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Reposted by Jeff Chester

WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 2d

#NoKings ad for Dubuque, Iowa 🤣🔥

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 3d

Another example of Trump led #FTC #CFPB failing to protect consumers & our $ in GenAI agentic payment & marketing era. These agencies are DMIA--digitally missing in action. Global/state regulators should address:
See: bit.ly/4hboNNK; bit.ly/4hdXpPb

Announcing Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) | Google Cloud Blog

Learn more about the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open protocol that builds on A2A, Agent to Agent Protocol. AP2 was developed by Google with leading payments and technology companies to securely...

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 4d

With US privacy, consumerprotection & antitrust agencies sidelined, Big Data+AI+commercial surveillance marketing giants combine forces. Global regulators/advocates take note: bit.ly/478nPNL

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 5d

If the US had a working FTC & CFPB, it would be sounding consumer protection alarm on Walmart+OpenAI deal: Through AI-first shopping, the retail experience shifts from reactive to proactive as it learns, plans and predicts, helping customers anticipate their needs before they do." bit.ly/3L9jmTu

Walmart Partners with OpenAI to Create AI-First Shopping Experiences

Walmart’s new partnership with OpenAI will allow customers and members to shop with ChatGPT, creating an AI-first experience where shoppers can simply chat and select.

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 6d

Public health & other safeguards needed as Gen AI further pushes food/beverage marketing.
Instacart, Uber, DoorDash bringing food delivery to ChatGPT www.grocerydive.com/news/chatgpt... via @grocerydive

Instacart, Uber, DoorDash bringing food delivery to ChatGPT

The three e-commerce providers are among several apps set to join the AI-powered chatbot.

www.grocerydive.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 6d

There should be broad opposition to the Trump Adm TikTok deal, as part of U.S. digital media reforms to serve democracy. TikTok, Google, Meta & most other commercial surveillance operations largely operate in similar ways; multiple and growing via AI harms. bit.ly/4n2JWLy

Trump’s TikTok Deal Would Further Entrench Big Tech Surveillance | TechPolicy.Press

Trump's TikTok deal would effectively endorse the current extractive system shaping our social media platforms, writes Jeffrey Chester.

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 8d

www.statnews.com/2025/10/11/c...

Deep cuts made to CDC's flagship MMWR publication, a cornerstone of public health

CDC staff behind the agency’s flagship publication have been fired amid drastic cuts to the HHS promised by the White House due to the government shutdown, according to five people familiar with the s...

www.statnews.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 9d

Why Trump's #TikTok deal should be fought. Greater surveillance, less privacy, more power for Meta, Google & other AI/BigTech giants & expanded MAGA influence over our media.
www.techpolicy.press/trumps-tikto...

Trump’s TikTok Deal Would Further Entrench Big Tech Surveillance | TechPolicy.Press

Trump's TikTok deal would effectively endorse the current extractive system shaping our social media platforms, writes Jeffrey Chester.

www.techpolicy.press

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 10d

What is the Trump FTC under @AFergusonFTC doing to stop Meta's further & ongoing weakening of privacy, inc. no opt-outs for Meta AI ads. By ignoring this problem, FTC further reveals no consumer data watchdog in DC.
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Meta won’t allow users to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats

US users stuck with AI ad targeting as EU users win more control over their feeds.

arstechnica.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 11d

What is the Trump #FTC under @AFergusonFTC doing to protect Americans privacy as GenAI & retail media networks explode, capturing our data, $ & more. More giveaways to #BiggestTech. Ex: arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Meta won’t allow users to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats

US users stuck with AI ad targeting as EU users win more control over their feeds.

arstechnica.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 13d

What do the Ellison's give the US public--more branded content via Paramount/CBS. From Ad Week/NYC. "unskippable AI-powered ad formats are reshaping the future of brand integration. By moving beyond traditional product placement, these approaches embed brands into entertainment..."

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 14d

Inspiration for these times as civil society, inc scholars, successfully pushed back on anti-democratic & racist movements in 1930s. It can happen here.
Gotham at War - Mike Wallace - Oxford University Press. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

global.oup.com

Reposted by Jeff Chester

Defend Democracy @defenddemocracy.bsky.social · 15d

President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!

We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 19d

Google has always been just a data marketing agency despite its delusional self-promotion. But these headlines say so much.
judiciary.house.gov/media/in-the...
www.axios.com/2025/09/29/y...

Google to reinstate banned YouTube accounts censored for political speech

Google vowed on Tuesday to offer YouTube accounts that were permanently banned for political speech the ability to be reinstated, and the big tech giant admitted that it once faced pressure from the

judiciary.house.gov

Reposted by Jeff Chester

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 20d

SCOOP / UPDATE — Disney saw more than 1.7 million total paid streaming cancelations during the period 9/17-9/23, a Disney source confirms to me. The total includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 26d

NEW — I wrote about my confirmed scoop from last night that Disney hastened Kimmel's return because of a planned Disney+ streaming price increase announcement coming on Tuesday:

Kimmel reinstatement preempted Disney+ price increase

The Handbasket reported first Monday evening on Bluesky

www.thehandbasket.co

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 21d

House committee prods social media platforms about extremist activity | Semafor. Connect Ellison, TikTik,Paramount/CBS, likely Warner/CNN, Carr, spectrum, local broadcasters, etc.
www.semafor.com/article/09/2...

House committee prods social media platforms about extremist activity

Members of the House Homeland Security Committee sent letters to Discord, Twitch, Reddit, and GitHub questioning their security measures following reports about posts from Charlie Kirk’s accused kille...

www.semafor.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 22d

Attention Antitrust, Privacy Regulators worldwide. Amazon Ads announces Netflix integration | Amazon Ads. See too: aws.amazon.com/solutions/ca...
advertising.amazon.com/library/news...

Netflix Innovators

Netflix is a video on demand streaming service with over 280 million members in more than 190 countries. Using Amazon Web Services (AWS), Netflix innovates with speed and delivers best-in-class ente...

aws.amazon.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 24d

Annals of US sponsored commercial surveillance. www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/09...

Oracle invested millions in government influence before winning a major stake in TikTok - OpenSecrets News

Oracle isn’t quite a household name on par with other American technology companies such as Microsoft, Meta or Apple. But…

www.opensecrets.org

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 24d

This is also too small a settlement by the Trump/Vance FTC, given that Amazon's US overall US revenues in 2024 was $438 billion. No federal watchdogs on the #bigtech beat any more.

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 24d

This settlement generated in part by the EU/US coalition of digital rights groups (TACD) that made "dark patterns" a major policy issue in US, as well as Lina Khan FTC commission--which understood dark pattern manipulation is at core of commercial surveillance marketing biz model.
bit.ly/46EIw3u

FTC Secures Historic $2.5 Billion Settlement Against Amazon

The Federal Trade Commission has secured a historic order with Amazon.com, Inc., as well as Senior Vice President Neil Lindsay and Vice President Jamil Ghani, settling allegations that Amazon enrol

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 24d

This settlement generated in part by the EU/US coalition of digital rights groups (TACD) that made "dark patterns" a major policy issue in US, as well as Lina Khan FTC commission--which understood dark pattern manipulation is at core of commercial surveillance marketing biz model.
bit.ly/46EIw3u

FTC Secures Historic $2.5 Billion Settlement Against Amazon

The Federal Trade Commission has secured a historic order with Amazon.com, Inc., as well as Senior Vice President Neil Lindsay and Vice President Jamil Ghani, settling allegations that Amazon enrol

bit.ly

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 25d

R.F.K., Jr.: A Day in the Life

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 26d

The likely merger and integration of CNN & CBS News, with conservative editorial direction, is a major event requiring action (and involves TikTok + streaming too).
Cold Front at CNN www.status.news/p/cnn-david-...

Cold Front at CNN

CNN staffers are bracing for the Ellison family’s looming bid for Warner Bros. Discovery—a takeover that could merge the network with CBS News, hand Bari Weiss editorial power, and radically reshape i...

www.status.news

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 26d

Among consequences of Trump brokered US TikTok deal, displacing progressive/liberal views. As eMarketer notes, via Pew "TikTok is the only major app where left-leaning news influencers outnumber right-leaning ones (28% vs. 25%). If ownership tilts conservative...balance could shift." bit.ly/46h0eLE

TikTok could lose young users under new conservative US ownership

President Trump delayed TikTok’s ban until December 16 and claimed Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, and Marc Andreessen are among investors preparing to acquire its US ope...

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 26d

Public health, consumer, data protections raised by this deal, as well as media content integrity. #alcohol #digitalmarketing #streaming. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...

Netflix Strikes Global Marketing Deal With Beverage Giant AB Inbev (Exclusive)

AB Inbev brands will serve as title sponsors on Netflix content around the world, with Netflix IP featured in activations and packaging.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 27d

The US is about to endorse full force platform commercial surveillance marketing by brokering a TikTok deal that fails to provide privacy, Gen AI, consumer protections, competition, youth safeguards. All the failures in past to regulate social media ignored for a "deal" that rewards BigTech.

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