iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026

China and the US have been recurring subjects of discussion in this year’s #AthensForum. Xiaoyu Lu from @pku1898.bsky.social says “interestingly, the more they talk to each other, the more they understand each other, the more they are hostile towards each other” @demcultfoundation.bsky.social

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026

“Sadly it’s cheaper to send a drone than to send an Ambassador these days” — a statement that perfectly summarises the failure of diplomacy in the Middle East during this panel on Iran at #AthensForum with @demcultfoundation.bsky.social and @nytimes.com.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026

What a powerful message from Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Founder of Women Journalists Without Chains: “the real threat to #democracy isn’t authoritarianism but the people who remain silent when democracy is attacked” #AthensForum @demcultfoundation.bsky.social @nobelprize.org

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 30/09/2026

I took away three lessons from my evening at the beautiful Academy of Athens with @demcultfoundation.bsky.social: (1) know the rules so you can break them. (2) democracy needs creative builders to reimagine its practice. (3) technology enables us to have a god-like impact on society.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

After today’s discussions at #ForumAthens on the changing role of the state for democracy, I wondered: why not putting more focus on #citizens capacity instead? The core challenges democracies are facing mainly affect society, not institutions. @demcultfoundation.bsky.social

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

We continue #AthensForum by @demcultfoundation.bsky.social with a discussion on “legitimacy, state transformation and the democratic social contract” with Pedro Abramovay (@open-society.bsky.social) asking: what is the architecture we need to foster solidarity and hope?

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/09/2026

Kicking off the Athens Democracy Forum 2026 with @demcultfoundation.bsky.social and @nytimes.com with stimulating remarks on the disconnect between politics and the public. “It’s not about truth, it’s about trust” says @pomianowski.bsky.social from @eedemocracy.bsky.social. #AthensForum

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026

Instead, I believe in rebuilding the channels through which ordinary people can take part in the imagination of Europe. That is the work we’re leading at the Global Society Foundation. Read our first white paper to learn more: globalsocietybulletin.substack.com/p/dont-defen...

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026

Would convening the brightest minds of Europe really move the needle in this battle? I doubt it. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026

A few minutes earlier, von der Leyen @ec.europa.eu described a battle of narratives "seeking to weaken confidence in Europe, to paralyse our democracies… the rise of the extreme, the decline of nuance, even in the way that we relate to each other."

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026

During her #SOTEU speech, von der Leyen announced a new Congress of Europe with "the greatest thinkers and writers, artists and scientists, citizens and civil society" convened to reclaim "our European imagination."

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 22/04/2026

I never thought my love of techno and my work in democratic theory would end up in the same essay. Then, an Italian mayor named Silvia Salis organised a rave and emerged as Meloni's biggest contender.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 18/04/2026

An underreported skill in politics: using international legitimacy to bury a domestic crisis. Sánchez this week is a clinic in narrative displacement: don’t rebut a damaging frame, change the arena where the questions get asked.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 03/04/2026

The demand for European tech is real. The infrastructure, the awareness, and the political will haven't fully caught up yet. Is "digital sovereignty" about to become a campaign slogan? www.techpolicy.press/almost-two-t...

Bar chart showing that majorities in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland support replacing US technology with European alternatives across servers and data storage, video conferencing, and payment systems. Support ranges from 46% to 68%, with Poland consistently lowest and Italy and Germany among the highest. Source: YouGov, March 2026.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

What the latest US verdicts likely will change for Europe are the speed of EU regulatory #enforcement timelines, stronger political #will to tackle platforms’ harmful design, and Meta’s reduced ability to argue in any proceeding that its choices were benign or unintentional.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

The verdicts are morally and rhetorically powerful for Europe, but they won’t open floodgates of civil lawsuits the same way they might in US courts.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

One important caveat: the legal pathway in Europe is different. The US verdicts are from private lawsuits addressing individual harm with punitive damages. European enforcement under the DSA is based on regulatory systemic risk obligations and Commission investigations, fines up to 6% of turnover.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

The Irish Data Protection Commission, as Meta’s lead EU regulator under #GDPR, is also relevant here. The accountability principle under Article 5(2) requires Meta to actively demonstrate compliance, which the New Mexico evidence of #concealment directly undermines.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

European regulators have similar disclosure powers. The question is whether they use them.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

The tools to hold platforms accountable exist in Europe: the #DSA has been in force since 2023 for very large platforms, and the Commission has open proceedings against Meta. However, none of this has produced findings of the weight US juries have now delivered, twice, in a single week.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

That logic matches almost perfectly how the Digital Services Act frames systemic risk obligations: Article 34 requires very large online platforms (VLOPs) to assess risks arising from their own design, not just third-party content. So?

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

What makes these rulings significant is that they treat platforms as manufacturers of defective products, like tobacco. The liability is in the #design (infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic amplification) instead of individual pieces of content.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

This week’s US rulings found that Meta knew about the addictive nature of their products, and how they were used to lead children to sexually explicit content and mentally harmful content. Meta acted with malice to conceal this, which considerably strengthens the Commission’s hand.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

The verdicts arrive while @ec.europa.eu is already pursuing Meta under the #DSA for the same features at issue in the US trials: infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic recommendation, and behavioural addiction mechanisms.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 29/03/2026

Two landmark verdicts in a week against Meta: one in California for #addictively designing platforms harming children’s mental health, and one in New Mexico for concealing child sexual #exploitation. What are the implications for Europe?

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 09/03/2026

VdL says Europe must “shape the new world.” Kallas says the rulebook has been “thrown out the window.” Both are right in diagnosis. Neither names who threw it. That silence is exactly why nobody believes Europe will actually do what it says.

euronews.com

Von der Leyen and Kallas call on EU to adapt to coercive world order

"Europe can no longer be a custodian for the old world order, for a world that has gone and will not return," Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday. #EuropeNews

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Reuters @reuters.com · 09/03/2026

Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran sent oil prices surging and Asian stock markets into a nosedive. Follow our live coverage: reut.rs/4d98ssP

reut.rs

Iran live: Slain Khamenei's son Mojtaba is Iran's new supreme leader

Iran's clerical leadership chose confrontation over compromise in appointing Mojtaba Khamenei.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 07/03/2026

AI didn’t kill the demand for trustworthy information, it exploded it, argues @shuwei.bsky.social. Billions of people can now reach knowledge but still can’t make sense of it. The companies filling that gap right now aren’t exactly trustworthy. The market is wide open. 👇🏼

reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

The information ecosystem is being redrawn by AI. That might be good news

Journalists should let go of familiar assumptions and hold on tightly to what matters, argues Shuwei Fang in this essay on the future of news in the age of AI.

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

"If the defense department is demanding the use of AI for mass surveillance or autonomous warfare that we, the public, find unacceptable, that should tell us we need to pass new legal restrictions on those military activities." bit.ly/4blSRF0

bit.ly

Don’t bet that the Pentagon – or Anthropic – is acting in the public interest | Bruce Schneier and Nathan E Sanders

The lesson here isn’t that one AI company is more ethical than another. It’s that we must renovate our democratic structures

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 05/03/2026

Belgium’s defence minister says US-Israel strikes are “righteous “. Iran says the same about its proxies. Russia says the same about Ukraine. International law exists precisely because everyone thinks their cause is just, and that’s why “it’s righteous” has never been a legal basis for force.

euronews.com

Iran attacks 'legally problematic' but 'righteous', Theo Francken says

Belgium's defence minister told Euronews that Belgium will not join the Israeli and US attacks on Iran, but will lend military support for defence purposes. #EuropeToday

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 05/03/2026

Know an interesting book about diplomacy or global affairs you want to review for @haguediplomacyjrnl.bsky.social ? 📚 For 2026, we particularly welcome book reviews that explore perspectives from the global majority. More info here: www.universiteitleiden.nl/hjd/journal/...

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Luis Bouza @luisbouzagarcia.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

About right time to recommend again the last episode of "Post truth be told" on wether and how the EU has a strategy to counter foreign interference...

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 03/03/2026

EU leaders spent years framing the energy crisis as a matter of principle: Russia violated int’l law, destabilised the rules-based order. Now gas prices double, triggered by illegal US-Israel strikes, and Brussels endorses. The incoherence is absolutely astounding. @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 02/03/2026

“Historically, Washington’s poorly informed assumptions on Iran have set back core US interests. Most notable was the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which lacked adequate preparation & manpower to manage a stable transition & insulate the new government from Iranian influence” 🔗 www.cfr.org/reports/lead...

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 28/02/2026

Once again, EU leadership utterly fails to address the illegal and reckless use of force employed by US and Israel, this time in Iran. I’m grateful to be surrounded by scholars who are brave and honest, two qualities much needed at the top of EU institutions.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 27/02/2026

The @europarl.europa.eu is “going nowhere” on the digital euro. Meanwhile, the EU still pays Visa & Mastercard over €13.5 billion a year to process its own payments. We’re “renting core infrastructure” as put by @ecb.europa.eu exec in a recent interview with me: sophiepomme.com/reshaping-eu...

euronews.com

Can Europe break free of Visa and Mastercard? MEPs stall digital euro

MEPs are struggling to agree a position on the ECB-backed digital euro as Berlin pushes for progress and critics warn the file is being stripped back. #EuropeNews

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 27/02/2026

Amodei’s statement today deserves careful reading. @anthropic.com says it refuses to enable mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons on democratic grounds. One of the largest tech companies is publicly defending civil liberties against government pressure, and this is meaningful.

anthropic.com

Statement from Dario Amodei on our discussions with the Department of War

A statement from our CEO on national security uses of AI

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 27/02/2026

Truth functions like a social contract: invisible until broken. The moment we stop maintaining it collectively, politics turn into theatre, and the audience forgets it ever had a say.

open.substack.com

The Truth about “Truth”: Facts, Fiction, and Feelings in Politics

Can we separate facts from fiction? An essay on truth, emotion, and the search for common ground in modern politics.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 26/02/2026

Orbán is playing two games: calling for a “fact-finding mission” in a formal letter to EU Council president Costa, while accusing Zelenskyy of interfering in Hungarian elections on social media. The gap between his diplomatic and political tone tells you everything about what’s driving this crisis.

euronews.com

Orbán proposes 'fact-finding mission' to damaged Druzhba pipeline

In a new letter to António Costa, Viktor Orbán admits the "political difficulties" caused by his veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. #EuropeNews

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Sander van der Linden @profsanderlinden.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Despite all the chatter, social media bans for teens lack evidence! New paper out in Nature Health. (1) Harms from social media are real & serious. (2) We need regulatory action but bans are not nuanced, do not empower youth, & are not supported by evidence. www.nature.com/articles/s44...

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

A new study finds that longer daily social media use was associated with predominantly negative outcomes for 60% of adolescents, but not all platforms are the same. The variances point to the opportunity for more nuanced regulation than blanket bans, writes Tim Bernard.

buff.ly

Researchers Embrace Complexity in Social Media and Teen Mental Health

A new study finds longer daily use of social media use was associated with negative outcomes for adolescents, but not all platforms are the same.

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 22/02/2026

more than a betting market, Polymarket is a massive data bank of public opinions

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Luis Bouza @luisbouzagarcia.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

As promised, #RECLAIM project is over, but "Post-Truth be Told" is not. Episode 12 covers the EU’s turn to FIMI. @lucasproto.bsky.social @ruthferrero.bsky.social and @sophiepomme.com discussed what is at stake for Europe in the current "global marketplace of ideas" open.spotify.com/episode/0dcJ...

open.spotify.com

When Information Becomes a Weapon: The EU’s Turn to FIMI

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 31/01/2026

Know an interesting book you want to review for @haguediplomacyjrnl.bsky.social ? 📚 For 2026, we particularly welcome submissions that explore shifts in international order. More info here: www.universiteitleiden.nl/hjd/journal/...

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Reposted by Sophie L. Vériter

Committee to Protect Journalists @pressfreedom.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

The U.S. Journalist Assistance Network has compiled a set of resources with best practices for journalists in the U.S. to protect their data and devices. Full resource list 👇 cpj.org/wp-content/u...

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Sophie L. Vériter @slveriter.eurosky.social · 31/01/2026

According to the authors of this study, building on complex networks science @csh.ac.at : “The way out of social polarization is either by reducing social contacts (which seems unrealistic) or by increasing tolerance in the society—which might well be achieved by educational means.”

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