iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I had a lovely conversaion with Ashoka's Hanae Baruchel, which lead to this Forbe's interview spanning everything from AI censorship and surveillance to how to bolster privacy when utilizing AI: www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka...

forbes.com

AI Is The New Censor: Surveillance And The Case For Open Models

A conversation with social entrepreneur Sascha Meinrath about privacy breaches and censorship disguised as AI safeguards, and what can be done about it.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Once again, more empirical evidence that Starlink cannot deliver *broadband* speeds to a huge proportion of its current customers: www.ookla.com/research/rep... -- further documentation that X-Lab's analysis of Starlink capacity limits is spot on: thexlab.org/wp-content/u...

ookla.com

50 U.S. States Broadband Speed Performance | H1 2026 Report

See how U.S. states compare on broadband performance, where the digital divide is narrowing, and how Starlink performance improved in 1H 2026.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

ATTN: Broadband Data & GIS Geeks! We will be hosting the inaugural meet-up of the newly formed Broadband Data & Policy Forum: broadbanddata.org/join-the-com... If you have an interest in broadband... in GIS... in telecom policy... join us at 3pm ET on September 9th:

broadbanddata.org

Join the Community - Broadband Data and Policy Forum

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

AI is the new censor: Frontier models are increasingly censoring *legal* information and *legal* queries by their users. AI is rapidly becoming the largest censor on the planet and the corporations that program censorship via AI are following a highly dystopian playbook.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Excellent overview of Starshield -- the SpaceX Program you've likely never heard of that is a very, very, very grave danger to privacy and civil liberty -- from one of my excellent PhD students here at the PSU Department of Telecom, Abby Simmerman: www.benton.org/blog/starshi...

benton.org

Starshield: The Military-Grade Starlink No One is Talking About

Starshield has received little media coverage compared to Starlink or other subsidiaries of SpaceX

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I've spent a lot of time over the past few months wading through FOIA'ed PA IT expenditures. To say this appears to be a hot mess is a vast understatement. The lack of coordination wastes tax-payer funding & opens up operational security vulnerabilities. www.pennlive.com/politics/202...

pennlive.com

Pa. taxpayers paid $34M for lawmakers’ sophisticated — and redundant — tech

Partisan mistrust keeps Pennsylvania's legislative caucuses running separate, costly and redundant technology systems despite expert and watchdog criticism.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

It was a real pleasure to work w/ the investigative team at APNews to expose how scammers are leveraging US Tech Companies: apnews.com/article/scam... There were threads I wish we could have continued pulling upon... needless to say, there are myriad stories behind this story.

apnews.com

Four days to make victims fall in love: How global scammers use US tech to fleece people

Technology from American companies is being used to power a revolution in the scam industry, playing a key role in the industrialization and globalization of fraud in ways that have not been clear unt...

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

TELECOM TAKEOUT -- CANADA DAY SPECIAL: See the issue the caused this weekend's witchhunt, was taken offline, but survives still in the Internet Achive... WHAT DON'T THEY WANT YOU TO SEE!?! web.archive.org/.../1996trut...

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Let the [BEAD] defaults... BEGIN!!! www.broadband.io/c/get-broadb... Did we not learn from the RDOF default fiasco: lowest-bid contracts yield extremely high default rates unless you have *meaningful* repercussions for defaulters. Mark my words, this will get much worse over the next 18-24 months.

broadband.io

Some BEAD Winners Are Walking Away. What Happens Next? | The Broadband Community

With BEAD awards moving into the contract execution phase, a small but growing number of proposed subgrantees are deciding not to proceed. In some cases, companies are walking away voluntarily. In ano...

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Digging into the compendium of consumer complaints against Starlink, the evidence is there, for all to see that problems are not only on the horizon, they are already here: www.fastcompany.com/91532281/spa...

fastcompany.com

We obtained nearly 1,000 complaints about SpaceX’s Starlink. Here’s what they reveal

New documents show how the satellite provider has become a lifeline—and, for some customers, a headache.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

The newly-formed "Democrats for Fascism Caucus" has four members:

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Every interaction with AI-mediated "help" desks will be an interaction with the technological love-child of Rube Goldberg and Franz Kafka.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

To end 2025, in the past month, Starlink has increased its lowest cost service by 100%, removing its $40/month plan and only allowing U.S. customers to purchase its $80/month or $120/month plans -- see: www.notebookcheck.net/SpaceX-quiet...

notebookcheck.net

SpaceX quietly removes its $40 Starlink plan in the US

SpaceX has dropped its 'Residential 100Mbps' plan from Starlink's US site. This sudden change likely stems from high demand filling up network capacity in the areas where it was available. However, th...

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

I've been working with the incredible Data & Forensics team over at Sky News for the last couple months on this analysis of Starlink's activities. Definitely eye-opening, and raises substantial questions over corporate accountability and rule of law: news.sky.com/story/elon-m...

news.sky.com

Elon Musk's race for space

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

My team created the Broadband Nutrition Label in 2009 to empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. The FCC botched the rollout. and is now looking to eliminate this modest win: www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

washingtonpost.com

Analysis | Your internet bill is about to get more confusing

Internet service ‘nutrition labels’ can help you spot hidden fees and predict price increases. Here’s how to use them —and why they might get less useful.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

New York Times' headline be like: "Mamdani, who cannot possibly win, wins" (followed by an above-the-fold picture of grumpy cat).

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

WOW -- this was just presented by Netflix research staff at IRTF Montreal -- documents massive rebuffering/variability problems for streaming via Starlink: datatracker.ietf.org/meeting/124/... Basically underscores everything we'd been warning about here: thexlab.org/starlinkcapa...

datatracker.ietf.org

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

This is a terrifying development, and an obvious end run around the Posse Comitatus Act.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

This research paper is absolutely bonkers -- "Don’t Look Up: There Are Sensitive Internal Links in the Clear on GEO Satellites": satcom.sysnet.ucsd.edu/docs/dontloo... the amount of sensitive cellular, military, and other intel being leaked is crazy! This needs getting wider coverage.

satcom.sysnet.ucsd.edu

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

October 18th is No Kings Day! Come out to show your support for Civil Liberty & celebrate our Constitutional Rights! Join the national day of resistance & if you're in State College, PA, we'll be meeting up near Old Main on the Penn State campus. See you there!!! #nokings #1018 www.nokings.org

nokings.org

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Declaring a *political philosophy* as a *terrorist organization* is equal parts unconstitutional, stupidity, and laughably absurd. The fact that the political philosophy in question is literally "anti-fascism" begs the question: www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... Read it for yourself!

whitehouse.gov

Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization

Section 1. Antifa as a Terrorist Threat. Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Had a great time talking about the nuances of free spee, the importance of Section 230, and the dangerous path we are on:

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

So let's be clear -- the US government's official communications agency is actively censoring a comedy show. When we talk about the dangers of government censorship, *this* is what it looks like: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/b...

nytimes.com

ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments After F.C.C. Pressure

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Looking forward to celebrating 15 years of the Open Technology Institute this afternoon starting at 1pm ET -- we'll have an all-star cast! Streaming at: www.newamerica.org/oti/events/o... I'll be on stage for the directors' panel at 3:45pm ET -- tune in for our take on the past & future of OTI!

newamerica.org

Open Technology Institute at 15

Join New America to celebrate the Open Technology Institute’s 15 years of impact and reimagine the next 15 years of tech policy.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Trump orders unconstitutional removal of a peace vigil that has operated continuously since 1981 by making up the excuse that it is a "hazard to those visiting the White House and the surrounding areas." apnews.com/article/whit... At what point is it acceptable to talk about traitorous action?

apnews.com

A decades-long peace vigil outside the White House is dismantled after Trump's order

Officials removed a peace vigil that stood outside the White House for more than four decades after Trump ordered it to be taken down as part of the clearing of homeless encampments.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Anyone hearing about a super-secret "Best and Final Offer" procurement process whereby NTIA is over-ruling States and requiring them to lower their costs for various broadband infrastructure builds (all without public disclosure -- which is illegal)... anyone else hearing this?

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Hey look: Starlink slowed down (to the point of not being able to provide broadband speeds) during burning man -- an important and timely cautionary tale for all those states looking to deploy the service without proper capacity analysis and engineering due diligence: www.ookla.com/articles/sta...

ookla.com

Starlink Slows Down during Burning Man | Ookla®

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

ookla.com

Starlink Slows Down during Burning Man | Ookla®

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

ICE's descent into concentration camp tactics: reason.com/2025/08/15/t... This crisis, metastasizing under Trump, has roots in the Biden admin. Building solidarity across the political spectrum, to hold accountable violators of civil liberty from across the political spectrum, is critical!

reason.com

The human rights crisis in ICE detention centers

Reports of human rights abuses are piling up as the number of people in immigrant detention reaches all-time highs.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

A New Broadband Boondoggle: The Trump Administration's broadband strategy requires us to overlook a fundamental paradox: 1. Starlink is now considered "broadband"; 2. Starlink already serves the areas it's requesting funding for; 3. By definition, this is overbuilding an already-served area.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

This is happening right now: unknown federal agents are setting up checkpoints in our nation's capital, pulling people from their cars, and arresting them.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

More follow-up on our analysis of Starlink capacity limits (and their profound implications/warning for NTIA's BEAD program -- Starlink may not be able to meet federal mandated minimum broadband speeds without substantial due diligence): communitynetworks.org/content/new-...

communitynetworks.org

New Research: Starlink Unlikely to Meet BEAD Speed Needs At Scale | Welcome to Community Networks

Four leading broadband deployment scholars release new analysis today that may help state broadband offices evaluate “the capacities and saturation limits of the Starlink satellite infrastructure.” Th...

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

"Elon Musk’s Starlink internet works great if hardly anyone uses it" www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2... NTIA's $42.45 billion broadband funding program is heading for a train wreck if it doesn't change course. The US *desperately* needs a coherent National Broadband Strategy.

washingtonpost.com

Analysis | Elon Musk’s Starlink internet works great if hardly anyone uses it

A new analysis digs into the irony of satellite internet: The more popular it becomes, the worse speeds and reliability tend to get.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

It's hard to imagine a more deafening silence than the non-cacophony from advertisers on X -- my question to those corporations, "How do you justify supporting the company that created MechaHitler?" Surely, we can agree to boycott the company that created a pro-Nazi MechaHitler? #boycottmechahitler

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Today's *overwhelming* vote to remove the federal ban on protecting consumers from AI abuses shows 2 things: 1. The general public overwhelming supports consumer protections to rein in nefarious AI; 2. How dangerous lobbying by tech conglomerates has become. See: www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

reuters.com

US Senate strikes AI regulation ban from Trump megabill

The Republican-led U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to remove a 10-year federal moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence from President Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

NTIA's new rules for distributing $42+ billion in broadband funding are a reverse auction. www.ntia.gov/sites/defaul... Reverse auctions were used for the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund, resulting in over 1/3rd of the entire program being in default. www.benton.org/blog/new-dat... #fail

ntia.gov

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

“All Trump had to do is not do anything,” he says. “BEAD would have brought him huge positive kudos from all different constituencies, and he chose—for whatever reason—to screw up the win.” Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: progressive.org/latest/trump...

progressive.org

Trump Wants to Keep America Digitally Divided

By threatening to defund Digital Equity Act programs, Trump has declared war on a program that benefitted many of his own supporters.

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Why the Charter/Cox merger is lunacy: Everyone should review Fig. 5 on Pg 8 of the FCC's "Internet Access Services" report: docs.fcc.gov/public/attac... The FCC's analysis of broadband market concentration shows HHIs are through the roof (6-8K) [anything > 2000-2500 is highly concentrated].

docs.fcc.gov

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Sascha Meinrath @saschameinrath.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Every state broadband authority has a responsibility to develop a *functioning* state broadband strategy that can leverage -- but is uncoupled from -- federal subsidies. Otherwise, the state will be left at the whims of increasingly topsy-turvy federal broadband incoherence: archive.ph/T8NkV

archive.ph

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