The Blog Experiment | Technology Nonsense and Internet Tripe

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Free speech video sharing platform Rumble has released a beta version of Rumble Studio, a new live streaming tool that makes it easy for creators to manage their live streams. The tool comes with several features that simplify and enhance the live streaming experience for creators, including: Stream to multiple platforms (including Rumble, Locals, YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook) Stream Redirect (which makes it easy to move audiences from one platform to another) Stream with multiple people Canvas (which can be used to add text, images, and more to the live stream) Multi-device support (Rumble Studio can be used to go live from the web, iOS, or Android) Moderation tools (which allow live chat moderation to be delegated to co-hosts) Rumble also plans to introduce several additional features in future versions of Rumble Studio, such as: Caller Queue (which will allow creators to take and manage live questions from the audience) Performance Monitoring (which will aggregate live chat, provide stats, and more) Clips (which will allow creators to easily clip their favorite moments from streams) Additionally, Rumble CEO and Chairman Chris Pavlovski said that Rumble’s ad platform, Rumble Advertising Center, will eventually integrate with Rumble Studio so that creators can get sponsorship read notifications before and during streams and get paid after they complete the read. This integration will presumably be facilitated via Rumble’s Creator Sponsorship Marketplace, a part of the Rumble Advertising Center that…Rumble Launches Beta Version of its All-In-One Live Streaming Tool, Rumble Studio

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. For anyone who’s paid even a little attention to the political goings-on (and fiascos of varied kinds) in California’s political landscape these last years – the mere fact that the state’s governor is still one Gavin Newsom is a story worth telling, all in and of itself. But, since Newsom is still there, he seems to be determined to make “the best” of his controversial, to say the least, time in office. And this thing is quite something – apparently inspired by a trip to China, and, apparently, focused on bringing some version of the feared and loathed (among freedom-lovers) “social credit system” to his, otherwise, Golden State. But maybe “gold” isn’t a figurative, but rather literal reference – to money? And whoever has more power and control over the population, surely is bound to make more money. Newsom calls his proposal “Cradle to Career” (“Cradle to Grave” would have been a little on the nose, his PR people no doubt alerted him). Critics say that it would essentially be one of the spawn of China’s current social credit system, one that would rest on its barely democracy-worthy laurels – based on “one billion data points.” More importantly, these data points wouldn’t materialize out of thin air – they would come from people living in California, their real lives, and private information. NOT what Newsom, or anyone like him, in China, the US, or…California’s Governor Newsom Introduces “Cradle to Career” System That Tracks One Billion Data Points on Citizens

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Monday saw the European Union take a firm stance towards the dissemination of alleged “disinformation” on TikTok, with one senior official taking to the media to make a pointed demand. Thierry Breton, member of the European Commission, specifically ordered Kevin Mayer, TikTok’s new Chief Executive Officer, to “spare no effort” in combating misleading content. The statement opens up an important conversation about larger societal issues, namely censorship and the freedom of speech. Any call for censorship, even in the quest of tackling disinformation, is an affront to the ideas of free speech, with politicians increasingly wanting to be the arbiter of truth. The EU’s demands of TikTok is just the most recent example in a growing list of challenges faced by tech companies worldwide as they face calls to do the censorship work of politicians and bureaucrats. “My services and I are now investigating whether this is enough to ensure compliance with the DSA (Digital Services Act),” Breton told said to Reuters after meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. “Because now more than ever, we must spare no effort to protect our citizens – especially children and teenagers – against illegal content and disinformation,” he said. The post Pro-Censorship EU Chief Tells TikTok To “Spare No Effort” in Censoring “Disinformation” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.Pro-Censorship EU Chief Tells TikTok To “Spare No Effort” in Censoring “Disinformation”

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. It’s an unfolding story worthy of a thrilling movie plot itself. You wouldn’t believe it if it wasn’t real: the US government agency assigned to monitoring foreign terrorism and trafficking has disrupted a bank transaction by the producers of “Police State,” a film by released by filmmaker, Dinesh D’Souza, exposing an emerging authoritarian trend in America. With its recent premiere, both online and in theaters across the US, Dinesh D’Souza’s chilling production digs into the deeply troubling evolution of an escalating police state targeting the common citizen; the unprecedented political persecution orchestrated under the Biden regime is uncloaked for all to see. Thousands eagerly tuned in – made possible by a partnership with Dan Bongino – as the true extent of this political downfall began to unfold. Dinesh D’Souza paints a stark image of the America of today, describing it as “a scary place to live, a chilling take on the reality of a fast-approaching police state,” during a discussion with The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft. At the Police State’s Mar-a-Lago premiere recently, Hoft shared his encounter with D’Souza. Afterwards, startling news revealed that the US Government had blocked a transaction to the Salem Media Group by the producers of “Police State.” The revelation of the agency involved was even more shocking: the very same department that tracks terrorism and narcotics trafficking. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the US Department of the Treasury,…US Treasury Department Intercepted Payment For “Police State” Documentary Ad Campaign

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech, freedom from surveillance, and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post The UK’s Online Surveillance Mechanisms Are Starting To Mirror Authoritarian Nations (and Other Countries Could Follow) appeared first on Reclaim The Net.The UK’s Online Surveillance Mechanisms Are Starting To Mirror Authoritarian Nations (and Other Countries Could Follow)

Sony is dropping X, formerly known as Twitter, integration from its PlayStation gaming consoles.Sony is removing Twitter/X integration from PlayStation consoles

Reactive measures to address biased AI features and the spread of misinformation on social media platforms are not enough, says Nadah Feteih, an Employee Fellow with the Institute for Rebooting Social Media at the Berkman Klein Center and a Tech Policy Fellow with the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.  Image by Jamillah Knowles & Reset.Tech Australia / © https://au.reset.tech/ / Better Images of AI / Detail from Connected People / CC-BY 4.0 Social media is vital in enabling independent journalism, exposing human rights abuses, and facilitating digital activism. These platforms have allowed marginalized communities to reclaim the narrative by sharing their lived realities and documenting crises in real-time. However, decisions made by social media companies chiefly prioritize profits; tackling integrity issues and addressing technical problems that further the spread of harmful content appear to be at odds with their incentives. While there may be tension in reconciling user expectations and features motivated by platform business models, users and tech workers exceedingly feel silenced from biased mistakes made during times of crisis. The stakes are even higher when these mistakes subsequently exacerbate real-world harm.  Consider two recent examples, both of which involve technical “errors” in Meta products that resulted in dehumanizing misrepresentations of Palestinians amidst the ongoing situation in the region. The first instance was reported on October 19 by 404 Media. When users had text in their bios that included “Palestinian” and an Arabic phrase that means “Praise be to God,” Instagram auto-translated the Arabic text to…When AI Systems Fail: The Toll on the Vulnerable Amidst Global Crisis

Gabby Miller is Staff Writer at Tech Policy Press. European Commission Building- Brussels, Belgium The Digital Services Act (DSA), Europe’s sweeping regulation of online platforms, requires that the largest tech firms submit regular transparency reports to stay compliant with the law. The deadline for Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Search Engines (VLOSEs) to publish their first reports was on Monday, Nov. 6, with all nineteen companies that meet the “very large” threshold making the cutoff.  Tech Policy Press has updated its DSA compliance tracker with new information and links to the first transparency reports, ad repositories, notice and action mechanism portals, and points of contacts for DSA-related inquiries. The DSA came fully into effect on Nov. 16, 2022. It is the European Union’s most ambitious regulatory effort to crack down on illegal content, minimize online harms, and promote a more open internet. “Very Large” designations were issued on April 25 to platforms and search engines with at least 45 million monthly active users, including social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) and search engines such as Google and Microsoft’s Bing. The pathway to full compliance for VLOPs and VLOSEs began on Aug. 25, with some companies publicly releasing detailed plans for fulfilling their obligations.   While a number of Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines like Meta, Google, and Snap regularly publish their own transparency reports, some new DSA disclosure obligations include: Content moderation transparency, including the number of dedicated human resources broken down by EU…Tracking the First Digital Services Act Transparency Reports

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In a bold move to streamline its brand and expand its privacy-focused ecosystem, privacy company Tutanota has announced a significant rebranding effort. Starting today, the secure email provider will be known as Tuta and boast a rare online distinction with its four-letter .com domain, tuta.com. Founded in 2014 as an encrypted email service, Tuta has been at the forefront of privacy technology, introducing innovations such as the first fully encrypted search tool in December 2017, encrypted desktop clients in December 2018, and an encrypted calendar by mid-2019. Tuta’s commitment to privacy doesn’t end with emails – the company is venturing into encrypted cloud storage solutions, aiming to create a comprehensive suite of secure online tools. In an era where data breaches are commonplace, Tuta emphasizes the simplicity of securely collaborating online with its suite of tools, all designed to protect user data with end-to-end encryption. The upcoming cloud storage service will extend this protection to larger files, facilitating secure collaboration without the fear of unauthorized access. Behind the scenes, Tuta is also pioneering post-quantum secure encryption, safeguarding its users against future cryptographic threats. The recent switch from bcrypt to Argon2 for password protection is just the beginning of their journey towards even more robust security measures. The acquisition of the tuta.com domain is a story of serendipity and strategic moves, as shared by one of Tuta’s founders, Arne Möhle. After attempts to purchase the…Privacy Company Tutanota Rebrands as Tuta

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In the interest of privacy, and with the aim to combat overreaching surveillance, the work of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has raised several concerns. The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P) revealed through its Research Manager, Corinne Worthington, and research intern, Aaron Greenberg, that the NYPD has been employing surveillance technologies that track civilians unnoticed. This type of tracking includes the use of drones for aerial surveillance, GPS locators for tagging vehicles, and even robots for tracking movement within the subway system. Related: NYC Mayor Eric Adams: “Big Brother is protecting you” The implications of these findings go beyond just privacy invasion. With no accountability, these intrusive practices can result in unchecked power dynamics, which can subsequently compromise the justice system and individual rights. The Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act was introduced to curb such instances by making the NYPD more transparent about surveillance practices. The POST Act demands detailed disclosure of technology usage and data-sharing policies, along with impact assessments to ensure surveillance is commensurate with justice. Regrettably, it appears that the NYPD has disregarded the POST Act’s regulations since its inception three years ago. Worthington and Greenberg argue that city council’s approval should be a requisite before the NYPD can renew contracts or acquire new technology. This suggestion comes in light of the failure of existing oversight mechanisms to hold the NYPD accountable for compliance with the POST Act….The NYPD is Underreporting Its Invasive Surveillance Tactics