John Davisson
@johndavisson.bsky.social
‣ Deputy Director + Director of Enforcement @epic.org
‣ Baltimore native • DC/Ward 5 resident
‣ LEGO • Cycling • O's + Ravens
‣ Baltimore native • DC/Ward 5 resident
‣ LEGO • Cycling • O's + Ravens
Reposted by John Davisson
Minnesota CEOs sent a letter calling for “de-escalation.” They left out that many of them and their trade groups backed the bill that flooded ICE & CBP with $170 billion. Yes, Palantir helps ICE. But ICE was helped along by a bunch of boring companies you interact with daily.
January 29, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Minnesota CEOs sent a letter calling for “de-escalation.” They left out that many of them and their trade groups backed the bill that flooded ICE & CBP with $170 billion. Yes, Palantir helps ICE. But ICE was helped along by a bunch of boring companies you interact with daily.
Reposted by John Davisson
ICE isn’t just brutal. It’s also big business. From 2008 to 2021 ICE spent *$1.2 billion* on geolocation tracking, $561M on data analysis, $252M on government databases, and $97M on data brokers. Most of that went to companies who will lobby for this system to stay in place.
January 28, 2026 at 9:17 PM
ICE isn’t just brutal. It’s also big business. From 2008 to 2021 ICE spent *$1.2 billion* on geolocation tracking, $561M on data analysis, $252M on government databases, and $97M on data brokers. Most of that went to companies who will lobby for this system to stay in place.
Two sad, fallen Lime scooters glowing beneath the ice
January 26, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Two sad, fallen Lime scooters glowing beneath the ice
Reposted by John Davisson
"Fraud" is this administration's roving license to perpetrate authoritarian shit. I point that out because if we ever emerge from this, we're going to have to put some guardrails on how "fraud" is defined, investigated, and enforced.
Can the White House create a new DOJ fraud division—and run it from the West Wing?
New piece from @dschulkin.bsky.social and Amy Markopoulus unpacks the legal, constitutional, and enforcement risks of the administration’s proposed “National Fraud Enforcement Division.”
New piece from @dschulkin.bsky.social and Amy Markopoulus unpacks the legal, constitutional, and enforcement risks of the administration’s proposed “National Fraud Enforcement Division.”
The White House’s New Fraud Section: Key Questions
The plan for a new DOJ fraud division sparks constitutional and policy concerns over executive power and prosecutorial independence.
www.justsecurity.org
January 23, 2026 at 3:51 PM
"Fraud" is this administration's roving license to perpetrate authoritarian shit. I point that out because if we ever emerge from this, we're going to have to put some guardrails on how "fraud" is defined, investigated, and enforced.
Very glad to see this! wjla.com/news/local/d...
DDOT makes changes to keep cars off Metro Branch Trail after 7News report
The District Department of Transportation has moved concrete planters along the Metropolitan Branch Trail to prevent cars from making their way onto the popular
wjla.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Very glad to see this! wjla.com/news/local/d...
Reposted by John Davisson
absolutely insane to see Musk feted at Davos as the icon of a boldly "optimistic" future in 2026, as if he hadn't just spent the last year buying elections for fascists, making Nazi salutes, condemning millions in Africa to death, and building "Mechahitler," and a nonconsensual porn/CSAM generator
January 22, 2026 at 4:09 PM
absolutely insane to see Musk feted at Davos as the icon of a boldly "optimistic" future in 2026, as if he hadn't just spent the last year buying elections for fascists, making Nazi salutes, condemning millions in Africa to death, and building "Mechahitler," and a nonconsensual porn/CSAM generator
Huge, sweeping report from my colleague @sarageoghegan.bsky.social and the @epic.org team on how unregulated tech, mass surveillance, and yawning gaps in privacy law have created a health privacy crisis, as covered by WIRED’s @dell.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/survei...
Surveillance and ICE Are Driving Patients Away From Medical Care, Report Warns
A new EPIC report says data brokers, ad-tech surveillance, and ICE enforcement are among the factors leading to a “health privacy crisis” that is eroding trust and deterring people from seeking care.
www.wired.com
January 21, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Huge, sweeping report from my colleague @sarageoghegan.bsky.social and the @epic.org team on how unregulated tech, mass surveillance, and yawning gaps in privacy law have created a health privacy crisis, as covered by WIRED’s @dell.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/survei...
Reposted by John Davisson
They can kidnap you, they can shoot you dead in the street, they can terrorize your neighbors and threaten World War 3, and the Democrats will always sign the check.
Congress clinches $1.2T funding deal for DHS, Pentagon, domestic agencies
House and Senate leaders are trying to clear the package before the Jan. 30 shutdown deadline.
www.politico.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:01 PM
They can kidnap you, they can shoot you dead in the street, they can terrorize your neighbors and threaten World War 3, and the Democrats will always sign the check.
Reposted by John Davisson
"Abolish ICE" is the moderate position. "Try everyone involved in ICE for crimes against humanity" is the progressive one.
A third immigrant detainee at facility in El Paso has died, ICE says.
Third immigrant detainee at facility in El Paso has died, ICE says
Camp East Montana on Fort Bliss in El Paso is one of the largest ICE detention centers in the country.
nbcnews.to
January 19, 2026 at 9:01 PM
"Abolish ICE" is the moderate position. "Try everyone involved in ICE for crimes against humanity" is the progressive one.
Reposted by John Davisson
X basically industrialized the creation of fake porn of women who don't consent. Others did it first, but Grok made it normalized and centralized: publicly visible, instantly creatable by anyone, regardless of who's being targeted and dehumanized. Only question now is will X suffer any consequences
January 7, 2026 at 12:45 PM
X basically industrialized the creation of fake porn of women who don't consent. Others did it first, but Grok made it normalized and centralized: publicly visible, instantly creatable by anyone, regardless of who's being targeted and dehumanized. Only question now is will X suffer any consequences
Reposted by John Davisson
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
January 2, 2026 at 2:26 AM
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
Reposted by John Davisson
Hey Californians -- DROP launches tomorrow! FREE Single click deletion from hundreds if data brokers.
bsky.app/profile/calp...
bsky.app/profile/calp...
New things are taking root!🌲
Tomorrow, Californians can take control of their privacy.
DROP gives Californians a single-click way to request deletion of personal data from hundreds of data brokers. Learn more: privacy.ca.gov/DROP
Tomorrow, Californians can take control of their privacy.
DROP gives Californians a single-click way to request deletion of personal data from hundreds of data brokers. Learn more: privacy.ca.gov/DROP
December 31, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Hey Californians -- DROP launches tomorrow! FREE Single click deletion from hundreds if data brokers.
bsky.app/profile/calp...
bsky.app/profile/calp...
Reposted by John Davisson
concerning but unsurprising move by the FTC, who vacated the order with Rytr, the AI tool facilitating fake reviews at scale
its in line with the tech cos > people regulatory ethos of this admin
To read more about how it worked, check out our comment from last yr: consumerfed.org/wp-content/u...
its in line with the tech cos > people regulatory ethos of this admin
To read more about how it worked, check out our comment from last yr: consumerfed.org/wp-content/u...
consumerfed.org
December 22, 2025 at 6:55 PM
concerning but unsurprising move by the FTC, who vacated the order with Rytr, the AI tool facilitating fake reviews at scale
its in line with the tech cos > people regulatory ethos of this admin
To read more about how it worked, check out our comment from last yr: consumerfed.org/wp-content/u...
its in line with the tech cos > people regulatory ethos of this admin
To read more about how it worked, check out our comment from last yr: consumerfed.org/wp-content/u...
Captured FTC beclowns itself, eagerly lets lawbreaking AI company off the hook: www.ftc.gov/news-events/...
FTC Reopens and Sets Aside Rytr Final Order in Response to the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan
Today, the Federal Trade Commission issued an order to reopen and set aside a 2024 final consent order involving Rytr LLC.
www.ftc.gov
December 22, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Captured FTC beclowns itself, eagerly lets lawbreaking AI company off the hook: www.ftc.gov/news-events/...
Looks like the Selective Service is planning to disclose (or already disclosing) personal data to unspecified agencies regarding 'potential violation[s]' of law—which in the present context may well include sending immigrants' records to DHS/ICE: public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23111.pdf
December 16, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Looks like the Selective Service is planning to disclose (or already disclosing) personal data to unspecified agencies regarding 'potential violation[s]' of law—which in the present context may well include sending immigrants' records to DHS/ICE: public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23111.pdf
Reposted by John Davisson
Big Tech firms have been complaining about the “patchwork” of state laws ever since Californians adopted their landmark privacy law in 2020, Alan Butler writes. Trump's AI executive order is thus an escalation of a fight that has been brewing for years.
The Preemption Fight Goes Far Beyond AI. States Must Persist. | TechPolicy.Press
Trump's AI executive order is an escalation of a fight that has been brewing for years, Alan Butler writes.
buff.ly
December 16, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Big Tech firms have been complaining about the “patchwork” of state laws ever since Californians adopted their landmark privacy law in 2020, Alan Butler writes. Trump's AI executive order is thus an escalation of a fight that has been brewing for years.
Reposted by John Davisson
Sauer saying something is unconstitutional because it "would be unconstitutional under Justice Scalia's dissent" is a remarkably cogent statement of the Roberts Court's approach to precedent.
December 8, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Sauer saying something is unconstitutional because it "would be unconstitutional under Justice Scalia's dissent" is a remarkably cogent statement of the Roberts Court's approach to precedent.
Reposted by John Davisson
Y'all, tmrw is a BIG DAY for civil rights and tech. @markey.senate.gov, @repyvetteclarke.bsky.social, @jayapal.house.gov, @pressley.house.gov, & @repsummerlee.bsky.social are introducing the AI Civil Rights Act: the new gold standard AI bill endorsed by 85+ civil society orgs. Pull up a chair.
1/n
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December 2, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Y'all, tmrw is a BIG DAY for civil rights and tech. @markey.senate.gov, @repyvetteclarke.bsky.social, @jayapal.house.gov, @pressley.house.gov, & @repsummerlee.bsky.social are introducing the AI Civil Rights Act: the new gold standard AI bill endorsed by 85+ civil society orgs. Pull up a chair.
1/n
1/n
Reposted by John Davisson
"a single person of this demographic may have committed a crime, therefore we must punish the entire demographic" is a policy response you may recognize from fascist governments dedicated to ethnic cleansing elsewhere.
November 27, 2025 at 5:52 AM
"a single person of this demographic may have committed a crime, therefore we must punish the entire demographic" is a policy response you may recognize from fascist governments dedicated to ethnic cleansing elsewhere.
The Senate phone records provision in last week's CR is egregiously self-serving, but there's a silver lining: Congress has officially valued invasions of privacy at $500,000 per violation (even without public disclosure). Quite a helpful benchmark! www.hollandlawfirm.com/invasion-of-...
Invasion of Privacy Claims | Holland Law Firm
Litigants may now consider a minimum of $500,000 as an objective measure of damages for invasion of privacy claims.
www.hollandlawfirm.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:39 PM
The Senate phone records provision in last week's CR is egregiously self-serving, but there's a silver lining: Congress has officially valued invasions of privacy at $500,000 per violation (even without public disclosure). Quite a helpful benchmark! www.hollandlawfirm.com/invasion-of-...
Honored for @epic.org to be among 40 consumer protection and privacy organizations supporting Commissioner Slaughter’s challenge to the President's unlawful attempt to fire her. The FTC’s independence has been critical over the years to protecting consumers and open markets. epic.org/press-releas...
PRESS RELEASE: EPIC joins 40 consumer protection and privacy groups in amicus brief challenging Trump’s attempted firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter
epic.org
November 13, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Honored for @epic.org to be among 40 consumer protection and privacy organizations supporting Commissioner Slaughter’s challenge to the President's unlawful attempt to fire her. The FTC’s independence has been critical over the years to protecting consumers and open markets. epic.org/press-releas...
Reposted by John Davisson
even when the democratic party has leverage and one of the craziest election swings the party intentionally self immolates it’s just so exhausting what is even the point of these people
November 10, 2025 at 2:43 AM
even when the democratic party has leverage and one of the craziest election swings the party intentionally self immolates it’s just so exhausting what is even the point of these people
Reposted by John Davisson
Remember when they said the reason they caved in March was so they could get a better deal in September lmao
November 10, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Remember when they said the reason they caved in March was so they could get a better deal in September lmao
Reposted by John Davisson
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
November 10, 2025 at 1:49 AM
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.