iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 07/09/2026

Last week the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)12 on artificial intelligence #AI literacy. Read more at jenpersson.com/council-of-e... Full text search.coe.int/cm/eng?i=091... Infographic to download: rm.coe.int/48802d37d3

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Defend Digital Me @defenddigitalme.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

“This was the plan all along” in Australia's Minimum Age #SocialMediaBan defenddigitalme.org/2026/07/12/t... Expanding on Haidt's 11 July tweet: -making #AV market over 10+ years; -mandatory AV via govt-issued #DigitalID is undemocratic; -starting softly is deliberate towards the final destination

defenddigitalme.org

“This was the plan all along.” Social Media Minimum Age Restrictions #SocialMediaBan — Defend Digital Me

On July 11, 2026, shortly after midnight in the UK early hours of Saturday morning, Jonathan Haidt, the world leading champion of minimum age restrictions to social media, said all the quiet parts out...

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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Glad to see this from the FT, but many have been raising this for a long time and it's been disregarded as a sort of digital nimbyism or patronised as pearl-clutching panic. Labour needs a decent tech strategy and Blair and Mandelson's influence on policy needs to end with the change in leadership

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David @daverino.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

"Dr Alexia Maddox,,said three factors were..driving Australians to download.. These include..following US users..as content creators shift, a..move to secure user names & establish a presence.. – and, possibly, the incoming social media ban for under-16s." www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

theguardian.com

Chinese app RedNote is rocketing up download charts – in Australia the sudden uptake is not just about TikTok

Experts say the flood of users to the Chinese app highlights flaws in the Albanese government’s social media ban

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 07/06/2026

Girlguiding March 2026: "Just over half (56%) said they think a #SocialMediaBan would be ineffective" "only 15% said they thought a ban would make them feel safer online". girlguiding.org.uk/about-us/press… #OnlineSafety #AVisNotSafety #SafetyNotSurveillancejenpersson.com/social-media...n/

girlguiding.org.uk

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 29/05/2026

Despite what the media is reporting on a UK #SocialMediaBan the evidence does not all point in one direction. Many in a wide range of expert organisations do not support an u16s ban but advocate for addressing the underlying causes of harm. jenpersson.com/social-media... #OnlineSafety #ChildRights

jenpersson.com

Social Media Bans: Evidence Does Not all Point in One Direction

According to reporting by ITV and Sky News, Alan Milburn said that “the evidence points in one direction” on a social media ban for under-16s. ITV reported it saying he was backing Lord…

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 29/05/2026

jenpersson.com

Social Media Bans: Evidence Does Not all Point in One Direction

According to reporting by ITV and Sky News, Alan Milburn said that “the evidence points in one direction” on a social media ban for under-16s. ITV reported it saying he was backing Lord…

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 14/05/2026

Wearing my heart on my sleeve in this podcast. An impromptu broad discussion of #publicpolicy on #education #data and #children in England today, emerging legislation, and direction of travel. actnowtraining.blog/tag/guardian... #dataprotection #FOI #privacy #schools #OnlineSafety #AI #SchoolsBill

actnowtraining.blog

Guardians of Data – Your Front Page For Information Governance News

Posts about Guardians of Data written by actnowtraining

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 05/03/2026

“There is no such thing as the Digital Age of Consent.” My post on part of the ‘Growing up in the Online World: a national consultation’, interpreting the proposals, and ‘emergency style’ DfE govt powers. jenpersson.com/there-is-no-... #onlineSafety #AV #DigitalID #SocialMediaBan #AgeVerification

jenpersson.com

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Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk · 03/03/2026

At our Annual Conference, Antonio Weiss will join a panel discussion exploring AI & Public Services—including how to balance operational efficiency with the imperative of public trust & social values. 📅 Thursday 26 March 2026 🕛 12:00—13:15 📍Cambridge & online 🎟️ www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/conference

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Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk · 03/03/2026

Congratulations to @jenitennison.com on her appointment as Chair, and @antonioweiss.bsky.social on becoming a member of the Responsible AI Advisory Panel, established by the Government Digital Service (GDS). Hear them speaking at two of our forthcoming events ⬇️

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Reuben Binns @rdbinns.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

I had the pleasure of being a witness at the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence of the @oireachtasnews.bsky.social this morning, to talk about AI, truth and democracy: www.oireachtas.ie/en/press-cen...

oireachtas.ie

The Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence to continue discussion on AI: truth and democracy

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POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 02/03/2026

Governments should halt plans to roll out age checks on online services until privacy and security concerns are addressed, hundreds of academics said today. The warning comes as countries around the world move to bar children from social media.

politico.eu

Resist ‘dangerous and socially unacceptable’ age checks for social media, scientists warn

Computer scientists are campaigning against the global march toward age checks online.

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evacide @evacide.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Hacktivists tried to find a workaround to Discord’s age-verification software, Persona. Instead, they found its frontend exposed to the open internet, and that was just the beginning. www.therage.co/persona-age-...

therage.co

Hackers Expose Age-Verification Software Powering Surveillance Web

Three hacktivists tried to find a workaround to Discord’s age-verification software. Instead, they found its frontend exposed to the open internet.

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Bennett School of Public Policy, University of Cambridge @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk · 14/01/2026

Booking is now open for the Bennett School of Public Policy Annual Conference Speakers inc. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, & keynote João Vale de Almeida, former senior EU Ambassador 🗓️26 March 2026 🕙10:00-18:30 📍Churchill College, Cambridge & Online 🎟️ bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/conference

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LSE Department of Media and Communications @lsemedia.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Missed last Thursday’s LSE lecture? #EdTech at the Crossroads: #Pedagogy vs. Profit" is now available. Our panel tackled the digital shift in #schools and how commercial models impact children’s privacy. 📺 Watch: youtube.com/watch?v=HNG7... 🎧 Listen: www.lse.ac.uk/lse-player/e...

youtube.com

EdTech at the crossroads of pedagogy vs profit | LSE Event

YouTube video by LSE

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LSE Department of Media and Communications @lsemedia.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

👨‍🏫 EdTech is transforming education. Join us next Thursday 6.30pm as Sandra El Gemayel, #BaronessKidron, Julian Sefton-Green & Rhys Spence discuss what a #childrights-respecting, pedagogically-sound vision for #EdTech looks like. See more 👇 www.lse.ac.uk/events/edtech @sonialivingstone.bsky.social

lse.ac.uk

EdTech at the crossroads of pedagogy vs profit | A discussion

6.30pm Thurs 20 Nov |Sandra El Gemayel Baroness Kidron Julian Sefton-Green Rhys Spence| Ticket Required | Free public event at LSE

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Pat Walshe - Privacy Matters 🇮🇪🇬🇧🇪🇺 @privacymatters.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Denmark. The Data Inspectorate expresses serious criticism and warns municipalities about their use of Google's products in primary schools, including the use of sub-data processors outside the EU. www.datatilsynet.dk/presse-og-ny...? FYI @jenpersson.com @risu.bsky.social

datatilsynet.dk

Datatilsynet giver 51 kommuner alvorlig kritik i Chromebook-sag

Datatilsynet udtaler alvorlig kritik og advarer samtidig kommunerne i forhold til, hvordan de gør brug af Googles produkter i folkeskolen.

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Laurie Adkin, Ph.D. @laurieadkin.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

"This is the final stage of corporatization: public education transformed into a delivery system for private capital." www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-destroying-the-university-and-learning-itself

currentaffairs.org

AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself

Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.

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Shell @risu.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

I keep saying that when the first deep fake is made of a child and the image comes from a school site,,, we might see change

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 10/06/2025

Part 1: The Trouble with the (UK) #DataBill and Children’s Data A growing expectation to treat children’s data differently from adults’ brings with it new challenges in #DataProtection law. Among other things. jenpersson.com/the-trouble-...

jenpersson.com

The Trouble with the Data Bill and Children’s Data

Part 1: The Trouble with the Data Bill and Children’s Data Will the Data Use and Access Bill fall at the final hurdle? The popular consensus on ping-pong is no, but the government’s int…

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 20/05/2025

Looking forward to contributing and participating in this tomorrow, #CILIPData25 in a talk on "Children as (copy)rights holders: canaries in the coalmine?" and panel with really interesting questions to challenge us in the afternoon.

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Defend Digital Me @defenddigitalme.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

This weekend, we've a little Easter egg for dystopian fiction fans. Or is it? "You are a Year 10 pupil at Horizon Academy. You didn’t sign up for the new system. No one asked for your permission. But your school bought it anyway. What do you do?" Choose wisely in our Twine. #HappyEaster2025 1/8🧵

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Defend Digital Me @defenddigitalme.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

School pupils’ ‘sex survey’ data offered to researchers: Opt out fails children on reuse of #ID and Local Authorities’ survey defenddigitalme.org/2025/02/05/s... #Scotland #Health #Wellbeing #DataBill #DUABill #CWBSBill #DataProtection #privacy #AI #Copyright Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 21/01/2025

Ignoring the role of time in Data Governance. A blogpost on why we must ensure any public policy or #AI creating inferences of meaning are built only on data that are correct, used within the context in which the meaning intended at source is valid over time. jenpersson.com/ignoring-the... #DUABill

jenpersson.com

Ignoring the role of time in Data Governance

The words we use to define data In the 2021 Defend Digital Me report, The Words We Use in Data Policy: Putting People Back in the Picture, we examined why public conversations about personal data o…

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Le Cagle @lecagle.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Can't stop won't stop (making yip yip hanging baskets)

Photo of a bright blue knitted basket with eyeballs hanging on a doorknob; it looks exactly like a yip yip muppet

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Robert Bateman @robertjbateman.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

"AI providers may struggle to demonstrate their compliance" is about as strong as it gets.

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Robert Gorwa @gorwa.ca · 25/11/2024

I have a new report out w. @cendemtech.bsky.social looking at the latest in automated content moderation for the live-streaming context. Live video is hard to analyze, and - importantly - can’t be hashed and matched to existing infrastructures eg for CSAM detection. How are companies responding?

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Robin Wilton 🇱🇧 @komadori.eurosky.social · 28/11/2024

As mentioned by @jenpersson.com at today's "Scrambling for Safety" event. 👍 We can't go on letting "safety tech" advocates lobby on the basis of *one* of a child's rights to the exclusion of the rest of their rights.

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 30/11/2024

If you are not yet signed up to the UK StopWatch newsletter you should be — this one is a cracker just ahead of Christmas, with a sweep of the state of the nation and what’s new in policing, including tech stories like the #AI powered Omnie Box— “affectionately known as the ‘Bobby Bot’”. 🙄

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Pat Walshe - Privacy Matters 🇮🇪🇬🇧🇪🇺 @privacymatters.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

2023: A new report, co-published by CRIN and defenddigitalme, aims to capture the full complexity of how encryption affects children’s lives. It sets out principles for an approach to encryption that recognises and respects the full range of their rights home.crin.org/readlistenwa...

home.crin.org

Privacy and Protection: A children’s rights approach to encryption — CRIN

A new report, co-published by CRIN and defenddigitalme aims to capture the full complexity of how encryption affects children’s lives. It sets out principles for an approach to encryption that recogni...

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 25/11/2024

Tonight—includes me on why the Home Office has tried to match over 7.2K school pupils’ records from the Dept for Education, which has handed over 1.8K since we discovered govt using education records to further the Hostile Environment, the role of @ICOnews and what to do about it. Sign up 👇

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Jennifer Cobbe @jennifercobbe.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Foundation for Information Policy Research event 'Scrambling for Safety' on Nov 28th Panels with excellent speakers on chat control, online safety, and government decision-making & AI (this panel chaired by me) Friends House London or online - sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scrambling...

eventbrite.co.uk

Scrambling for Safety

FIPR: Helping policy makers understand what technology can and can't do.

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Prof Michaela Benson @michaelacbenson.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Next webinar from Social Scientists Against the Hostile Environment is on Monday, 5.30pm GMT. On education & the hostile environment, ft. a stellar line up: the National Education Union, Digital Defend Me, Louise Ryan, María López & Alessia Dalceggio. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ssahe-nove...

eventbrite.co.uk

SSAHE November Webinar: “Education and the Hostile Environment”

A webinar on the Hostile Environment for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in UK education

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Ben Gidley @bengidley.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Join next Social Scientists Against the Hostile Environment webinar on Monday, 25 November 2024, 17:30-19:00 No child is illegal! Education and the hostile environment with Louise Ryan, María López and Alessia Dalceggio, @jenpersson.com, Deborah Gwynn. ssahe.net/2024/11/20/n...

ssahe.net

No child is illegal! Education and the hostile environment: Register for SSAHE webinar

SSAHE November Webinar | “Education and the Hostile Environment” Monday 25th November 2024, 17:30-19:00 To register: Standing up for school children in the Hostile Environment: what can we do? Jen …

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Tracey @tgyateng.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I’m in the House of Lords now, with @theabb.bsky.social setting the context and introducing tonight’s speakers who will discuss Ai and school social media use; parental views of use of EdTech & implications of children’s rights

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 18/11/2024

Data Use and Access Bill: the Defend Digital Me view, briefing, and call to action defenddigitalme.org/2024/11/17/d... #MyRecordsMyRights #DataBill #DUABill Tonight from 17:30: Event at the Houses of Parliament C’ttee Room 3 #Data #Education Settings and #AI www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/childrens-...

eventbrite.co.uk

Children’s data use and access in educational settings in the context of AI

Children's privacy and copyright in schools, discuss policy and practice in the context of AI and new data law. Join us Nov 18 at 5:30 PM

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Jen Persson @TheABB @jenpersson.com · 14/11/2024

Nov. 18th 2024, 5.30-7pm Children's Data: Use and Access in Educational Settings and #AI incl. 3 *new* research areas Committee Room 4, Houses of Parliament On the eve of the 2nd Reading of new UK #DUABill #DataBill #HOL Registration open, an in-person event www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/childrens-...

An invite to an event on Monday 18th November 2014. The card is black text on white background with a brief summary and link to the Registration now open, an in-person even.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/childrens-data-use-and-access-in-educational-settings-in-the-context-of-ai-tickets-1076171711559

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Martin Nutbeem @martinnutbeem.bsky.social · 10/05/2024

Oh. That's just delightful. "Jen Persson, director of Defend Digital Me, said pupil data should be used “for the purposes of their education and that alone”, not for the DWP to “hunt people down”. She said that more than 15 million people on the database today “have already left school”.

schoolsweek.co.uk

Benefit fraud squad snoops on pupil data under secret deal

Leaders warn the move may lead to parents 'withdrawing their children from schools'

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Wendy M. Grossman @wendyg.bsky.social · 10/05/2024

This week's net.wars, "Intents and purposes", is appalled by the news that the DWP is gaining access to children's educational rights in order to hunt for benefit fraud (h/t Jen Persson @ DefendDigitalMe): netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2024/05/10/i...

netwars.pelicancrossing.net

Intents and purposes - net.wars

One of the basic principles of data protection law is the requirement for consent for change of use. For example, giving a site a mobile number for two-factor authentication doesn’t entitle it to sell...

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Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 29/06/2024

"Secret deal to let benefit fraud squad snoop on pupil data" schoolsweek.co.uk/revealed-sec... Pupil data should be used “for the purposes of their education and that alone”, not for the DWP to “hunt people down” Jen Persson, director of Defend Digital Me

schoolsweek.co.uk

Benefit fraud squad snoops on pupil data under secret deal

Leaders warn the move may lead to parents 'withdrawing their children from schools'

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