Just a coincidence from Wikipedia today...? (For UK politics followers)

Announcement: I have decided to leave @algorithmwatch.org and go freelance again in August. I will also be spending more time in London as well as Berlin. Please get in touch! I work between research & policy, esp relating to digital services. Examples here: www.oliver-marsh.com/portfolio-sk...

Portfolio & Skills

I have worked a lot at the intersection of government/policymaking and tech research, particularly around digital platforms (social media, search engines, chatbots). It's sometimes hard to clearly sum...

oliver-marsh.com

Paging @reckless.bsky.social ‘It all flows from Trump’: Brendan Carr, US broadcast media watchdog - www.ft.com/content/d62d... via @financialtimes.com

TIL: you can start group chats with just yourself on Signal and WhatsApp. = multiple notes-to-self threads for different things. I find notes-to-self on messaging apps my most reliable note-taking method, so this is v helpful.

New research w @algorithmwatch.org - chatbot use in govts. Or: how can DE Digital Minister's office tell us (via FOI) he doesn't use chatbots in an official capacity, when he's said he uses them 1-2hrs daily to structure his thoughts? Or what happens when slight prompt changes alter policy advice?

Latest post on my personal blog - USA social media cases from a European perspective. www.oliver-marsh.com/a-european-r... Individual harm vs. DSA systemic risks; shift from content to design, as narrative as well as a legal argument; and possible future of "social media addiction" in court

If you applied for 40.4 DSA access, I'd be super interested to chat (we @algorithmwatch.org did - algorithmwatch.org/en/google-ai...). And also, remember, fill in the @dsa40collaboratory.bsky.social tracker! www.soscisurvey.de/DSA40applica...

Are Google AI Overviews killing media pluralism? AlgorithmWatch amongst first organizations to investigate that. - AlgorithmWatch

Google could destroy the web traffic which is the life-blood of organisations who produce reliable information. This is thanks to their new AI Overviews – a tool that hides links to real websites, in ...

algorithmwatch.org

I'm in Amsterdam for the DSA Observatory Conference Mon Tues and may have space for coffees Weds morning before heading back.

Pleasure writing this with @lkseiling.bsky.social . The X fine is an important moment for DSA transparency, and learning how different actors can contribute to the DSA - as also laid out in my "Dual Track" proposal with Michele Loi for @algorithmwatch.org algorithmwatch.org/en/dual-track/

Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Now that the underlying decision in the European Commission’s €120 million fine against X is in the public domain, Oliver Marsh and LK Seiling examine what it reveals about data access under the Digital Services Act.

Me successfully passing X / Grok's immediate age verification (i.e. the one you don't need ID for, to view sensitive content as a one-off)

👇Our policy on using generative AI. This guides choices around using it (or not) based on 4 principles: ⚖️Proportionality, 🗝️Security, 💯Quality, 🪟Transparency. We started from a staff survey, and built in processes for discussion & updating. If you find it useful, let us know!

AlgorithmWatch’s guideline to use generative AI responsibly - AlgorithmWatch CH

Whether you use ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, Copilot or Perplexity – generative AI poses massive problems: many results are inaccurate and politically problematic, and the systems’ energy and water consumption is enormous. At the same time, they have become an integral part of everyday life. AlgorithmWatch has developed guidelines to help use generative AI responsibly.

algorithmwatch.ch

And a reminder that non-consensual nudity on X goes much much deeper, and for much longer, than Grok and this latest scandal. Regulators know this. But, any consequences...? algorithmwatch.org/en/sexualize...

Personal reflections on 2025, including: Trying to make positive progress in a world of power struggles; the rise of progressive regulation vs. deregulation arguments; podcasts and other recs; other words beginning with P. Also fun facts about squirrels. www.oliver-marsh.com/sideways-loo...

Sideways Looks #38: 2025 Retro, also Squirrels

2025 - some analysis, some personal reflections, much "wtf is going on".

oliver-marsh.com

Good article on the power of YouTube, which I often feel flies weirdly under the radar in a lot of research/regulatory discussions (paywalled but contact me for guest link) www.ft.com/content/9e75...

The relentless rise of YouTube

As well as being the dominant platform in podcasting and having a growing presence in live sport, it is now the leader in TV and streaming in the US

ft.com

X is finally being fined under the Digital Services Act. I've said before that the fact they were getting away with e.g. not sharing data on *non consensual nude images* suggested the DSA wasn't working. But today I have hope that enforcers will pick the right fights, even when politically tricky.

Every swipe, like, and share on social media fuels a billion-euro business. With @olivermmarsh.bsky.social you will: 🎯 see how algorithms grab and hold your attention 🎯 learn how your behaviour becomes ad data 🎯 explore the social impact Join our Zoom meetup: 👇 Tue, 2 Dec, 7pm CET meeteu.eu/events

Enjoyed talking about algorithms, challenges of holding tech platforms accountable, and why I'm nervous about focusing on disinformation for the new "und DAS glaubst du?" podcast. youtu.be/blv7kC_1g88?... (For German speakers, or I guess anyone who wants to hear how my accent sounds in German...)

#3 “Welche Rolle spielen Algorithmen im Kontext Desinformation?” Dr. Oliver Marsh, AlgorithmWatch

YouTube video by Und DAS glaubst du?!

youtu.be

Excited to have used the brand new Digital Services Act 40.4 Data Access Portal to request data on Google AI Overviews. Thanks to support from @spielkamp.bsky.social @lejlamarcius.bsky.social & Michele Loi, plus great prep resources from @dsa40collaboratory.bsky.social, @bnetza.bsky.social & others

AlgorithmWatch@algorithmwatch.org · 9mo ago

Google rolled out AI Overviews earlier this year. Many users now see AI-generated summaries above traditional search results. This doesn’t just risk spreading unreliable answers, it could also divert traffic away from independent media and threaten media pluralism: algorithmwatch.org/en/google-ai...

V proud to be pushing a new approach for DSA Data Access - a "mass data access" request for highly viewed content - with the fantastic @clairepershan.bsky.social @lkseiling.bsky.social and @louisbarclay.bsky.social for @algorithmwatch.org . More here & 🧵: www.mozillafoundation.org/en/what-we-d...

The EU Digital Services Act is 3 years old! 🎂 But how’s its work to regulate online services going? Here we unpack this question, plus our birthday present 🎁 to the DSA: A “mass data access request” with @dsa40collaboratory.bsky.social & @mozilla.org Foundation: 👉 algorithmwatch.org/en/birthday-...

Happy Birthday, Digital Services Act! – Time for a Reality Check - AlgorithmWatch

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) celebrates its third birthday. This landmark digital regulation is meant to give a better understanding of how online services decide what users see, and more power...

algorithmwatch.org

Done another update to the Tech Policy Jobs (Europe) sheet, including two from us @algorithmwatch.org ! There's a lot of new jobs flying around, it's hard to keep track, so please do add your own new jobs if you're hiring. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Forgot to post this here - latest blog piece, on academic / non-academic collaborations www.oliver-marsh.com/academic-non... (If you subscribe you don't need to rely on me remembering to post them here too ;) )

Sideways Looks #37: Academic/Non-Academic Collaborations. Also, Charity Donations.

I share some thouhts and tips from sitting in the middle of academic and non-academic collaborations.

oliver-marsh.com

Very happy to be a signatory to this letter drafted by @hutko.bsky.social countering Trumpian misinformation on DSA. Please read thread. I also note Martin's kind offer to provide DSA training to US politicians at 1% cost 🤣

Oliver Marsh (tech & politics)@olivermmarsh.bsky.social · 11mo ago

But good news: We can get reliable information on laws such as the Digital Services Act via very helpful letters from a group of superb experts led by @hutko.bsky.social husovec.eu/wp-content/u... husovec.eu/wp-content/u...

1/4 Yday there was a hearing on "Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation" in the US Congress. It's the latest in misleading attacks on Europe's ability to have its own laws. See this open letter signed by 40 NGOs inc. @algorithmwatch.org about that: algorithmwatch.org/en/open-lett...

Over 40 NGOs call for a firm stance against US threats - AlgorithmWatch

Over 40 NGOs and individuals from the digital rights field are calling on the European Commission to respond firmly to the recent warning from the US government. The US has threatened sanctions if the...

algorithmwatch.org

Non-consensual sexualization tools #NSTs are apps and websites that generate sexualized images of real people. Often called #NudifyApps, they don’t only create nudity but can also include non-consensual “undressing” via images in underwear or swimsuits: algorithmwatch.org/en/stop-nudi...

Using my current laptop to search for a new laptop feels morally wrong somehow :/

Part 2 of my thoughts on reaching a more "pro-democracy internet". In it I attempt to categorise & compare 4 models - from New Coffee Houses to Better Broadcasters - across a few different axes such as "expected participation" and "theory of change". www.oliver-marsh.com/a-better-int...

Sideways Looks #36: A Better Internet Part 2, also Mermaids

I attempt to categorise & compare ideas for a more pro-democracy internet.

oliver-marsh.com

Google Trends is getting an API, very useful development for internet research developers.google.com/search/blog/...

Introducing the Google Trends API (alpha): a new way to access Search Trends data  |  Google Search Central Blog  |  Google for Developers

developers.google.com

👋 For a 5th time, we are looking for new Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellows. Apply now if you have research ideas concerning the relation between Artificial Intelligence and power and its consequences. Application deadline: 15 September 2025 23:59 CET algorithmwatch.org/en/open-call...

Last few days to apply for our Technology & Democracy role (until Mon 14)

AlgorithmWatch@algorithmwatch.org · last yr.

💼 We are seeking a Senior Policy Manager with focus on the field of Technology and Democracy. Feel invited to share this vacancy here and elsewhere – or, even better, apply for yourself 😊 🇬🇧 algorithmwatch.org/en/job-openi... 🇩🇪 algorithmwatch.org/de/job-openi...