Isabel Linzer
@isabelalinzer.bsky.social
Elections & democracy @ CDT. Probably posting about human rights, tech, authoritarianism, influencers, transnational repression, etc. Opinions my own.
Read this cdt.org/insights/faq...
FAQ: Voting System Vulnerabilities and How They Can Be Weaponized
Vulnerabilities in voting systems are real and worth fixing. At the same time, the manner in which they are used to fearmonger does not reflect the actual security of elections. Security researchers ...
cdt.org
While you're awaiting the president's remarks this evening about election security, read this FAQ on voting system vulnerabilities from Geoff Hale: cdt.org/insights/faq...
Ahead of tonight’s presidential speech and the expected release of declassified intelligence on voting system security vulnerabilities, context matters. CDT’s new FAQ explains why vulnerabilities alone are not evidence that elections were altered.
FAQ: Voting System Vulnerabilities and How They Can Be Weaponized
Vulnerabilities in voting systems are real and worth fixing. At the same time, the manner in which they are used to fearmonger does not reflect the actual security of elections. Security researchers do find real weaknesses embedded in the code and operations of U.S. voting systems, just like they do with power grids, banks, and […]
cdt.org
National Intelligence Council 2021 report directly contradicts Trump's lies about alleged Chinese interference: “We assess that China did not deploy interference efforts and considered but did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome of the US presidential election"
In anticipation of Trump's press conference on alleged election interference tomorrow, we're doing an early release of our "Rigged Election" Bingo game. Which worn out tropes will he and his operatives roll out (again) tomorrow? Create your own card to play along. bingo.cip.uw.edu/s/92d3739d-2...
"Rigged Election" Bingo
Spot the tropes before they spread — can you get BINGO?
bingo.cip.uw.edu
Our Equity & Civic Tech team is hiring an early career policy person! See info here cdt.org/careers/#op-...
Careers
Current Openingsfind yourself engaged in passionate discussions about privacy policies? Are you yearning to put your expertise to work on internet neutrality legislation? If so, you might be a great f...
cdt.org
While you're awaiting the president's remarks this evening about election security, read this FAQ on voting system vulnerabilities from Geoff Hale: cdt.org/insights/faq...
⚽ As the FIFA World Cup unfolds, the biggest battles aren't just happening on the pitch. Online abuse, AI-generated content, and shrinking Trust & Safety teams are putting players & fans at greater risk. In a new blog, CDT's @aliyabhatia.bsky.social explores what's at stake.
It’s Game Time for Content Moderation
What can we do?-down-approaches-miss-nuanced-coverage" href="#top-down-approaches-miss-nuanced-coverage" class="toc-anchor">Top-down approaches miss nuanced coverageltural-linguistic-and-football-expertise-in-tamps-leaves-key-gaps-uncovered" href="#loss-of-cultural-linguistic-and-football-expertise-in-tamps-leaves-key-gaps-uncovered" class="toc-anchor">Loss of cultural, linguistic, and football expertise in T&S leaves key gaps uncoveredrmine-online-safety" class="toc-anchor">Overreliance on automated safety mechanisms undermine online safetyus/free-expression/content-moderation/">content moderation, but with the World Cup now underway, the debate over what can or should be permitted online, and whose responsibility it is […]
cdt.org
I'm delighted to share my collection of 50 magazine covers on privacy from the 1950s to the present. danielsolove.substack.com/p/privacy-ma...
Privacy Magazine Covers Throughout the Decades
A Collection of 50 Magazine Covers
danielsolove.substack.com
ICYMI, the proposed USPS rules that follow the March mail voting EO are live for comment until July 2. A couple thoughts🧵 www.cnn.com/2026/06/10/p...
Postal Service won’t deliver mail ballots for states that don’t hand over voter lists, under plan for Trump directive | CNN Politics
State election officials could soon face a stark choice: hand over voter lists to the Trump administration or risk losing Postal Service delivery for mail-in ballots.
cnn.com
People say DC has no culture but my workout class instructor just used an Eminem playlist to explain her anti-Iraq War awakening AND walk us through the proper role of the FCC, so
Fascinating to see this Nature editorial about the need to adapt to an influencer-mediated information environment: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The future of science communication is not an article like this
Researchers and science publishers need to seize the opportunity offered by the drastic shifts in the way news is produced — one reason Nature has joined TikTok.
nature.com
They make money whether you win or lose. They get paid to hype products whether you benefit or not. The FTC has rules but doesn’t enforce. “We are the media now” but ethics are secondary. I spoke to Politico for this story ab undisclosed influencer partnerships. www.politico.com/news/2026/06...
‘Unbelievable how accurate’: How paid influencers hype Polymarket’s odds
The company’s chief marketing officer, Matthew Modabber, used a personal PayPal account to send money to content creators, according to records reviewed by POLITICO.
politico.com
74% of Americans are concerned about the privacy and security of personal data held by government agencies, & nearly 8 in 10 believe Congress should hold agencies accountable when privacy laws are ignored. Join CDT on June 1:
Public Data, Public Concern: Rethinking Government Accountability in the Digital Age
Time: 12:00 -1:00 pm Date: Monday, June 1 Recent research published by the Center for Democracy & Technology shows that 74 percent of Americans are concerned about the privacy and security of their personal data that is held by the government. Given these concerns, almost eight in ten people across the U.S. agree that Congress […]
cdt.org
Important reporting building on Sac Bee coverage this week. I've been a broken record saying that one of the big influencer issues to watch heading into midterms is disclosure rules in CA and TX, especially as state/local campaigns get national attention. Starting to see that play out👀
Drew Harwell@drewharwell.com · 3mo agoNew: The liberal billionaire @tomsteyerhq.bsky.social's campaign has been paying influencers to champion his run for California governor - and many are doing so without disclosure. One big TikToker, who called the 68-year-old a "vibe," didn't mention he'd been paid $10,000 wapo.st/4twTpOh
Pleasure to speak with @liaoffleash.bsky.social for this reporting. As I said to Lia: political influencers fall through the regulatory cracks because they are too political for the FTC and too digital for the FEC. CA's disclosure requirements are a rare exception www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
‘Casual, relatable, on-theme’: Steyer campaign courts influencers for $10 a video
With the decline of legacy media, campaigns are increasingly turning to social media personalities to get their message out and humanize them to voters.
sacbee.com
An impressive and creative effort by @bechamilton.bsky.social to capture the scope of the Trump admin's ongoing "muzzle velocity" assault on media institutions and press freedom. via @justsecurity.org www.justsecurity.org/112792/trump...
Trump Administration and Media: Keeping Track of the Big Picture
This graphic tracks the use of State power to help identify linkages between individual developments and broader trends.
justsecurity.org
There's been lots of excellent reporting on the political influencer industry in the past few weeks, so here's an overdue thread with my reactions to the news and some loose thoughts on trends🧵
This proposes a licensing scheme, also known as a prior restraint on speech. Those don't usually do well in court because they give the government too much power over what can be said and are presumptively unconstitutional. Thank you for your time. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/t...
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released
nytimes.com
Folks, this is how you do it. @accessnow.org not only held the line on foundational principles, but this statement itself is a brave act of resistance to authoritarianism. It illuminates the pressure, coercion, and transnational repression at play - all of which thrive in the shadows.
RightsCon@rightscon.org · 3mo agoFollowing our April 29 announcement, we believe it's important to be transparent about the context that led to the decision. We want to explain, where we can, why this was made on such short notice, only days before we were set to host RightsCon. Read: www.rightscon.org/rc26-stateme...
Scholars at Risk is offering two new tracks of fellowships for early-career researchers on academic freedom! We have one track for scholars working on the US and one for scholars on global/comparative/other countries: www.scholarsatrisk.org/the-network-...
Call for Applications: 2026-27 Scholars at Risk (SAR) Academic Freedom Fellowships | Scholars at Risk
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is pleased to invite early-career researchers to apply for remote research fellowships focusing on academic freedom and related higher education values.
scholarsatrisk.org
My New One at Slate: “The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Just Issued the Worst Ruling in a Century; This evisceration of the Voting Rights Act requires us to take SCOTUS reform more seriously.” @slate.com slate.com/news-and-pol...
My team is hiring! This is an early career role on CDT's elections and democracy team, based in DC. Please share widely!! cdt.org/careers/#op-...
Careers
Current Openingsfind yourself engaged in passionate discussions about privacy policies? Are you yearning to put your expertise to work on internet neutrality legislation? If so, you might be a great f...
cdt.org
A must-read: www.reuters.com/investigatio...
How Trump is moving to control U.S. elections, one state at a time
Reuters uncovered a Trump administration effort to gain federal control over elections, historically run locally, in at least eight states – using investigations, raids and demands for access to ballo...
reuters.com
ICYM some of yesterday's bad news: the proposed DHS FY27 budget would entirely eliminate CISA's election security program
Center for Democracy & Technology@cdt.org · 4mo agoThis budget leaves CISA with fewer people and less expertise to build trusted security partnerships across the country. For nearly a decade, CISA played a crucial supporting role in securing our elections. www.nextgov.com/cybersecurit...
For @51st.news, wrote about my favourite park in DC: Malcolm X! When I heard about the park closing for the summer, I was distraught! My neighbor (or Park Uncle) was skeptical - he's heard of enough of these beautification efforts in his 41 years near the park 51st.news/opinion-malc...
Opinion: Parks are crucial public spaces. The National Park Service owes us better.
The backlash to NPS’s planned closure of Malcolm X Park shows the agency should be doing more to engage the D.C. community, writes one resident.
51st.news
Great article. Let's talk about Afroman and Section 230. 🧵
Mike Masnick@masnick.com · 5mo agoOk. I wrote about the Afroman trial, including this incredible image of him being sworn in on the witness stand.
