Travis Hall
LightNews LightNews
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall
@travisrh.bsky.social
52 followers 120 following 18 posts
Director of State Engagement for the Center for Democracy and Technology. Tech policy and parenting.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Travis Hall
cdt.org
Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 10h
📢 Applications are open for CDT’s Summer 2026 Internship Program until February 1!

Join DC’s leading tech policy organization and work on critical issues like AI governance, privacy, and digital equity — or help amplify our mission through strategic comms & fundraising.
cdt.org/careers/
White Center for Democracy and Technology logo on blue background.
1 1
Reposted by Travis Hall
nullset.bsky.social
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.
josephcox.bsky.social 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
5 8
Reposted by Travis Hall
cdt.org
Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 7d
LISTEN NOW: As AI systems shape decisions in healthcare, hiring, and beyond, the need for transparency has never been greater. How can we document these tools in ways that are both meaningful and actionable? Tune into the latest Tech Talks podcast episode on AI Documentation: cdt.org/insights/tec...
CDT's Jake Kauffman and Jamal Magby in a podcast studio at Tech Prom 2025.
3 6
Reposted by Travis Hall
cdt.org
Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 9d
Join CDT, @datasociety.bsky.social & @ACLU.org “Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society” — a conversation on using research to advance equity and tech accountability.

📅 Nov 13 | 10–11 AM ET | Online
Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society
Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society November 13, 2025, 10-11am ET online Civil society is struggling to address how technology and the tech industry contribute to eroding democracy, amplifying bias, and accelerating hateful ideologies. Timely, accessible findings are necessary to inform policy and advocacy, but it can be challenging to produce […]
cdt.org
1 3 5
Reposted by Travis Hall
alicetiara.bsky.social
alice e marwick @alicetiara.bsky.social · 9d
Since moving to civil society, I've noticed a huge dearth of support for researchers working in the space - although there are tons of us! Come join this D&SxACLUxCDT event where we talk about the opportunities and challenges of research to support tech policy & advocacy!
thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social Dhanaraj Thakur @thakurdhanaraj.bsky.social · 10d
Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society.
Join us on November 13 for an online discussion featuring @alicetiara.bsky.social @mkgerchick.bsky.social @jordanaut.bsky.social and me.

Organized by @cdt.org @datasociety.bsky.social @aclu.org

cdt.org/event/advoca...
Advocating with Evidence: Lessons for Tech Researchers in Civil Society November 13, 2025, 10-11am ET online Civil society is struggling to address how technology and the tech industry contribute to eroding democracy, amplifying bias, and accelerating hateful ideologies. Timely, accessible findings are necessary to inform policy and advocacy, but it can be challenging to produce research that is simultaneously rigorous and high-impact. This panel brings together research experts and practitioners who bridge policy and academia to advance civil rights and challenge tech injustice. Drawing on their experience as research leaders, the panelists will discuss how to conduct effective research on the harms of digital technologies and for developing solutions that center marginalized and vulnerable communities.
4 17
Reposted by Travis Hall
cdt.org
Center for Democracy & Technology @cdt.org · 9d
The #FOSO25 Fireside Chat is starting now! Join @daphnek.bsky.social, Genevieve Lakier, and Derek Bambauer as they kick off Future of Speech Online 2025 — exploring the new forms of jawboning, and how to balance government communication with protection from coercion.

🔗 standtogether.swoogo...
1 1
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · 20d
Proud to be part of the @CDT.org team as we celebrate 30+ years of championing digital rights! Join us at #TechPromCDT on Oct. 23, 2025 for the conversations (and the vibes) that make tech policy exciting. 🎉
cdt.org/event/2025-t...
2025 Tech Prom
Join us on October 23, 2025, at The LINE DC for this year’s Tech Prom! 🎟️ [ Reserve Your Seat ]   |   🏛️ [ Sponsor the Event ] At the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), we fight to advance civil...
cdt.org
3 4
Reposted by Travis Hall
aliyabhatia.bsky.social
Aliya Bhatia @aliyabhatia.bsky.social · Oct 6
Age verification mandates, digital ID laws, and policies entrenching digital identification online are fundamentally changing how we access the web and whether we can access it anonymously.

Read my colleague Nick on why a "Papers, Please" web isn't what we want: cdt.org/insights/we-...
We Don’t Want a “Papers, Please” Web
A More Considered Way Forwardriving-now" href="#online-papers-checks-arriving-now" class="toc-anchor">Online Papers Checks Arriving Nowpers-please-on-the-web" href="#a-dangerous-future-papers-please-o...
cdt.org
1 1
Reposted by Travis Hall
murraysd.bsky.social
Susan Murray @murraysd.bsky.social · Oct 6
NYU-MCC is hiring! Asst. Prof in the area of “Media and Global Cities.” Please help us get the word out.
apply.interfolio.com/174886
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
9 8
Reposted by Travis Hall
benzevgreen.bsky.social
Ben Green @benzevgreen.bsky.social · Sep 29
Last week, I joined @justinhendrix.bsky.social and Maddy Dwyer @cdt.org to discuss DOGE, AI, and government "efficiency" initiatives for the @techpolicypress.bsky.social podcast. It's a rather grim topic, but I enjoyed making sense of it with Justin and Maddy.

www.techpolicy.press/following-do...
Following DOGE, US States Pursue 'Efficiency' Initiatives | TechPolicy.Press
A conversation with Center for Democracy and Technology policy analyst Maddy Dwyer and University of Michigan scholar Ben Green.
www.techpolicy.press
11 17
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 14
OK, maaaaybe you have to make your arguments in court even if you might prevail. But that is because.... reasons. Reasons that I'm sure have nothing to do with who is requesting emergency relief. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
One could say that they are “arguably” gaining access to this data in “arguably” unaccountable ways, but that would mean that arguments are allowed. It seems that the courts are currently opposed to that.
3 2
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
This is, up and down, a complete abandonment of the Judicial Branch of the imperative to adjudicate cases fairly and transparently. And the result is that DOGE gains access to massive amounts of personally sensitive data for use in unaccountable ways.
1 3 3
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
The 4th Circuit takes them up on this, arguing that “statistically” plaintiffs are unlikely to prevail, even if they have *no certainty* that they would fail on the merits of the different aspects of the case.
1 3 2
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
In sum, the SC grants- without argument and even a signature- emergency requests of the government to stay lower court decisions. It then tells lower courts to treat these shadow docket decisions as controlling.
1 2 2
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
In support of this conclusion, they cite to the Supreme Court’s unsigned, un-argued decision to grant an emergency petition to allow DOGE access to Social Security data.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/u...
Justices Grant DOGE Access to Social Security Data and Let the Team Shield Records
www.nytimes.com
1 4 4
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
The 4th Circuit rejects the case because “statistically” the plaintiffs failed to show they will prevail on all issues combined in the case (none of which the court could say “with certainty” that they would fail).
1 2 2
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Aug 12
This decision is bad on the merits- it’s a horrific violation of the privacy of Americans- but it is also another poisoned fruit of the shadow docket tree.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
1 5 8
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
Tying the funds to BEAD is less ham-fisted than saying that it is important so that Commerce can update its IT systems, but it remains a policy change with no actual connection to the disbursement of funds.
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
I think that any rational read of the text against the rule should get the provision thrown out. In the current timeline, I'm not sure I'm good at giving odds on anything.
1
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
This is a good point, and not pedantic at all! This makes the necessity to throw this out with the Byrd rule all the more apparent.
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
The Senate should resoundingly reject this provision and the impossible choice between connectivity and consumer protections it would force upon the states.
1 3
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
The decade-long moratorium on state regulation of AI and automated decision systems, particularly in the absence of *any* substantive regulations being offered at the federal level, will harm consumers, workers, and small businesses.
1 2 5
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
Holding the connectivity of rural and other unconnected Americans hostage does not change this fact.
1 2 3
travisrh.bsky.social
Travis Hall @travisrh.bsky.social · Jun 6
For more on that, see my blog about the Byrd rule and the House version. cdt.org/insights/thr...
Throw the AI Regulations Ban out with the Byrd Bath Water
Last Sunday in a surprise move, House Republicans added a provision to the Budget Reconciliation Bill that would place a moratorium on state and local officials enforcing “any law or regulation regula...
cdt.org
1 2 4