iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 09/09/2026

This is likely using AI to predict based on some correlations. It is categorisation based on biometric data and is regulated in the EU. It may be unlawful after Dec 2027, if not sufficiently accurate for the intended purpose.

000

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

RefUK, RW media, & Eurofash are plainly trying to whip up a panic about this. Any serious report must begin by explaining that Ceuta is in Africa - not mainland Spain - and 48k+ of the 50k crossers were already returned. It is frightening how many still don't know this. Please share on all socials.

Map showing the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa.

Screengrab from Politico piece that explains, citing Reuters, that 48,300 of the 50,000 recent crossings have already been expelled or voluntarily returned to Morocco.

BBC report on Friday, still echoing the RW disinformation - or at the very least not challengning it sufficiently.

"Spain's PM blames traffickers after 60,000 migrants reach Ceuta from Morocco
01:32
What triggered the mass migrant crossings into Ceuta?
Sofia Ferreira Santos and Sarah Rainsford, Southern and Eastern Europe
correspondent
31 July 2026
Spain's prime minister has blamed trafficking gangs after about 60,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. At least 57 people died during the surge, according to local media."

Daily Mail and Daily Express from this weekend, with front page headlines "Ministers MUST stop the Spanish border invaders reaching UK" and "SPANISH BORDER CRISIS IS 'WAKE-UP CALL' FOR UK", respectively.

551068656

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

This is so well done. 👌

560196818280

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

CDT Europe @cdteu.org · 08/04/2026

📢 In the context of the ongoing trilogue negotiations on the #AI Omnibus proposal, together with 32 other organisations and individuals, we contributed to an open letter to EU institutions, expressing our concerns about current proposals that could weaken the scope and effectiveness of the AI Act.

cdt.org

Joint Open Letter: Preserving the Scope and Integrity of the AI Act

CDT Europe joined civil society organisations and individuals in a public letter raising concerns about proposed changes to Annex I of the AI Act.

11518

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

António Costa @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu · 06/04/2026

After five weeks of war in the Middle East, it is clear that only a diplomatic solution will settle its root causes.

77520

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 25/01/2026

I have 1k followers on here and nobody has liked any of my posts for 4 months. My posts get plenty of engagement on other platforms... Are you all bots? Is this just a very handsoff engagement platform? Can anyone hear me? ....

000

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 25/01/2026

Briefly tuned in to US politics this evening to see the NRA, the Obamas and Marjorie Taylor Greene all agreeing with each other. Guess the US is finally overcoming its polarised politics.

000

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

🛒 🇪🇺 Buy European 🇪🇺 (+🇨🇦). USA broke up with you. Get over it 🇪🇺💪 @buyeuropean.eurosky.social · 17/01/2026

🛒🇪🇺💪 The best time to quit your dependence on the US was years ago. The second-best time is TODAY (not the day after tomorrow). #BuyEuropean 🇪🇺🇩🇰🇬🇱🇺🇦🇪🇺💪 ✅ buy-european.net/en/alternati... ✅ european-alternatives.eu ✅ hardno.eu ✅ www.goeuropean.org ✅ euroalternative.co #Grønland #tariffs #greenland #trump

buy-european.net

European Alternatives

Overview of non-European products and companies that we list European Alternatives for

12225136

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Tilman @tilmane.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Time for European Anti-Coercion instrument, ACI now, Dear @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu @andriuskubilius.ec.europa.eu @kajakallas.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu - ban X, Grok and Foxnews right away - high tax on Google, Meta, Amazon, Tesla revenues - boycott #FIFA2026 - stop to US weapon buys

042

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

EU ambassadors have been summoned to an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday over Greenland and U.S. tariff threats.-Reuters

318453

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

"In a new analysis by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, we trace Big Tech's fingerprints on the Digital Omnibus proposals - a major deregulation of EU digital laws including the GDPR and the AI Act. They are helped in this attempt by the Trump administration and the European far right."

corporateeurope.org

Article by article, how Big Tech shaped the EU’s roll-back of digital rights | Corporate Europe Observatory

In a new analysis we trace Big Tech's fingerprints on the Digital Omnibus proposals - a major deregulation of EU digital laws including the GDPR and the AI Act. They are helped in this attempt by the ...

02620

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Michael Spicer @michaelspicer.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

The Liz Truss Show - Behind the Scenes

53857257

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Jake Williams @malwarejake.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Just wow. @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy came out swinging in this article. He's right though and that's the coolest part.

In 2026, countries that want to win the trade war have a unique historical possibility: They could repeal their “anticircumvention” laws, which make it illegal—a felony, in many cases—to modify devices and services without permission from their manufacturers. Over the past two decades, the office of the US Trade Representative–which is responsible for developing and coordinating US international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy—has pressured most of the world into adopting these laws, hamstringing foreign startups that might compete with Apple (by providing a jailbreaking kit that installs a third-party app store), or Google (by blocking tracking on Android devices), or Amazon (by converting Kindle and Audible files to formats that work on rival apps), or John Deere (by disabling the systems that block third-party repairs), or the Big Three automakers (by decoding the encrypted error messages mechanics need to service our cars). The rents that these digital locks help American companies extract run to hundreds of billions of dollars every single year. The world’s governments agreed to protect this racket in exchange for tariff-free access to American markets. Now that the US has reneged on its side of the bargain, these laws serve no useful purpose.

3033911355

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Oh my word…. The click bait merchants at the Telegraph are having an absolute field day right now! 🙄 Shall we take a look at the *reality* behind this sensationalist article? Go on, you know you want to! 😜 🧵 1/25 (1/1)

25272116

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 07/06/2025

adamleonsmith.substack.com/p/is-ai-hard...

Is AI harder than cement? Is the EU AI Act being delayed?
Based on recent reports, the EU AI Act isn't being delayed, yet, but there are significant delays in the harmonised technical standards that companies rely on for compliance guidance.

020

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 06/06/2025

I wrote something for the first time in a while. AI assurance needs to move beyond generic process frameworks into task level measures: open.substack.com/pub/adamleon...

open.substack.com

Task-level AI assurance

The missing piece in the conversation

040

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

FACT: Conformity assessment bodies can carry out their activities on the territory of third countries. The NANDO database shows that they can also based in other countries - e.g. Australia, Canada and Japan

020

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"Decision 768/2008/EC sets out that conformity assessment bodies must be located in the EU in order to test to EU regulations"

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

FACT: This is true. National accreditation bodies are non-profit regulators, they "check the checkers". Why would anyone benefit from regulators being competitive?

110

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"Regulation 765/2008 requires each Member State to appoint a single national accreditation body that can accredit conformity assessment bodies and prohibits competition among Member States’ national accreditation bodies."

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"new policies implemented by the European Commission, such as a refusal to reference underlying standards developed outside of Europe"

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

FACT: As a non-EU national participating in the standards drafting process, along with many others, I beg to differ.

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"[European standards organisations] generally exclude non-EU nationals from participating in their standard-drafting process. In the limited instances where non-EU nationals do participate, they are not allowed to vote."

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

FACT: Cooperation between ISO/IEC and CEN-CENELEC is codified in the Vienna and Frankfurt agreements, which can and DO allow for parallel development and identical adoption as harmonised standards.

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"[European standards] can only be developed through three European Standards Organizations (ESOs)"

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

FACT: European standards place exactly the same burden on all producers.

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"U.S. workers and exporters thus face additional burdens in accessing the EU market not faced by domestic producers in the EU and often not faced by EU exporters when accessing the U.S. market."

110

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

FACT: The application of harmonised or other standards remains voluntary, and the manufacturer can always apply other technical specifications to meet the requirements. The presumption of conformity is optional, but a highly beneficial tool for reducing compliance costs for EVERYONE.

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

"Products regulated by the EU must conform to these EU-specific regional standards in order to benefit from a 'presumption of conformity' with the EU’s essential regulatory requirements."

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 11/04/2025

The US has published its 2025 Foreign Trade Barriers report. It takes a hard swipe at the European Standardisation system. I appreciate that it covers a wide range of topics, from bananas to AI, but there are a few statements in there that really need correction. ustr.gov/sites/defaul...

ustr.gov

241

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Ian Bond @cerianbond.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

This has to be right. Starmer's summit on Sunday has become a potentially decisive moment. If Europeans don't throw their weight behind Ukraine and behind a massive and immediate increase in their defence efforts (& damn the deficits), Europe will find itself at the mercy of Putin & Trump.

261387345

Reposted by Adam Leon Smith

Jon Jackson @iamjonjackson.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

UK opts not to sign AI agreement – what does this mean for global AI ethics? #BCS #AI #AIEthics

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

Uk opts not to sign Al agreement - what does this mean for global Al ethics?
The UK has chosen not to sign the international Al agreement at the Paris Al summit saying it "did not provide enough practical clarity on global governance, nor sufficiently addressed harder questions around national security and the challenge Al poses to it".

Adam Leon Smith DEng FBCS, Al expert at BCS, commented:

"When we surveyed technology experts last year, 88% said it was important that the UK government takes a lead in shaping global ethical standards in Al and other high-stakes technologies.

Whether that's through a declaration or not, the world's richest countries will ultimately need to show they can put geo-politics aside, balance Al innovation with safety, and be responsible enough to work together at this critical moment in human history."

What's your view? Should the UK take a stronger stance on global Al governance? Let us know in the comments.

#AI #Artificiallntelligence #AlEthics
#TechLeadership

BREAKING NEWS

UK OPTS NOT TO SIGN INTERNATIONAL AI DECLARATION

BCS RESPONDS

133

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

So Pedro, where does Meta publish this information exactly? Posting a link would totally prove your point

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

When you realise you are arguing about US social media with the global policy director of Meta... Or someone with the same name and identical lobby positions. Is there a block list for US big tech employees?

031

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

I am interested whether you work for a US social media company, Pedro

010

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

Agreed, and US companies can also block EU users if they don't want to play by the rules.

110

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

I see. I wonder if this is a reaction to ISO and IEC suing the EC?

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

As a consumer I'm quite happy with the outcome in my example.

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

I don't know much about US law but it says that congress can approve an extension based on certification from the president. Surely that won't happen so quickly? Also can an executive order really override primary legislation?

000

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

But on the other hand, that means TikTok will still be accessible through a browser without risk of fines! Unless browsers are considered distribution...

010

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

Ah, you are right: Providing services to distribute, maintain, or update such foreign adversary controlled application (including any source code of such application) by means of a marketplace (including an online mobile application store).

110

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

Why do you say that? I had a quick read and the enforcement clause imposes financial fines on TikTok Inc. I understood the legal burden was on them?

110

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

This doesn't apply to AI yet, but it does to quantum.

100

Adam Leon Smith @adamleonsmith.substack.com · 18/01/2025

Example: Spain passed a strict law saying gig economy delivery drivers were employees by default. US companies left. Now a Spanish startup that complies dominates the market.

130