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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan

@sylviavo.bsky.social
1.7K followers 327 following 22 posts

Journalist covering tech and politics. Reporter in residence / Omidyar Network. Contact me securely over Signal: sylviavo.11

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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Who is Sergey Brin's 'MAGA girlfriend?' A story about fame, money and the reality TV nature of Trumpworld politics. My latest for @vanityfair.com: www.vanityfair.com/story/sergey...
vanityfair.com
The Google Guy, His Girlfriend, and the New Tech Right
Once Democrat supporters, Google cofounder Sergey Brin and his girlfriend, wellness influencer Gerelyn Soto, have dined with Donald Trump and backed conservative candidates in California, including fo...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Google AI star Noam Shazeer is moving to OpenAI, just two years after Google spent $2.7 billion acquiring his startup to bring him over. Last year, I reported on Shazeer’s pattern of violating Google’s speech policies in his time at the company: www.theinformation.com/articles/goo...
theinformation.com
Google’s $2.7 Billion AI Hire Tests Company’s Speech Limits With Inflammatory Posts
This spring, Google AI leader Noam Shazeer posted a comment in one of the company’s internal discussion forums, in response to a post about how Google employees could support their transgender and non...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
With DOGE’s influence in government waning, many of the young engineers involved in the effort are creating startups. But watchdogs are concerned: “For these folks, there’s essentially no ethics restrictions,” one source told us, “and they’re making use of it.” www.vanityfair.com/story/doge-d...
vanityfair.com
Meet Your New Defense Contractors: The DOGE Boys
The engineers who wreaked havoc on Washington are ready for their second act.
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Scoop for @vanityfair.com: Three former DOGE employees, including the Pentagon's outgoing chief data officer, are raising $130 million for an AI defense startup focused on selling tech to government. 👀 Investors include Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital.
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
New: How OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife Anna went from having little interest in politics to becoming MAGA megadonors. Deep dive with @jemimamcevoy.bsky.social and @stephpalazzolo.bsky.social www.theinformation.com/articles/gre...
theinformation.com
How Greg and Anna Brockman Became MAGA Megadonors
In November, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, and his wife, Anna, enjoyed a glitzy night out in Washington: a White House state dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The ...
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The Information @theinformation.com · 23/01/2026
Weekend: The Big Read How Greg and Anna Brockman became MAGA megadonors. Read more from @jemimamcevoy.bsky.social, @stephpalazzolo.bsky.social and @sylviavo.bsky.social 👇 thein.fo/49NNi0c
thein.fo
How Greg and Anna Brockman Became MAGA Megadonors
In November, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, and his wife, Anna, enjoyed a glitzy night out in Washington: a White House state dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The ...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
New: Adam Presser has been named the CEO of TikTok’s new U.S. joint venture, confirming a story Juro Osawa and I wrote in October for @theinformation.com: www.theinformation.com/articles/tik...
theinformation.com
TikTok Insiders Bet No. 2, Adam Presser, Will Run New Venture
President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that a joint venture will oversee TikTok’s U.S. business left unanswered the important question of who will run the new company. Inside TikTok, executives ...
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Jeff Horwitz @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
We got Meta’s “general global playbook” for defeating advertiser verification regulations, which the company knows would reduce scams. It includes making scam ads “not findable” for regulators searching Meta’s ad library through targeted scrubbing. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
Meta created ‘playbook’ to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show
As regulators pressure Meta to verify the identity of advertisers on Facebook and Instagram, the social media giant has drafted a “playbook” to stall them. A Reuters investigation examines its tactics...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
New: I reported on an issue that is only going to get bigger and more interesting over the next year: How the AI backlash could shape the midterm elections. @theinformation.com www.theinformation.com/articles/ai-...
theinformation.com
How the AI Backlash Could Shape the Midterm Elections
Lately, Maura Keller—a Democrat running in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional district in next year’s midterm elections—has been going to community meetings where one topic comes up again and again “almost o...
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The Information @theinformation.com · 19/11/2025
Scoop: The White House is working on an executive order that will direct the Justice Department to sue states that pass their own laws regulating AI. Read more from @sylviavo.bsky.social and @aaronpholmes.bsky.social 👇 thein.fo/4pcoF3e
thein.fo
White House Working on Executive Order to Foil State AI Regulations
The White House is working on an executive order that will direct the Justice Department to sue states that pass their own laws regulating artificial intelligence, according to a draft of the order re...
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Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
this is like the third or fourth iteration of the James Damore situation at Google and it's interesting how consistently it happens at the company www.theinformation.com/articles/goo...
theinformation.com
Google’s $2.7 Billion AI Hire Tests Company’s Speech Limits With Inflammatory Posts
This spring, Google AI leader Noam Shazeer posted a comment in one of the company’s internal discussion forums, in response to a post about how Google employees could support their transgender and non...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
I went on CNN today to discuss my scoop about TikTok’s plan to build a new app for U.S. users ahead of a planned sale. Read the story here: www.theinformation.com/articles/tik...
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The Information @theinformation.com · 08/07/2025
Creator Economy: What We Know—And Don’t Know—About the New TikTok App Read more from @kyurieff.bsky.social and @sylviavo.bsky.social 👇 www.theinformation.com/articles/kno...
theinformation.com
What We Know—And Don’t Know—About the New TikTok App
On Sunday, our team scooped that TikTok is planning a new version of its app for users in the U.S. ahead of a planned sale of the app to a group of investors.The news is generating a lot of buzz—and a...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Inside the Silicon Valley-JD Vance dynamics. My latest: www.theinformation.com/articles/sil...
theinformation.com
Silicon Valley Searches for Its JD Vance Angle
As President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was being debated in the Senate over the past week, cracks were spreading among Republicans over a provision in the bill to block states from regulating artif...
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Very interesting to see the DOGE project of dismantling govt still very much ongoing despite Musk’s departure. At the SEC, they are cutting and injecting AI. What could go wrong? @sylviavo.bsky.social: www.theinformation.com/articles/sec...
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The Information @theinformation.com · 10/06/2025
Exclusive: SEC employees are bracing for a DOGE-led restructuring, as the financial regulator prepares to bring AI tools into the agency. Read more from @sylviavo.bsky.social👇 www.theinformation.com/articles/sec...
theinformation.com
SEC Employees Brace For DOGE Restructuring, AI Push
Elon Musk may have parted ways with Washington and President Donald Trump, but employees from Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are moving forward with a plan to restructure the Securities an...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Personal news: I'm changing beats to cover Silicon Valley’s growing influence in Washington D.C. under the Trump administration. If you have tips, ideas or want to chat, you can contact me securely over Signal: sylviavo.11 or by email sylvia@theinformation.com
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Scoop: At ByteDance's internal all-hands meeting last night, TikTok's CEO said they were working with a "key person" in the Trump administration to find a solution to the ban law. He also talked about removing "unnecessary layers" in the company. www.theinformation.com/articles/tik...
theinformation.com
TikTok CEO Plans More Streamlining as Talks With Trump Team Continue
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a staff meeting Wednesday evening that he is working closely with the Trump administration to determine the best course of action for the app’s future in the U.S. At th...
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Icymi: Meta has notified employees in an internal post about what they can expect Monday, when the company is due to implement previously announced job cuts affecting 5% of its workforce. www.theinformation.com/briefings/me...
theinformation.com
Meta Platforms Readies Staff for Layoff Announcement Monday
Meta Platforms is preparing to implement on Monday previously announced job cuts of 5% of its workforce. In a message to staff on Friday, Meta said employees who are laid off will be cut off from the ...
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The Information @theinformation.com · 28/01/2025
Scoop: Meta Overhauls Reality Labs Business Unit Ahead of Earnings Report Meta is transferring oversight of Reality Labs’ business operations to Meta Chief Operating Officer, Javier Olivan, away from Reality Labs’ COO, Dan Reed. Read more from @sylviavo.bsky.social 👇
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Hannah Murphy @mshannahmurphy.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Scoop: Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is exploring buying a property in Washington DC, as part of a push to work more closely with the Trump administration He joins a growing group of tech titans - Elon Musk, David Sacks - seeking bases close to the White House www.ft.com/content/9310...
ft.com
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg explores purchase of Washington DC property
Billionaire founder of social media group seeks to work more closely with Trump administration
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
DOGE’s top lawyer is out: www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
wsj.com
Exclusive | DOGE’s Top Lawyer to Depart
Bill McGinley, the group’s counsel, is planning to return to the private sector
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The Information @theinformation.com · 18/01/2025
Exclusive: TikTok in Last-Minute Dash to Prepare Retailers, Staff for Ban TikTok is organizing a last-minute effort to handle the business of millions of creators and merchants on the app once it shuts off in the U.S. Read more from @kyurieff.bsky.social and @sylviavo.bsky.social👇
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
TikTok confirms our scoop from Tuesday. "Unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19." www.theinformation.com/articles/tik...
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Not much to see here, just Mark Zuckerberg making sure that Stephen Miller, of all people, greenlights Facebook's new hiring policies. Gift link to this excellent NYT piece: www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/u...
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Ken Vogel @kenvogel.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
TikTok plans to shut off its app in the US Sunday, rather than allowing people who have already downloaded it to continue using it, unless SCOTUS intervenes to block the ban, @sylviavo.bsky.social scoops at @theinformation.bsky.social. It's part of an effort to rally users to oppose the ban.
theinformation.com
TikTok Prepares for Immediate Shut-Off in the U.S. on Sunday
TikTok plans to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, the day a federal law will ban the app, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban, according to two people familiar with TikTok’s ...
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The Information @theinformation.com · 15/01/2025
Scoop: TikTok Prepares for Immediate Shut-Off in the U.S. on Sunday TikTok plans to turn off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, when it is due to be banned. That will bring home the impact to all users immediately. Read more from @sylviavo.bsky.social and @kyurieff.bsky.social👇
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Scoop w/ @kyurieff.bsky.social: TikTok plans to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban. Abruptly switching off the app will bring home the impact of the ban to all TikTok’s users. www.theinformation.com/articles/tik...
theinformation.com
TikTok Prepares for Immediate Shut-Off in the U.S. on Sunday
TikTok plans to shut off its app for U.S. users on Sunday, the day a federal law will ban the app, unless the Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban, according to two people familiar with TikTok’s ...
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Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
3. I have fired Meta as a client. While I think they are on the right side in the generative AI copyright dispute in which I represented them, and I hope they win, I cannot in good conscience serve as their lawyer any longer 4/4
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The Information @theinformation.com · 10/01/2025
Tech Turns the Page: Amazon scrubbed a reference to benefits for transgender staff from its corporate site, as more tech companies adapt to a new political climate. Read more from @theowayt.bsky.social, @sylviavo.bsky.social and Nick Wingfield 👇
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Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
At today's Trump presser, a reporter brought up Mark Zuckerberg's Trump-friendly changes at Meta and asked, "Do you think he's directly responding to the threats you've made in the past?" Trump said "probably."
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The Information @theinformation.com · 02/01/2025
TikTok Promises Ban Refunds to Keep Advertisers Spending As some advertisers pull back from TikTok, the app is telling big ad buyers it will refund ad money if it is banned in the U.S. this month. Read more from @sylviavo.bsky.social, @siz.bsky.social and Catherine Perloff👇
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Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
As we reported in Character Limit, Emil Michael, the former embattled COO at Uber, was considered as CEO at Twitter/X before Linda Yaccarino. Now if confirmed, he’ll work for Trump.
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The Information @theinformation.com · 12/12/2024
Destination: Mar-a-Lago Google's CEO is set to meet with Donald Trump in Florida after the president-elect selected antitrust officials who have criticized the company. www.theinformation.com/articles/goo... From @aaronpholmes.bsky.social and @sylviavo.bsky.social
theinformation.com
Google CEO Expected to Meet with Trump Thursday
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is expected to fly to the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla.,Thursday to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, according to a person briefed on the plans. The meeting comes...
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Tech Transparency Project @ttp-updates.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Members of Trump’s staff are reaching out to Meta, Google, and Snap to discuss illicit online drug sales, @sylviavo.bsky.social reports. It’s a sign that the next administration isn’t going to take the heat off companies that facilitate certain kinds of criminal activity.
theinformation.com
Trump Aides Contact Google, Meta, Snap Over Online Drug Sales
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has invited five major tech companies, including Google, Microsoft and Meta Platforms, to a meeting in mid-December about dealing with online drug sales,...
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Molly Crane-Newman @mollycranenewman.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Jordan Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, addresses reporters outside court after Daniel Penny was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide for choking his son on the subway in 2023 “It hurts. It really, really hurts. What are we gonna do, people? What’s gonna happen to us now?”
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Scoop: The Trump transition team has asked five big tech companies, including Google, Meta and Snap, to a meeting in mid December to discuss the problem of online illicit drug sales. www.theinformation.com/articles/tru...
theinformation.com
Trump Aides Contact Google, Meta, Snap Over Online Drug Sales
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has invited five major tech companies, including Google, Microsoft and Meta Platforms, to a meeting in mid-December about dealing with online drug sales,...
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 28/11/2024
Remember how Meta suspended the Threads account tracking Mark Zuckerberg's private jet? www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2... The Bluesky account saw the jet landed in Palm Beach yesterday, and Zuck had a private Mar-a-Lago meeting with Trump today: www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11...
washingtonpost.com
Meta suspends accounts tracking Trump, Bezos jets, echoing Elon Musk’s X
Instagram and Threads blocked accounts sharing public data on Mark Zuckerberg’s and Donald Trump’s private planes. A similar move on X stirred up a free-speech firestorm.
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has met with Donald Trump for dinner tonight at Mar-a-Lago, a Meta spokesperson confirmed. Trump has been scathing of Zuckerberg in the past, at one point even threatening to send him to prison.
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Casey Newton @caseynewton.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Some news: amid rapid growth and some over-enforcement of its community guidelines, Bluesky trust and safety chief @aaron.bsky.team tells me the company will quadruple the size of its content moderation team www.platformer.news/bluesky-grow...

At least one item on his wishlist has been granted: Bluesky has decided to quadruple the size of its contract workforce of content moderators from 25 to 100, the company told Platformer. The move comes in response to Bluesky’s rapid growth since this month’s US presidential election, which triggered a fresh exodus of users away from Elon Musk’s X and over the weekend took the platform past 22 million total users.
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
If you are a current or former employee at a social media company and you have information you’d like to share, you can contact me confidentially over Signal:
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Sylvia Varnham O’Regan @sylviavo.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
First post on Bluesky 😌 😌. This is me and some of my amazing colleagues at The Information on our way to the CPJ awards last night. Follow them all for killer stories! @theinformation.bsky.social
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