iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

"collective thought cannot exist as thought, it passes into things (signs, machines . . .). Hence the paradox: it is the thing which thinks, and the man who is reduced to the state of a thing.”

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Fin/ A warm thanks to all contributors for their hopefully timeless pieces.

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

13/ Finally, Emine Ozge Yildirim-Vranckaert explores the absolute nature of the right, in analogy to the prohibition of torture. Perusasively, she argues that the "threshold" approach by the ECtHR in Art. 3 can be applied, mutatis mutandis, to freedom of thought. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

The Mind and the Law: A Contextualized Framework for Freedom of Thought Under the European Convention on Human Rights

This chapter critically examines the scope of protection for freedom of thought under Article 9(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), emphasizing the underdeveloped forum internum aspe...

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

12/ Ligthart, in turn, replies to several points, clarifies his argument, and identifies common ground and open questions. Thanks for the fair debate, which we hopefully continue. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

papers.ssrn.com

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

11/ In response, I present ten different understandings of "thought". Drawing on the Vienna rules and canons of interpretation, I propose a broader "robust scope". I also provide a test for identifying potentially impermissible interferences. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

What Is “Thought”? Interpreting and Constructing Article 18 ICCPR in Light of the Vienna Convention

The right to freedom of thought encapsulates the idea that certain parts of the mind should be categorically out of governmental reach. But both the scope of the right and the meaning of “t...

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

10/ Drawing on a range of sources, Sjors Ligthart challenges the idea that aspects of mental privacy fall under the right to freedom of thought and argues for a more limited scope, only "thoughts that have a major impact on a person's way of living" should qualify. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

papers.ssrn.com

Mental Privacy as Part of the Human Right to Freedom of Thought?

It is generally accepted that the right to freedom of thought guarantees three different substantive freedoms: (1) that one is not compelled to reveal one’s tho

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

9/ My co-editor Marc Blitz explores positive and mnegative variants of cognitive liberty under the US Constitution, and finds possible precedents for its future evolution in privacy protections against surveillance technologies and 1st amendment doctrines. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

Cognitive Liberty and Rights to (and Against) Cultural and Chemical Transformations of the Mind

In 1969, in Stanley v. Georgia, the Supreme Court of the United States stressed that there is a constitutional right to form one’s thoughts and not simply to express them. The resources for thou...

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

8/ In chapter 5, Jordan Wallace-Wolf addresses a long-standing puzzle: Why does American law give criminal defendants the right to refuse to incriminate themselves—even when their testimony would help find the truth? And should this extend to refusing brain scans revealing incriminating memories?

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

7/ Patrick O'Callaghan & Bethany Shiner situate "privacy as mental integrity" within the intellectual and legal history of privacy rights. They explain this concept as one of at least six different socio-cultural narratives about privacy that each shape law in distinctive ways.

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

6/ Chapter 3 by Emma Dore-Hagen & Tom Douglas tackles a foundational question: Does freedom of thought include a moral right to acquire control over our thoughts including through psychological techniques? And should others be prohibited from interfering with our attempts to gain such control?

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

5/ In chapter 2, I trace the evolution of cognitive liberty from a countercultural rallying cry in the bay area to a norm explicitly recognized in international soft law instrument. I present different understandings and speculate about its future. Chapter free: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

4/ The essay was also the opener for the new Journal of Cognitive Liberties, a "samisdat" with readers around the globe. The journals are still accessible online: www.cognitiveliberty.org/journal-of-c...

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

3/ The essay was an eye- and mind-opener for many, showing the need for an updated interpretation of the concept and right of freedom of thought: cognitive liberty. At the same time, the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics was founded to advocate for the right in courts and politics.

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

2/ Book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007... You can also read our preface detailing the chapters here: link.springer.com/content/pdf/... We are especially happy about reprinting the pathbreaking essay "On Cognitive Liberty" by Richard Glen Boire (2000), who coined the term with Wyre Sententia.

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

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🧠 New Volume on Freedom of Thought A long time in the making, "The Law and Ethics of Freedom of Thought, Vol. 2: Cognitive Liberty, Mental Privacy, and International Law" has just been published. 10 chapters at the forefront of the international debate. A thread on each below.

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European Commission @ec.europa.eu · 06/02/2026

We preliminarily found TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act for its addictive design. Our investigation suggests that the platform did not properly consider how these addictive features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including children and vulnerable adults. ↓

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Keynote by the Spanish Prime Minister about "5 measures to turn social media healthy" yesterday: Announcing that Spain will introduce new criminal offences next week, holding exceutives accountable for amplifying or not-taking down illegitimate content. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcX

youtube.com

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

"The cases that should exist" - great take on AI and the law with a Dworkinian twist (and yes, probably LLMs don't work that way).

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Reposted by (Jan) Christoph Bublitz

Journal of Applied Philosophy @the-joap.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

We are pleased to announce the winner of The Charles Mills Prize "Who Counts in Official Statistics? Ethical-Epistemic Issues in German Migration & the Collection of Racial or Ethnic Data” Daniel James, Morgan Thompson & Tereza Hendl #philsky Read it here 👇 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Who Counts in Official Statistics? Ethical‐Epistemic Issues in German Migration and the Collection of Racial or Ethnic Data

In European countries (excluding the UK and Ireland), official statistics do not use racial or ethnic categories, but instead rely on proxies to collect data about discrimination. In the German micro...

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Reposted by (Jan) Christoph Bublitz

Peter Dabrock @dabrock.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Im Gedenken an Bernhard Waldenfels (1934-2026) 🖤 Ein (nicht nur persönlicher) Nachruf👇auf meinen wichtigsten Lehrer🙏

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Here is a moving documentary from 1969 about a survivor, and his experimental psychiatric treatment with LSD in the Netherlands. Now Do You Get It Why I'm Crying? by Louis van Gasteren. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq4R...

youtube.com

Now Do You Get It - 1969

YouTube video by Res Earch

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Berlin: 28.1. Trip auf Rezept? Zur Zukunft Psychedelika-assistierter Therapie. Öffentliche Veranstaltung unseres Forschungsprojekts PSYCHEDELSI zu allerlei, auch nicht-medizinischen Themen. psychedelsi.org 18 Uhr, Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité. Come along!

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Berlin: Morgen spricht der israel. Psychiater Roy Salomon über Traumaerfahrungen unter Psychedelika durch das Massaker am 07. Oktober auf dem Nova Festival. Um 16:00 an der Charité Mitte, Nervenklinik,Saal 24 salomonlab.org/video/

salomonlab.org

Videos - Salomon Lab

“How does experiencing psychedelics during a terrorist attack impact trauma?” An episode from “The Brain Sister podcast” Virtual Tour at Slab Dr. Salomon’s Interview to the RockYourLab Podcast (In Eng...

James Chalmers @jameschalmers.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Reposted by (Jan) Christoph Bublitz

An academic disliked an Oxford Very Short Introduction (145 pages) in his field so much that he wrote a 200 page book review attacking it. www.pierre-legrand.com/ewExternalFi...

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Reposted by (Jan) Christoph Bublitz

Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

I guess it's fitting that it's a reimagined, worse version of someone else's artwork

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Reposted by (Jan) Christoph Bublitz

PrimulaVeris @fernx.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Wie versteck man sich vor #biometrischer und #thermaler erkennenung. Dieses Tanz-Video zeigt sehr kreativ welche Kleidung nötig ist. Weite Kleidung verhindert die Silhouetten Erkennung, weite Kleidung verzerrt bis zu einem gewissen Maß die thermale Erkennung. Große Hüte und "Deko" im Gesicht

youtu.be

Saffron and Smoke | Surreal AI Dance Video 4K

YouTube video by Kelly Boesch AI Art

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

5/...identify and mitigate risks to freedom of thought, with substantial leeway and discretion. These obligations are one reason to regulate social media with respect to harmful effects on cognition, psychology, and as I also argue, truth-finding. It may also lead to a Freedom-of-Thought Impact ...

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

4/ State obligations to promote and respect human rights may thus often not be implicated. I thus suggest reframing the debate through State's obligations to fulfill freedom of thought, treating the digital environment much like the natural environment. Accordingly, States must ...

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

3/ Second, one of the challeges for applying the right to social media is that people use it voluntary and that harms through digital media to those psychological capacities can hardly be attributed to a single actor (e.g., a platform company) because they are by themselves too minor...

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

2/ First, it specifies digital harms to freedom of thought, currently a vage legal concept and rarely applied right. I identify ten mostly psychological aspects, from the freedom from severe external influence to a numerous capacities, such a control over attention, creative and critical thinking...

(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Given the ongoing debates about social media regulation, allow me to do as the big guys and briefly steal your attention to point to my new paper on the human right to freedom of thought, operationalized for digital technologies, especially social media. It makes two central points.

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Zur UNESCO Empfehlung zur Ethik der Neurotechnologie findet gleich eine Veranstaltung der Deutschen UNESCO Kommisison statt, mit Impulsvortrag von mir. Bei Interesse: www.unesco.de/aktuelles/di...

unesco.de

Die neue UNESCO-Empfehlung zur Ethik der Neurotechnologie – Wo steht Deutschland?

Am 5. November 2025 haben die UNESCO-Mitgliedstaaten eine neue völkerrechtliche Empfehlung zur Ethik der Neurotechnologie

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Reposted by (Jan) Christoph Bublitz

Markus Reuter @markus.reuter.netzpolitik.org · 26/11/2025

Wenn man kritisch über die AfD schreibt, bekommt man postwendend Todesdrohungen von ihren Anhängern. Gerade wieder passiert. Die AfD ist einfach eine gefährliche Nazi-Partei. Ich lasse mich nicht einschüchtern. netzpolitik.org/2025/verbots...

netzpolitik.org

Verbotszone in Gießen: „Fatales Zeichen, wenn Protest verhindert werden soll“

Die Stadt Gießen hat mehrere Gegendemos in der Nähe der Gründungsveranstaltung der rechtsradikalen AfD-Jugend verboten. Die Anmelder wehren sich dagegen vor dem Verwaltungsgericht und kritisieren mass...

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(Jan) Christoph Bublitz @jcbublitz.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Ein Satz zur UNESCO-Empfehlung zu Neurotech Forschung aktuell | Schutz von Gehirndaten: UNESCO-Empfehlung zur Ethik der Neurotechnologie share.deutschlandradio.de/dlf-audiothe...

share.deutschlandradio.de

Schutz von Gehirndaten: UNESCO-Empfehlung zur Ethik der Neurotechnologie