iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Useful update on DSA "systemic risk" tentative CJEU view dsa-observatory.eu/2026/05/06/w... TL:DR: Scale and impact important, interconnectedness less so, still unclear if Art34 list exhaustive I still maintain the "Dual Track" view of systemic risk - algorithmwatch.org/en/dual-track/ .

dsa-observatory.eu

What makes a risk “systemic”? The CJEU’s first interpretation of systemic risks under the Digital Services Act - DSA Observatory

This post analyses the first major CJEU interpretation of “systemic risks” under the Digital Services Act in Amazon v. European Commission (2025). It argues that the judgment clarifies systemic risks ...

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Sad to be missing #Disinfo2026 - have a great time all there, and I would gratefully receive any written insights!

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

* I need to think about it, but I will probably lean towards recommending proper enforcement of existing rules plus other mechanisms, rather than introducing a new Act yet. Such a recommendation will almost certainly be ignored, hence keeping it high level, but hey nothing ventured nothing gained.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

ICYMI, feedback on the EU Kids Act until 26.11. I may submit something high-level, if you want to talk about co-work let me know.* In meantime I recommend @michae.lv brutal dissection of the proposed Act's textual details. michae.lv/are-eu-kiddi... digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/comm...

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

TL:DR. Under both 40.4 and 40.12 resource meant for research is entirely sucked up by company resistance and regulatory hurdles. There's little clarity on how, or on what timeline, these problems will be solved (which is a pattern with the DSA). (With some positive exceptions to both the above)

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"Next to the 400 billion euros which Brussels wants to fork out for high-end semiconductors and Al infrastructure, such figures are mere rounding errors."

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"Matching what the US government and philanthropies have traditionally paid would mean Brussels providing closer to 85 million euros a year. Importantly, it must be committed for several years at a stretch instead of doled out grant by grant..."

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"Europe only provides roughly 17 million euros a year for the fact-checkers, election-monitoring watchdogs and digital rights groups upon whose work the bloc's digital rulebook and global reputation - depends".

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

"12 percent of the annual budget for Europe's Democracy Stack is funded by EU institutional funds... almost 60 percent of the capability's annual 144 million euro operating budget for 2024, the latest full-year figures available, comes from either the US government or US philanthropic organizations"

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Really good and important piece from Mark Scott and Richard Woods. Some bits that jumped out at me in the comments:

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Anyone else getting weirdly friendly google AI search...? "Hey there!" is new and... unwelcome. It claimed when I asked that it had a system prompt upgrade in sept. But, y'know, asking chatbots about themselves etc etc. etc. (This was meant to be a normal search btw, Google ofc made it AI)

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

My latest for @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/we-need-goog... *We need Google Trends for AI* Understanding AI's societal risks requires real-time, privacy-preserving data on how people actually use AI. The model for how to provide it has existed for 20 years: Google Trends.

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Reposted by Oliver Marsh does tech policy

Sam Jeffers @worklesshard.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Basically, this is an intentionally broad definition Meta wrote in 2018 ("more transparency = good, right?"), but the EU wanted a different one, and the law has hefty penalties for non-compliance. Meta didn't want to play along and banned the broader swathe of stuff in the EU, including this ad.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

OG Guardian article doesn't mention this point, tbf neither does the quote from Meta which surprises me www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Background: why Meta says they bans political/social ads in the EU, it was a response to the TTPA - about.fb.com/news/2025/07.... I'm not saying Meta is _right_, but that is the background. @whotargets.me on the TTPA, it isn't a clear "EU good, Meta bad" story whotargets.me/en/meta-and-...

Screenshot of Guardian Article with a picture of an actress (Clara Sanchis) and the headline "Meta bans ads for Virginia Woolf play in
Spain because they relate to feminism" and subtitle "Theatre told that Facebook and Instagram filter out ads mentioning 'social topics' such as civil rights or feminism"

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

New iron law in German elections: Whether there's a viable coaltion has to wait riiiiiight to the end to see whether the BSW get above the 5% threshold to get into Parliament

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Parents can't let kids use an account for more than 1 hour per day??

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Oh no they're doing the US law name thing

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Reposted by Oliver Marsh does tech policy

Who Targets Me @whotargets.me · 16/09/2026

Reform's spend on "Ban the balaclava" ads: £200. Reform's spend on "Ban the Burqa" ads: £2,000. 🤔

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

R.e. EU Kids Act. Whatever one's views of child safety, each new Act results in another load of consultations, working groups, webpages, arguments over competencies... Regulation must iterate. But there must be a more pragmatic lever than "make a new Act"? Image: www.kaizenner.eu/post/2026-09...

Bar chart titled "Figure 1: The EU's digital governance long tail." Subtitle: 171 digital laws have created 597 governance, enforcement and implementation mandates for 315 different EU bodies.

Nine bars, ranked largest to smallest by mandate count, each showing mandates and body count: EU institutions (204 mandates, 95 bodies, including 93 Commission units), public authority networks and boards (118 mandates, 71 bodies), comitology committees (93 mandates, 67 bodies), decentralised agencies (75 mandates, 17 bodies), independent expert and stakeholder bodies (52 mandates, 40 bodies), EU bodies (20 mandates, 7 bodies), formally appointed organisations (15 mandates, 10 bodies), executive agencies (12 mandates, 5 bodies), joint undertakings (8 mandates, 3 bodies).

Source: based on research by Kai Zenner and J. Scott Marcus for a forthcoming CEPS publication.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This has now happened, & I am now freelance! I'll be carrying on existing interests (better regulation/ governance of & with tech), and making research work for that task. Will mostly be in London. Get in touch if you have projects or want to scheme! www.oliver-marsh.com

oliver-marsh.com

Oliver Marsh: Technology & Society

Newsletter on research & policy around tech, society, and democracy. Also fun facts.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Quoted in The Guardian on X, Musk, and the AfD in the recent Saxony-Anhalt election www.theguardian.com/technology/2... My broader views: Focusing on content during elections misses deeper trends, both off and on-line; and platform regs are important but risky ways to wage political fights.

x.com

X. It’s what’s happening

From breaking news and entertainment to sports and politics, get the full story with all the live commentary.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

My last research work with @algorithmwatch.org, on Google AI Overviews on German regional elections. Why AI Overviews? Because many more people see these than chatbot answers. In sum: Google's previously clear approach to election-related info seems to be replaced with something much messier.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

for anyone not following the UK who is confused, Andy Burnham, the man whose election has ended Starmer's premiership, is associated strongly with Manchester

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Just a coincidence from Wikipedia today...? (For UK politics followers)

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Announcement: I have decided to leave @algorithmwatch.org and go freelance again in August. I will also be spending more time in London as well as Berlin. Please get in touch! I work between research & policy, esp relating to digital services. Examples here: www.oliver-marsh.com/portfolio-sk...

oliver-marsh.com

Portfolio & Skills

I have worked a lot at the intersection of government/policymaking and tech research, particularly around digital platforms (social media, search engines, chatbots). It's sometimes hard to clearly sum...

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Paging @reckless.bsky.social ‘It all flows from Trump’: Brendan Carr, US broadcast media watchdog - www.ft.com/content/d62d... via @financialtimes.com

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Signal is obv a better company, but WhatsApp data is easier to export e.g. if one thread is a list of links to read. So I have Signal threads for ideas, to-dos etc and Whatsapp for stuff I will probably want to process in bulk. Both apps also have desktop versions, which helps.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

TIL: you can start group chats with just yourself on Signal and WhatsApp. = multiple notes-to-self threads for different things. I find notes-to-self on messaging apps my most reliable note-taking method, so this is v helpful.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

New research w @algorithmwatch.org - chatbot use in govts. Or: how can DE Digital Minister's office tell us (via FOI) he doesn't use chatbots in an official capacity, when he's said he uses them 1-2hrs daily to structure his thoughts? Or what happens when slight prompt changes alter policy advice?

algorithmwatch.org

Summary: Could AI Chatbots influence a Government’s Decisions? - AlgorithmWatch

What does it mean for democracy, if our political leaders and government officials allow AI to shape their decisions?

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

As always with these posts, this is me sorting out my own thoughts in public and comment/critique welcome. As the influencers say, smash that subscribe button www.oliver-marsh.com#/portal/signup

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Latest post on my personal blog - USA social media cases from a European perspective. www.oliver-marsh.com/a-european-r... Individual harm vs. DSA systemic risks; shift from content to design, as narrative as well as a legal argument; and possible future of "social media addiction" in court

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

I'm in Amsterdam for the DSA Observatory Conference Mon Tues and may have space for coffees Weds morning before heading back.

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Pleasure writing this with @lkseiling.bsky.social . The X fine is an important moment for DSA transparency, and learning how different actors can contribute to the DSA - as also laid out in my "Dual Track" proposal with Michele Loi for @algorithmwatch.org algorithmwatch.org/en/dual-track/

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Me successfully passing X / Grok's immediate age verification (i.e. the one you don't need ID for, to view sensitive content as a one-off)

me wearing an obvious human facemask with bright green pupils, there is a phone being held up to photograph the facemask to age verify me

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Personal reflections on 2025, including: Trying to make positive progress in a world of power struggles; the rise of progressive regulation vs. deregulation arguments; podcasts and other recs; other words beginning with P. Also fun facts about squirrels. www.oliver-marsh.com/sideways-loo...

oliver-marsh.com

Sideways Looks #38: 2025 Retro, also Squirrels

2025 - some analysis, some personal reflections, much "wtf is going on".

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Good article on the power of YouTube, which I often feel flies weirdly under the radar in a lot of research/regulatory discussions (paywalled but contact me for guest link) www.ft.com/content/9e75...

ft.com

The relentless rise of YouTube

As well as being the dominant platform in podcasting and having a growing presence in live sport, it is now the leader in TV and streaming in the US

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Some, esp. in the US, will use this as evidence of the EU "censoring" speech. @mathver.bsky.social and @daphnek.bsky.social call BS on this superbly: bsky.app/profile/math... bsky.app/profile/daph... X decision: ec.europa.eu/commission/p... My nudify e.g.: algorithmwatch.org/en/stop-nudi...

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

X is finally being fined under the Digital Services Act. I've said before that the fact they were getting away with e.g. not sharing data on *non consensual nude images* suggested the DSA wasn't working. But today I have hope that enforcers will pick the right fights, even when politically tricky.

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Reposted by Oliver Marsh does tech policy

meeteu.bsky.social @meeteu.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Every swipe, like, and share on social media fuels a billion-euro business. With @olivermmarsh.bsky.social you will: 🎯 see how algorithms grab and hold your attention 🎯 learn how your behaviour becomes ad data 🎯 explore the social impact Join our Zoom meetup: 👇 Tue, 2 Dec, 7pm CET meeteu.eu/events

Privacy for cash. How your data are turned into profit.
Online Meetup with Oliver Marsh, digital-policy researcher

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Oliver Marsh does tech policy @olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Enjoyed talking about algorithms, challenges of holding tech platforms accountable, and why I'm nervous about focusing on disinformation for the new "und DAS glaubst du?" podcast. youtu.be/blv7kC_1g88?... (For German speakers, or I guess anyone who wants to hear how my accent sounds in German...)

youtu.be

#3 “Welche Rolle spielen Algorithmen im Kontext Desinformation?” Dr. Oliver Marsh, AlgorithmWatch

YouTube video by Und DAS glaubst du?!

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