Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Fight for the Future

Meredith Whittaker @meredithmeredith.bsky.social · 2d

📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.

Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.

Signal @signal.org · 5d

We are alarmed by reports that Germany is on the verge of a catastrophic about-face, reversing its longstanding and principled opposition to the EU’s Chat Control proposal which, if passed, could spell the end of the right to privacy in Europe. signal.org/blog/pdfs/ge...

signal.org

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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 21h

I for one will defend Senator Blumenthal's first amendment rights even though he spends most of his time in office trying to take away mine

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Trump posts that Sen. Blumenthal “should be allowed to speak no longer”

Sanctimonious Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the biggest “joke” in the United States Senate, is at it again! “Dick” lied until the midpoint of his political career, convincing everyone, in particular the Fake News Media, that he was a great “War Hero” who lived on the precipice of death in the jungles of Vietnam. He would talk about his life in the military in almost every speech, in particular the death defying dangers he faced in his many years “fight for freedom” while in Vietnam. He stated that “the battles were violent and long, but there was no going back” - And then it happened, Blumenthal was found out to be a FRAUD. The soldiers in his so-called “platoon” came forward and said that they had no idea who this guy was. He was revealed, broke down and admitted, tears flowing from his eyes, that he LIED, a Whopper, one that lasted 20 year. This guy shouldn’t even be in the U.S. Senate. It should be investigated, and Justice should be sought. Right now there is a Congressman sitting in prison for lying about his past during a campaign. Well, those lies were nothing compared to those of Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the greatest phony in the history of the United States Senate. He should be allowed to speak no longer!

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Rudy wants revolution. @rude1.blacksky.team · 1d

I hear and see your concerns. Over the weekend, a couple users hosted on Blacksky's PDS were banned from the Bluesky app and thus the Bluesky API servers. This was a weakness of our system I've been aware of and hoped we had more time to address before any kind of public incident. 1/11

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 5h

@mediajustice.bsky.social did a deep dive on this - it’s definitely not a coincidence but Black + Brown communities are calling out decision makers + organizing against data center development all across the South 👏 mediajustice.org/resource/the...

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 2d

Speculative Friction has a cool series and they just spoke with our colleague, activist + author @liaholland.bsky.social, about challenging tech solutionism, navigating surveillance capitalism in the creative industry + more. Check it out!

speculativefriction.substack.com/p/the-journe...

The Journey Matters: resisting tech solutionism, building community, and rewriting narratives

A conversation with Lia Holland exploring how storytelling opens space for meaning, equity, and imagination

speculativefriction.substack.com

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 2d

CALIFORNIA folks: Local organizers with @aclucalaction.bsky.social @arocaction.bsky.social CAIR California + others are organizing a last push to defeat AB715, a bill that threatens local free speech and curriculum in schools.

Call @governor.ca.gov + oppose AB715:
action.aclu.org/petition/ca-...

Tell Newsom: Veto AB 715, Protect Free Speech

Protect free speech and academic freedom in public schools. Tell Governor Newsom to veto AB 715.

action.aclu.org

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 3d

I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’

I have been forced to move my classes online.

If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.

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Mike Stabile @mikestabile.bsky.social · 2d

Discord confirms that government IDs used for age-verification were compromised in a hack with a vendor.

Who could have predicted?

Oh, right.

Discord users suffer the first high-profile age-verification hack – and it's unlikely to be the last

Critics of age verification laws warned this was inevitable

www.tomsguide.com

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 2d

Tech Speedrun this week:
📱 TikTok sale
💰Amazon got hit with a $2.5B FTC fine
🛡️ Gavin Newsom helps to protect abortion seekers
📍 ICE bought new surveillance tech

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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 5d

🫡

How to Turn Off AI Tools Like Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Copilot, and More - Consumer Reports

AI features are crowding into Google search, Gmail, iPhones, Windows laptops, and other products. If you're suffering from AI overload, these settings can help.

www.consumerreports.org

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 4d

NEW: Our very own @liaholland.bsky.social digs in with @taylorlorenz.bsky.social about the political campaign against VPNs + how to fight back.

Not A TikTok @notatiktok.bsky.social · 5d

Excellent interview @taylorlorenz.bsky.social. VPNs are our last line of defense against internet censorship. It was only a matter of time before the censors come after us.

youtu.be/IoXafCNjl54?...

The Shocking Plan to Kill Online Privacy: A VPN Ban Will Break the Web

YouTube video by Taylor Lorenz

youtu.be

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The Movement Cooperative @themvmtcoop.bsky.social · 7d

Safety in organizing means more than showing up—it means protecting our data too. 📱✨

Step One: Turn Off Your Phone is a new Guide to Activist #DigitalSecurity hosted by @fightforthefuture.org, created by organizers to help communities stay safer against surveillance & risk.

🔗 buff.ly/0ShhpyW

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 5d

Did you know that Google is the backbone of Israel’s propaganda machine?
Google workers with @notechforapartheid.bsky.social are calling on us to spread the word and mass report Israeli propaganda ads hosted by Google & flooding Google’s internal reporting systems. Get the toolkit :t.ly/ads-toolkit

Black graphiuc with neon green text that reads: Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza, creating a catastrophic famine confirmed & declared "entirely man-made" by the IPC.

In the face of this atrocity, Google signed a $45 million contract with the Israeli apartheid regime to fuel propaganda that whitewashes its forced starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, the latest in Israel's genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people.

Google entered this deal with full knowledge of its purpose: to actively enable Israel's crimes against humanity by casting doubt on the starvation and suffering in Gaza.

in case you missed it

notechforapartheid.com/ads

TAKE ACTION:

notechforapartheid.com/ads

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 7d

Recent studies reveal how critical having access to supportive online communities can be for LGBTQ+ youth. This is exactly why we're fighting KOSA + online ID checks.

techcrunch.com/2025/09/25/l...

LGBTQ+ youth have worse mental health outcomes without access to safe online spaces, studies show | TechCrunch

These online communities have become more critical in a time LGBTQ+ rights are under attack in the U.S.

techcrunch.com

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 7d

Biden, Kristen Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, Mark Warner …Democrats didn’t listen to us years ago about how this could backfire 🤦🏽‍♀️

bsky.app/profile/figh...

Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 7d

When Tiktok becomes the same MAGA hellscape as X, remember you have the Democrats to thank despite Fight for the Future and many other civil liberty and free expression experts ringing the alarm about how the sale of Tiktok could backfire.

@evangreer.bsky.social

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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 8d

You can't fight authoritarianism with more authoritarianism.

You can't fight authoritarianism with more authoritarianism.

You can't fight authoritarianism with more authoritarianism.

You can't fight authoritarianism with more authoritarianism.

Unity against censorship and surveillance NOW.

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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 7d

OpenAI employees are very excited about how well their new AI tool can create fake videos of people doing crimes and have definitely thought through all the implications of this

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 7d

When Tiktok becomes the same MAGA hellscape as X, remember you have the Democrats to thank despite Fight for the Future and many other civil liberty and free expression experts ringing the alarm about how the sale of Tiktok could backfire.

@evangreer.bsky.social

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Reposted by Fight for the Future

Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 8d

New: ICE has bought a tool that tracks the locations of hundreds of millions of phones globally, updates every single day. Usually harvested from apps and advertising

www.404media.co/ice-to-buy-t...

ICE to Buy Tool that Tracks Locations of Hundreds of Millions of Phones Every Day

Documents show that ICE has gone back on its decision to not use location data remotely harvested from peoples' phones. The database is updated every day with billions of pieces of location data.

www.404media.co

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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 8d

SESTA/FOSTA backfired miserably.

The UK's age verification law backfired miserably.

The TikTok ban is backfiring miserably.

So of course @blumenthal.senate.gov has decided now is a great time to revive the terribly written Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) which will ... spoiler... backfire miserably

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Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 8d

Donald Trump basically announces that he is declaring war on anyone he deems a Democrat... and one of the leading Democratic Senators, @blumenthal.senate.gov thinks now is the best time for a bipartisan censorship bill that will let MAGA define what content is allowed on the internet.

WTF?

alpha @omarsbigsister.bsky.social · 8d

Are you kidding me right now? This is the last thing we need. KOSA is back no thanks to Senator Blumenthal who is working with the GOP and bringing in Republican Senators to convince the House to support it.

Please, CALL GOP House leadership and tell them to keep opposing it!

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Christopher R. Muscato @chrisrmuscato.bsky.social · 7d

Whelp…I’m at a bit of a loss- incredibly touched to see my antifascist nomadpunk story “A Charm to Keep the Evil Eye Away from Your Campervan; or, Roamin’ Rights” (from the Strange Horizons/ @fightforthefuture.org Stop Copaganda contest) selected for 2025!

Thank you very much, Maria, for reading.

Maria Haskins @mariahaskins.com · 8d

Strange Horizons turns 25 this year, which is pretty much an eternity in the world of spec fic zines, and I had the privilege of going through the archives for a special short fiction roundup: 2 x 25 Gems from Strange Horizons’ Archives

strangehorizons.com/wordpress/fi...

A Short Fiction Treasures Special: 2 x 25 Gems from Strange Horizons’ Archives

Going through the archives of Strange Horizons for this special column has been a bit like exploring a treasure chamber. I’ve picked fifty stories. I could have picked hundreds. Meaning: I left a l…

strangehorizons.com

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 8d

If you’re a #Google worker who wants to build a better world with your coworkers, get involved with @notechforapartheid.bsky.social at ✊ www.notechforapartheid.com

No Tech for Apartheid

www.notechforapartheid.com

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Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 8d

CALL TO ACTION: Google has a $45 million with contract w/ Netanyahu’s office to amplify propaganda + Google workers w/ our friends at @notechforapartheid.bsky.social implore the public: mass report Israeli propaganda ads 👇 notechforapartheid.com/ads

www.dropsitenews.com/p/google-you...

Google’s $45 Million Contract With Netanyahu's Office to Spread Israeli Propaganda

Google is in the middle of a six-month, $45 million contract to amplify propaganda with Netanyahu’s office. The contract describes Google as a “key entity” supporting the prime minister’s messaging.

www.dropsitenews.com

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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 8d

i wrote about this for CNN like 2 years ago. honestly this outcome is even worse than I could have imagined

When TikTok becomes X and bans all trans content and algorithmically amplifies nazi shit, the blame will be squarely at the feet of Biden and Senate Dems

www.cnn.com/2023/04/16/o...

Opinion: Banning TikTok isn’t just a bad idea. It’s a dangerous one | CNN

The US government is racing ahead with proposals aimed at banning TikTok, the viral video platform. Activist and writer Evan Greer says instead of outlawing TikTok, what officials should do to protect...

www.cnn.com

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