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Alexander Hohlfeld

@alhohlfeld.bsky.social
827 followers 745 following 229 posts

Digitalisation & Society | Digital Policy | Recommender Systems | Freedom of Speech | 🗣️: 🇬🇧 / 🇩🇪 | linktr.ee/al.hohlfeld

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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Farzaneh Bad @farzdusa.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Experts criticize use of AI for health and especially mental health as if we have provided people with all the health infrastructure they need. they criticize it for education as if you don't have exhausted teachers that can't do individualized support.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Rob Sica @robsica.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🔪"Spending time using popular social media platforms is not directly related to Americans’ ability to discriminate between truths and falsehoods, even among those who characterize a platform as their most important source of news."
journals.plos.org
The limited effects of social media use on misperceptions Social media’s limited role in misperceptions
Social media use has the potential to promote misperceptions, but evidence is mixed. Despite social media characteristics that include homophilous social networks, algorithms that can reinforce biases...
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Was referring less to the academic field of risk management, which is way more nuanced, and more to the adoption of these concepts in public discourse and policy debates.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Unfortunately risk management language contributes to making these tradeoffs invisible due to the unmanageable expectation to mitigate all harms
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Absolutely! It often rests on the assumption that there is a simple switch that can be flipped to eliminate harm, when in reality these issues involve complex trade-offs (and many of the proposed cures may ultimately be worse than the disease).
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Daphne Keller @daphnek.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Your periodic reminder that "the company ignored employees' warnings" very often just means "people discussed what to do and not everyone agreed." Having these conversations is good. Fearing that open discussion will lead to gotcha headlines is bad.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Jeff Kosseff @jkosseff.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
For Lawfare, I wrote about the First Amendment problems with Meta’s settlement. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...
lawfaremedia.org
The First Amendment Problems With Meta’s $17 Billion Deal
Meta's settlement includes some social media speech restrictions that states can't directly impose.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
How age verification and social media bans would lead to the end of the open internet, enable governments to lock dissenters out of social media, and are fundamentally incompatible with human rights, I recently explained in a blog post: alhohlfeld.substack.com/p/access-den...
alhohlfeld.substack.com
Access Denied. Age Verification as a Blueprint for Digital Control?
Why Age Verification and Social Media Bans Do Not Protect Minors But Threaten Civil Liberties
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
A welcome piece of good news: The French Constitutional Council has struck down a bill that would have locked minors out of social media and required every adult to verify their age www.politico.eu/article/fren...
politico.eu
French court blocks social media ban for under 15s
Ruling could have far-reaching implications about kids’ rights to access the internet.
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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
🚨New Science Advances🚨 Untrustworthy sources on Facebook and Instagram in 2020: Concentrated exposure but no attitudinal effects www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... -Exposure very low but highly concentrated -Reducing exposure by ~70% for months had no measurable effects *even among frequent consumers*
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
christoph schmon @tylium.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
EU Commission plans for social media restrictions: -Phased access to social media+ paired w/ age verification -Safety by design -Parental controls & digital literacy -States may add restrictions for 13+ The report barely discusses the impact on fundamental rights. FoE is not mentioned once.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Wiebke Hollersen @wiebkehollersen.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Alle Angriffe auf Journalisten sind Angriffe auf die Pressefreiheit. (Dass man das überhaupt noch schreiben muss.)
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Stefan Niggemeier @niggi.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Auch ein Angriff auf rechte Berichterstatter ist ein Angriff auf die Pressefreiheit. Es ist schwer erträglich, darauf hinweisen zu müssen, aber anscheinend ist es leider keine Selbstverständlichkeit. Mein Text zu Erfurt, „Apollo News“, „Widersetzen“ etc: www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/erfur... (€)
sueddeutsche.de
Angriff auf Journalisten von „Apollo News“ in Erfurt: Auf die Fresse
Journalisten des rechten Online-Mediums werden bei Anti-AfD-Demonstrationen attackiert. Die Aufregung darüber hält sich auffällig in Grenzen.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Global Network Initiative @thegni.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Age assurance mandates to limit children's social media access are a sea change in Internet policy, with profound implications for rights online. New from GNI: key learnings from our May learning discussion. 🔗 globalnetworkinitiative.org/examining-th...
globalnetworkinitiative.org
Examining the rights implications of age assurance requirements - Global Network Initiative
More than 40 countries are moving to restrict children's access to social media - a sea change in Internet policy with profound implications for privacy and expression. GNI convened experts to unpack ...
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Deniz Yücel @besserdeniz.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Satz ohne „Zwar“, „Auch wenn” und „Unabhängig davon“: Die gewalttätigen Angriffe auf Reporter von Apollo News und der Jungen Freiheit am Rande des AfD-Parteitags in Erfurt sind unerträglich, inakzeptabel und ein krimineller Angriff auf die Pressefreiheit. www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/demo...
tagesspiegel.de
Demonstranten verfolgen rechte Reporter: Mehrere Journalisten offenbar bei Protesten gegen AfD-Bundesparteitag verletzt
Ein Reporterteam des Portals „Apollo News“ sei von Demonstranten attackiert worden, berichtet das Portal. Auch Journalisten der „Jungen Freiheit“ sollen angegriffen worden sein.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
"People worry about what these technologies will do to work, to children, to politics, to privacy, and to society itself. Those fears are understandable. [...] What worries me is that fear has a way of making old mistakes look like new solutions" 💯 eternallyradicalidea.com/p/nico-perri...
eternallyradicalidea.com
Nico Perrino on the most important free speech fight since the birth of the internet
The fight over social media and AI is really a fight over whether free speech will survive the digital age
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
The road to hell is paved with good intentions – and the road to the end of the open internet may well be paved with debates about protection of minors. Once introduced and enforced, it is easy to deny certain groups of people or individuals access to social media
alhohlfeld.substack.com
Access Denied. Age Verification as a Blueprint for Digital Control?
Why Age Verification and Social Media Bans Do Not Protect Minors But Threaten Civil Liberties
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
The EU imposing sanctions on foreign citizens, freezing their financial assets and punishing international companies and banks offering their services to these individuals. Sounds quite similar to me
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Europe is enacting the same tools (www.bedrockprinciple.com/p/free-expre...). Sovereignty is not a solution to this escalation, it's the mechanism through which it unfolds
bedrockprinciple.com
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Andreas Jungherr @ajungherr.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
One reading of the US government‘s restriction on foreign-national access to Claude's Fable 5 is that public focusing events and risk-centered discourse on AI create opportunities for restrictive regulation. www.anthropic.com/news/fable-m...
anthropic.com
Statement on the US government directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5
The US government has issued an export control directive to suspend all access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 by any foreign national, whether inside or outside the United States.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
On what precisely? I think most things are already enforced. German police is raiding houses and courts are imposing fines on harsh criticism of politicians. The EU is sanctioning people and freezing assets for publications not deemed in the interest of its foreign policy.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
"In the name of safeguarding democracy, open societies are importing the policies of authoritarian regimes they rightly identify as enemies of free expression" @mchangama.bsky.social www.foreignaffairs.com/europe/end-o...
foreignaffairs.com
The End of the Open Internet
Europe lost the plot on online speech.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
"Eintritt verweigert, Zugriff erweitert. Altersverifikation für soziale Medien: Blaupause für digitale Kontrolle?" Freue mich eine Gastbeitrag für @machine-vs-rage.net beigetragen zu haben in dem ich eindringlich vor der Einführung verpflichtender Altersverifikation für soziale Medien warne
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
The excessive targeting of government critics in Germany in the name of combating “hate speech” is unworthy of a liberal democracy. Harsh criticism of those in power must not trigger criminal proceedings or result in penalties for citizens. www.welt.de/politik/deut...
welt.de
Mehrere Verfahren: Beleidigung von Merz unter Facebook-Post – Gericht verhängt hohe Geldstrafe für „Lügenfritz“ - WELT
Ein Monatsgehalt Strafe für die Bezeichnung „Lügenfritz“ für Friedrich Merz unter einem Facebook-Post – dieses Urteil erging im März, wie jetzt bekannt wurde. Doch das war nicht alles. Mit 39 Kommenta...
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Owen Bennett @owbennett.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
📢 Calling all UK online safety practitioners and enthusiasts I've created a free two-part introductory course on the UK Online Safety Act, as a starting point for lawyers, public affairs practitioners, or frankly anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of the OSA and its implementation by Ofcom.
A screenshot of the course overview and what is covered in the two parts of the mini-course. The overview can be read on the course website: https://www.platform.courses/osa-mini
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
The way to hell is paved with good intentions
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
David Greene @davidgreene.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
There is tremendous global momentum behind today's efforts to age-gate the internet. The momentum is so strong and rights of young people so underappreciated that the conversation readily shifts to "how can we do this and protect privacy?" instead of "why do this?" I will keep trying to stop it. 7/7
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Gurwinder @gurwinder.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
A tribe’s collective stupidity is proportional to its demand for purity. The more closely a group must agree, the more must be trimmed from each brain to make it fit.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
"Doch sollte unser Problembewusstsein nicht davon abhängig sein, wen es gerade zufällig „trifft“. Der „Kampf“ für die Demokratie verkommt schnell zu einem Kampf gegen die Demokratie, und dies unabhängig davon, gegen wen er sich richtet"
faz.net
AfD-Verbotsverfahren: Trugschluss der wehrhaften Demokratie
Die Waffen der wehrhaften Demokratie taugen nicht für politische Kurzschlüsse. Wer sie vorschnell zieht, könnte den Rechtsstaat eher treffen als dessen Gegner.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
I'm delighted to join the academic constituency of @thegni.bsky.social as an individual expert. GNI’s multistakeholder forum serves as an important bulwark for freedom of expression and privacy in the tech sector. It is a great honour to contribute to this mission.
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
The Future of Free Speech @futurefreespeech.org · 09/03/2026
The internet radically expanded freedom of speech— but since then all we've been talking about is the risks. At our #FreeSpeechSummit2025, @celeup.bsky.social Director Agustina Del Campo explains why we need to redirect the conversation.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
6246 criminal charges under Germany’s highly controversial offence of insulting politicians were filed in 2025 alone, an all-time high and a troubling signal for freedom of expression. www.stern.de/politik/poli...
stern.de
Sie nannten ihn Pinocchio
Wer Politiker beleidigt, muss hierzulande schnell mit einer Anzeige rechnen. Greift der Staat im Kampf gegen Hass zu stark in die Meinungsfreiheit ein?
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
"Social media democratised public opinion, shifting influence away from elites and experts to ordinary people. LLMs will partly reverse this trend. They are a powerful, new technocratising force" @danwphilosophy.bsky.social www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/how-ai-wil...
conspicuouscognition.com
How AI Will Reshape Public Opinion
Social media democratised public opinion, shifting influence away from elites and experts to ordinary people. LLMs will partly reverse this trend. They are a powerful, new technocratising force.
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Deniz Yücel @besserdeniz.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
[jetzt auch hier] Ich hatte jetzt mal Zeit, in die Inszenierung von Milo Rau am Thalia Theater in Hamburg reinzuschauen. Beim zufälligen Reinzappen fiel mir folgende 👇 Szene aus der „Vernehmung“ des „Zeugen“ Feroz Khan auf, einem jungen deutsch-pakistanischen Influencer, der für die AfD wirbt. /2
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
"The measures were also intended to make the accused, some of whom had already appeared several times with such content, aware that criminal offences on the internet also have real consequences."
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
New Year, same story: "The accused were summoned or visited by the local police stations, and evidence was secured from their smartphones. In some cases, searches were also carried out." (25.02.2026) www.bka.de/DE/Presse/Li...
bka.de
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Ronen Steinke @ronensteinke.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
Ein Rentner aus Heilbronn hat Friedrich Merz auf Facebook scherzhaft als „Pinocchio“ bezeichnet – mit langer-Nase-Emoji. Und jetzt ermittelt laut „Heilbronner Stimme“ offenbar die Kriminalpolizei wegen #Beleidigung (§ 188 StGB). #schwachkopf
stimme.de
Kanzler Merz als „Pinocchio“ bezeichnet? Ermittlungen gegen Heilbronner wegen Beleidigung
Auf der Facebook-Seite der Heilbronner Polizei schreibt ein Nutzer in Bezug auf den Besuch von Friedrich Merz und Winfried Kretschmann: „Pinocchio kommt nach HN“. Ist dies eine gezielte Ehrverletzung?
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Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Two years after the Digital Services Act came into full effect, what does civil society look like? Mateus Correia de Carvalho & Rachel Griffin explore how different civil society actors are engaging with the DSA, and the opportunities and barriers shaping their impact.
buff.ly
Who Speaks and Who is Heard: Civil Society’s Role in Shaping DSA Decisions
As enforcement of the DSA is starting to solidify, civil society organizations active in this field are facing increasing political hostility.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who is speaking up,” the German Federal Chancellor said yesterday. It is hardly surprising that calls for age verification and social media bans for minors are now being followed by demands for an end to online anonymity.
linkedin.com
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who is speaking up,” the German Federal Chancellor said yesterday in his Ash Wednesday speech (https://lnkd.in/dUVH87ja) It is therefore… | A...
“I want to see real names on the internet. I want to know who is speaking up,” the German Federal Chancellor said yesterday in his Ash Wednesday speech (https://lnkd.in/dUVH87ja) It is therefore hard...
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
Important reminder! It is a mistake to equate every intervention against Big Tech with a defence of democracy, especially given the role these platforms play in empowering marginalised voices. Some proposed cures may produce consequences worse than the disease
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Reposted by Alexander Hohlfeld
Who Targets Me @whotargets.me · 13/02/2026
Meta and Google pulling out of political ads in the EU has made it harder for the Hungarian opposition to be heard. The platforms are a long way from perfect, but they're not Orban government owned or controlled in the way much of the rest of Hungarian media is.
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Gateklons @gateklons.eurosky.social · 07/02/2026
YouTube seems to be at least trialing out blocking VPNs and proxies I really fear what sort of internet the future has in store for us. Probably where you have to identity yourself to every service and where anonymity and VPN use are increasingly illegal. www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/s/3...
reddit.com
From the Piracy community on Reddit: No more vpn allowed on YouTube
Explore this post and more from the Piracy community
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Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
The situation in Iran stands as a clear example of how digital sovereignty empowers repression rather than protects rights, says Azadeh Akbari. It should be a warning against abandoning the idea of a free and global internet, she writes. buff.ly/9e3UUoO
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David Sullivan @davidsullivan.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Stop whatever you're doing and read @farzdusa.bsky.social rejoinder to "digital sovereignty" at @futurefreespeech.org's Bedrock Principle:
bedrockprinciple.com
How Digital Sovereignty Will Lead to The Slow and Fast Erosion of The Internet
Sovereignty is not a synonym for autonomy; it is instead the uncompromising authority to impose a single will upon others.
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The Future of Free Speech @futurefreespeech.org · 13/01/2026
What if expressing an unpopular opinion could get your assets frozen—or stop you from entering or transiting a country? Europe has recently added to its fast-growing list of individuals sanctioned for speech deemed a threat to national security.
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Farzaneh Bad @farzdusa.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Some people in western democracies are so used to their basic freedom that they don't even notice when nation states take them away. Or support it even!
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The Future of Free Speech @futurefreespeech.org · 12/01/2026
On Dec. 1, 2025, we partnered with Örebro University to convene leading academics, regulators, companies, and civil society experts to confront this challenge in an in-depth roundtable examining AI’s impact on freedom of expression.
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Farzaneh Bad @farzdusa.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
My mom says Generative AI chatbots made a big difference in her life this year. In your fight with big tech, don't forget that these AI online services, can be essential for some of the most vulnerable people.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
👍 Fully agree on its limitations. However, traditional fact-checking faces even more severe constraints also in terms of scale. Every fact-checking model involves trade-offs, including whether over- or underreach carries the more serious implications.
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Alexander Hohlfeld @alhohlfeld.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
I wrote in the past on why I believe crowdsourced approaches are the best way out of the partisan polarisation trap here: alhohlfeld.substack.com/p/reclaiming... [2/2]
alhohlfeld.substack.com
Reclaiming Trust: Why Bottom-Up Approaches Outshine Traditional Fact-Checking
An unpopular opinion on Meta´s recent decision to withdraw from traditional fact-checking
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