Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Another horrific example of how the casual use of generative AI combined with outsized corporate power leads to exponential harm and the collapse of trust. Public-interest journalism requires independence from forces with the power to pollute newsrooms with synthetic spam. 030
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Getting a lot of mileage out of the principle "Block every account that posts even a single AI-generated video without disclosing its synthetic nature." 000
Reposted by Jan RydzakDavid Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Starting today, @prospect.org has removed all programmatic ads, because we believe that respecting you as readers rather than monetizing your attention will earn trust. This is what the site looks like, with all space reserved for stories about ideas, politics and power. prospect.org/2026/04/06/w... 12416112
Reposted by Jan RydzakAP Stylebook @apstylebook.com · 23/09/2026Artificial intelligence systems do not think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human characteristics.apnews.comhttps://apnews.com/article/openai-safety-ai-framework-089e75b95bc935af092da7b79d92706d 5542451630
Reposted by Jan RydzakLee Hurley @hleehurley.com · 24/09/2026Rogue in the way a roomba goes rogue when you leave a door open. 1161349
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Parents of kindergarteners who are rightfully bringing fire and brimstone to their kids' overexposure to screens in the classroom should rest easy. Your kids' ability to read is the kind of "fine intellectual dexterity" that's worth sacrificing to mold them into mythical "systems thinkers." 001
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Great piece, @kkomaitis.bsky.social . It reminded me of C. Thi Nguyen's concept of value capture (overreliance on metrics codified as values in well-meaning orgs). Good for us to tackle it directly amid all the polycrisis-bred rethinking. @rankingdigitalrights.org has a MozFest session about it. 020
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 23/09/2026A culture shock I did not expect when I first came to the US was that russet apples were nowhere to be found. Completely unappealing potatoes on the outside, entirely different story on the inside. 010
Reposted by Jan Rydzak404 Media @404media.co · 21/09/2026With the backlash to Flock, cities are moving to Axon cameras. But what exactly are they doing with them? 404 Media is filing public records requests around the country to find out how cops are using Axon's ALPRs, @josephcox.bsky.social explains. You can too: www.404media.co/is-your-city... 521832918
Reposted by Jan RydzakDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Important story from @jeansovon.bsky.social at @globalvoices.org on the repressive moves by the Togolese government and how protestors are finding ways to make their voices heard:globalvoices.orgHow Togolese people are reinventing political protest amid civil society crackdownAs in-person gatherings have become difficult to organize or too risky for citizens, online protest has become an increasingly common form of political dissent in Togo. 11610
Reposted by Jan RydzakGlobal Voices @globalvoices.org · 17/09/2026Where others overlook, we listen. Where others erase, we translate. Support Global Voices’ mission to center the Global South. Support our #GVSpotlight thematic coverage with a donation: globalvoices.org/2026/08/24...globalvoices.orgProtest in democracy · Global VoicesWith this spotlight, we seek to explore the many forms of protest, the tactics states use to delegitimize and suppress them, and the complex relationship between protest and democracy. 0117
Reposted by Jan RydzakMayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 17/09/2026New Yorkers should know whether the apartment they’re looking at is real. That’s why we’re working to require apartment listings to clearly disclose when images and videos have been generated by AI. Finding a home in New York is hard enough without artificially generating more problems.nytimes.comIs That Fireplace Real or A.I.?Listing sites are littered with homes with fake fireplaces, improved views and virtual landscaping, raising false advertising concerns. 8459901015
Reposted by Jan RydzakAsheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 15/09/2026Colleges could subsidize books for students rather than paying for premium versions of ChatGPT 6409101
Reposted by Jan RydzakDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 13/09/2026going to keep exhorting this 48123
Reposted by Jan RydzakSuperbloom @superbloom.design · 28/08/2026Ranking Digital Rights is developing a new methodology to assess VPN providers through a human rights lens, with support from OTF. They’re looking for input from those working on VPNs, privacy, circumvention and digital rights. Share your experience below👇 forms.superbloom.design/s/ynli8xjs2o...forms.superbloom.designVPN Assessment Survey - Co-designing a new methodologyPlease complete this survey. 011
Reposted by Jan RydzakAsheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 06/09/2026We know how to teach books in the age of AI: small classes, close reading, research-engaged learning (which is how you ’let students see you struggle’). The issue is nobody will hire and pay the requisite # of faculty to offer this. 11915243
Reposted by Jan RydzakDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Here's my editorial at the end of the month trying to summarize what the spotlight meant to me, as someone who was aware of the issue but had a lot still to learn!globalvoices.orgThe invisible crisis that strips people of citizenshipThis issue fascinates me because of its near-invisibility: As many of our Spotlight articles observe, citizenship is easy to take for granted when you receive it automatically and never have to defend... 03714
Reposted by Jan RydzakHypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 23/08/2026The potential downside of the focus on Flock is that people don’t recognize it as a singular entity within an entire landscape of companies creating the surveillance state.npr.orgAs Flock battles public scrutiny, other police surveillance companies see an openingDozens of cities have canceled their contracts with Flock. Some are switching to other companies, but privacy experts say they're no better than Flock. 511952
Reposted by Jan RydzakCarl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 17/08/20265. I can’t do this if I am getting a couple of these emails a day — and there’s no reason I should spend my time reading someone’s paper and writing back if they couldn’t be bothered to spend their own time writing the email they sent to me in the first place. 135525
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 23/08/2026This is one reason why I have a disclaimer in my email signature that says "I do not use generative AI to draft original text." The slopification of sincere outreach and the removal of personal effort from the equation breaks an important social code and makes things worse for everyone. 1100
Reposted by Jan RydzakRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Food companies wanted deregulation. Now there are dozens of recalls across the country. Mining companies wanted deregulation. Now the black lung rate is at a 45-year high. Financial companies wanted deregulation. Now financial losses to fraud are the highest on record. Noticing a pattern? 795198317889
Reposted by Jan RydzakHypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 21/08/2026Nothing new in this piece, but somewhat noteworthy that a site like realtor dot com is featuring “should you be concerned about flock cameras” content.realtor.comA Complete Guide to Flock Safety CamerasWhat are Flock's Automated License Plate Readers, and should you be concerned about the use of these cameras in your community? 313737
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Great to bear witness to the evolution of culinary health hazards from Pop Tarts to slop tarts www.foodandwine.com/ai-slop-menu...foodandwine.comRestaurants, Please Stop Using AI-Generated Photos of Your FoodAI-generated food photos and menus are creeping into restaurants, but the uncanny images, mangled descriptions, and synthetic polish come at a cost: diners’ trust. When it comes to selling food, even ... 000
Reposted by Jan RydzakDr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 19/08/2026i don’t want “accelerated”, “increased-speed” or “fast-paced” research. in fact, am not interested in any shortcuts to mindful, intentional, and slow science 12837187
Reposted by Jan RydzakDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 13/08/2026At @globalvoices.org we're trying to make sure we can keep our newsroom going in this very difficult time for independent news and non-profits! You can help us bring you more wonderful articles, interviews, and essays from around the world: globalvoices.org/donate/globalvoices.orgDonate · Global VoicesSupport freedom of expression for everyone, everywhere, by donating to Global Voices. 01314
Reposted by Jan RydzakPé 🍺🧿 @forevernever.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Access isn't transparency, though. You see to be conflating the two. 33206
Reposted by Jan RydzakTech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 27/07/2026AI's benefits are concentrated in a few companies and countries, but its footprint is distributed, argue Jamila Venturini and Marina Meira from Derechos Digitales. They call for a global infrastructure to hold the AI supply chain accountable.buff.lyFrom the AI Accountability Gap to a Global Accountability InfrastructureThe first UN Global Dialogue recognized the problem. The next step is building an architecture capable of addressing it, write Jamila Venturini & Marina Meira. 085
Reposted by Jan RydzakHypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 26/07/2026“The vast majority of the talent and agents at our events felt that these were a violation of their privacy and were damaging and spoiling the interactions at the tables. Several expressed concerns that they might not continue to attend in-person events if they were being recorded in secret.”bbc.comMeta glasses banned by Comic-Con promoter after 'secret filming'A number of guests said they would be reluctant to appear at conventions again after cases of recordings taking place without their knowledge. 392250646
Reposted by Jan RydzakDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 23/07/2026rising.globalvoices.org/blog/2026/07...rising.globalvoices.orgWho decides if and how AI is used? Self-determination should be the priority, say Mayan activists from ChiapasAs part of the Mayan Languages Digital Activism Summit in Chiapas, Maya activists reflected on artificial intelligence and Indigenous self-determination, questioning the urgency to adopt it and defend... 083
Reposted by Jan RydzakPrivacy International @privacyinternational.org · 24/07/2026From surveillance systems embedded in Syria's machinery of repression, commercial spyware in Saudi Arabia, and mass communications monitoring in Egypt, the @SMEX report shows how 'innovative' technology can become a tool of control 👇smex.orgNew report on the militarization of tech in the SWANA: Produced, tested, deployed - SMEXHuman testing. Those two words evoke mental images of inhumane experiments and feelings of disquiet, as they should. Yet human testing of militarized technology is happening in the Southwest… 144
Reposted by Jan RydzakTom Hearden @followtheh.bsky.social · 20/07/2026Two weeks ago today, after Nasdaq willingly rigged the rules, somewhere btw $7-10 bil of passive money was forced to buy SpaceX at $160.42 Today, 10 trading days later, it closed at $119.85 It’s an unprecedented forced loss (at least $2b) for passive investors and our financial media is 🦗 712819960
Reposted by Jan RydzakDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 13/07/2026As always, if you appreciate our work, *please* consider donating. We're struggling in the current funding & media environment to keep our paywall-free, ad-free newsroom going and we need your help to do it: globalvoices.org/donate/globalvoices.orgDonate · Global VoicesSupport freedom of expression for everyone, everywhere, by donating to Global Voices. 03723
Reposted by Jan RydzakRebeccah with an H @bexbassell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026So what can you do if you enjoy games from Bethesda, ID, Zenimax Online, Obsidian, and other studios under Microsoft? You make your voice heard: “treating developers as line items in an expense sheet and not people is unacceptable. People make the games I love, and they deserve better than this.” 227039
Reposted by Jan RydzakHypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 19/06/2026“We can’t live a full dignified life — with the ability to question authority, have different relationships with people, test ideas [and] blow off steam — if we don’t have private communication.”bloomberg.comSignal's Meredith Whittaker: The Push for Online Safety Risks Mass SurveillanceThe president of the encrypted messaging app says autonomous AI agents, device scanning and digital advertising are converging into a new architecture of surveillance. 1458193
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 18/06/2026Another shoutout to @add-hawk.bsky.social 's new book and the idea of value capture. Flawed quant proxies for "impact" have also really warped the incentives for non-profits, especially to put scale over connection. I feel there's a whole anthology to be written about that (and ways to escape it). 062
Reposted by Jan RydzakAndrew Lawrence @ndrew.bsky.social · 12/06/2026things that currently exist that i am enjoying because they exist and are real and real companies are producing these things - data centers in space - full self driving - robotaxis - computer chips in your brains - mars colonies - moon catapults - fully autonomous robots (billions of them) 471101133
Reposted by Jan Rydzakevacide @evacide.bsky.social · 24/05/2026No matter who you are, if you are running a platform or a making a product that collects user data, you need to have a plan for what happens when the government shows up and asks for it, you need to share that policy with that users, and publish a transparency report. 12705249
Reposted by Jan RydzakSirKidStarverIsGone @sirkidstarversucks.bsky.social · 23/05/2026@mayor.nyc.gov: “I have thought often of the "Margeret Thatcher quote: ‘the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.’ If anything, my friends, it seems that you eventually need a socialist to clean up the mess." 405150853388
Reposted by Jan RydzakNathalie Maréchal, PhD @nathaliemarechal.net · 20/05/2026The louder we get about resisting the AI industry's mass immiseration project, the more industry mouthpieces like the Chamber of "Progress" will try to convince the Democratic party to avoid aligning itself with voter sentiment. Case in point: this drivel from the "Blue Horizon Project" 22310
Reposted by Jan RydzakNathalie Maréchal, PhD @nathaliemarechal.net · 21/05/2026Abolishing dual-class share structures should be at the top of the post-Trump Reconstruction agenda. This 2021 article, written with @hackylawyer.bsky.social & @janrydzak.bsky.social, touches on why. 074
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 06/05/2026Where's the bill that adds AI oversight to the curriculum? How about classes on valuable civic skills such as community pushback against corporate wrongdoings? 050
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Radical idea: What if we profiled people based on consistent positions and demonstrably high moral standards rather than chronic opportunistic duplicity? 000
Jan Rydzak @janrydzak.bsky.social · 20/04/2026Palantir's manifesto reminds me of a lesson I picked up from a founder I deeply admire: We must resist personality cults with every fiber of our being. 000
Reposted by Jan RydzakCovie @covie93.bsky.social · 18/04/2026Seems like the Strait of Hormuz is only open when the stock market is. 17790442084
Reposted by Jan RydzakMore Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 14/04/2026BREAKING: Maryland is about to become the first state in the nation to ban the use of surveillance data and dynamic pricing at grocery stores. The Maryland House has just passed the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act. Governor Wes Moore plans to sign the bill. 171148613836
Reposted by Jan RydzakElizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 28/03/2026We need to know how much energy data centers use – and if YOU are subsidizing the costs of Big Tech companies. Making this data public is the bare minimum. 528131283853
Reposted by Jan RydzakGeorge Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 26/03/2026These people have a funny way of saying "Environmentalists have been proved right yet again." 21670311844
Reposted by Jan RydzakDr. Stephanie @punkrockscience.bsky.social · 16/03/2026It is *fascinating* to me how quickly some people have gone completely from “we all must work in the office! human collaboration is vital and only happens in person!” to “I can replace all these pesky people with chatbots!” Definitely some commentary there about our society and who gets to choose. 17115573255