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Paul Byron

@paulibyron.bsky.social
667 followers 624 following 30 posts

Social media researcher, Gadigal country (aka Sydney) Researching friendship, care, LGBTQ+ peer support, young people, mental health, porn literacies, hook-up apps. profiles.uts.edu.au/paul.byron

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Reposted by Paul Byron
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 22/07/2026
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.
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Paul Byron @paulibyron.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
"Generative AI’s biggest crime is that it has ruined watching a cute video on the internet, which was one of the greatest and only joys left on the internet. Those brief moments of happiness are now destroyed."
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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 06/07/2026
HYPERSCALE is hitting bookstores on October 20. Preorder it now! In the book, I dig into how the data center boom is pushing our planet past its breaking point, and the incredible efforts of people pushing back against the profit-driven interests of Big Tech. Get your copy: hyperscalebook.com
Hyperscale by Paris Marx. Coming October 20, 2026.

An eye-opening account of how the data center boom is pushing our planet past its breaking point
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stranger @strangerous.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Segal insists it’s too “difficult” to answer how she justifies attacking ABC’s Gaza coverage, when just 4 of “literally thousands” Ombudsman complaints are actually substantiated.🙄 Pathetic. Then attacks ombudsman’s “standards”, wants her personally endorsed standards. Dangerous.
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Dr Melody Taba @melodytaba.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Testing COMPLETE 🫡 Our RCT found brief social media interventions (like educational TikToks by a professional science communicator, animations and health-literacy friendly text) are effective in improving digital health literacy! Read more: link.springer.com/article/10.1... #AcademicSky 🛟 🧪 🦘🎓
link.springer.com
The Effects of a Short Video Intervention on Digital Health Literacy Skills: An Online Randomised Controlled Trial - Journal of General Internal Medicine
Background Social media has an influence on public health communication. There are growing concerns about digital health literacy, and how younger adults find good-quality health information online, a...
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WIRED @wired.com · 07/07/2026
As part of Meta’s Muse Image model rollout, Instagram users with public accounts need to opt out to block AI generations of their content. www.wired.com/story/meta-n...
wired.com
Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out
As part of Meta’s Muse Image model rollout, Instagram users with public accounts need to opt out to block AI generations of their content.
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Jeremy Glover @jgrantglover.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
There’s a scene in the dystopian sci-fi movie Minority Report where Tom Cruise’s character is riding in an autonomous vehicle that gets remotely commandeered by the police to bring him into custody. The audience is supposed to see this as flagrant disregard for privacy and due process.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Microsoft is laying off 4,800 workers today. Its CEO made $96.5M in 2025, a 22% increase from the previous year. Microsoft made $101B in net income last year — and raked in up to $12.5B in tax breaks from Trump's Big Ugly Bill. This is what a rigged system looks like.
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The Sociological Review Foundation @thesociologicalreview.org · 07/07/2026
JOIN US: The Sociological Review journal is recruiting 12 new Editorial Board members who will take up post in January 2027. Our aim is to recruit a cohort of globally minded scholars reflective of the richness and diversity of the sociological community. ➡️ Deadline 16 October buff.ly/mPov5pd
Join our Journal
The Sociological Review is recruiting 12 new members to its editorial board. 
Apply by 16 October 2026.
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Pseudo Bambi @pseudo-bambi.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
I scrolled for a while. Literally nothing else.
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Dr Mary McGill @mary-mcgill.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Call for Interview Participants! My @researchireland.ie study exploring women’s experiences of online harassment and abuse in Irish academia is seeking insights from those impacted to help increase awareness and support. To share your story please email: gboastudy@universityofgalway.ie
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Fourfoot @fourfoot.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Never met Tony Peters, don’t know who he is, but a million years ago on Facebook he posted this and I don’t think anyone’s ever put it better.
A summation of the situation where people are directed to focus their ire at fraudulent benefit claimants rather than at the rich who are the cause of all poverty.
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Sloan Ashton @ashton7sloan.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Good News: The International Court of Justice has declared it has jurisdiction to put Israel on trial. Official legal ruling issued. Court asserts authority to proceed. Also: Italian Prime Minister Meloni announces suspension of military cooperation and defense agreements with Israel.
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Antoinette Lattouf @antoinettelattouf.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
EXCLUSIVE: A data investigation reveals what appears to be a sustained, coordinated media offensive by The Australian targeting Randa Abdel-Fattah. The paper has written more articles on her than Nine papers, Guardian, ACM papers & ABCNews online COMBINED www.ettemedia.com/exclusive-me...
ettemedia.com
ETTE-SCLUSIVE: Data exposes The Australian’s campaign against Dr Randa Abdel- Fattah
A sweeping data investigation reveals what appears to be a sustained, coordinated media offensive by News Corp's The Australian targeting Palestinian-Egyptian academic and author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah...
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Ashwin Nagappa @ashwinnag.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Whether you use, develop, or moderate decentralised social media, your ideas for making these spaces safer and more welcoming matter. Join our ongoing asynchronous brainstorm and share your thoughts. Signup form here forms.office.com/r/mMbjjvXgXB Project details here tinyurl.com/44adp9cx
This is a flyer inviting participants to join a study to share their ideas on making new social media platforms safe and welcoming.
Signup form here forms.office.com/r/mMbjjvXgXB Project details here tinyurl.com/44adp9cx
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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Upside down, by the ankles, and then treat him like a piñata.
Chief Nerd
CHIEF NERD
@TheChiefNerd
X.com
SAM ALTMAN: "We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter."
1:22
3:36 AM • 3/12/26 • 1.7M Views
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QueerAF @wearequeeraf.com · 12/03/2026
LGBTQIA+ young people who feel safe and understood in online spaces report better mental health outcomes than those who do not, findings from @trevorproject.bsky.social show Why are politicians not considering this in conversations about social media bans?
wearequeeraf.com
Rise of social media bans is a blunt force that will harm LGBTQIA+ children, especially in rural areas
If we are serious about protecting young people, we need to approach social media policy with that nuance in mind.
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Paul Eric @pauleric70.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Israel just bombed the Lebanese National Public University in Beirut. They murdered the Director of the Faculty of Science, Dr. Hussein Bazzi, and Dr. Murtada Srour. They are not just killing people — they are erasing knowledge and attacking the future of Lebanon. Just as in Gaza 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
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Greg Jericho @grogsgamut.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
"Failure to tax extreme wealth will fuel far-right surge, warns Gary Stevenson" thepoint.com.au/news/260227-...
thepoint.com.au
Failure to tax extreme wealth will fuel far-right surge, warns Gary Stevenson
British economist Gary Stevenson, known as 'the People's Economist' has delivered blunt advice to Australian politicians during his tour of Australia, warning that living standards will continue to de...
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More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
This guy gets it.
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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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Dr Emma Muhlack @dremmamuhlack.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Well to the surprise of absolutely NOBODY, the Australian University Census on Staff Wellbeing found that the sector is (to put it mildly) a bit fucked when it comes to psychosocial safety climate, with 44% of respondents in a very high risk environment. #AcademicSky
a figure displaying survey respondents and their placement in low, medium, high, or very high risk environments. Benchmark figures are between 54 and 62% low, and 11-12% very high. The census in question has a low risk placement of 18%, and a very high risk placement of 44%.
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
how long did it take you to notice?
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Josh Taylor @joshtaylor.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
You know I'm dead if I suddenly start posting on Facebook more than like once every two years. mashable.com/article/meta...
mashable.com
Meta wins patent for AI that could post for dead social media users
The company says its just a concept, and doesn't plan to advance the idea.
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Timothy Graham @timothyjgraham.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Latest article from me in The Conversation this morning. I discuss a new Nature study that finds X's algorithmic feed is politically biased (surprise, surprise!). I explore the idea of social media platforms as faulty infrastructure in need of a fix. theconversation.com/a-few-weeks-...
theconversation.com
A few weeks of X’s algorithm can make you more right-wing – and it doesn’t wear off quickly
Elon Musk’s social media platform is boosting conservative content – and it’s having long-lasting effects on how users see the world.
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AAUP @aaup.org · 15/02/2026
“Abolishing gender programs & the lessons they have taught, will, Trump & his acolytes hope, undermine our ability not just to condemn, but also to critically analyze the policies & practices they want to impose.” Must Read by Joan Scott, member of the AAUP’s Committee on Academic Freedom.
theguardian.com
Gender studies courses are shutting down across the US. The Epstein files reveal why | Joan Wallach Scott
Texas A&M University is the latest school to end women’s and gender studies programs and teaching race. We know why
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Ren Wyld @wyld.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
A must read piece on the increasing misuse, watering down and co-opting of Cultural Safety - a First Nations designed health framework. overland.org.au/2026/02/on-t...
overland.org.au
On the misuse of Cultural Safety - Overland literary journal
Since its original formulation and application in the health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 1980s, Cultural Safety has been subject to wide reinterpretation. Its entry into institutional life m...
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Paul Byron @paulibyron.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
"Many people rely on anonymity to speak freely. LGBTQ+ youth, survivors of abuse, political dissidents, and countless others use aliases to explore identity, find support, and build community safely. When identity checks become a condition of participation, many users will simply opt out."
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
One thing that’s cool about our current system is how it creates things that people don’t want or need, and also those things are bad for us.
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Every photo from Minneapolis looks like this. Cops decked out with guns and full tac gear facing off against people in bathrobes, parkas, and sweatpants armed only with whistles and cell phones. Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
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Daniel Brumund @danbru8.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Looking for alternatives to Gmail and G-Drive? Two years ago I switched to #Posteo for emails and to @nextcloud.bsky.social for personal online storage (via #Hetzner). It costs me the equivalent of a good flat white per month & gives me peace of mind that my personal data isn't scraped or abused.
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Joel Humphries @joel.queercomputer.com · 11/02/2026
Really good article by @bronicee.bsky.social on the world's largest data centre to be built in Sydney and its environmental impact. Spoiler: it's massive! But at least we'll have funny videos of dogs dancing while we burn... 😌 stories.theconversation.com/can-australi... @aunz.theconversation.com
stories.theconversation.com
Can Australia build one of the world’s largest data centres?
Even if we can pull of the logistical feat, given the social and environmental impact, the question remains: should we?
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
“Four of my children just evaporated,” Badran said, holding back tears. “I looked for them a million times. Not a piece was left. Where did they go?” There are no words to adequately describe the evil here.
aljazeera.com
Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate
US-made thermal weapons burning at 3,500C caused 2,842 people to "evaporate" in Gaza, Al Jazeera investigation finds.
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Paul Byron @paulibyron.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
This is why you're better off getting your news from TikTok. It's not ideal, but better than PR-coded journalism in which politicians solely focus on defending their horrible decisions. Check the footage.
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Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 09/02/2026
EFF is against age verification mandates, including Discord's new policy requiring face scans or IDs for full access to the platform. Here are some things to consider if you're planning to continue using Discord next month. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...
eff.org
So, You’ve Hit an Age Gate. What Now?
EFF is against age gating and age verification mandates, and we hope we’ll win in getting existing ones overturned and new ones prevented. But mandates are already in effect, and every day many
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Avery Dame-Griff @adamegriff.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
I don't have much to add that other folks haven't said, but as a historian of the queer internet, this doesn't surprise me at all. LGBTQ users are convenient corporate props...until they're not worth protecting.
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Alastair Lawrie @alastairlawrie.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
"[D]o you fundamentally achieve public safety by trying to repress protests, by trying to prevent street processions, by creating a legal regime where there’s no independent arbiter or are in fact those things potentially quite dangerous to community safety?" Good questions. #auslaw #nswpol
State MLC questions if repressive protest laws are making community safer

Stephen Lawrence – a NSW MLC and barrister – says he’s also concerned about the fact that civil liability has been “extinguished” under the Major Events Act Declaration.

Known as the public assembly restriction declaration, it gives police the full suite of their move-on powers under the Summary Offences Act for offences such as obstructing traffic.

Lawrence told RN Breakfast in practice, the events of Monday night should be “food for thought” for politicians.

Anyone that was the victim of a civil wrong, so negligence or any sort of other tortious act from the police last night won’t be able to sue the state. That’s a consequence of the Major Events Act Declaration.
But look, this is another event that will be food for thought, I’m sure, for politicians in terms of do you fundamentally achieve public safety by trying to repress protests, by trying to prevent street processions, by creating a legal regime where there’s no independent arbiter or are in fact those things potentially quite dangerous to community safety?
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Joshua @elvenmonk.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Oh man i just realized all of those discord channels that replaced entire websites, forums, and wikis are going to just vanish and internet archive can't archive them
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 09/02/2026
I very genuinely do not think that Australia's media industry can be classified as any other than fully supportive of police violence, because you have to actively, consciously and knowingly work to frame what happened as general "violence mars protests" rather than "police violently attack protest"
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Daniel Angus @antmandan.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
So regardless of intentions, @australianlabor.bsky.social and state govs are normalising undemocratic powers that may deepen division rather than resolve it. Democracies are strongest not when they suppress conflict, but when they allow it to be argued, contested, and worked through in the open.
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Paul Byron @paulibyron.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Powerful, incisive, and informed writing here (i.e. something you won't find in the legacy media cited here)
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Simon Rosenberg @simonrosenberg.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Proud to be a signatory. This open letter is in SMH and Age.
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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 04/02/2026
Let's be real, we cannot abolish ICE under this administration. But we can start the process by taking away the tools they’re using to surveil and target our communities. Push to defund them until abolishment is possible. www.fightforthefuture.org/actions/no-f...
fightforthefuture.org
No Funding for ICE Surveillance Tech!
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QUT Digital Media Research Centre @qutdmrc.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
PhD scholarship applications are open for a project investigating how public opinion is formed in online spaces, with a focus on the deliberative quality of discussions, social influence dynamics, and platform affordances and governance across major digital platforms. www.qut.edu.au/study/fees-a...
qut.edu.au
QUT - Strengthening Public Opinion Formation Amid Digital Threats (PhD scholarship)
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Prof Samantha Thomas @docsamantha.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Oxford University Press has lifted the paywall on the entire 40 year archive of @healthpromint.bsky.social as part of our flip to fully open access! Check out the amazing work of our authors - free to read - here: academic.oup.com/heapro
academic.oup.com
Health Promotion International | Oxford Academic
Publishes papers on major themes and innovations in the health promotion field. The journal publishes contributions from sectors beyond health, and seeks to promote theoretical, methodological, and ac...
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Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · 19/01/2026
CFP: Transnational Queer and Feminist Archives This collection seeks to publish work demonstrating transnational strategies for preserving queer and feminist activist archives. Abstracts due: 30 March 17:00 PST Learn more: docs.google.com/document/d/1... 🏳️‍⚧️🌈🗃️ (no affiliation)
docs.google.com
TransnationalQueerFeministArchives_CFP2025
With apologies for cross posting, please find below the CFP for the proposed collection, Transnational Queer and Feminist Archives. Abstracts Due Monday March 30, 17:00 PST Please send abstract and 1...
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Paul Byron @paulibyron.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
New paper, led by @jngardiner.bsky.social. We look at queer & trans visibility on social media and negotiations of safety for LGBTQ+ young people - drawing from interviews with young people, service providers and LGBTQ+ creators. Reach out if you'd like a copy www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Supporting LGBTQ+ young people on social media in times of heightened visibility: challenges, opportunities, strategies
This article explores how LGBTQ+ young people, service providers, and influential LGBTQ+ peers navigate social media visibility in the contemporary political and media climate. Framed by intense po...
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