to introduce a new, abuse-prone tool that can be used to silence reporting and limit what users see online." Read the latest from @mrose.ink:
Oh Look, a New Censorship Tool
Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. We work to shape policy.
publicknowledge.org
June 13, 2025 at 5:04 PM
"Now is not the time to introduce a new, abuse-prone tool that can be used to silence reporting and limit what users see online." Read the latest from @mrose.ink:
Reposted by Kerry Maeve Sheehan
Though I’m not sure there’s much about the Disney/Universal v. Midjourney case that changes the operative facts or legal issues, it does reflect a calculation on the part of the *most* sophisticated industrial plaintiffs that they think the state of play has coalesced into a scenario they can win.
So many people tried to get us to pay attention to creators' rights in re "Gen AI" & i really wish we'd gotten it handled because this Disney/Universal/Midjourney is gonna fuck up copyright law so bad. This country was founded by the richest people around making the laws & shit ain't changed since 😭
June 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Though I’m not sure there’s much about the Disney/Universal v. Midjourney case that changes the operative facts or legal issues, it does reflect a calculation on the part of the *most* sophisticated industrial plaintiffs that they think the state of play has coalesced into a scenario they can win.