Justice Department can unseal Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case records, judge says
A federal judge on Tuesday granted the Justice Department’s request to publicly release grand jury transcripts and other material from Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking case, citing a new law that requires the government to open its files on Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime confidant, but he cautioned that people shouldn’t expect to learn much new information from them.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who along with other judges had previously rejected Justice Department unsealing requests before the transparency law was passed, said the materials “do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.”
“They do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s,” Engelmayer wrote. “They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes.”
Unequivocal War Crimes
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
America Has Become a Digital Narco-State - Paul Krugman
America Has Become a Digital Narco-State
Social media giants have bought our government, and are trying to bully EuropePaul Krugman
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The Plan is to Make the Internet Worse. Forever. | Aaron Bastani Meets Cory Doctorow
- YouTube
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More than 9,000 children in Gaza hospitalised for acute malnutrition in October, UN says
More than 9,000 children in Gaza hospitalised for acute malnutrition in October, UN says
Aid agencies say Israel is still restricting their aid shipments despite ceasefire announced two months agoJulian Borger (The Guardian)
Leaked Memo: DOJ To List, Target Anti-Trump Activists as ‘Domestic Terrorists’
The Department of Justice (DOJ) will potentially treat opponents of President Donald Trump’s policies as “domestic terrorists,” according to a leaked memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi to all U.S. law enforcement agencies.
The document, which was first published over the weekend by investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein, appears to represent the first attempt to implement Trump’s calls to target left-wing activists and others who protest his administration’s policies as “terrorists” affiliated with antifa, an anti-fascist movement that often serves as a boogeyman for the right.
Leaked Memo: DOJ To List, Target Anti-Trump Activists as ‘Domestic Terrorists’ - Democracy Docket
The Justice Department will potentially treat opponents of President Donald Trump’s policies as “domestic terrorists,” according to a leaked memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi to all U.S. law enforcement agencies.Democracy Docket
Grub and the Microsoft Ransomware
TL;DR: bitlocker does not like grub
Full story:
Months ago I installed fedora on my desktop, dual booting Windows 11.
In all this time I never had the need to boot into windows. I remembered that it worked fine after install, good, and then I forgot about that.
Today I needed a specific windows only software, so at grub I chose the microsoft bootloader and... BITLOCKER.
Huh? Bitlocker? Me? What? Searched frantically for that decryption password in my keepass, did not find. What?? How???
After a few minutes staring at that screen I thought, ok let's just wipe that shit and reclaim the space. I went back to linux, opened the partition manager, then remembered that i had something important in single copy over there. Noooooo
Went back to the boot screen to try again, still failed password.
Then I notice the error:
e_fve_pcr_mismatch
that mismatch lets me think that maybe I had something wrong in my booting.
I try to put windows first in the bios and it works! WHAT THE...?!??
So, if i put linux first, then launch windows from grub, bitlocker takes the windows partition under ransom, i can only access if windows is first. And of course in windows 11 x64 is no longer possible add linux partitions in their boot manager (previously it was possible)
Incompetence or maliciousness?
like this
A few years ago I booted up Windows after months of exclusively using Linux. When I ran Windows Update it deleted and overwrote my Linux partition! This wasn't a grub issue, my files were gone and even file recovery utilities couldn't find much. Plenty of others have experienced the same thing.
This is still happening and is unquestionably pure maliciousness on Microsoft part.
Windows Update Deleted Linux! What to Do and How to Prevent It - UMA Technology
Windows Update accidentally deleting Linux partitions is a common issue. Here's how to recover your data and prevent it from happening again.UMATechnology (UMA Technology)
It's not malicious or "ransomware", and this is perfectly normal, default behavior for most devices - both macOS and Windows implement full disk encryption in a default install these days, and your key is almost always in your Microsoft Account on the Microsoft website. While Microsoft does a lot of crap wrong, in this case, Windows's failure to decrypt under GRUB is security features actually kind of doing their job. Basically, trying to boot Windows through GRUB confuses the TPM, causing it to not want to give the keys in case the Windows boot partition has been tampered with by bad actors. Thus, you have to boot directly through Windows Boot Manager, not GRUB
Also, secure boot and TPM aren't just some conspiracy by Microsoft to block Linux; they are attempts at implementing legitimately necessary security features. Full disk encryption supported by correctly implemented secure boot and an encryption chip are essential to having modern security. Linux is not blocked by TPM and Secure Boot; it is certainly possible for Linux distributions to take advantage of them to enhance their own security. I have implemented automatic LUKS full disk encryption that similarly fails to unlock if the partition has been tampered with on my Debian install. In theory, they can actually be used to help improve your security.
That is not to say I think TPM and secure boot are good, though. The really obnoxious thing about secure boot is that all the certificates are controlled by Microsoft rather than a standards body or a group of certificate authorities. While so far, Microsoft has kept it relatively open by providing the third party CA and the shim binary in order to avoid having its neck snapped by the FTC, considering the current administration, we don't know how much longer they'll keep it up, and they could actualize the much-feared blocking of Linux.
The other big problem with TPMs and secure boot is that often, there are so many different implementations and frequently major security flaws in their implementations that weaken their protection. A typical petty thief stealing your laptop still probably won't be able to decrypt your drive, but a nation state can probably find a way. It doesn't help that Windows doesn't encrypt communication between the CPU and the TPM (luckily, the Linux kernel does that by default). Despite these issues, I'd say TPM and Secure Boot is better than nothing for most devices; not using them (EDIT: or a non-M$-controlled alternative, like a memorized drive password AND/OR FIDO keys, which may be better) at least in part means your device is more vulnerable to physical access and bootkit attacks than even most Windows laptops, and they are often the only tools at your defense
An addendum: Now the really smart thing I've heard people do is to keep the boot partition on a flash drive (possibly with a keypad or biometrics) that you keep with you at all times.
a nation state can probably find a way
There's no "probably", they can surely find the way, because the decryption key is saved on Microsoft servers, they just need a subpoena for getting it
IMO, this does nothing because it only gives Microsoft full access to your device. And if you're special enough to get the attention of someone capable and willing to physically steal your laptop, install a bootkit on it and give it back to you without you even noticing, then it's just easier to just download the decryption keys from Microsoft at this point. It could have made all of this local like storing it in the TPM, a secure area of the CPU.
Full disk encryption is cool, but not when tethered to Microsoft. With that, they brought themselves into a nasty position even if they didn't want to. Just like when Apple made themselves the sole source of installing programmes on the iPhone devices. China gladly used that and is gladly using that.
I was talking less install a bootkit and giving it back to be and more just straight-up stealing the laptop and seeing if they can get any personal info they can sell before formatting it and eBaying it.
Still, your points are totally valid.
Is it possible to use LUKS with a password with a Windows NTFS partition and just have GRUB decrypt it to let Windows boot? Don't intend to dual boot Windows ever but just curious.
Frankly I trust a password stored in my brain way more than whatever keys the TPM is storing. No way something being pushed this hard by Westoid tech corporations doesn't have a backdoor that just unlocks everything for "approved" parties.
I bambini che piangono quando viene tolto lo schermo: Alberto Pellai racconta la mutazione antropologica che ha cambiato l’infanzia
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Cose scontate, ma ignorate, evviva l'adhd per tutti!
Ireland: Top IRA agent Stakeknife protected by British handlers, report finds
Top IRA agent Stakeknife 'protected' by British handlers
A top British spy at the heart of the IRA was flown out of Northern Ireland on holiday on a military aircraft by his army handlers when they knew he was wanted by police for conspiracy to murder, it has emerged.Conor Macauley (RTÉ)
Arms Crisis
Personalization algorithms create an illusion of competence, study finds
Selected highlights:
The researchers divided the participants into different groups to test the specific effects of algorithmic personalization. One group served as a control and viewed a random assortment of items with all features available to inspect. Another group engaged in active learning, where they freely chose which categories to study without algorithmic interference.the study measured the participants’ confidence in their decisions using a rating scale from zero to ten. The analysis showed that participants in the personalized groups frequently reported high confidence levels even when their answers were wrong. This effect was particularly distinct when they encountered items from categories they had rarely or never seen during the learning phase.
This indicates a disconnection between actual competence and perceived competence caused by the filtered learning environment. The participants were unaware that the algorithm had hidden significant portions of the information landscape from them. They assumed the limited sample they viewed was representative of the whole.
The findings provide evidence that the structure of information delivery systems plays a significant role in shaping human cognition. By optimizing for engagement, current algorithms may inadvertently sacrifice the accuracy of user knowledge. This trade-off suggests that online platforms can shape not just what people see, but how they reason about the world.
Personalization algorithms create an illusion of competence, study finds
While personalization algorithms keep users engaged, they may create a false sense of expertise. A new experiment reveals that curated content feeds limit information exploration, causing learners to form distorted views while remaining surprisingly …Eric W. Dolan (PsyPost Psychology News)
Lithuania Declares State of Emergency Over Balloons from Belarus
The Lithuanian government has declared a state of emergency over weather balloons that continue to drift over the border from Belarus, creating risks for civil aviation.
Archived version: archive.is/20251209082951/bloo…
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.
UN environment report 'hijacked' by US and others over fossil fuels, top scientist says
The US and other governments derailed an agreement on a global environment study, its co-chair says.
Archived version: archive.is/20251209130334/bbc.…
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Ukraine | Zelenskyy reaffirms his refusal to cede land to Russia as he rallies European support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his refusal to cede territory, resisting U.S. pressure for compromise with Russia.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/apnews.com/a…
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Honduras issues arrest warrant for ex-president Hernandez after US pardon
The arrest warrant for the country's former president comes amid a closely-fought election.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/aljazeera.co…
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.
Honduras issues arrest warrant for ex-president Hernandez after US pardon
The arrest warrant for the country’s former president comes amid a closely-fought election.David D. Lee (Al Jazeera)
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More sabotage, Western patronage: what is known about terrorist acts prevented by Russia
More sabotage, Western patronage: what is known about terrorist acts prevented by Russia
Twenty-four criminals and their accomplices have been neutralized and over 2,000 have been detained through the coordinated efforts of security agencies since the beginning of the yearTASS
UK rejects Trump’s claim that European leaders ‘talk too much’ about Ukraine
PM Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said Britain was “leading the response on sanctions” against Russia — but confirmed support for American-led peace plans.
Archived version: archive.is/20251209153906/poli…
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Kiev devising new scheme to steal Western taxpayers’ money – Russian intel
Kiev devising new scheme to steal Western taxpayers’ money – Russian intel
Russia’s SVR says Kiev is pursuing an overpriced shell-procurement scheme while rejecting peace to preserve corrupt wartime profitsRT
Kiev devising new scheme to steal Western taxpayers’ money – Russian intel
Kiev devising new scheme to steal Western taxpayers’ money – Russian intel
Russia’s SVR says Kiev is pursuing an overpriced shell-procurement scheme while rejecting peace to preserve corrupt wartime profitsRT
Russia’s hybrid warfare puts Europe to the test
Officials suspect a campaign of sabotage that once looked opportunistic may be a strategic escalation
Archived version: archive.is/FvmAV
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What programming language would you recommend for teaching to non-technical people that use a variety of different OSes?
I'm going to be delivering an online intro to programming session to a non-technical crowd who will be "following along at home". Because it's online, I can't provide them with machines that are already set up with an appropriate development environment.
I'm familiar with Linuxes and BSDs but honestly have no idea how to get set up with programming stuff on Windows or macOS which presumably most of these people will use, so I need something I can easily instruct them on how to install, and has good cross-platform support so that a basic programming lesson will work on whatever OS the attendees are running. Remember they are non-technical so may need more guidance on installation, so it should be something that is easy to explain.
My ideas:
- C: surely every OS comes with a C compiler pre-installed? I know C code is more platform-specific, but for basic "intro to programming" programs it should be pretty much the same. I think it's a better language for teaching as you can teach them more about how the computer actually works, and can introduce them to concepts about memory and types that can be obscured by more high-level languages.
- Python: popular for teaching programming, for the reasons above I'd prefer not to use Python because using e.g. C allows me to teach them more about how the computer works. You could code in Python and never mention types for instance. Rmemeber this is only an intro session so we're not doing a full course. But Python is probably easy to install on a lot of OSes? And of course easy to program in too.
- Java: good cross-platform support, allows for teaching about types. Maybe a good compromise between the benefits outlined above for C and Python?
Any opinions?
While they're far from mainstream, they're definitely languages worth learning. And I'd argue that learning functional style first gives you a much better intuition regarding state management which makes you a better imperative programmer as a result. It's much easier to go from functional to imperative than the other way around.
I mostly work with Clojure myself, and it's pretty easy to set up with VSCode and Calva plugin. There's also a lightweight runtime for it that doesn't require the JVM which is great for a learning set up. You just run bb --nrepl-server and then connect the editor to it as shown here. From there on you can run code and see results right in the editor. This is a good overview of what the workflow looks like in practice.
Also have some beginner resources I've used to train new hires on Clojure.
Introductory resources
- High level overview yogthos.github.io/ClojureDisti…
- core functions explained visually blog.josephwilk.net/clojure/fu…
- An Animated Introduction to Clojure markm208.github.io/cljbook
- Interactive tutorial in a browser tryclojure.org/
- Interactive exercises clojurescriptkoans.com/
- Notebooks with introductory examples github.clerk.garden/anthonygal…
- Interactive book maria.cloud/
- Clojure style guide github.com/bbatsov/clojure-sty…
- Clojure macros clojure-doc.github.io/articles…
- Puzzle Based Introduction to Functional Programming egri-nagy.github.io/popbook
A deeper dive
- braveclojure.com/foreword
- kimh.github.io/clojure-by-exam…
- mishadoff.com/blog/clojure-des…
- aphyr.com/tags/Clojure-from-th…
Clojure Interactive Programming for Visual Studio Code
Learn how to use Calva, a rich IDE for enjoyable and productive Clojure and ClojureScript Interactive Programming in VS Code.calva.io
My university chose to teach a pure functional lisp-like language without for loops as they very first programming course in the computer science program lol. Everyone who "already knew" how to program in Python/Java/JS/etc hated it (including me at the time) because it knocked us from the peak of the Dunning-Kruger curve into the valley of despair like everyone else.
Took me years to understand the method to the madness and appreciate learning it.
Easy to install on any system, and has a decent text editor/IDE provided.
Also, the documentation is great, but can be daunting at first.
Earth needs more energy. Atlanta’s Super Soaker creator may have a solution.
Nuclear engineer Lonnie Johnson worked on NASA's Galileo mission, has more than 140 patents, and invented the Super Soaker water gun. But now he's working on "a potential key to unlock a huge power source that's rarely utilized today," reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Waste heat...
The Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, or JTEC, has few moving parts, no combustion and no exhaust. All the work to generate electricity is done by hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. Inside the device, pressurized hydrogen gas is separated by a thin, filmlike membrane, with low pressure gas on one side and high pressure gas on the other. The difference in pressure in this "stack" is what drives the hydrogen to compress and expand, creating electricity as it circulates. And unlike a fuel cell, it does not need to be refueled with more hydrogen. All that's needed to keep the process going and electricity flowing is a heat source.
As it turns out, there are enormous amounts of energy vented or otherwise lost from industrial facilities like power plants, factories, breweries and more. Between 20% and 50% of all energy used for industrial processes is dumped into the atmosphere and lost as waste heat, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The JTEC works with high temperatures, but the device's ability to generate electricity efficiently from low-grade heat sources is what company executives are most excited about. Inside JTEC's headquarters, engineers show off a demonstration unit that can power lights and a sound system with water that's roughly 200 degrees Fahrenheit — below the boiling point and barely warm enough to brew a cup of tea, said Julian Bell, JTEC's vice president of engineering. Comas Haynes, a research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute specializing in thermal and hydrogen system designs, agrees the company could "hit a sweet spot" if it can capitalize on lower temperature heat...
For Johnson, the potential application he's most excited about lies beneath our feet. Geothermal energy exists naturally in rocks and water beneath the Earth's surface at various depths. Tapping into that resource through abandoned oil and gas wells — a well-known access point for underground heat — offers another opportunity. "You don't need batteries and you can draw power when you need it from just about anywhere," Johnson said. Right now, the company is building its first commercial JTEC unit, which is set to be deployed early next year. Mike McQuary, JTEC's CEO and the former president of the pioneering internet service provider MindSpring, said he couldn't reveal the customer, but said it's a "major Southeast utility company." "Crossing that bridge where you have commercial customers that believe in it and will pay for it is important," McQuary said...
On top of some initial seed money, the company brought in $30 million in a Series A funding in 2022 — money that allowed the company to move to its Lee + White headquarters and hire more than 30 engineers. McQuary said it expects to begin another round of fundraising soon.
"Johnson, meanwhile, hasn't stopped working on new inventions," the article points out. "He continues to refine the design for his solid-state battery..."
Atlanta’s Super Soaker inventor thinks his creation is an energy gamechanger
The legendary inventor of the Super Soaker, Lonnie Johnson, is refining technology in Atlanta that he thinks could help the planet reduce energy waste.Drew Kann (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Australia’s world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accounts
Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia’s world-first social media ban begins
Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under banJosh Taylor (The Guardian)
Zarah Sultana: Lammy claim he did not know about Palestine Action hunger strikers is a ‘lie’
British MP Zarah Sultana has said that Justice Secretary David Lammy “lied” when he claimed he did not know about the eight Palestine Action-linked prisoners currently on hunger strike.
Sultana made the comments following a visit on Monday to Qesser Zuhrah, a Palestine Action-affiliated prisoner held at HMP Bronzefield, who has entered the 38th day of her hunger strike.
In footage posted on Instagram, Lammy is seen telling campaigners and the strikers’ families that he did “not know anything” about the prisoners’ cases.
Sultana is the second politician to visit the hunger strikers, following a visit by the Green Party’s Mothin Ali to Bronzefield last week. Jeremy Corbyn was also set to visit the prison on Tuesday.
Sultana condemned the lack of media coverage of the strike, which is deemed to be the most significant since the 1981 Irish hunger strike led by Bobby Sands.
Thailand launches airstrikes inside Cambodia after accusing it of violating ceasefire
At least six people have been killed and dozens of others injured in fresh clashes between the two South-East Asian neighbors, despite a ceasefire agreement signed in October under US mediation.
Introducing: Devstral 2 and Mistral Vibe CLI. | Mistral AI
Introducing: Devstral 2 and Mistral Vibe CLI.
State-of-the-art, open-source agentic coding models and CLI agent.Mistral AI (mistral.ai)
Firewood Banks Aren’t Inspiring. They’re a Sign of Collapse.
A wood bank is exactly what it sounds like. People in rural and Indigenous areas still heavily rely on wood heat as the primary fuel source for their homes. Volunteers cut and split firewood, stack it somewhere public, and give it away for free to those who can’t afford it. No paperwork. No means tests. No government forms. Just a pile of hardwood that shows up because someone else’s house would be cold without it.Most articles about wood banks wrap them in the same tired language. Community spirit. Rural generosity. Neighbors helping neighbors. It’s the kind of coverage you get when journalists focus on the people stacking the wood instead of the conditions that made it necessary. They never mention the underlying reality. Wood banks exist because without them, people would freeze. It’s the same everywhere: Local news crews film volunteers splitting logs while pretending it’s heartwarming, reporting on senior citizens splitting 150 cords a year for neighbors in need as if the story is about kindness instead of the failure that created the need in the first place.
...The volunteers running wood banks aren’t performing resilience. They’re plugging holes in a sinking ship and doing the work the state stopped doing. They are the thin line between a cold snap and another obituary...
Firewood Banks Aren’t Inspiring. They’re a Sign of Collapse.
Rural communities are banding together to chop firewood so that people in need can heat their homes. This shouldn’t be necessary.The New Republic
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An-22 Military Transport Plane Crashes in Russia After Repairs
A Russian Ministry of Defense An-22 military transport aircraft has crashed in Russia’s Ivanovo region.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/militarnyi.c…
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.
French far right wants to reopen brothels and put sex workers in charge
National Rally (RN) lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said his proposed bill would allow sex workers in France to be "empresses in their kingdom."
Archived version: archive.is/newest/euronews.com…
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Report Exposes Instacart's Hidden AI Price Experiments That Could Cost Families $1,200 Per Year
cross-posted from: news.abolish.capital/post/1253…
Consumer advocates on Tuesday called on the Federal Trade Commission and state officials to investigate artificial intelligence-enabled pricing experiments used by Instacart, the grocery shopping app millions of Americans rely on, that charge up to 23% more for some shoppers than others when they buy the same item at the same store.
Consumer Reports joined the advocacy group Groundwork Collaborative and the labor-focused media organization More Perfect Union to uncover Instacart's pricing experiments enabled by Eversight, an AI pricing software that Instacart acquired in 2022. The company's CEO said last year that the experiments have helped the company “to really figure out which categories of products our customers [are] more price sensitive on"—in other words, to tailor prices based on a customer's shopping habits, whether they're near a competing store, and other factors.
The groups' study, Same Cart, Different Price, describes how researchers ran five tests with 437 participants, studying the prices of a basket of items bought at two Target stores and three Safeway stores using Instacart.
In one test at a Safeway in Washington, DC, shoppers logged on to the app to buy a carton of eggs from the same brand at the same time and found that the price they were given varied widely. Some shoppers were charged just $3.99 for the eggs, while others saw a price as high as $4.79—20% higher.
Shoppers at a Safeway in Seattle saw a 23% difference in prices for Skippy peanut butter, Oscar Mayer turkey, and Wheat Thins crackers. At two different Safeways in Washington, DC, Instacart quoted shoppers at one store a price that was 23% higher than at another for Signature Select Corn Flakes.
"It’s time for Instacart to close the lab. Americans shopping for groceries aren’t guinea pigs and shouldn't have to pay an Instacart tax.”
For the same basket of groceries, shoppers at the Seattle store were asked to pay as much as $123.93, while others were charged just $114.34.
"The average price variations observed in the study could cost a household of four about $1,200 per year," said Groundwork.
Justin Brookman, director of tech policy at Consumer Reports, said Instacart's tactics "hurt families who are simply trying to purchase essential groceries."
"At a time when everyday Americans are struggling with high prices, it is particularly egregious to see corporations secretly conducting individual experiments to see how much a person is willing to pay," said Brookman. "Companies must be transparent and upfront with people about pricing, so that they can make informed choices and keep more of their hard-earned money. We encourage the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate Instacart’s pricing tactics."
Groundwork noted that Instcart's website acknowledges that it runs price tests, but states that "shoppers are not aware that they’re in an experiment" and are having their grocery prices selected for them via algorithm.
While Instacart has claimed its price experiments are "negligible," the groups emphasized that they're being used "against the backdrop of the fastest increase in food prices since the late 1970s."
After previous reporting on companies' use of "shrinkflation," "dynamic pricing," and other practices that keep prices high even as pandemic-era labor and supply chain issues have subsided, "today’s report shows Instacart’s experiments are yet another way corporate pricing tactics are squeezing American families," said Groundwork.
The study did not find evidence that Instacart is giving shoppers different prices based on their ZIP code or income, as companies like Amazon, Delta Air Lines, and Home Deport have been accused of doing.
But the groups said Eversight gives the company the capability to use that data to make pricing decisions tailored to particular shoppers.
“Instacart is quietly running pricing experiments on millions of shoppers during the worst grocery affordability crisis in a generation, and it’s costing households as much as $1,200 a year,” said Groundwork Collaborative executive director Lindsay Owens. “They have turned the simple act of buying groceries into a high-tech game of pricing roulette. When the same box of Wheat Thins can jump 23% in price because of an algorithm, that’s not innovation or convenience, it’s unfair. It’s time for Instacart to close the lab. Americans shopping for groceries aren’t guinea pigs and shouldn't have to pay an Instacart tax.”
The groups credited some state and federal lawmakers who have begun to take notice of pricing practices like Instacart's; US Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) introduced the Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act in July with the aim of prohibiting the use of automated systems to set prices. New York has enacted the first-of-its-kind Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act, which requires companies to prominently disclose to customers, "This price was set by an algorithm using your personal data" when they use methods like Instacart's. Other state legislation has been introduced in Colorado, California, and Pennsylvania to ban the use of surveillance to set prices.
The groups called on the FTC to take action under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which bans "unfair methods of competition." Those could include “'price discrimination not justified by differences in cost or distribution,' which appears to match Instacart’s pricing experiments and fluctuations," the report reads.
The FTC could also bring enforcement cases or initiate rulemaking to officially label AI-enabled pricing strategies as an "unfair or deceptive practice," affirming that companies who use them are breaking a consumer protection standard.
"Fair and honest markets are the bedrock of a healthy economy," reads Tuesday's report. "Companies like Instacart offer great convenience, but they are increasingly pursuing corporate pricing practices that unfairly decouple the price of a product from its true cost. As more consumers learn about, and decry, these practices, perhaps companies will change course. But if they do not, policymakers should intervene and require them to change their practices."
From Common Dreams via This RSS Feed.
Casar-Tlaib Bill Would Ban Corporations From Using AI to Set Prices, Wages
"The idea that employers would leverage surveillance data to exploit a worker in a desperate position and offer them a lower wage is appalling," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib.stephen-prager (Common Dreams)
US | New York archdiocese seeks $300m to settle claims by clergy abuse survivors
Largest US Catholic archdiocese is raising funds, selling assets and cutting costs to compensate about 1,300 victims
Semiconductor industry enters unprecedented ‘giga cycle’, says report — scale of artificial intelligence is rewriting compute, memory, networking, and storage economics all at once
New industry analysis argues the AI era is reshaping every part of the chip market at once.
Facebook redesign focuses on friends, photos, Marketplace and more
Meta's Facebook redesign elevates Marketplace, refreshes profiles, and aims to win back Gen Z users.
Activist groups urge Congress to pause US datacenter buildouts
Bad for consumers, bad for the environment, 230+ groups say
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.
Activist groups urge Congress to pause US datacenter buildouts
: Bad for consumers, bad for the environment, 230+ groups sayDan Robinson (The Register)
Mandate that data centers self-power via renewable energy already! It's such a simple fucking solution that solves basically all the problems of data centers.
Relevant note: The research that came out a while back saying that a long conversation with an AI chatbot could use up to half a liter of water included the water used to cool the power plant that's powering the data center. The same paper spelled out that the actual water use of the data center itself is only 12% of that. So if we force data centers to be powered via renewable energy a long conversation with a chatbot would only use 0.06 liters of water which is basically negligible. Especially when you consider that the 0.5L was a worst-case scenario (older data centers letting all the water evaporate).
It runs into the fundamental problem with renewable energy at the moment. It lacks energy storage capabilities to run 24/7 and you can't have power interuptions in a data center. But even if that wasn't the problem, you are asking President who's whole election motto was "Drill, baby, drill" and who cancelled all green tech investment from previous administration to consider a mandate on renewable energy? Good luck.
And many of these companies are inversting in green energy in a form of nuclear power while being subsidized by taxpayers in individual states because who doesn't love socialism for the rich.
Trekking nella Riserva di Monte Catillo - "Orizzonti Tiburtini"
ESCURSIONE GRATUITA DI NATALE 🎁 🎄 + Cena di Gruppo - SABATO 20 DICEMBRE 2025
Una bellissima giornata nella Riserva Naturale di Monte Catillo, subito fuori il centro storico di Tivoli, a pochi passi da Roma.
Un variegato percorso naturalistico ci condurrà attraverso la macchia mediterranea e i boschi di sughera e cerro.
Lungo il sentiero potrai godere dei caratteristici affacci panoramici dell'area tiburtina: la splendida acropoli di Tivoli, la vasta campagna romana, i Monti Prenestini e Cornicolani (anche il mare se saremo fortunati).
> Ti racconteremo la storia, i miti e le leggende di questo luogo antico ed affascinante, forgiato dal fiume Aniene.
E' una facile escursione, a meno di un'ora dalla capitale, cui seguirà una cena di gruppo per festeggiare insieme la fine della stagione escursionistica!
Prenotazione (obbligatoria) aperta fino a Venerdì 19 Dicembre 2025 ore 15:00
Per informazioni contattate @greentrek@mastodon.uno
greentrek.it/escursioni/escurs…
Escursione nella Riserva di Monte Catillo - GreenTrek.it
Un trekking per ammirare i panorami della Riserva di Monte Catillo. A pochi metri da Tivoli un piccolo scrigno di biodiversità e bellezza.GreenTrek.it
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Reeves claims 'I am a Zionist' while receiving over £200k from Israel lobby
Rachel Reeves has received over £200k from the Zionist lobby over the years - how the fuck is this a functioning democracy?
copymyjalopy likes this.
suoko
in reply to GertrudGoethe • • •