Author | Lightnews

Eric Null

@nullset.bsky.social

1.1K followers 350 following 300 posts

Public policy (tech/privacy) by day, everything else by night Co-Director Privacy & Data Program, Center for Democracy & Technology, @cendemtech.bsky.social. Views expressed here are mine: hastily adopted, uninformed, and deeply held. He/him!

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · 2d

Airline #Privacy is a serious problem, as airlines essentially have no privacy requirements (Dept of Transportation started investigating airline privacy practices last year but the agency has since dropped it).

You should opt out of this practice ASAP.

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 2d

PSA from 404 Media: you can opt-out of a data broker selling your flight travel data to the government to be searched without a warrant. Here's how I did it. This is ARC, the data broker owned by major U.S. airlines like United, Delta, American, etc

www.404media.co/how-to-opt-o...

How to Opt-Out of Airlines Selling Your Travel Data to the Government

The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), owned by major U.S. airlines, collects billions of ticketing records and sells them to the government to be searched without a warrant. I managed to opt-out o...

www.404media.co

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Reposted by Eric Null

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 13

Apple gives users a "yes/no" option for personalized ads. 78% say no. Further, conversion rates for personalized and nonpersonalized ads are almost identical (on first-party ads anyway).

9to5mac.com/2022/05/11/i...

#advertising
#privacy

Apple: Most iOS 15 users opt out of personalized ads; no impact on App Store Search Ads conversions - 9to5Mac

Apple’s Search Ads business is becoming an increasingly important part of its Services revenue. In a presentation to advertising clients...

9to5mac.com

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Aug 12

learned*

ugh

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Aug 12

omg I really wish I'd never learn that

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 25

Then-commissioner Pai went on a press junket when the FCC was simply asking QUESTIONS of newsrooms about how they chose their stories, to better understand how they operate.

Now the FCC IS the newsroom.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · Jul 25

“Before the second Trump era, it would’ve been seen as a ridiculous violation of the First Amendment to have some kind of monitor making sure the media was being nice to the president.”

@gizmodo.com $PARA
gizmodo.com/fcc-to-appoi...

Reposted by Eric Null

Meredith Rose @mrose.ink · Jul 23

In the history of movie jokes, I don’t think any one line has gotten a bark of laughter like this one got out of me

Barbie sitting on a curb, bemoaning the fact that a young girl just insulted her by calling her a fascist. Barbie laments “she thinks I’m a fascist, but I don’t control the railways or the flow of commerce”

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Reposted by Eric Null

Joseph Lorenzo Hall, PhD @josephhall.org · Jul 16

Very honored to be receiving @publicknowledge.bsky.social's Internet Protocol IP3 Award this year. Alli can think about are all the shoulders I've stood on to make change and rested my head on when I needed help.

John Perrino @johnperrino.com · Jul 16

Congratulations to my incredible colleague @josephhall.org who has taught and inspired many of us in tech policy!

🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/22nd-annua...

Public Knowledge 22nd Annual IP3 Awards - Meet the 2025 Awardees

Internet Protocol: Dr. Joseph Lorenzo Hall
Intellectual Property: Sarah Jeong
Information Policy: Dr. Alondra Nelson
President's Award: Alvaro Bedoya
Presidents Award: Rebecca Kelly Slaughter

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 13

These are incredible. I forgot how good this show was.

Alex Graudins @toonyballoony.bsky.social · Jul 12

had the big brain realization that you could just whip up a whole D&D cast/NPC list from Whose Line prompts alone

A screenshot of Wayne Brady holding up three fingers with the text "Girl Scout Selling Cookies Who's Possessed by the Devil"

A screenshot of Colin Mochrie making a face with the text "Heroic Frog Leading 'The Great Escape' of All the Frogs from a French Restaurant"

A screenshot of Ryan Stiles with the text "Gradually Turning into a Parrot"

A screenshot of Greg Proops frowning with glasses halfway down his nose with the text "Judge Judy"

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 10

Link is broken?

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 4

DOGS DO NOT BELONG IN RESTAURANTS

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

Not a bad thing to wake up to

#AIMoratorium: so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

tweet from Diego Areas Munhoz saying Senate removed AI moratorium from reconciliation package, 99-1 vote.

Reposted by Eric Null

David Brody @dbrody.bsky.social · Jul 1

HERE’S WHERE WE ARE WITH THE AI MORATORIUM:

They put the amendment in.
They took the amendment out.
They put the amendment in and they shook it all about.
They did the Hokey Pokey and they turned themselves around.
That’s what the Senate’s all about.

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

yup, it's one line. "Strike Section 40012"

x.com/triciaenrigh...

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

HR1 is the House-passed version.

Amendment 2360 is the amendment to the House version the Senate is working from (which is why, on the site I linked, there are 220+ proposed amendments).

Blackburn's new amendment is 2814 (not on congress.gov yet).

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

I THINK amendment 2360 is the amendment to HR1 everyone is seeking to amend, and that's here: www.congress.gov/amendment/11... (ctrl-f 40012, that's the current version of the moratorium in the bill)

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

It could’ve had a much worse name!

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

ok it's happening! Blackburn and Collins join Markey and Cantwell to strip AI moratorium from budget bill!

x.com/Owen_Dahlkam...

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jul 1

or yes?

x.com/benbrodydc/s...

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 30

or not

x.com/benbrodydc/s...

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 30

no, it means she might either cosponsor or vote for the amendment to strip the provision from the bill (currently being offered by cantwell/markey)

Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 30

ok so apparently after all that, there is actually no #AIMoratorium deal w/ Blackburn/Cruz?

x.com/americans4ri...

#ArtificialIntelligence

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 30

It's time for Congress to give up on the #AIMoratorium, the Senate has had enough tries. And their latest version is worse than their prior versions.

CDT statement:

cdt.org/press/cdt-op...

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 26

I can tell you from experience, if an elected official is telling you legislation they have a strong interest in passing is "very simple," they're taking you for a ride.

Cruz stating his revised AI moratorium is "very simple"

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 26

Also, this is further proof the moratorium was never about the budget. It's always been a policy preference foisted on states, and the Senate tacked it onto BEAD (broadband infrastructure) money that states desperately need and have already been given and may now lose.

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Eric Null @nullset.bsky.social · Jun 26

Perhaps the most disingenuous #AIMoratorium take I've read. I guess by "creating a single national standard" he means creating *no* standard whatsoever? The standard is lawlessness.

Commerce Sec claiming the AI moratorium "creat[es] a single national standard on AI"

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