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
As AI-generated music starts to top the charts, Spotify should let users tune it out
Spotify Needs to Stop AI Music From Reaching My Ears
I don’t mean to be overly rude about country music — I’ve acquired a strong taste for it since living in the US — but it probably surprises few that the genre often derided for its formulaic nature was the first to have an AI “artist” top a Billboard chart.
bloom.bg
November 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
As AI-generated music starts to top the charts, Spotify should let users tune it out
“That’s why there is a case for temporary, targeted price controls that hold down costs, paired with supply-side reforms that encourage new production.” 🌶️🌶️🌶️
In a cost-of-living crisis, the question for policymakers “isn’t whether to intervene, but how to do so in a way that delivers relief today without creating new problems tomorrow,” Neale Mahoney and Bharat Ramamurti write.
Opinion | Economists Hate This Idea. It Could Be a Way Out of the Affordability Crisis.
Voters are demanding short-term price relief, and temporary price controls may be the only viable way to provide it
nyti.ms
November 16, 2025 at 8:42 PM
“That’s why there is a case for temporary, targeted price controls that hold down costs, paired with supply-side reforms that encourage new production.” 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Happy to be hosting this today, and on a panel about digital sovereignty. 🤓💃
#CIGF is tomorrow! While in-person participation is full, there’s still time to register virtually ⬇️
Canadian Leadership Through Change | Le leadership canadien dans un mond
CIGF: Canadian Leadership Through Change |FCGI: Le leadership canadien dans un monde en mutation
www.eventbrite.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Happy to be hosting this today, and on a panel about digital sovereignty. 🤓💃
Reposted by VassB
NEW: Google is taking legal action against Chinese cybercriminals responsible for sending out millions of scam text messages—including those parcel delivery scams.
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
This Is the Platform Google Claims Is Behind a 'Staggering’ Scam Text Operation
Google is suing 25 people it alleges are behind a “relentless” scam text operation that uses a phishing-as-a-service platform called Lighthouse.
www.wired.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:36 AM
NEW: Google is taking legal action against Chinese cybercriminals responsible for sending out millions of scam text messages—including those parcel delivery scams.
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
Google hopes the lawsuit will help to disrupt the scammers' sprawling infrastructure
Reposted by VassB
What a thrill to be part of @talkingpointsmemo.com's series about the past 25 years of digital media! I wrote about why private equity goons destroyed Deadspin and why it matters.
There Are No Weird Blogs Anymore Cause It’s More Fruitful to Drive Them Out of Business
I learned many surprising lessons from my 20 months as editor-in-chief of...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
What a thrill to be part of @talkingpointsmemo.com's series about the past 25 years of digital media! I wrote about why private equity goons destroyed Deadspin and why it matters.
Reposted by VassB
“The problem is that when it is installed in a health sector that prizes efficiency, surveillance and profit extraction, AI becomes not a tool for care and community but simply another instrument for commodifying human life.”
What we lose when we surrender care to algorithms | Eric Reinhart
A dangerous faith in AI is sweeping American healthcare – with consequences for the basis of society itself
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:09 PM
“The problem is that when it is installed in a health sector that prizes efficiency, surveillance and profit extraction, AI becomes not a tool for care and community but simply another instrument for commodifying human life.”
Reposted by VassB
Who wants to use a credit card / go to a store when you can't tell if the form of payment you brought is accepted until you try it?
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
November 9, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Who wants to use a credit card / go to a store when you can't tell if the form of payment you brought is accepted until you try it?
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
The best explanation here is: they know much of the American economy is more collusive than competitive, so consumers generally won't have a choice anyway.
“Legislation should prevent discrimination and self-preferencing, and put a price on data extraction-and in some cases cap excessive fees.” The legendary thinker + doer Tim Wu www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: Can we go back to the optimism of the 1990s, before the extraction economy took over?
Our economic system benefits only those at the very top – but it’s not too late for change
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
“Legislation should prevent discrimination and self-preferencing, and put a price on data extraction-and in some cases cap excessive fees.” The legendary thinker + doer Tim Wu www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by VassB
this is the craziest thing I've read in a long time???? Meta projected that 10% of its revenue last year, $16 billion, came from scams. Meta intentionally charges the scammers MORE and knows that people who click on scams are more likely to see more of them www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 7, 2025 at 5:13 AM
this is the craziest thing I've read in a long time???? Meta projected that 10% of its revenue last year, $16 billion, came from scams. Meta intentionally charges the scammers MORE and knows that people who click on scams are more likely to see more of them www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Reposted by VassB
#CIGF2025 kicks off on November 13 with a panel discussion into Canada’s digital sovereignty. Don’t miss voices from policy, tech and academia on shaping our digital future. 🇨🇦 @vassb.bsky.social, @mgeist.bsky.social, @mariejulie.bsky.social.
Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/canadian-l...
Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/canadian-l...
November 4, 2025 at 3:31 PM
#CIGF2025 kicks off on November 13 with a panel discussion into Canada’s digital sovereignty. Don’t miss voices from policy, tech and academia on shaping our digital future. 🇨🇦 @vassb.bsky.social, @mgeist.bsky.social, @mariejulie.bsky.social.
Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/canadian-l...
Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/canadian-l...
This is a great opportunity for provinces! Ontario has some updates to the Consumer Protection Act that gesture on this, but we could be more explicit, intentional.
No one likes surprise post free-trial charges or hard-to-cancel subscriptions — except the corporate giants profiting off of it.
That's why, w/ @consumerfed.bsky.social & @ucbconsumerlaw.bsky.social, we're launching endsubscriptiontraps.com, a digital campaign focused on ending subscription traps.
That's why, w/ @consumerfed.bsky.social & @ucbconsumerlaw.bsky.social, we're launching endsubscriptiontraps.com, a digital campaign focused on ending subscription traps.
Home
Companies lure consumers with
EndSubscriptionTraps.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
This is a great opportunity for provinces! Ontario has some updates to the Consumer Protection Act that gesture on this, but we could be more explicit, intentional.
Reposted by VassB
"Eight of the 10 biggest stocks in the S&P 500 are tech stocks. Those eight companies account for 36 per cent of the entire US market’s value, 60 per cent of the gains in the index since the market bottomed in April and almost 80 per cent of the S&P 500’s net income growth in the last year."
Big Tech’s market dominance is becoming ever more extreme
In a week when Nvidia’s value reached $5tn, investors in even the broadest index of global companies are now heavily exposed to the AI boom
on.ft.com
November 2, 2025 at 4:18 PM
"Eight of the 10 biggest stocks in the S&P 500 are tech stocks. Those eight companies account for 36 per cent of the entire US market’s value, 60 per cent of the gains in the index since the market bottomed in April and almost 80 per cent of the S&P 500’s net income growth in the last year."
Reposted by VassB
Happy Amazon Prime Day! Amazon collects mountains of data about how you use the service, but there is a setting you can change to make it harder for the company to use that data to sell you more things. #OptOutOctober www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
October 7, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Happy Amazon Prime Day! Amazon collects mountains of data about how you use the service, but there is a setting you can change to make it harder for the company to use that data to sell you more things. #OptOutOctober www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
"Unless Canada acts, we risk outsourcing not only our data but also our ability to govern wellness itself." policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/10/heal...
Canada risks losing health data sovereignty without AI legislation
Canada’s stalled AI laws leave health and Indigenous data vulnerable to foreign control.
policyoptions.irpp.org
October 29, 2025 at 7:02 PM
"Unless Canada acts, we risk outsourcing not only our data but also our ability to govern wellness itself." policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/10/heal...
"The growing use of AI in digital espionage, cybercrimes and influence operations requires stronger guardrails and policymakers who do more than cheerlead the tech."
Everyone is talking about AI. It's obviously having a transformative impact across all sectors of society.
So how should the Canadian government approach it?
My interview with Yvonne Lau for the @financialpost.com
financialpost.com/technology/c...
So how should the Canadian government approach it?
My interview with Yvonne Lau for the @financialpost.com
financialpost.com/technology/c...
Canada isn't doing its part to stop AI government surveillance, UofT director says
Ronald Deibert says the ability of governments and criminal actors to surveil and target people is growing in scope thanks to AI. Read more.
financialpost.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:50 PM
"The growing use of AI in digital espionage, cybercrimes and influence operations requires stronger guardrails and policymakers who do more than cheerlead the tech."
Reposted by VassB
The “rip-off economy”, in which firms profit from opacity, confusion or inertia, is meeting its match. But the extent to which AI can eliminate this market depends on two things
The end of the rip-off economy
From finance and medicine to used cars, artificial intelligence is radically improving market efficiency
econ.st
October 29, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The “rip-off economy”, in which firms profit from opacity, confusion or inertia, is meeting its match. But the extent to which AI can eliminate this market depends on two things
Reposted by VassB
does anyone want to be our friend 🥺👉👈
Trump’s aggression against Canada is encouraging the country to distance itself from American power, David Frum argues—but unlike other U.S. allies, “Canada cannot so easily pivot away.”
Canada Needs a New Bestie
Trump’s attacks on long-standing allies are changing the balance of global power.
bit.ly
October 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
does anyone want to be our friend 🥺👉👈
The problem that ticketing legislation aims to solve isn’t to make events any less appealing or special. Rather, ticket legislation can curb the ability of persons (and computer bots) to independently capitalize on that.
These Blue Jays ticket prices are too high. We must do something
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Vass Bednar: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Vass Bednar: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Opinion: These Blue Jays ticket prices are too high. We must do something
The resale business has so badly distorted the market that only those with the deepest pockets can afford event tickets
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:52 PM
The problem that ticketing legislation aims to solve isn’t to make events any less appealing or special. Rather, ticket legislation can curb the ability of persons (and computer bots) to independently capitalize on that.
Platform regulation is politics is censorship is trade.
A Goodreads librarian went rogue, edited the site to expose "censorship in favor of Trump fascism." To hear them tell it, Goodreads was removing criticism of Trump’s book from the site.
www.404media.co/rogue-goodre...
www.404media.co/rogue-goodre...
Rogue Goodreads Librarian Edits Site to Expose 'Censorship in Favor of Trump Fascism’
“When we let powerful people’s books be protected from criticism, we give up the right to hold power accountable.”
www.404media.co
October 28, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Platform regulation is politics is censorship is trade.
Reposted by VassB
“we need to learn the hard lesson that this is the way it’s going to be. There is no end to Mr. Trump’s tactical bullying & bluster. [He] views any deal not as the end of a process but as the stepping stone to the next set of demands. He will break any deal as soon as he feels it’s in his interest”
October 27, 2025 at 9:24 PM
“we need to learn the hard lesson that this is the way it’s going to be. There is no end to Mr. Trump’s tactical bullying & bluster. [He] views any deal not as the end of a process but as the stepping stone to the next set of demands. He will break any deal as soon as he feels it’s in his interest”
Reposted by VassB
Fighting wildfires should be counted as defence spending, too
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Toby A.A. Heaps: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Toby A.A. Heaps: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Opinion: Fighting wildfires should be counted as defence spending, too
We need to pour massive resources into fighting a major threat to the country
www.theglobeandmail.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Fighting wildfires should be counted as defence spending, too
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Toby A.A. Heaps: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Toby A.A. Heaps: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Reposted by VassB
It’s the logic of market competition, not rogue models, that drives the risks investors and the public now need disclosed by companies, write Dr. Ilan Strauss and Tim O’Reilly. They launched the AI Disclosures Project to ensure AI markets can benefit from proper information and technical standards.
AI Isn’t a Superintelligence. It's a Market in Need of Disclosure. | TechPolicy.Press
If AI is going to be governed as a market technology, it must be brought into the market’s accountability machinery, write Dr. Ilan Strauss and Tim O'Reilly.
www.techpolicy.press
October 27, 2025 at 1:13 PM
It’s the logic of market competition, not rogue models, that drives the risks investors and the public now need disclosed by companies, write Dr. Ilan Strauss and Tim O’Reilly. They launched the AI Disclosures Project to ensure AI markets can benefit from proper information and technical standards.
Two long reads from the weekend that are lingering in my mind: the first was the New York Times' interview on Wikipedia and the attack on information. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/m...
The Culture Wars Came for Wikipedia. Jimmy Wales Is Staying the Course.
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Two long reads from the weekend that are lingering in my mind: the first was the New York Times' interview on Wikipedia and the attack on information. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/m...
Reposted by VassB
“Sports betting is now legal everywhere—even in the states where it isn’t,” Marc Novicoff writes:
The Company Making a Mockery of State Gambling Bans
Thanks to Kalshi, a so-called prediction market, sports betting is now legal everywhere—even where it isn’t.
bit.ly
October 27, 2025 at 1:15 AM
“Sports betting is now legal everywhere—even in the states where it isn’t,” Marc Novicoff writes:
Reposted by VassB
“No one can deny that the big tech platforms have become essential, the default infrastructure of much economic activity,” Tim Wu writes. “But being essential should not entail an unfettered power to extract wealth from everyone else.”
Opinion | We’re Counting on Big Tech to Invent the Future. That’s a Bad Bet.
Innovation comes from a less centralized tech sector.
nyti.ms
October 25, 2025 at 5:15 PM
“No one can deny that the big tech platforms have become essential, the default infrastructure of much economic activity,” Tim Wu writes. “But being essential should not entail an unfettered power to extract wealth from everyone else.”