Woodrow Hartzog
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hartzog.bsky.social
Woodrow Hartzog
@hartzog.bsky.social
10K followers 1.2K following 4 posts

Andrew R. Randall Professor of Law at Boston University School of Law. Author of "Privacy's Blueprint" (2018) and co-author of "Breached!" (2022). Posting mainly about privacy, tech and the law.

Videos
Political science 32%
Computer science 24%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

bostonjoan.bsky.social
BostonJoan 🏳️‍🌈 🦫 @bostonjoan.bsky.social · 1d
The reason why platform companies do make it hard to find account location information is not because they believe in privacy, it's so that advertisers do not know how much is lost to low-tier engagement.

Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

hypervisible.blacksky.app
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 1d
Had a good chat with @jasonkoebler.bsky.social for the @404media.co podcast. Got a chance to talk about how tech companies main pitch changed from “you exchange some surveillance for services” to “we get to spy on you all the time and it’s good, actually.”
Luxury Surveillance (With Chris Gilliard)
Podcast Episode · The 404 Media Podcast · 11/24/2025 · 1h 3m
podcasts.apple.com

Reposted by Rebecca Tushnet, Serge Egelman, Woodrow Hartzog

robin.berjon.com
Robin Berjon @robin.berjon.com · 1d
This is *amazing*. This goes straight to Deceptive Design Hall of Shame.

They made a "take a break" nudge that has no obvious "ok, I'll take a break" affordance. Its three affordances are:

1) Keep chatting (default, highlighted)
2) x out — keeps chatting
3) "This was helpful" — what is this?

🧵
kashhill.bsky.social Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 1d
One of the changes that OpenAI has made to make ChatGPT safer is a "take a break" nudge. There's something quite interesting about the design here. Which thing does it make you want to click?
The message that OpenAI shows to people who have been using ChatGPT for many hours.

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Margot C. Finn, Woodrow Hartzog

kashhill.bsky.social
Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 2d
The company essentially turned a dial that made ChatGPT more appealing and made people use it more, but sent some of them into delusional spirals.

OpenAI has since made the chatbot safer, but that comes with a tradeoff: less usage.
Screenshot of the last two paragraphs of the New York Times story about OpenAI declaring a Code Orange, with the need to increase the number of daily active users.

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

merbroussard.bsky.social
Meredith Broussard, PhD @merbroussard.bsky.social · 2d
Another incredibly important @kashhill piece on chatbots and delusions: What OpenAI Did When ChatGPT Users Lost Touch With Reality www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/t...
What OpenAI Did When ChatGPT Users Lost Touch With Reality
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, David Lazer, Amy Bruckman , and 2 more

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 2d
Social media could work differently. We teach digital literacy, but ppl often can’t apply those lessons w/in systems that obscure where info comes from & how it gets to them. What might social media look like if users had better signals of information provenance? www.rawstory.com/maga-foreign...
Internet erupts as MAGA influencers exposed for being based in other countries
A large number of MAGA social media influencers were exposed over the weekend as being being based in other countries.Podcaster Matt Binder posted screenshots showing that Charlie’s Voice Rising, a po...
www.rawstory.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Axel Bruns , and 12 more

carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 2d
Bye bye, “DOGE”.

It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Devon Greyson, Smith , and 5 more

rincewind.run
Micah @rincewind.run · 3d
evergreen
Tweet from @PPathole Tech enthusiasts: my entire house is smart Tech workers: the only piece of technology in my house is a printer and I keep a gun next to it so I can shoot it if it makes a noise I don’t recognize

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

toobigtofail.bsky.social
Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 3d
If you adjust for inflation, Nvidia's market cap is only 34 times as big as Enron's.

hartzog.bsky.social
Woodrow Hartzog @hartzog.bsky.social · 3d
AI continues to go just great.
washingtonpost.com The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 4d
A company is reportedly withdrawing its $99 AI teddy bear from the market after researchers found it told a tester where to get knives, pills and matches when asked.

It also spoke graphically about sex positions and sexual kinks.
AI toys can cajole kids or be made to discuss sex, watchdog groups warn
A company is reportedly withdrawing its AI teddy bear from the market after researchers found it told a tester where to get knives, pills and matches when asked.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 4d
A company is reportedly withdrawing its $99 AI teddy bear from the market after researchers found it told a tester where to get knives, pills and matches when asked.

It also spoke graphically about sex positions and sexual kinks.
AI toys can cajole kids or be made to discuss sex, watchdog groups warn
A company is reportedly withdrawing its AI teddy bear from the market after researchers found it told a tester where to get knives, pills and matches when asked.
www.washingtonpost.com

hartzog.bsky.social
Woodrow Hartzog @hartzog.bsky.social · 5d
AI continues to go just great.

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

hypervisible.blacksky.app
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 5d
You don’t say.
Report Finds That Leading Chatbots Are a Disaster for Teens Facing Mental Health Struggles
A report found that leading chatbots are "fundamentally unsafe" for teens looking for mental health support, and failed to catch red flags.
futurism.com

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

justinhendrix.bsky.social
Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 5d
On Wednesday, the Trump administration circulated a six-page draft executive order titled “Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy.” It would create an “AI Litigation Task Force” led by the Attorney General to challenge state AI laws, among other provisions.
White House Circulates Draft Executive Order Targeting State AI Laws | TechPolicy.Press
The draft order, titled "Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy," followed a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump.
www.techpolicy.press

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

tylermcbrien.com
Tyler McBrien @tylermcbrien.com · 6d
Time for my favorite @alanrozenshtein.com quote

hartzog.bsky.social
Woodrow Hartzog @hartzog.bsky.social · 6d
AI continues to go just great.
enginvir.bsky.social ThanksgiVIRing @enginvir.bsky.social · 7d
"Microsoft warns that Windows 11's agentic AI could install malware on your PC: 'Only enable this feature if you understand the security implications.'"

bro what--
what are we doing here, exactly, how can you--anyone be okay with this?

Reposted by Meredith Broussard, Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele , and 4 more

404media.co
404 Media @404media.co · 7d
NEW: US airlines (Delta, United, American, etc) will shut down a program in which it sold hundreds of millions of your flight records to government agencies, including ICE, FBI, ATF, more. Comes after intense lawmaker-pressure and 404 Media's months-long reporting
www.404media.co/airlines-wil...
Airlines Will Shut Down Program That Sold Your Flights Records to Government
The move comes after intense pressure from lawmakers and 404 Media’s months-long reporting about the airline industry's data selling practices.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Woodrow Hartzog

enginvir.bsky.social
ThanksgiVIRing @enginvir.bsky.social · 7d
"Microsoft warns that Windows 11's agentic AI could install malware on your PC: 'Only enable this feature if you understand the security implications.'"

bro what--
what are we doing here, exactly, how can you--anyone be okay with this?

Reposted by David Murakami Wood, Woodrow Hartzog

lutzfernandez.bsky.social
Anne Lutz Fernandez @lutzfernandez.bsky.social · 7d
The casual way this techbro talks about the "error-prone" products they are throwing out into the world, the necessity for the consumer to accept, train for, and correct for these, and the impending economic chaos wrought by the frenzy they are creating as though it's normal and natural: holy hell.
Don’t blindly trust everything AI tools say, warns Alphabet boss
Sundar Pichai says artificial intelligence models are ‘prone to some errors’ and warns of impact if AI bubble bursts
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

stephangeering.bsky.social
Stephan Geering @stephangeering.bsky.social · 9d
1/4 I thoroughly enjoyed Thursday's screening of Stephen Bollinger's 'Privacy People', so make sure you watch it once it becomes available on 5 December.

www.linkedin.com/posts/sbolin...
Privacy People | Stephen Bolinger | 26 comments
Wow 🤩, what a wonderful night with friends, family, and fellow #privacy pros at the screening of my film, Privacy People (https://lnkd.in/eV6KxT28)! Getting to see the film in a real theatre, on a bi...
www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Rebecca Tushnet

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Woodrow Hartzog

geoffreyfowler.bsky.social
Geoffrey A. Fowler @geoffreyfowler.bsky.social · 12d
The Post analyzed 47,000 public ChatGPT conversations.
While 35% use it for info and 11% for coding, the most striking finding? The emotional intimacy.
ChatGPT: "You're not crazy sweetheart — you're just early."
Use this link to read it with a $4 day pass to @washingtonpost.com: bit.ly/47QOjUb

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Juliet B. Schor, Fabián Muniesa , and 4 more

josephcox.bsky.social
Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 12d
New: Google has chosen a side in Trump's mass deportation campaign. Google is hosting a CBP facial recognition app to hunt immigrants; no indication Google will remove. At same time Google takes down apps for reporting ICE sightings

“Big tech has made their choice”

www.404media.co/google-has-c...
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable gr...
www.404media.co

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

jasonkoebler.bsky.social
Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 13d
openai is trying to program a stolen content machine to stop people from making stolen content

www.404media.co/openai-cant-...
OpenAI Can’t Fix Sora’s Copyright Infringement Problem Because It Was Built With Stolen Content
OpenAI’s guardrails against copyright infringement are falling for the oldest trick in the book.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Sarah Roberts , and 1 more

jasonkoebler.bsky.social
Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 13d
New: A judge in Washington has ruled images from Flock surveillance cameras are public records and that anyone can request them. Highlights the pervasiveness of this tech and just how much surveillance is being done. Very notable ruling

www.404media.co/judge-rules-...
Judge Rules Flock Surveillance Images Are Public Records That Can Be Requested By Anyone
A Washington judge said images taken by Flock cameras are "not exempt from disclosure" in public record requests.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog

daniel-solove.bsky.social
Daniel Solove @daniel-solove.bsky.social · 15d
TOMORROW - Is Online Scraping Legal? – Tues, Nov 11, at 2 PM ET REGISTER (FREE) teachprivacy.com/video-is-onl... @hartzog.bsky.social and I discuss our recently-published article about scraping.
Video: Is Online Scraping Legal?
Is Online Scraping Legal? Tues, Nov 11, at 2 PM ET Daniel Solove and Woodrow Hartzog will discuss their article, The Great Scrape: The Clash Between
teachprivacy.com

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog, Aviel Roshwald

prospect.org
The American Prospect @prospect.org · 17d
“OpenAI is getting ready to run hat in hand to the taxpayer for subsidies.” After losing more than $13 billion this year, OpenAI officials are angling for a bailout. From @ryanlcooper.com:

trib.al/CUazMCQ
OpenAI Is Maneuvering for a Government Bailout - The American Prospect
For artificial intelligence to ever pencil out, some truly enormous revenue streams will be required. And if you need trillions of dollars for data centers forever, there’s only one entity to turn to: Uncle Sam.
trib.al

Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog, Elise Thomas

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 17d
NEO, a new humanoid robot that can do housekeeping, has the internet buzzing. The hosts of "Hard Fork" met with Bernt Bornich, the chief executive of the company 1X, which created the robot, and got to put NEO to the test. nyti.ms/47MhkAo
A photo shows a robot called NEO holding a cushion in a living room. A quote from Kevin Roose, co-host of "Hard Fork," about the robot: "I did get a hug from NEO, and it was a good hug."