Becca Lewis
@beccalew.bsky.social
Assistant prof of comparative media studies @MIT, researching the rise of right-wing politics in Silicon Valley and online. Email me at [email protected]. Read my stuff at www.beccalew.org.
Pinned
Becca Lewis
@beccalew.bsky.social
· Dec 17
New article out from me and Angèle Christin in the Annals of the AAPSS! In "The Politics of Engagement in Platform Governance," we unpack and historicize the concept of "social media engagement," an idea that has dominated debate over platform politics in recent years.
doi.org/10.1177/0002...
doi.org/10.1177/0002...
The Politics of Engagement in Platform Governance - Becca Lewis, Angèle Christin, 2024
In recent years, the concept of user engagement has dominated debate over the governance of online platforms, and critics use the term to assign crass commercia...
doi.org
Increasingly, I've been interested in understanding the ideas and beliefs that have shaped Silicon Valley and its technologies. "Engagement" is one of them. Far from merely a base economic impulse, the concept did--and continues to do--important ideological work for the high-tech industry
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Yeah, there's a lot of slippage between "you must pay attention to these technologies" and "you must submit to the current political economy of these technologies," and those are not the same thing at all
The potential for upheaval is precisely why economic elites wield AI as a weapon to threaten workers, even as we've seen time and again that AI cannot actually replace what humans do.
You can take these dynamics seriously without buying into the framing of the people doing the threatening.
You can take these dynamics seriously without buying into the framing of the people doing the threatening.
I'm not even saying that's the most *likely* possibility, but it's just very clear that the likelihood of that outcome as increased and even if there's, like, a 1 in 10 change that "AI replaces most to all white collar jobs in 10 years" that's an *enormous* risk to the social order!
February 11, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Yeah, there's a lot of slippage between "you must pay attention to these technologies" and "you must submit to the current political economy of these technologies," and those are not the same thing at all
The potential for upheaval is precisely why economic elites wield AI as a weapon to threaten workers, even as we've seen time and again that AI cannot actually replace what humans do.
You can take these dynamics seriously without buying into the framing of the people doing the threatening.
You can take these dynamics seriously without buying into the framing of the people doing the threatening.
I'm not even saying that's the most *likely* possibility, but it's just very clear that the likelihood of that outcome as increased and even if there's, like, a 1 in 10 change that "AI replaces most to all white collar jobs in 10 years" that's an *enormous* risk to the social order!
February 11, 2026 at 5:45 PM
The potential for upheaval is precisely why economic elites wield AI as a weapon to threaten workers, even as we've seen time and again that AI cannot actually replace what humans do.
You can take these dynamics seriously without buying into the framing of the people doing the threatening.
You can take these dynamics seriously without buying into the framing of the people doing the threatening.
Can the mechanical Turk suffer? Can Jefferson’s dumbwaiter feel pain? Can someone please give me a lobotomy?
Experiments conducted with the A.I. system Claude are producing fascinating results—and raising questions about the nature of selfhood. Gideon Lewis-Kraus reports from inside the company that designed it, Anthropic. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/rOfXjg
February 11, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Can the mechanical Turk suffer? Can Jefferson’s dumbwaiter feel pain? Can someone please give me a lobotomy?
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Telling formerly smug coders freaking out about AI to Learn To Plumb The Depths of the Human Condition
February 11, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Telling formerly smug coders freaking out about AI to Learn To Plumb The Depths of the Human Condition
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Unicorn Riot, along with all the other cool stuff they do, has done a great job showcasing how local cops are defending ICE agents, as the agents go around and do their little ethnic cleansing program in the state.
NEW: At least 12 protesters were arrested last night in a heavy handed show of force by a mixture of state and local police. The protesters were taking part in the fourth noise demo against ICE being housed at the Graduate Hotel on the University of MN campus. [Full story at our website]
Another Mass Arrest by Large Police Force in Minneapolis After 4th Noise Demo at the Graduate Hotel
YouTube video by Unicorn Riot
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Unicorn Riot, along with all the other cool stuff they do, has done a great job showcasing how local cops are defending ICE agents, as the agents go around and do their little ethnic cleansing program in the state.
Reposted by Becca Lewis
José hasn’t left his house for 29 days – not to shovel the snow at his driveway, not to fix up the car.
When the car needed an oil change, he video-called his wife, Sara, from inside so he could walk her through it. He’s afraid to even get near the front door.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
When the car needed an oil change, he video-called his wife, Sara, from inside so he could walk her through it. He’s afraid to even get near the front door.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
The Minnesotans trapped at home, too terrified of ICE to go outside: ‘Our house is like a jail’
The surge of federal immigration agents has forced many families to remain inside for weeks, living in fear of roving ICE patrols snatching people off the street
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:55 PM
José hasn’t left his house for 29 days – not to shovel the snow at his driveway, not to fix up the car.
When the car needed an oil change, he video-called his wife, Sara, from inside so he could walk her through it. He’s afraid to even get near the front door.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
When the car needed an oil change, he video-called his wife, Sara, from inside so he could walk her through it. He’s afraid to even get near the front door.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Bad Bunny has a consulting historian. news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
Pop star Bad Bunny needed a Puerto Rican history scholar. UW–Madison had just the one.
Bad Bunny collaborated with UW–Madison history professor Jorell Meléndez-Badillo on Puerto Rican narratives that accompany the new album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.”
news.wisc.edu
February 9, 2026 at 4:46 AM
Bad Bunny has a consulting historian. news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Epstein had many known connections to Silicon Valley CEOs, but less known was how he made money from those relationships.
We did a deep dive into how he got dealflow in Silicon Valley, giving him shots to invest in Coinbase, Palantir, SpaceX and other companies.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
We did a deep dive into how he got dealflow in Silicon Valley, giving him shots to invest in Coinbase, Palantir, SpaceX and other companies.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Mingled With Silicon Valley Start-Ups
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Epstein had many known connections to Silicon Valley CEOs, but less known was how he made money from those relationships.
We did a deep dive into how he got dealflow in Silicon Valley, giving him shots to invest in Coinbase, Palantir, SpaceX and other companies.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
We did a deep dive into how he got dealflow in Silicon Valley, giving him shots to invest in Coinbase, Palantir, SpaceX and other companies.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
👀 "Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics" techcrunch.com/2026/02/03/h...
Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics | TechCrunch
The use of administrative subpoenas, which are not subject to judicial oversight, are used to demand a wealth of information from tech companies, including the owners of anonymous online accounts docu...
techcrunch.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:02 AM
👀 "Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics" techcrunch.com/2026/02/03/h...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
in the elite circles of the US, racism is treated less as a matter of social stratification with direct implications for political stakes and more as a matter of moral etiquette. it is even more notable, then, that this administration can't constrain themselves to the meager associated standards
POLITICO reporting that the White House has now claimed the ape video was an accident and removed it.
February 6, 2026 at 5:18 PM
in the elite circles of the US, racism is treated less as a matter of social stratification with direct implications for political stakes and more as a matter of moral etiquette. it is even more notable, then, that this administration can't constrain themselves to the meager associated standards
Reposted by Becca Lewis
again: you can openly pursue a policy of ethnic cleansing and be received as engaging in "racially charged rhetoric" so long as you are not sufficiently rude about it. and yet the present administration cannot manage even this
February 6, 2026 at 5:20 PM
again: you can openly pursue a policy of ethnic cleansing and be received as engaging in "racially charged rhetoric" so long as you are not sufficiently rude about it. and yet the present administration cannot manage even this
Reposted by Becca Lewis
The racist video posted by the President is perhaps the most egregiously racist thing shown in the White House since Woodrow Wilson screened Birth of a Nation there in 1915. Here's an article from Denver's Black newspaper in 1915 calling for Americans to denounce such racist imagery.
February 6, 2026 at 3:17 PM
The racist video posted by the President is perhaps the most egregiously racist thing shown in the White House since Woodrow Wilson screened Birth of a Nation there in 1915. Here's an article from Denver's Black newspaper in 1915 calling for Americans to denounce such racist imagery.
By the way, Gelerntner has been a longtime critic of women in the workforce and also a longtime favorite of the tech-right; in 2016, Peter Thiel nominated him for the role of Science Advisor to the President, although his influence in Silicon Valley long predates that.
Yale prof David Gelernter defends his letter urging Epstein to hire "v small goodlooking blonde" student by saying that he was "keep[ing] the potential boss's habits in mind."
This creep shouldn't be allowed anywhere near students.
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
This creep shouldn't be allowed anywhere near students.
yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
February 5, 2026 at 4:42 PM
By the way, Gelerntner has been a longtime critic of women in the workforce and also a longtime favorite of the tech-right; in 2016, Peter Thiel nominated him for the role of Science Advisor to the President, although his influence in Silicon Valley long predates that.
Reposted by Becca Lewis
The tangled web becomes even more tangled. Turns out frequent Epstein island guests were AI pioneers Marvin Minsky and Roger Shank. It's worse than that. Shank had closer ties to Epstein than just professional. He frequently defended this monster.
slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com/technology/2...
What It Was Like to Be a Scientist in Jeffrey Epstein’s Circle
The “girls” were always around.
slate.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The tangled web becomes even more tangled. Turns out frequent Epstein island guests were AI pioneers Marvin Minsky and Roger Shank. It's worse than that. Shank had closer ties to Epstein than just professional. He frequently defended this monster.
slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Academics vying for a spot in Epstein‘s world. There are so many. I feel the need to make a thread, so I don’t keep confusing them. 1/
January 31, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Academics vying for a spot in Epstein‘s world. There are so many. I feel the need to make a thread, so I don’t keep confusing them. 1/
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Is the misogyny of big tech bug - or feature?
@beccalew.bsky.social, on Silicon Valley's decades long fight against the “pussification” of tech.
@beccalew.bsky.social, on Silicon Valley's decades long fight against the “pussification” of tech.
‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley
The industry’s liberal reputation is misleading. Its reactionary tendencies – celebrating wealth, power and traditional masculinity – have been clear since the dotcom mania of the 1990s
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Is the misogyny of big tech bug - or feature?
@beccalew.bsky.social, on Silicon Valley's decades long fight against the “pussification” of tech.
@beccalew.bsky.social, on Silicon Valley's decades long fight against the “pussification” of tech.
Reposted by Becca Lewis
My department at Florida State is hiring a postdoc in public history! I’m not on the search committee, but please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the position, the department, FSU, or Tallahassee. 🗃️ networks.h-net.org/jobs/69772/f...
Florida State University - Dean's Postdoctoral Scholar (Public History) | H-Net
networks.h-net.org
February 4, 2026 at 11:30 AM
My department at Florida State is hiring a postdoc in public history! I’m not on the search committee, but please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the position, the department, FSU, or Tallahassee. 🗃️ networks.h-net.org/jobs/69772/f...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Noam Chomsky sucks shit actually
/6 No, when society tells you to shun someone, be SKEPTICAL. Like Noam Chomsky. Noam Chomsky KNEW that it’s the dark forces of American imperialism that don’t want him to listen to a famous child rapist teach him about black people being inferior.
February 1, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Noam Chomsky sucks shit actually
Reposted by Becca Lewis
"the hysteria that has developed about abuse of women"--Noam Chomsky
January 31, 2026 at 3:49 AM
"the hysteria that has developed about abuse of women"--Noam Chomsky
a fascinating thing to do in 2026 is go back and read the entire list of signatories from the 2020 harper's letter on free speech
harpers.org/a-letter-on-...
harpers.org/a-letter-on-...
A Letter on Justice and Open Debate
July 7, 2020 The below letter will be appearing in the Letters section of the magazine’s October issue. We welcome responses at [email protected] Our cultural institutions are facing a moment of tri...
harpers.org
January 30, 2026 at 6:37 PM
a fascinating thing to do in 2026 is go back and read the entire list of signatories from the 2020 harper's letter on free speech
harpers.org/a-letter-on-...
harpers.org/a-letter-on-...
Reposted by Becca Lewis
Activating the anti-Wobbly, anti-Scandinavian socialist discourse from the 1910s Red Scare era in the Pacific Northwest. Rufo has clearly been mainlining some seriously high-grade, well-aged, artisanal American fascism from the deepest recesses of his historical cellar.
Chris Rufo is so upset about the Minneapolis protests that he is resorting to anti-Nordic racism christopherrufo.com/p/the-curse-...
January 30, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Activating the anti-Wobbly, anti-Scandinavian socialist discourse from the 1910s Red Scare era in the Pacific Northwest. Rufo has clearly been mainlining some seriously high-grade, well-aged, artisanal American fascism from the deepest recesses of his historical cellar.
The irony is that public skepticism of higher ed is a direct result of 75 years of conservative attacks on it. Yale was literally the target of the urtext, “god and man at Yale.”
OH COME ON. Brooks knows fuck-all about "society at large".
January 30, 2026 at 1:23 PM
The irony is that public skepticism of higher ed is a direct result of 75 years of conservative attacks on it. Yale was literally the target of the urtext, “god and man at Yale.”
james o'keefe's grift has been going on for so long and is so predictable you'd think he'd be bored of it by now
In Minneapolis, far-right influencers posing as journalists are casting themselves as victims and labeling ICE-watch groups “terrorists.” Their big new evidence—“infiltrated” Signal chats—isn’t a secret, had no calls for violence and urged people to witness, not interfere.
www.ms.now/news/minneap...
www.ms.now/news/minneap...
In Minneapolis, far-right influencers frame ICE resistance as terrorism
As communities organize against Trump's federal crackdown, a network of pundits is building an "insurrectionist" narrative against them.
www.ms.now
January 30, 2026 at 1:33 AM
james o'keefe's grift has been going on for so long and is so predictable you'd think he'd be bored of it by now
Reposted by Becca Lewis
SCOOP w/ @carolinehaskins.bsky.social: ICE Is Using Palantir’s AI Tools to Sort Through Tips
www.wired.com/story/ice-is...
www.wired.com/story/ice-is...
ICE Is Using Palantir’s AI Tools to Sort Through Tips
ICE has been using an AI-powered Palantir system to summarize tips sent to its tipline since last spring, according to a newly released Homeland Security document.
www.wired.com
January 28, 2026 at 9:41 PM
SCOOP w/ @carolinehaskins.bsky.social: ICE Is Using Palantir’s AI Tools to Sort Through Tips
www.wired.com/story/ice-is...
www.wired.com/story/ice-is...