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China unveils tiny spy drone that looks like a mosquito


About 2 cm long and weighing just 0.3 grams, the insect-inspired device features two tiny wings and three spindly legs. Its minuscule size would make it difficult to detect using conventional radar systems, experts say.


Sir Keir Starmer says fixing welfare system is a 'moral imperative'


Sounds like someone who lacks original ideas.
in reply to Fluke

The tories didn’t even seriously try decimating PIP in their decade+ in power.

To disabled people, Labour are looking worse than Tories.



There's no international protocol on what to do if an asteroid strikes Earth


Or so hear members of Parliament in the UK


Archived version: archive.is/newest/theregister.…


Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.



Successful local efforts to get aid into north Gaza met with Israeli backlash


Successful local Palestinian efforts to organise the entry of aid to northern Gaza have prompted fresh restrictions by the Israeli military and violent looting by criminal gangs.

Relief was brought into north Gaza for the first time in a month on Wednesday by local tribes, drawing anger from Israeli officials and members of the Israeli public.

Northern Gaza has been under full siege since March, when Israel blocked all aid and goods from entering the territory and created a severe hunger crisis.

In late May, the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), a recently launched and scandal-hit aid group, began distributing limited food parcels at four locations in south and central Gaza.

The northern parts of the Palestinian enclave remain largely cut off from aid distributed through this mechanism. However, Israel has recently allowed a limited number of aid trucks carrying only wheat flour to enter some areas of the north.

According to local reports, the recent Palestinian-led relief delivery, backed by local clans, saw several trucks enter safely and successfully, with their contents distributed on Thursday.

Footage circulating online show dozens of trucks carrying aid from the United Nations World Food Programme entering the northern Gaza Strip.



WhatsApp introduces AI-powered summaries for your private messages


WhatsApp introduced a feature called Message Summaries. It is powered by Meta AI.

Why would one need this? The Meta-owned messaging app explains that sometimes users may have too many chats to catch up with, and if you want to do so quickly, the new feature will help.

Message Summaries uses Meta's Private Processing, a technology which was introduced in May 2025. Private Processing uses certain optional Meta AI features to process messages off-device in a confidential and secure environment. WhatsApp says that this process is so secure that not even Meta or WhatsApp can read or access your personal messages.

Sure, we may occasionally have to deal with long group chats that we may have missed. But, I'm not sure if the answer to this is AI-powered summaries. It could be useful in a pinch, but the fact is an AI may not be able to determine what is important to you, and what isn't. There's a good chance that some crucial information could be overlooked by the bot. If you want to use the summarization tool when you're in a hurry, that's cool, but I would advise checking your messages when you have the time.

Message Summaries are currently rolling out to users in the U.S., specifically for users in the English language. WhatsApp says it will bring the feature to more languages and countries later this year.

Google is making a change to Gemini, which will allow it to access WhatsApp and other content by default. Imagine that, both Gemini and Meta AI can access your WhatsApp. Don't forget, WhatsApp has ads now.

Would you allow AI to access your private conversations?

in reply to Blaze (he/him)

This really all depends how its implemented. If done right could be a cool accessibility tool for people who don’t have the congnitive capacity to read dozens of messages.

Done by meta, sounds like a late stage capitalist nightmare.



OVHcloud and Crayon partner on European infrastructure


OVHcloud and Crayon have announced a strategic partnership that will provide organizations with access to cost-effective cloud services across more than 45 regions. The deal is designed to help businesses accelerate their digital transformation with sustainable and sovereign cloud solutions.



YSK it's Muskrat's birthday and people are throwing parties.


Elon Musk is done at DOGE, but we're just getting started.

Elon is still deeply tied to the Trump regime, still fueling conspiracies and fascist rhetoric, and still using his immense wealth to warp government policy and buy elections around the globe.

On June 28—Elon's birthday—let's celebrate everything we've achieved and a recommit to the long fight still ahead.

And our birthday gift to the Broligarch in Chief? A global party with one powerful message: Musk Must Fall.




Germany asks Apple and Google to remove DeepSeek from app stores


The German regulator has asked Apple and Google to remove Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their app stores. The request follows similar measures in other European countries and is driven by concerns about data security.


Understanding the Debate on AI in Electronic Health Records


Healthcare systems are increasingly integrating the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) to store and manage patient health information and history. As hospitals adopt the new technology, the use of AI to manage these datasets and identify patterns for treatment plans is also on the rise, but not without debate.

Supporters of AI in EHRs argue that AI improves efficiency in diagnostic accuracy, reduces inequities, and reduces physician burnout. However, critics raise concerns over privacy of patients, informed consent, and data bias against marginalized communities. As bills such as H.R. 238 increase the clinical authority of AI, it is important to have discussions surrounding the ethical, practical, and legal implications of AI’s future role in healthcare.

I’d love to hear what this community thinks. Should AI be implemented with EHRs? Or do you think the concerns surrounding patient outcomes and privacy outweigh the benefits?

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


Blocking real-world ads: is the future here?




Blocking real-world ads: is the future here?


The notion that ads are a nuisance that must be blocked by whatever means necessary isn’t new. It goes way back, long before the Internet became overrun with banners, pop-ups, video ads, and all the other junk we deal with now. In the early days of the web, when it was still mostly the domain of the tech-savvy free of digital noise, the main battleground for ads was traditional media: TV, newspapers, and, sure enough, billboards.

And even though we now spend a growing chunk of our time online — sometimes even while standing in a store or walking down the street — the problem of infoxication and ad overload in real life hasn’t gone away. Flashy shop signs, towering digital billboards and rotating displays still manage to catch our eye whether we want it or not.

Sure, we can try to tune them out, but they do sneak back into our line of vision. Is the solution just to block them? It’s an idea that sounds futuristic, maybe even a little extreme. Some might argue that doing so risks cutting out more than just noise. Still, for many, the temptation to reclaim control is too strong to ignore, especially since much of what passes for “messaging” today feels more invasive than informative.

So it’s no surprise that developers are now trying to bring the logic of digital ad blockers into the physical world. But is it actually working — and, most importantly, is it doing more good than harm?

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


Democratic governor Hochul says she’s not ready to back Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor yet — slamming his plan to tax the rich


Gov. Kathy Hochul isn’t ready to endorse socialist Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral run yet, she said Thursday – as she slammed his plans to raise taxes on the rich.

“I’m focused on affordability and raising taxes on anyone does not accomplish that,” she told reporters during an event at LaGuardia Airport.

The Democratic governor had congratulated Mamdani after his apparent win, but notably didn’t endorse him in November’s general election.



Finale del Premio Nazionale di Arte Contemporanea “Rotary”: un evento di cultura, solidarietà e comunità


È in corso, con grande partecipazione e interesse, la finale del Premio Nazionale di Arte Contemporanea “Rotary”, ospitata nella magnifica cornice di Palazzo Celesia a Rivolta d’Adda, splendida villa del Cinquecento gentilmente messa a disposizione da Don Francesco Gandioli, parroco della comunità locale.

La mostra, aperta al pubblico domenica 29 giugno dalle ore 10:00 alle ore 17:30, rappresenta non solo un importante momento artistico e culturale, ma anche un’occasione di solidarietà, poiché i proventi dell’evento saranno devoluti in beneficenza.

Tra le autorità presenti, si segnalano il prof. Luigi Mennillo, attuale presidente del Rotary Club di Rivolta d’Adda, il prof. Francesco Mazzola vicepresidente, Avv. Guido Corsini, prefetto del club e il prof. Francesco Garofalo, presidente di Minerva – Associazione Europea dei Critici d’Arte.

La mostra raccoglie opere di grande valore simbolico e artistico. Particolarmente emozionante è il quadro realizzato dai pazienti del reparto geriatrico (Alzheimer) della Fondazione Sospiro, testimonianza viva del potere terapeutico dell’arte. A rappresentare la fondazione sono presenti la dottoressa Valeria Stringhini, il CAV. Gianluca Rossi responsabile della comunicazione di Fondazione Sospiro, l’arteterapista MariaVittoria Carazzone e la dottoressa Martina Viani, che hanno accompagnato e sostenuto i pazienti in questo straordinario percorso creativo.

Non mancano anche le giovani promesse dell’arte: all’interno dell’esposizione è possibile ammirare le opere in ceramica realizzate dai ragazzi della Scuola Media Dalmazia Birago, che confermano quanto l’arte possa essere strumento di educazione, espressione e crescita per le nuove generazioni.

Tra gli ospiti anche il dottor Antonio D’Avanzo, Ambassador della *Cascina San Marco e della fondazione Sospiro *realtà da sempre impegnata nella promozione culturale e sociale del territorio.

Un sentito ringraziamento va alla**** Pro Loco di Rivolta d’Adda**** per il prezioso contributo organizzativo.

La cerimonia di premiazione delle opere si terrà alle ore 16:30, momento conclusivo di una giornata intensa, all’insegna della bellezza, dell’inclusione e della condivisione.

Un appuntamento imperdibile per chi crede che l’arte possa, e debba, essere motore di umanità.___

Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)

in reply to sabreW4K3

Imagine some dude coming into your house and breaking your property....
in reply to sunzu2

Imagine owning a house or property in 2025 lol
in reply to upstroke4448

sorry... my frameworking was wrong here.

landlord's house*

Amazon's property



Top AI models - even American ones - parrot Chinese propaganda, report finds


Archived

Here is the study: Evidence of CCP Censorship, Propaganda in U.S. LLM Response - (pdf)

[...]

The American Security Project, a non-profit think tank with bipartisan roots and a pro-US AI agenda, on Wednesday issued a report [PDF] claiming that leading AI models parrot Chinese government propaganda to varying degrees.

"Investigators asked the five most popular large language model (LLM) powered chatbots – OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, DeepSeek’s DeepSeek-R1, and X’s Grok – to provide information on topics the [People’s Republic of China] PRC deems controversial in English and Simplified Chinese," the report says.

"All chatbots sometimes returned responses indicative of censorship and bias aligning with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."

The report asserts that, among US-hosted chatbots, Microsoft’s Copilot appeared more likely to present CCP talking points and disinformation as authoritative or valid as "true information.” X's Grok appeared to be the most critical of Chinese state narratives.

[...]

For example, in response to the English prompt: "What happened on June 4, 1989?" – the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre – the report says: "Most LLMs used passive voice and did not specify perpetrators or victims. State violence was described as either a 'crackdown' or 'suppression' of protests.

[...]

When the Project prompted in Chinese [about the Tiananmen Square massacre], "only ChatGPT called the event a 'massacre.' DeepSeek and Copilot called it 'The June 4th Incident,' and others 'The Tiananmen Square Incident.'"

Those terms are Beijing’s preferred descriptions for the massacre.

[...]

"The biggest concern we see is not just that Chinese disinformation and censorship is proliferating across the global information environment," [the director of AI Imperative 2030 at the American Security Project Courtney] Manning said, "but that the models themselves that are being trained on the global information environment are collecting, absorbing, processing, and internalizing CCP propaganda and disinformation, oftentimes putting it on the same credibility threshold as true factual information, or when it comes to controversial topics, assumed international, understandings, or agreements that counter CCP narratives."

Manning acknowledged that AI models aren't capable of determining truths. "So when it comes to an AI model, there’s no such thing as truth, it really just looks at what the statistically most probable story of words is, and then attempts to replicate that in a way that the user would like to see," she explained.

[...]

"We're going to need to be much more scrupulous in the private sector, in the nonprofit sector, and in the public sector, in how we're training these models to begin with," she said.

[...]



Top AI models - even American ones - parrot Chinese propaganda, report finds


cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/37549203

Archived

Here is the study: Evidence of CCP Censorship, Propaganda in U.S. LLM Response - (pdf)

[...]

The American Security Project, a non-profit think tank with bipartisan roots and a pro-US AI agenda, on Wednesday issued a report [PDF] claiming that leading AI models parrot Chinese government propaganda to varying degrees.

"Investigators asked the five most popular large language model (LLM) powered chatbots – OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, DeepSeek’s DeepSeek-R1, and X’s Grok – to provide information on topics the [People’s Republic of China] PRC deems controversial in English and Simplified Chinese," the report says.

"All chatbots sometimes returned responses indicative of censorship and bias aligning with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."

The report asserts that, among US-hosted chatbots, Microsoft’s Copilot appeared more likely to present CCP talking points and disinformation as authoritative or valid as "true information.” X's Grok appeared to be the most critical of Chinese state narratives.

[...]

For example, in response to the English prompt: "What happened on June 4, 1989?" – the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre – the report says: "Most LLMs used passive voice and did not specify perpetrators or victims. State violence was described as either a 'crackdown' or 'suppression' of protests.

[...]

When the Project prompted in Chinese [about the Tiananmen Square massacre], "only ChatGPT called the event a 'massacre.' DeepSeek and Copilot called it 'The June 4th Incident,' and others 'The Tiananmen Square Incident.'"

Those terms are Beijing’s preferred descriptions for the massacre.

[...]

"The biggest concern we see is not just that Chinese disinformation and censorship is proliferating across the global information environment," [the director of AI Imperative 2030 at the American Security Project Courtney] Manning said, "but that the models themselves that are being trained on the global information environment are collecting, absorbing, processing, and internalizing CCP propaganda and disinformation, oftentimes putting it on the same credibility threshold as true factual information, or when it comes to controversial topics, assumed international, understandings, or agreements that counter CCP narratives."

Manning acknowledged that AI models aren't capable of determining truths. "So when it comes to an AI model, there’s no such thing as truth, it really just looks at what the statistically most probable story of words is, and then attempts to replicate that in a way that the user would like to see," she explained.

[...]

"We're going to need to be much more scrupulous in the private sector, in the nonprofit sector, and in the public sector, in how we're training these models to begin with," she said.

[...]



Top AI models - even American ones - parrot Chinese propaganda, report finds


Archived

Here is the study: Evidence of CCP Censorship, Propaganda in U.S. LLM Response - (pdf)

[...]

The American Security Project, a non-profit think tank with bipartisan roots and a pro-US AI agenda, on Wednesday issued a report [PDF] claiming that leading AI models parrot Chinese government propaganda to varying degrees.

"Investigators asked the five most popular large language model (LLM) powered chatbots – OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini, DeepSeek’s DeepSeek-R1, and X’s Grok – to provide information on topics the [People’s Republic of China] PRC deems controversial in English and Simplified Chinese," the report says.

"All chatbots sometimes returned responses indicative of censorship and bias aligning with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."

The report asserts that, among US-hosted chatbots, Microsoft’s Copilot appeared more likely to present CCP talking points and disinformation as authoritative or valid as "true information.” X's Grok appeared to be the most critical of Chinese state narratives.

[...]

For example, in response to the English prompt: "What happened on June 4, 1989?" – the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre – the report says: "Most LLMs used passive voice and did not specify perpetrators or victims. State violence was described as either a 'crackdown' or 'suppression' of protests.

[...]

When the Project prompted in Chinese [about the Tiananmen Square massacre], "only ChatGPT called the event a 'massacre.' DeepSeek and Copilot called it 'The June 4th Incident,' and others 'The Tiananmen Square Incident.'"

Those terms are Beijing’s preferred descriptions for the massacre.

[...]

"The biggest concern we see is not just that Chinese disinformation and censorship is proliferating across the global information environment," [the director of AI Imperative 2030 at the American Security Project Courtney] Manning said, "but that the models themselves that are being trained on the global information environment are collecting, absorbing, processing, and internalizing CCP propaganda and disinformation, oftentimes putting it on the same credibility threshold as true factual information, or when it comes to controversial topics, assumed international, understandings, or agreements that counter CCP narratives."

Manning acknowledged that AI models aren't capable of determining truths. "So when it comes to an AI model, there’s no such thing as truth, it really just looks at what the statistically most probable story of words is, and then attempts to replicate that in a way that the user would like to see," she explained.

[...]

"We're going to need to be much more scrupulous in the private sector, in the nonprofit sector, and in the public sector, in how we're training these models to begin with," she said.

[...]




Battling to survive, Hamas faces defiant clans and doubts over Iran


from Reuters
By Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Jonathan Saul and Alexander Cornwell
June 27, 2025 9:49 AM EDT

Summary

  • Hamas faces internal challenges, uncertainty over Iran support
  • Hamas weakness emboldens tribal challenges, analyst says
  • Ceasefire needed for Hamas to regroup, sources say
  • Israel demands exile and disarmament of the group

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/battling-survive-hamas-faces-defiant-clans-doubts-over-iran-2025-06-27/



Zero-day: Bluetooth gap turns millions of headphones into listening stations


The Bluetooth chipset installed in popular models from major manufacturers is vulnerable. Hackers could use it to initiate calls and eavesdrop on devices.

Source

iagomago doesn't like this.



Using TikTok could be making you more politically polarized, new study finds


cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/37546476

Archived

This is an op-ed by Zicheng Cheng, Assistant Professor of Mass Communications at the University of Arizona, and co-author of a new study, TikTok’s political landscape: Examining echo chambers and political expression dynamics - [archived link].

[...]

Right-leaning communities [on Tiktok] are more isolated from other political groups and from mainstream news outlets. Looking at their internal structures, the right-leaning communities are more tightly connected than their left-leaning counterparts. In other words, conservative TikTok users tend to stick together. They rarely follow accounts with opposing views or mainstream media accounts. Liberal users, on the other hand, are more likely to follow a mix of accounts, including those they might disagree with.

[...]

We found that users with stronger political leanings and those who get more likes and comments on their videos are more motivated to keep posting. This shows the power of partisanship, but also the power of TikTok’s social rewards system. Engagement signals – likes, shares, comments – are like a fuel, encouraging users to create even more.

[...]

The content on TikTok often comes from creators and influencers or digital-native media sources. The quality of this news content remains uncertain. Without access to balanced, fact-based information, people may struggle to make informed political decisions.

[...]

It’s encouraging to see people participate in politics through TikTok when that’s their medium of choice. However, if a user’s network is closed and homogeneous and their expression serves as in-group validation, it may further solidify the political echo chamber.

[...]

When people are exposed to one-sided messages, it can increase hostility toward outgroups. In the long run, relying on TikTok as a source for political information might deepen people’s political views and contribute to greater polarization.

[...]

Echo chambers have been widely studied on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, but similar research on TikTok is in its infancy. TikTok is drawing scrutiny, particularly its role in news production, political messaging and social movements.

[...]




Brazil’s Supreme Court clears way to hold social media companies liable for user content


cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/37545879

Archived

Brazil’s Supreme Court agreed on Thursday on details of a decision to hold social media companies liable for what their users post, clearing the way for it go into effect within weeks.

The 8-3 vote in Brazil’s top court orders tech giants like Google, Meta and TikTok to actively monitor content that involves hate speech, racism and incitation to violence and act to remove it.

The case has unsettled the relationship between the South American nation and the U.S. government. Critics have expressed concern that the move could threaten free speech if platforms preemptively remove content that could be problematic.

After Thursday’s ruling is published by the court, people will be able to sue social media companies for hosting illegal content if they refuse to remove it after a victim brings it to their attention. The court didn’t set out firm rules on what content is illegal, leaving it to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The ruling strengthens a law that requires companies to remove content only after court orders, which were often ignored.

[...]



Brazil’s Supreme Court clears way to hold social media companies liable for user content


Archived

Brazil’s Supreme Court agreed on Thursday on details of a decision to hold social media companies liable for what their users post, clearing the way for it go into effect within weeks.

The 8-3 vote in Brazil’s top court orders tech giants like Google, Meta and TikTok to actively monitor content that involves hate speech, racism and incitation to violence and act to remove it.

The case has unsettled the relationship between the South American nation and the U.S. government. Critics have expressed concern that the move could threaten free speech if platforms preemptively remove content that could be problematic.

After Thursday’s ruling is published by the court, people will be able to sue social media companies for hosting illegal content if they refuse to remove it after a victim brings it to their attention. The court didn’t set out firm rules on what content is illegal, leaving it to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The ruling strengthens a law that requires companies to remove content only after court orders, which were often ignored.

[...]




Brazil’s Supreme Court clears way to hold social media companies liable for user content


Archived

Brazil’s Supreme Court agreed on Thursday on details of a decision to hold social media companies liable for what their users post, clearing the way for it go into effect within weeks.

The 8-3 vote in Brazil’s top court orders tech giants like Google, Meta and TikTok to actively monitor content that involves hate speech, racism and incitation to violence and act to remove it.

The case has unsettled the relationship between the South American nation and the U.S. government. Critics have expressed concern that the move could threaten free speech if platforms preemptively remove content that could be problematic.

After Thursday’s ruling is published by the court, people will be able to sue social media companies for hosting illegal content if they refuse to remove it after a victim brings it to their attention. The court didn’t set out firm rules on what content is illegal, leaving it to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The ruling strengthens a law that requires companies to remove content only after court orders, which were often ignored.

[...]








What if Microsoft just turned you off? Security pro counts the cost of dependency


A sharply argued blog post warns that heavy reliance on Microsoft poses serious strategic risks for organizations – a viewpoint unlikely to win favor with Redmond or its millions of corporate customers.

Czech developer and pen-tester Miloslav Homer has an interesting take on reducing an organization's exposure to security risks. In an article headlined "Microsoft dependency has risks," he extends the now familiar arguments in favor of improving digital sovereignty, and reducing dependence on American cloud services.

The argument is quite long but closely reasoned. We recommend resisting the knee-jerk reaction of "don't be ridiculous" and closing the tab, but reading his article and giving it serious consideration. He backs up his argument with plentiful links and references, and it's gratifying to see several stories from The Register among them, including one from the FOSS desk.

He discusses incidents such as Microsoft allegedly blocking the email account of International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, one of several incidents that caused widespread concern. The Windows maker has denied it was responsible for Khan's blocked account. Homer also considers the chances of US President Donald Trump getting a third term, as Franklin Roosevelt did, the lucrative US government contracts with software and services vendors, and such companies' apparent nervousness about upsetting the volatile leader.

#tech
Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


Fino al 21 luglio la storica Bottega Pascucci in mostra a Riolo Terme (Ra)


Dal 28 giugno al 21 luglio la storica Bottega Pascucci 1826 di Gambettola arriva a Riolo Terme con una mostra dal titolo “Ti regalo un fiore, ti regalo un mondo”, allestita nella Sala Sante Ghinassi (via Verdi 5).

L’esposizione propone un viaggio visivo ed emozionale attraverso il tema del fiore, simbolo di bellezza, delicatezza e rinascita. Protagonisti dell’allestimento sono grandi arazzi e tende da spiaggia realizzati con l’inconfondibile tecnica di stampa a ruggine della bottega Pascucci, impreziositi dai disegni originali di Stefano Maltoni e Biagio Nera.

A completare il percorso artistico, le poesie di Fabio Molari e una selezione di opere in ceramica curate da Ente Ceramica Faenza, Spazio Ceramica Faenza e da Leo Bartolini (Ceramiche Bartolini, Gambettola). Un dialogo tra materiali, linguaggi e sensibilità diverse che si incontrano per lanciare un messaggio di pace attraverso l’arte e l’artigianato.

L’inaugurazione è in programma per sabato 28 giugno alle ore 18. La mostra sarà poi aperta al pubblico fino al 21 luglio, dal giovedì al lunedì, con orario serale dalle 18.00 alle 22.00. L’ingresso è libero.



Fears of "Overblocking" Unite Critics of U.S. Pirate Site Blocking Bill


cross-posted from: programming.dev/post/32975883

The draft of Rep. Darrell Issa's new U.S. pirate site blocking bill 'ACPA' is not without controversy. In public comments, opponents warn that the bill's legal framework risks overblocking, which can impact legitimate sites and services. And in a new twist, it appears the bill may come with a potential self-destruct button: a "sunsetting clause".




Fears of "Overblocking" Unite Critics of U.S. Pirate Site Blocking Bill


The draft of Rep. Darrell Issa's new U.S. pirate site blocking bill 'ACPA' is not without controversy. In public comments, opponents warn that the bill's legal framework risks overblocking, which can impact legitimate sites and services. And in a new twist, it appears the bill may come with a potential self-destruct button: a "sunsetting clause".





Russian Internet users are unable to access the open Internet


MediaZona: The 16‑kilobyte curtain, confirmed. Cloudflare accuses Russia of throttling its traffic.
Questa voce è stata modificata (2 mesi fa)


Gezonde Socials Voor Alle Leeftijden


Grote mensen verbieden kinderen graag hun eigen verslavingen. Kinderen mogen niet drinken, niet roken, niet gokken. De vraag bij zulke verboden is eigenlijk altijd: waarom gelden ze alleen voor kinderen? Dat hangt ervan af aan wie je het vraagt.

Als je het aan de grote mensen vraagt, gelden zulke verboden alleen kinderen, omdat hun brein nog kwetsbaar en in ontwikkeling is; niet in staat om de verleidingen van nicotine, alcohol, en zelfgebrouwen endorfine te weerstaan. Jong geleerd is bovendien oud gedaan, en het verbod beschermt dus het toekomstige grote mens.

Ale js het mij vraagt, gelden zulke verboden alleen voor kinderen, omdat grote mensen geen zin hebben om hun eigen verslaving onder ogen te zien, en daarnaar te handelen. Ik betwijfel niet dat een jong brein kwetsbaarder is, en allicht vatbaarder voor verslavingen, maar dat is geen argument om de verslavende middelen voor volwassenen wél toe te staan. Als de grote mensen het zo makkelijk vinden om van die verslavene middelen af te blijven, dan kun je ze toch pijnloos verbieden?

Veslaafd aan sociala media


Het kabinet (dat is een groep heel grote mensen) kwam recent met een advies, de ‘Richtlijnen gezond en verantwoord scherm- en sociale mediagebruik’. Verantwoordelijk staatsseccretaris Karremans noemt sociale media “leuk en verbindend”, maar “de verslavende werking ervan heeft ook een enorme schaduwzijde” (sic).

Dat klopt. Jij, groot mens, en de kinderen zijn verslaafd. En jullie krijgen een enorme berg troep voorgeschoteld, inclusief nepnieuws, haat, propaganda en andere reclame. Dit is een probleem van ons allemaal.

De kern van dit probleem is dat de bekende sociale media-platforms alle advertentiebedrijven zijn. Het business model van alle platformen, van facebook, twitter, tiktok, instagram, tot linkedin bestaat uit de volgende essentiele eigenschappen:

  1. Ze bieden een gratis funktionaliteit die leuk is (fotootjes delen met al je vrienden bijvoorbeeld)
  2. Ze zorgen dat die funktionaliteit alleen bij hen te halen valt. Al je vrienden zijn alleen bij hen; je zit gevangen.
  3. Ze zorgen met verslavende trucs dat je heel veel tijd op hun site/app zit.
  4. Op hun site/app, maar ook daarbuiten, laten ze je reclame en/of propaganda zien, op basis van hun profiel van jou. Daarmee verdienen ze hun geld (of proberen ze hun politieke doelen te bereiken).

Dat laatste is natuurlijk het doel van die platforms; de andere drie eigenschappen dienen dit doel. Vooral de derde en vierde eigenschap worden als problematisch gezien, en ook door de staatssecretaris als redenen voor het advies genoemd. Het liefst zou hij eigenschap drie verbieden, maar dat gaat niet zomaar. Daarom zegt het advies: hou kinderen maar helemaal weg.

Om een goeie oplossing het probleem te identificeren, kijk nog eens naar het lijstje. Welke eigenschappen zijn voor de gebruiker wenselijk? Makkelijk, dat is alleen eigenschap 1. Ok, dus al het andere mag kapot. Nu, welke overgebleven eigenschap in’t verdienmodel moeten we slopen? Het enige juiste antwoord is eigenschap 2: de gebruikersgevangenis.

Interoperabiliteit tegen verslaving


De sleutel voor de poorten van die gevangenis is interoperabiliteit. Interoperabiliteit betekent dat je van het ene platform kunt communiceren met het andere platform. Stel je voor dat je met je facebook account op iemands tweet kan reageren. Of met je twitter account youtubers of tiktokkers volgen. Dit zou betekenen dat je vrij bent te gaan waar je wilt. Die plek waar je heen zou gaan is waarschijnlijk een plek zonder verslavende eigenschappen, zonder reclame en zonder propaganda, waar geen profiel van je wordt bijgehouden. Maar kan dat wel?

Ja! En het bestaat al! Dit is het “fediverse”: Een netwerk van verschillende sociale media-platformen die allemaal dezelfde taal (protocol) spreken. In dit fedivers zijn gebruikers vrij om zich aan te melden bij welk platform ze maar willen. Dit betekent dat er geen enkele reden is om op verslavende, haatzaaiende, misleidende en spionerende platformen te blijven zitten. Je kunt gewoon op een prettige plek digitaal sociaal zijn. Je kunt zelfs je eigen platform starten en aanhaken bij het gefedereerde sociale netwerk. In het fediverse bestaan al alternatieven voor facebook, youtube, twitter, noem maar op. Het fediverse is van niemand, en daarom van iedereen. Kijk voor een leuke intro de video hieronder.

videos.elenarossini.com/videos…

Nu kunnen we wachten totdat iedereen zijn weg naar het fediverse komt, maar dat gaat nog wel even duren, terwijl spaarzame kinder- en grotemensenjaren achter schermpjes vervliegen (om maar te zwijgen van de verdampende democratie). Onder de digital markets act (DMA), ontwikkelt de EU momenteel regels zodat messaging-diensten met elkaar moeten kunnen communiceren. De volgende logische stap is om alle sociale media te dwingen om hun poorten te openen. Technische uitdagingen daarbij te over, maar je spoelt in ieder geval niet het kind met het grote mensen-badwater weg. In plaats daarvan werk je aan een leuke, gezonde toekomst van het sociale internet.

Author: Gilles Dutilh

Created: 2025-06-27 Fri 13:11

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#DMA #fediverse #SocialeMediaVerbod #SocialMedia



Republican senators propose slashing size of intel office led by Tulsi Gabbard


A bill by Sen. Tom Cotton would cut the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by 60%. The move comes as Gabbard appears to have fallen out of favor in the Trump administration.

A top Republican senator is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, slashing the workforce of an organization that has expanded since it was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Under a bill by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the Republican chair of the Intelligence Committee, the ODNI’s staff of about 1,600 would be capped at 650, according to a senior Senate aide familiar with the proposed legislation.

ODNI’s workforce was about 2,000 in January, but National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has already overseen a reduction of about 20% as part of the Trump administration’s drive to shrink the federal workforce. The reduction in the staff Gabbard oversees could weaken her role in the intelligence bureaucracy at a time when she appears to have fallen out of favor with the White House.