Erik Bugge
@erikbugge.bsky.social
CEO and founder of privacy adtech company Kobler (kobler.no/en).
Building adtech and policy for (in all senses) sustainable digital advertising.
Building adtech and policy for (in all senses) sustainable digital advertising.
Pinned
Erik Bugge
@erikbugge.bsky.social
· Nov 12
As we write in The Guardian this morning, the Commission’s plan to gut EU digital rules will hurt Europe’s startups and give U.S. tech an unassailable advantage, confirming Europe as a digital vassal.
Piece by George Riekeles and I.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Piece by George Riekeles and I.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The EU has let US tech giants run riot. Diluting our data law will only entrench their power | Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
The GDPR is Europe’s defence against digital oligarchy and child harm. Deregulation plans are misguided, say Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
www.theguardian.com
I don't think the Commission understands how much this attack on the GDPR will hurt innovation done by European companies, and instead cement Google's and Meta's position as the inescapable middle-men and turn our SMEs into their cash-cows. WAKE UP!
I think Apple should (re)introduce the Web Eraser in Safari. That seems to be the only way to get rid of all those f***ing annoying AI tools that pollute every Google web application these days. Saying no for the hundred time is just not enough it seems.
What happened to Web Eraser - Apple's content-blocker for Safari 18
One of Apple's upgrades for Safari — the Web Eraser content blocker — never became available to the public, even though it was complete and fully functional. Here's what happened along the way, what i...
appleinsider.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:59 PM
I think Apple should (re)introduce the Web Eraser in Safari. That seems to be the only way to get rid of all those f***ing annoying AI tools that pollute every Google web application these days. Saying no for the hundred time is just not enough it seems.
Norway's largest bank DNB newsjacking through the Kobler ad platform in a matter of minutes 😂😂🤣 ("Jeg slutter" = "I quit")
January 27, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Norway's largest bank DNB newsjacking through the Kobler ad platform in a matter of minutes 😂😂🤣 ("Jeg slutter" = "I quit")
Reposted by Erik Bugge
It’s worth noting that even if you don’t explicitly share this information, it can often be inferred from things like your likes, friends/followers, etc.
This has been shown for decades now by researchers; companies are clearly doing this internally for ad targeting.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
This has been shown for decades now by researchers; companies are clearly doing this internally for ad targeting.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
January 26, 2026 at 2:33 PM
It’s worth noting that even if you don’t explicitly share this information, it can often be inferred from things like your likes, friends/followers, etc.
This has been shown for decades now by researchers; companies are clearly doing this internally for ad targeting.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
This has been shown for decades now by researchers; companies are clearly doing this internally for ad targeting.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Erik Bugge
A spark of action from the European Commission on social media recommender algorithms at long last ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Commission investigates Grok and X\'s recommender systems under the Digital Services Act
The European Commission has launched a new formal investigation against X under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
ec.europa.eu
January 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM
A spark of action from the European Commission on social media recommender algorithms at long last ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
@spacecowboy17.bsky.social My For you feed has the last week been overtaken by Norwegian posts. I only follow a few Norwegian accounts, so not sure why this is happening. It happened a few times before, but normally only for a day. Now it seems to be stuck.
January 26, 2026 at 11:58 AM
@spacecowboy17.bsky.social My For you feed has the last week been overtaken by Norwegian posts. I only follow a few Norwegian accounts, so not sure why this is happening. It happened a few times before, but normally only for a day. Now it seems to be stuck.
Reposted by Erik Bugge
So why can't this happen on Twitter or Threads? It's not a technology problem. It's a structure problem—the system isn't built for you to create, it's built for you to consume. Now that there's a viable alternative, the decline of traditional social is inevitable. Centralized networks always lose.
January 25, 2026 at 9:48 PM
So why can't this happen on Twitter or Threads? It's not a technology problem. It's a structure problem—the system isn't built for you to create, it's built for you to consume. Now that there's a viable alternative, the decline of traditional social is inevitable. Centralized networks always lose.
Reposted by Erik Bugge
Portlanders: Here are two ways to have a say in our city government's tech & data use:
-Write now or give verbal comments on Thurs Jan 29 on establishment of a City Data & Privacy Office
-By Feb 14, comment on the police Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) policy in review.
Links in my comment
-Write now or give verbal comments on Thurs Jan 29 on establishment of a City Data & Privacy Office
-By Feb 14, comment on the police Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) policy in review.
Links in my comment
January 25, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Portlanders: Here are two ways to have a say in our city government's tech & data use:
-Write now or give verbal comments on Thurs Jan 29 on establishment of a City Data & Privacy Office
-By Feb 14, comment on the police Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) policy in review.
Links in my comment
-Write now or give verbal comments on Thurs Jan 29 on establishment of a City Data & Privacy Office
-By Feb 14, comment on the police Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) policy in review.
Links in my comment
Reposted by Erik Bugge
The latest evidence that broadcasting people’s movements and intimate data in the Real-Time Bidding online advertising system is truly dangerous.
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
ICE Asks Companies About ‘Ad Tech and Big Data’ Tools It Could Use in Investigations
A new federal filing from ICE demonstrates how commercial tools are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:27 AM
The latest evidence that broadcasting people’s movements and intimate data in the Real-Time Bidding online advertising system is truly dangerous.
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
Reposted by Erik Bugge
The EU should urgently reconsider its law enforcement cooperation with DHS, FBI, DOJ. No more data sharing, no more access to EU data bases, no more extraditions until respect for the law and fundamental rights has been restored.
January 25, 2026 at 8:08 AM
The EU should urgently reconsider its law enforcement cooperation with DHS, FBI, DOJ. No more data sharing, no more access to EU data bases, no more extraditions until respect for the law and fundamental rights has been restored.
Reposted by Erik Bugge
Adtech is almost everything you do online. They’re using Adtech to track and investigate. Every little thing you do — shopping, browsing, checking health information, connecting on social, ChatGPT — is on Adtech.
New: Amid the escalating situation in Minneapolis, ICE posted in the Federal Register asking companies to provide info about “commercial Big Data and Ad Tech” products that would “directly support investigations activities”
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
ICE Asks Companies About ‘Ad Tech and Big Data’ Tools It Could Use in Investigations
A new federal filing from ICE demonstrates how commercial tools are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Adtech is almost everything you do online. They’re using Adtech to track and investigate. Every little thing you do — shopping, browsing, checking health information, connecting on social, ChatGPT — is on Adtech.
Reposted by Erik Bugge
“Newly filed internal documents show how [..] Google’s growing presence in schools — through Chromebooks as well as its learning platforms and YouTube — helped the company build a “Pipeline of future users.”” www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-...
Google’s work in schools aims to create a ‘pipeline of future users,’ internal documents say
A major lawsuit revealed details of Google's business motivations to get its products into schools. A Google spokesperson said the documents "mischaracterize our work."
www.nbcnews.com
January 24, 2026 at 7:53 AM
“Newly filed internal documents show how [..] Google’s growing presence in schools — through Chromebooks as well as its learning platforms and YouTube — helped the company build a “Pipeline of future users.”” www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-...
Reposted by Erik Bugge
Dette er altså selskapet som lager systemet ICE bruker til å arrestere toåringer.
Tolletaten, PST (antar jeg), Forsvaret: Har dere virkelig tenkt over hva dere gjør? Var det ikke dette vi mente da vi sa «aldri igjen»?
Tolletaten, PST (antar jeg), Forsvaret: Har dere virkelig tenkt over hva dere gjør? Var det ikke dette vi mente da vi sa «aldri igjen»?
Seneste: Palantir har holdt presentasjon for Forsvaret. De vil ikke si om hva, men kanskje Maven? Mareritt-teknologi
(+) Palantir har presentert krigsteknologi for Forsvaret
Hverken Forsvaret eller Palantir vil svare på om de er i forhandlinger om innkjøp av det amerikanske selskapets systemer.
www.morgenbladet.no
January 24, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Dette er altså selskapet som lager systemet ICE bruker til å arrestere toåringer.
Tolletaten, PST (antar jeg), Forsvaret: Har dere virkelig tenkt over hva dere gjør? Var det ikke dette vi mente da vi sa «aldri igjen»?
Tolletaten, PST (antar jeg), Forsvaret: Har dere virkelig tenkt over hva dere gjør? Var det ikke dette vi mente da vi sa «aldri igjen»?
But why would you want to speak to a human when you get "personalized" help from a bot?? 🥴
Airlines know customers prefer speaking with real representatives over AI bots.
Now, these companies are looking to capitalize on it by charging you to speak to an actual human.
Now, these companies are looking to capitalize on it by charging you to speak to an actual human.
January 22, 2026 at 5:26 PM
But why would you want to speak to a human when you get "personalized" help from a bot?? 🥴
Reposted by Erik Bugge
“If you take a lot of selfies with ice cream, then it could curate recommendations for ice cream parlors.”
Google Search AI Mode can use Gmail and Photos to get to know you
Don’t worry, it’s an opt-in feature.
www.theverge.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:15 PM
“If you take a lot of selfies with ice cream, then it could curate recommendations for ice cream parlors.”
Reposted by Erik Bugge
"Companies are offering law enforcement agencies the ability to track smartphone users through advertising data ... Le Monde attended confidential presentations of these new surveillance tools to learn more"
...feat Penlink, RCS, Wave Guard, Rayzone, Cognyte:
www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/ar...
...feat Penlink, RCS, Wave Guard, Rayzone, Cognyte:
www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/ar...
How surveillance companies track smartphone users through advertising data
Companies are offering law enforcement agencies the ability to track smartphone users through advertising data gathered on their devices. Le Monde attended confidential presentations of these new surv...
www.lemonde.fr
January 22, 2026 at 10:51 AM
"Companies are offering law enforcement agencies the ability to track smartphone users through advertising data ... Le Monde attended confidential presentations of these new surveillance tools to learn more"
...feat Penlink, RCS, Wave Guard, Rayzone, Cognyte:
www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/ar...
...feat Penlink, RCS, Wave Guard, Rayzone, Cognyte:
www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/ar...
Reposted by Erik Bugge
Håper og forventer at utenrikskomiteen benytter møtet med Palantir til å stille dem til veggs mtp rollen deres for ICE og for partnerskapet med israelske forsvarsdepartementet.
De må ikke åpne døra for enda mer legitimering av dette selskapet fra øverste hold. Det er nok av det, foråsiresånn.
De må ikke åpne døra for enda mer legitimering av dette selskapet fra øverste hold. Det er nok av det, foråsiresånn.
Utenriks- og forsvarskomiteen besøker San Fransisco og Washington D.C.
Stortingets utenriks- og forsvarskomité vil være i USA i perioden 18.–23. januar.
www.stortinget.no
January 21, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Håper og forventer at utenrikskomiteen benytter møtet med Palantir til å stille dem til veggs mtp rollen deres for ICE og for partnerskapet med israelske forsvarsdepartementet.
De må ikke åpne døra for enda mer legitimering av dette selskapet fra øverste hold. Det er nok av det, foråsiresånn.
De må ikke åpne døra for enda mer legitimering av dette selskapet fra øverste hold. Det er nok av det, foråsiresånn.
Reposted by Erik Bugge
This is truly terrifying
When the government demands that an institution provides a list of all the Jewish employees, the outcome is never a good one
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/u...
Penn Calls Government’s Demand for Lists of Jewish Staff ‘Disconcerting’
www.nytimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:55 PM
This is truly terrifying
Reposted by Erik Bugge
21 January 1899 | A German Jewish woman, Olga Fürst, was born in Saarburg. During the war she lived in Paris.
She arrived at #Auschwitz on 25 June 1943 in a transport of 1,018 Jews deported from Drancy. She was most probably murdered in the gas chamber.
She arrived at #Auschwitz on 25 June 1943 in a transport of 1,018 Jews deported from Drancy. She was most probably murdered in the gas chamber.
January 21, 2026 at 6:00 AM
21 January 1899 | A German Jewish woman, Olga Fürst, was born in Saarburg. During the war she lived in Paris.
She arrived at #Auschwitz on 25 June 1943 in a transport of 1,018 Jews deported from Drancy. She was most probably murdered in the gas chamber.
She arrived at #Auschwitz on 25 June 1943 in a transport of 1,018 Jews deported from Drancy. She was most probably murdered in the gas chamber.
Venezuela is yesterday's news! The mad king always manages to set the agenda for the news coverage. The graph shows read articles about Venezuela on 150 Norwegian newspapers. We are back to pre-intrusion levels.
January 20, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Venezuela is yesterday's news! The mad king always manages to set the agenda for the news coverage. The graph shows read articles about Venezuela on 150 Norwegian newspapers. We are back to pre-intrusion levels.
Reposted by Erik Bugge
January 19, 2026 at 8:40 AM
Reposted by Erik Bugge
"Mehta’s failure to impose a remedy was permission for Google to repeat this scheme with generative AI. And now it has"
"There’s no technical reason that Google itself has to be the centralized agent, presumably consumers could allow other generative AI models to analyze their data and become assistants. Just as Google’s search monopoly was not inevitable..." www.thebignewsletter.com/p/will-googl...
Will Google Become Our AI-Powered Central Planner?
Google may monopolize the market for AI consumer services. And now it is now rolling out a service to help businesses set prices, based on what it knows about us. The failure of antitrust was costly.
www.thebignewsletter.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:28 PM
"Mehta’s failure to impose a remedy was permission for Google to repeat this scheme with generative AI. And now it has"
Reposted by Erik Bugge
Starting a series on Open Social!
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
January 13, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Starting a series on Open Social!
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
Hoping to spotlight some of my favorite atproto projects :)
And your favorites too, so tag them in the comments!
There were a ton of logos in this video, so I've tagged everyone in the comments
#tiktoksale #opensocial #atproto
Reposted by Erik Bugge
This highlights how commercial data brokers have used law enforcement as a way to be shielded from necessary regulation. @bedoyausa.bsky.social was working on these issues more than a decade ago. Congress has failed to do its job.
ICE has recently bought the capability of monitoring the location histories of entire neighborhoods worth of phones. The data is likely harvested from apps that sell your data, which filters up through data brokers and eventually to companies that sell to ICE:
www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods
404 Media has obtained material that explains how Tangles and Webloc, two surveillance systems ICE recently purchased, work. Webloc can track phones without a warrant and follow their owners home or t...
www.404media.co
January 9, 2026 at 4:57 PM
This highlights how commercial data brokers have used law enforcement as a way to be shielded from necessary regulation. @bedoyausa.bsky.social was working on these issues more than a decade ago. Congress has failed to do its job.