Nobody dissects US Republican distortions and smear campaigns about "censorship" as incisively and tirelessly as Renee DiResta. Europeans, take note: JD Vance is hard at work exporting the same playbook to Brussels.

Renee DiResta@noupside.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I wrote ab a surreal conversation w/ The Free Press about how Jacob Siegel’s article came to be: apparently his nutjob email to me demanding my emails with other people, also served as the factchecker outreach 👀. That’s the editorial standard to publish a smear. open.substack.com/pub/reneedir...

I haven't read the leaked 183-page Commission Decision against X, but I am reading the House Judiciary Committee's X posts about it and the worst stuff they could find is... preposterously weak. judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-su... x.com/JudiciaryGOP...

Now an analysis piece @techpolicypress.bsky.social, summarizing the insights from @pjleerssen.bsky.social's paper and applying them to what we currently know about the TikTok deal: www.techpolicy.press/who-will-own...

Who Will Own TikTok in the US and Why it Matters for Democracy | TechPolicy.Press

Tim Bernard draws insights from Paddy Leerssen's paper, "From Murdoch to Musk: Platform ownership and the political economy of online content governance."

techpolicy.press

Tim Bernard@timbernard.me · 9mo ago

While we're still waiting on details of the TikTok deal, this paper by @pjleerssen.bsky.social opens up some crucial questions about platform ownership that are still tbd for any new US TikTok entity. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Recent upheavals at X and Meta stem from oligarchic ownership by Musk and Zuckerberg who directly control content policies. CIS Affiliate @pjleerssen.bsky.social examines how these moguls influence digital governance through ideological or economic motives. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

While we're still waiting on details of the TikTok deal, this paper by @pjleerssen.bsky.social opens up some crucial questions about platform ownership that are still tbd for any new US TikTok entity. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

jawboning www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...

Meta removes Facebook page that tracked ICE in Chicago

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that “following outreach” from the DOJ, Facebook removed a “large group page” that was being used to target ICE officials.

pbs.org

"The video is part of a paid Israeli government campaign of posts on Google-owned YouTube that 'focus on whether or not a famine is taking place in Gaza,' according to an internal Google email reviewed by The Washington Post." wapo.st/47dlXDu

As famine struck Gaza, Google let Israel run YouTube ads claiming, ‘There is food’

An internal Google email said it received many complaints about Israeli government YouTube ads about food access in Gaza, but ruled they could remain online.

wapo.st

Europe's Digital Services Act lets users challenge platform moderation decisions through independent certified bodies. Article 21 dispute settlements cover takedowns, suspensions & more. @pjleerssen.bsky.social interviewed by @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/what-we-can-...

What We Can Learn from the First Digital Services Act Out-of-Court Dispute Settlements? | TechPolicy.Press

Ramsha Jahangir spoke to two experts to unpack what the early wave of disputes tells us about how the out-of-court system is working under the DSA.

techpolicy.press

Under Article 21 of the DSA, out-of-court bodies review moderation disputes. One such body, Appeals Centre Europe, has released its first transparency report. @ramshajahangir.bsky.social spoke with Thomas Hughes and Paddy Leerssen about what these early findings suggest.

What We Can Learn from the First Digital Services Act Out-of-Court Dispute Settlements? | TechPolicy.Press

Ramsha Jahangir spoke to two experts to unpack what the early wave of disputes tells us about how the out-of-court system is working under the DSA.

techpolicy.press

Prague University Law School, i owe you an apology, I wasn't familiar with your game

Not content just ruining their own product, Google Search is now auto-translating all my <site:reddit.com> queries. One of the few remaining use cases for Search and they can't resist screwing with it.

In today's Briefing: I found 114 ads for AI nudifiers on Meta. The copy of the ads included the word "undress," which isn't a sophisticated term to watch out for. As always, I flagged these ads to Meta, which took them down. Google also took down a related app. indicator.media/p/ai-nudifie...

Chuffed to see my new draft paper on platform ownership billed as "hidden gem of the week" over at the Syllabus 👇

The Syllabus@the-syllabus.bsky.social · last yr.

Ownership of social media platforms by tech oligarchs like Musk and Zuckerberg has become a decisive force shaping content governance. Our hidden gem of the week shows how individually-owned firms enable direct ideological and political instrumentalism. By @pjleerssen.bsky.social osf.io/bzxs2

🎺🎺 New draft paper 🎺🎺 From Murdoch to Musk: Social media ownership and the political economy of platform content governance The question is simple: who owns the major social media companies, and how do these owners influence content governance outcomes? osf.io/preprints/os...

So... I'm not saying you should sue any platforms under the DSA. But if you *did* want to do that, you'd definitely want to look at this article from @pjleerssen.bsky.social, Iris Toepoel, Anna van Duin, and @jvh.bsky.social It's basically a tactical guide. dsa-observatory.eu/wp-content/u...

PlatGovNet 2025: Dec 1-2 I'll be counting the days! Very grateful that this is happening again.

@rasmuskleis.bsky.social · last yr.

Working on platform governance? Join for PlatGovNet 2025 Free online conference Dec 1-2 Extended abstracts (800-1000 words) due Sep 2 Amazing community, opportunity to share work, get feedback, meet others working in this area. Glad to be part of organizing it Details: platgov.net/conferences/...

Working on platform governance? Join for PlatGovNet 2025 Free online conference Dec 1-2 Extended abstracts (800-1000 words) due Sep 2 Amazing community, opportunity to share work, get feedback, meet others working in this area. Glad to be part of organizing it Details: platgov.net/conferences/...

Coming soon 📣: @yannickvdberg.bsky.social in SPUI25 over het recht gebruiken om mensen minder te laten vliegen ✈️ Meld je aan voor het event op 13 juni https://bit.ly/459lUJw

SPUI25: Hoe kunnen we het recht inzetten om mensen minder te laten vliegen?

Luchtvaart is een vervuilende bezigheid: Iemand die van Lissabon naar New York vliegt en terug, veroorzaakt ongeveer evenveel uitstoot als een gemiddelde EU-burger doet door zijn huis een heel jaar te verwarmen. Sinds 1992 maakt de EU wetten en beleid om de uitstoot van de luchtvaart aan te pakken, maar ondertussen heeft de uitstoot door de luchtvaart recordhoogtes bereikt. Hoe kunnen we dit inperken?

bit.ly

Yesterday, for the first time, I presented findings from a new empirical project. The question is simple: who owns social media? I'm leaving the AoIR symposium in Bremen more inspired than ever to pursue this topic. Many thanks to the organisers at @zemki.bsky.social!

WAITRESS: please keep your voices down, this is a family restaurant. WALTER: Oh please dear! For your information: the Supreme Court roundly rejected prior restraint! DUDE: C'mon Walter, this is not a First Amendment thing, man.

The folks at @knightgtown.bsky.social are doing cutting-edge research on recommender systems. 👇 In this new commentary for @dsaobservatory.bsky.social l, @alissacooper.bsky.social and Peter Chapman discuss key findings and their relevance to the DSA. dsa-observatory.eu/2025/05/19/m...

Making Recommender Systems Work for People: Turning the DSA’s Potential into Practice - DSA Observatory

By Alissa Cooper and Peter Chapman, Knight-Georgetown Institute The Digital Services Act sets out broad new legal requirements to make recommender systems more transparent and accountable, including f...

dsa-observatory.eu

👇Join us on Thursday - online or in Amsterdam 👇

Tomás Dodds@tomasdodds.bsky.social · last yr.

📣 This week, I'll be moderating a conversation with @theresajseipp.bsky.social and @pjleerssen.bsky.social on the rising power of big tech and its growing influence on global politics, media, and democracy. 📆 Join us on 8 May at 17:00 at SPUI25. ➡️ Registered here: spui25.nl/programma/re...

📣 Panel Discussion: The Rising Power of Big Tech (New Date!) Thursday, 8 May 2025 | 17:00 | SPUI25. Join @pjleerssen.bsky.social, @tomasdodds.bsky.social and me as we discuss Big Tech’s growing influence on global politics, media and democracy. Register here: spui25.nl/programma/re...

The Rising Power of Big Tech (rescheduled)

In a moment of rapid change for global politics, Big Tech platforms and their owners are shaping up to be international power brokers. Trump’s White house cozies up to Silicon Valley oligarchs as Elon...

spui25.nl

Just published: another victory for @dannymekic.nl over X at the Amsterdam District Court. Enforcing your digital rights shouldn't be this hard, but at least someone's doing the heavy lifting. uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=E...

I'm sorry to say that tonight's event will be POSTPONED until futher notice. My apologies for any inconvenience. Hopefully we'll get a new date scheduled soon. 🙏

Amsterdam Law School@uvalawschool.bsky.social · last yr.

If you can't make it to SPUI25 today, feel free to join @theresajseipp.bsky.social and @pjleerssen.bsky.social online to learn more about the way Big Tech affect our democracies 💻 https://bit.ly/41BstAU

At Spui25 later this month: I'll be talking (social) media regulation with IViR colleagues Theresa Seipp and Petros Terzis.

Claes de Vreese@claesdevreese.bsky.social · last yr.

Save the date! 🚨 Really important and timely Spui25 event @uva.nl on the rising power of big tech with the excellent @theresajseipp.bsky.social and @pjleerssen.bsky.social 🗓️ March 25, 17.00 @ivir-uva.bsky.social @uvalawschool.bsky.social @ascor.bsky.social @algosoc.org spui25.nl/programma/th...

What are some good *open access* journals to submit to in European (private) law?

The 'Instagore' story from last week is absolutely nuts and really flew under the radar. No clear explanation either. Theories I've seen: - deliberate sabotage, e.g. from a disgruntled employee? - coding error, e.g. inverting ranking scores to show lowest first? www.404media.co/instagram-er...

Instagram 'Error' Turned Reels Into Neverending Scroll of Murder, Gore, and Violence

“Today’s algorithm showed me around 70 murders, 100+ accidents, and around 115 violence videos, is anyone on Instagram noticing it?”

404media.co

Online gambling is a social crisis in the making, and a ticking time bomb for online content regulation. Growing up in Holland, bookies and sports betting were practically unheard of. Our neoliberal government deregulated online casino's in the early 2020s, and now it's everywhere. Disgusting.

Ed Burmila@edburmila.bsky.social · last yr.

"The American sports betting industry posted a record $13.71 billion in 2024 revenue, up from 2023’s record of $11.04 billion, according to the American Gaming Association’s annual report issued Wednesday." This is going to end so badly.

Whither (anti-)imperialism? Very interesting read on geopolitical realignments, first on the left and now on the right, regarding soft-power programmes like USAID. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/u...

Musk and the Right Co-Opt the Left’s Critique of U.S. Power

Suspicion about covert operations and soft power used to be mostly the purview of the left. No more.

nytimes.com