William Perrin
@willperrin.bsky.social
Trustee at Indigo Trust, CarnegieUK. Formerly Good Things Foundation, TPW, UK Civil Service (No10, Cabinet Office, DtI, DCMS). Defence, tech, online safety, rural, tractors, cats etc.
Reposted by William Perrin
"Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, approved allowing minors to access artificial intelligence chatbot companions that safety staffers warned were capable of sexual interactions, according to internal Meta documents filed in a New Mexico state court case and made public on Monday."
Meta allowed minors access to sex-talking chatbots despite staff concerns, lawsuit alleges
Filing by New Mexico’s attorney general includes Meta staff emails objecting to AI companion policy
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
"Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, approved allowing minors to access artificial intelligence chatbot companions that safety staffers warned were capable of sexual interactions, according to internal Meta documents filed in a New Mexico state court case and made public on Monday."
Reposted by William Perrin
This is the polling trend for Denmark’s upcoming election with the left-leaning bloc in red and the right in blue.
Notice anything happening recently around the time Trump began increasingly threatening Greenland?
Notice anything happening recently around the time Trump began increasingly threatening Greenland?
January 28, 2026 at 1:04 PM
This is the polling trend for Denmark’s upcoming election with the left-leaning bloc in red and the right in blue.
Notice anything happening recently around the time Trump began increasingly threatening Greenland?
Notice anything happening recently around the time Trump began increasingly threatening Greenland?
Classic Tractor day!
January 28, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Classic Tractor day!
Reposted by William Perrin
One of the great tragedies of AI and science is that the proliferation of garbage papers and journals is creating pressure to return to more closed systems based on interpersonal connections and established prestige hierarchies that had only recently been opened up somewhat to greater diversity.
We’re getting so many journal submissions from people who think ‘it kinda works’ is the standard to aim for.
1. The thing about science that these jokers don't understand is that science cannot be vibe-coded.
Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.
Whatever its flaws, the point with vibe coding is that you're trying to quickly make something that sorta works, where you can immediately sorta see if it sorta works and then sorta use it.
January 28, 2026 at 7:47 AM
One of the great tragedies of AI and science is that the proliferation of garbage papers and journals is creating pressure to return to more closed systems based on interpersonal connections and established prestige hierarchies that had only recently been opened up somewhat to greater diversity.
Reposted by William Perrin
EXCLUSIVE: Relying on foreign tech "can be weaponized against us," the European Commission's tech czar Henna Virkkunen told us in an interview at our #EUdigitalRace event today.
Read the full story: www.politico.eu/article/henn...
Read the full story: www.politico.eu/article/henn...
January 27, 2026 at 6:29 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Relying on foreign tech "can be weaponized against us," the European Commission's tech czar Henna Virkkunen told us in an interview at our #EUdigitalRace event today.
Read the full story: www.politico.eu/article/henn...
Read the full story: www.politico.eu/article/henn...
Reposted by William Perrin
If Democrats haven't announced their proposal for the Donald Trump No Guns in Public bill by the end of the day, they're missing an easy shot
Trump: "With that being said, you can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns. You just can't. You can't walk in with guns. You can't do that. But it's just a very unfortunate incident."
January 27, 2026 at 6:06 PM
If Democrats haven't announced their proposal for the Donald Trump No Guns in Public bill by the end of the day, they're missing an easy shot
Reposted by William Perrin
We finally got gun-control.
Trump: "With that being said, you can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns. You just can't. You can't walk in with guns. You can't do that. But it's just a very unfortunate incident."
January 27, 2026 at 5:47 PM
We finally got gun-control.
Reposted by William Perrin
In 2018, as part of our BBC oral history project at @sussex.ac.uk my colleague Alban Webb went to India to interview Mark Tully about his life and career.
And all 2 1/2 hours of it is free to watch here:
connectedhistoriesofthebbc.org/play/?id=413
And all 2 1/2 hours of it is free to watch here:
connectedhistoriesofthebbc.org/play/?id=413
January 27, 2026 at 11:05 AM
In 2018, as part of our BBC oral history project at @sussex.ac.uk my colleague Alban Webb went to India to interview Mark Tully about his life and career.
And all 2 1/2 hours of it is free to watch here:
connectedhistoriesofthebbc.org/play/?id=413
And all 2 1/2 hours of it is free to watch here:
connectedhistoriesofthebbc.org/play/?id=413
Reposted by William Perrin
What was that thing JD Vance said about free speech in Europe?
Micro nazi from the land of formerly free speech, Bovino says if you call federal agents “kidnappers” or “Gestapo,” there will be “consequences.”
January 26, 2026 at 8:52 PM
What was that thing JD Vance said about free speech in Europe?
Reposted by William Perrin
The @usdot.bsky.social, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer. “We want good enough.”
Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence
The Transportation Department, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer....
www.propublica.org
January 26, 2026 at 5:16 PM
The @usdot.bsky.social, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer. “We want good enough.”
Reposted by William Perrin
Also, it's totally within the realm of possibility that TikTok is suppressing certain videos, but it's also just as likely (more likely actually) that it's just standard every day moderation impossibility and mistakes. People are always too quick to see conspiracies in moderation decisions.
Setting aside the fact that Murphy helped pass the bill that handed TikTok to Trump allies, I really don't think anyone should be citing that David Leavitt account for anything. Dude's bad news.
I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list.
January 26, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Also, it's totally within the realm of possibility that TikTok is suppressing certain videos, but it's also just as likely (more likely actually) that it's just standard every day moderation impossibility and mistakes. People are always too quick to see conspiracies in moderation decisions.
Reposted by William Perrin
All those rumours about Ceaucescu's virility were planted by the Securitate
January 26, 2026 at 6:02 PM
All those rumours about Ceaucescu's virility were planted by the Securitate
Reposted by William Perrin
first the internet got me to side with Michael O'Leary in his spat with Musk, now this.
end times.
end times.
Sepp Blatter suggests fans should not travel to US for World Cup
Sepp Blatter suggests fans should not travel to US for World Cup
*
Ex-Fifa boss shows support for boycott calls
*
Security concerns over tournament have risen
Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter on Monday suggested he supports fans boycotting World Cup matches in the United States this year due to security concerns.
Blatter gave his support to comments from Swiss anti-corruption lawyer Mark Pieth, who worked with Fifa on potential reforms when Blatter was president, saying fans should stay away from the US for the tournament. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:36 PM
first the internet got me to side with Michael O'Leary in his spat with Musk, now this.
end times.
end times.
Reposted by William Perrin
X's AI tool Grok reportedly produced 3 million sexual deepfakes in 11 days - today the Commission reacted and opened another formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act.
Here is what the investigation is about ⬇️🧵
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Here is what the investigation is about ⬇️🧵
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 1:50 PM
X's AI tool Grok reportedly produced 3 million sexual deepfakes in 11 days - today the Commission reacted and opened another formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act.
Here is what the investigation is about ⬇️🧵
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Here is what the investigation is about ⬇️🧵
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Reposted by William Perrin
NEW: As the EU starts investigating Grok over sexualized images, the harmful "nudify" ecosystem that targets women is getting even more dangerous.
A review of 50+ deepfake sites shows they nearly all offer image-to-video generators, producing highly explicit outputs. One offers 60+ sexual scenarios
A review of 50+ deepfake sites shows they nearly all offer image-to-video generators, producing highly explicit outputs. One offers 60+ sexual scenarios
Deepfake ‘Nudify’ Technology Is Getting Darker—and More Dangerous
Sexual deepfakes continue to get more sophisticated, capable, easy to access, and perilous for millions of women who are abused with the technology.
www.wired.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:20 PM
NEW: As the EU starts investigating Grok over sexualized images, the harmful "nudify" ecosystem that targets women is getting even more dangerous.
A review of 50+ deepfake sites shows they nearly all offer image-to-video generators, producing highly explicit outputs. One offers 60+ sexual scenarios
A review of 50+ deepfake sites shows they nearly all offer image-to-video generators, producing highly explicit outputs. One offers 60+ sexual scenarios
Reposted by William Perrin
a Ship of Feceus, if you will
It's the Ship of Theseus but all the original parts are being used to build a second, crappier ship.
Ex-Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK
The MP was unveiled as the party's latest recruit by leader Nigel Farage at a rally.
www.bbc.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:06 PM
a Ship of Feceus, if you will
Reposted by William Perrin
I keep reading that Labour mps are in open revolt. Has anyone resigned from anything? Anyone said publicly that Starmer should stand down? Or are the breathless commentators getting ahead of themselves?
January 26, 2026 at 12:01 PM
I keep reading that Labour mps are in open revolt. Has anyone resigned from anything? Anyone said publicly that Starmer should stand down? Or are the breathless commentators getting ahead of themselves?
Reposted by William Perrin
Oxfordshire County Council is leaving X, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter. It says it is “deeply concerned about the rise in online hate speech and abuse targeting women and girls… we must make clear and principled choices about how we communicate”.
January 26, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Oxfordshire County Council is leaving X, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter. It says it is “deeply concerned about the rise in online hate speech and abuse targeting women and girls… we must make clear and principled choices about how we communicate”.
Reposted by William Perrin
Breaking news: The EU has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s xAI following a public outcry over how its Grok chatbot spread sexualised images of women and children. ft.trib.al/vo4sV5z
January 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM
Breaking news: The EU has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s xAI following a public outcry over how its Grok chatbot spread sexualised images of women and children. ft.trib.al/vo4sV5z
Reposted by William Perrin
Confirmed - EU Commission opens investigation into X as regards Grok nudifications - and also widens its earlier investigation into X to include recommender systems - ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Background in context of the previous fine against X here: eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
Background in context of the previous fine against X here: eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
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 11:07 AM
Confirmed - EU Commission opens investigation into X as regards Grok nudifications - and also widens its earlier investigation into X to include recommender systems - ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Background in context of the previous fine against X here: eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
Background in context of the previous fine against X here: eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...
Reposted by William Perrin
My generation grew up on stories about how state TV would deliver clumsy propaganda for dictatorships, we’re just not ready for the way private capital in a market system can do exactly the same job much more effectively
#TikTok has begun censoring anti-Trump and anti-Ice content
January 26, 2026 at 9:10 AM
My generation grew up on stories about how state TV would deliver clumsy propaganda for dictatorships, we’re just not ready for the way private capital in a market system can do exactly the same job much more effectively
Reposted by William Perrin
Another reason I wish Prince were still around
It's easy to dismiss musicians and sportspeople condemning what is going on in Minneapolis and other American cities, but culture and entertainment are crucial channels by which anti-ICE and anti-Trump messages reach the 'average' voter who is not paying a lot of attention.
January 25, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Another reason I wish Prince were still around
Reposted by William Perrin
ICYMI - the first of our papers on Global Disorder were published this week. Circa 4000 words they get properly under the skin of an issue but are accessible for a general reader. The first two papers look at the past, present and future of the global dollar system
‘The more that other countries look to escape US financial coercion, the more the US will scale it up… The global dollar system may now be a source of instability rather than stability.’ Our new paper by
@dsquareddigest.bsky.social & @himself.bsky.social
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/60...
@dsquareddigest.bsky.social & @himself.bsky.social
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/60...
January 25, 2026 at 8:42 PM
ICYMI - the first of our papers on Global Disorder were published this week. Circa 4000 words they get properly under the skin of an issue but are accessible for a general reader. The first two papers look at the past, present and future of the global dollar system
Reposted by William Perrin
I describe moral-epistemic stacks as a way to understand how these different systems organise themselves around the moral and epistemic values, so we need to understand our response in those same terms.
bsky.app/profile/elio...
bsky.app/profile/elio...
The seven layers are:
Moral Source: where authority comes from.
Epistemic Posture: how certainty and error are treated.
Verification Logic: what counts as evidence.
Deliberative Logic: how disagreement is bounded.
Accountability Direction: where consequences flow.
(cont)
Moral Source: where authority comes from.
Epistemic Posture: how certainty and error are treated.
Verification Logic: what counts as evidence.
Deliberative Logic: how disagreement is bounded.
Accountability Direction: where consequences flow.
(cont)
January 25, 2026 at 10:11 AM
I describe moral-epistemic stacks as a way to understand how these different systems organise themselves around the moral and epistemic values, so we need to understand our response in those same terms.
bsky.app/profile/elio...
bsky.app/profile/elio...
Reposted by William Perrin
If we truly believe functional forms of verification, deliberation, and accountability are fundamental to healthy democracies, then we need to compete with those systems in the same spaces.
January 25, 2026 at 10:08 AM
If we truly believe functional forms of verification, deliberation, and accountability are fundamental to healthy democracies, then we need to compete with those systems in the same spaces.