Justin Brookman
@justinbrookman.bsky.social
tech policy for Consumer Reports
Reposted by Justin Brookman
“Meta is one of the largest publishers in the world and has a responsibility to protect its users from scams, yet it continually chooses to prioritize profits instead of protecting its users,” said Justin Brookman, director of tech policy at CR.
Consumer Reports calls on the FTC and state attorneys general to take action against Meta for its failure to mitigate harmful scam advertisements - CR Advocacy
Washington, DC – Consumer Reports is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general across the country to take enforcement action against…
advocacy.consumerreports.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:30 PM
“Meta is one of the largest publishers in the world and has a responsibility to protect its users from scams, yet it continually chooses to prioritize profits instead of protecting its users,” said Justin Brookman, director of tech policy at CR.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
I wrote a story in 2014 about a digital payments startup called Clinkle. At the time, a source provided me with photo of Clinkle CEO Lucas Duplan burning (fake) money with Richard Branson. It became a metaphor after Clinkle crashed.
Now Duplan filed a DMCA takedown to get it removed from Google.
Now Duplan filed a DMCA takedown to get it removed from Google.
June 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I wrote a story in 2014 about a digital payments startup called Clinkle. At the time, a source provided me with photo of Clinkle CEO Lucas Duplan burning (fake) money with Richard Branson. It became a metaphor after Clinkle crashed.
Now Duplan filed a DMCA takedown to get it removed from Google.
Now Duplan filed a DMCA takedown to get it removed from Google.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Whoever at the CA bar was responsible for this should be fired immediately.
April 23, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Whoever at the CA bar was responsible for this should be fired immediately.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
French scientist denied US entry after officers find phone messages criticizing Trump
French scientist denied US entry after officers find phone messages criticizing Trump
France’s research minister said the scientist was traveling to Houston for a conference when his phone was searched
France’s research minister said a French scientist was denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport searched…
www.theguardian.com
March 19, 2025 at 10:03 PM
French scientist denied US entry after officers find phone messages criticizing Trump
I have seen several people argue that Trump has the constitutional right to fire minority commissioners at will (dubious, but I get the argument).
Has anyone serious argued that firing Slaughter and Bedoya is good governance or will make the FTC more effective?
Has anyone serious argued that firing Slaughter and Bedoya is good governance or will make the FTC more effective?
March 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I have seen several people argue that Trump has the constitutional right to fire minority commissioners at will (dubious, but I get the argument).
Has anyone serious argued that firing Slaughter and Bedoya is good governance or will make the FTC more effective?
Has anyone serious argued that firing Slaughter and Bedoya is good governance or will make the FTC more effective?
Reposted by Justin Brookman
WaPo's Ron Charles, in his Book Club newsletter, on Meta's repeated questions about his plans to review Sarah Wynn-Williams's "Careless People":
"In my 27 years of reviewing and editing newspaper books sections, no company has ever done this with me."
"In my 27 years of reviewing and editing newspaper books sections, no company has ever done this with me."
March 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
WaPo's Ron Charles, in his Book Club newsletter, on Meta's repeated questions about his plans to review Sarah Wynn-Williams's "Careless People":
"In my 27 years of reviewing and editing newspaper books sections, no company has ever done this with me."
"In my 27 years of reviewing and editing newspaper books sections, no company has ever done this with me."
Reposted by Justin Brookman
The CR's effect on DC is a five alarm fire.
By treating the DC as a federal agency & compelling the city to return to 2024 spending,
Congress is mandating that DC cut its budget--*its own tax dollars*--by almost 20%.
None of this $ will be refunded to the fed gov; it was never theirs.
By treating the DC as a federal agency & compelling the city to return to 2024 spending,
Congress is mandating that DC cut its budget--*its own tax dollars*--by almost 20%.
None of this $ will be refunded to the fed gov; it was never theirs.
March 12, 2025 at 1:16 PM
The CR's effect on DC is a five alarm fire.
By treating the DC as a federal agency & compelling the city to return to 2024 spending,
Congress is mandating that DC cut its budget--*its own tax dollars*--by almost 20%.
None of this $ will be refunded to the fed gov; it was never theirs.
By treating the DC as a federal agency & compelling the city to return to 2024 spending,
Congress is mandating that DC cut its budget--*its own tax dollars*--by almost 20%.
None of this $ will be refunded to the fed gov; it was never theirs.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
After HP bought Humane AI's assets to salvage the failed company, it left consumers in the lurch. So @justinbrookman.bsky.social and I wrote about how the FTC should crack down on companies that avoid responsibility for their failed connected devices by structuring deals as asset sales.
Should Humane’s Asset Sale Orphan an IoT Device? - Innovation at Consumer Reports
The Humane AI pin turns to e-waste, yet another example of the tech industry selling a connected device without any plans of keeping it functional long-term
innovation.consumerreports.org
February 27, 2025 at 8:47 PM
After HP bought Humane AI's assets to salvage the failed company, it left consumers in the lurch. So @justinbrookman.bsky.social and I wrote about how the FTC should crack down on companies that avoid responsibility for their failed connected devices by structuring deals as asset sales.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing that his office has sued General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar for deceiving Arkansans and selling data collected through OnStar to third parties, who then sold the data to insurance companies.
February 26, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing that his office has sued General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar for deceiving Arkansans and selling data collected through OnStar to third parties, who then sold the data to insurance companies.
WOW. The Future of Privacy Forum gets bullied into abandoning their role as convenor of state legislators discussing AI policy. fpf.org/blog/future-...
FPF Convenes Over 200 State Lawmakers in AI Policy Working Group Focused on 2025 Legislative Sessions
In the lead-up to the 2025 legislative session, FPF is excited to convene the expanded Multistate AI Policymaker Working Group (MAP-WG)—a bipartisan coalition of over 200 state lawmakers from more tha...
fpf.org
February 25, 2025 at 8:04 PM
WOW. The Future of Privacy Forum gets bullied into abandoning their role as convenor of state legislators discussing AI policy. fpf.org/blog/future-...
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Wow: City of Clarksdale, Mississippi got a court order yesterday directing a newspaper to delete an editorial criticizing city officials -- without a hearing. Here's the TRO issuing the prior restraint:
February 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Wow: City of Clarksdale, Mississippi got a court order yesterday directing a newspaper to delete an editorial criticizing city officials -- without a hearing. Here's the TRO issuing the prior restraint:
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Without these employees, I doubt already approved ARPA-H projects will be seeing their grant funding anytime soon. These are ambitious, billion dollar projects to tackle disease and cancer. This amounts to theft of taxpayer dollars. Not to mention the loss of institutional knowledge. 🧪
I am hearing that about 1/2 of the ARPA-H staff were probationary and are being let go. Many of these folks are long-time NIHers who were promoted into new positions in ARPA-H and became probationary in these new positions despite many years of NIH service.
February 14, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Without these employees, I doubt already approved ARPA-H projects will be seeing their grant funding anytime soon. These are ambitious, billion dollar projects to tackle disease and cancer. This amounts to theft of taxpayer dollars. Not to mention the loss of institutional knowledge. 🧪
Newsom vetoed this bill last year after it had passed the legislature by wide margins. But given Apple's and Google's continued refusal to make these tools available to their user base, it's great to see this bill coming back.
@asmlowenthal.bsky.social has introduced AB 566, sponsored by the CPPA. It requires browsers and mobile operating systems to give users the tools to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal info in one step with opt-out preference signals. Read more: cppa.ca.gov/announcement...
February 13, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Newsom vetoed this bill last year after it had passed the legislature by wide margins. But given Apple's and Google's continued refusal to make these tools available to their user base, it's great to see this bill coming back.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
@asmlowenthal.bsky.social has introduced AB 566, sponsored by the CPPA. It requires browsers and mobile operating systems to give users the tools to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal info in one step with opt-out preference signals. Read more: cppa.ca.gov/announcement...
February 13, 2025 at 7:45 PM
@asmlowenthal.bsky.social has introduced AB 566, sponsored by the CPPA. It requires browsers and mobile operating systems to give users the tools to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal info in one step with opt-out preference signals. Read more: cppa.ca.gov/announcement...
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Clerked for Justice Scalia, member of the Federalist Society, picked by Trump administration last month
Danielle R. Sassoon, Manhattan’s acting U.S. attorney, resigned on Thursday rather than obey a Justice Department order that she drop a corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, that she had championed, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
Manhattan’s Federal Prosecutor Quits After Adams Case Is Ordered Dropped (Gift Article)
Danielle R. Sassoon, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, quit after the Justice Department told her to withdraw corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams.
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Clerked for Justice Scalia, member of the Federalist Society, picked by Trump administration last month
Reposted by Justin Brookman
One of the many CFPB rules that it's not currently defending in court is the open banking rule, which allows people to easily move their money. The Bank Policy Institute sued to block it. CFPB is standing down.
So today, the Financial Technology Association—the fintech lobby—intervened in the suit.
So today, the Financial Technology Association—the fintech lobby—intervened in the suit.
Fintechs Move to Defend CFPB Open Banking Rule as Agency Recedes
A trade group representing financial technology companies is moving to defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s open banking rule against a lawsuit from big banks while the agency’s litigatio...
news.bloomberglaw.com
February 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
One of the many CFPB rules that it's not currently defending in court is the open banking rule, which allows people to easily move their money. The Bank Policy Institute sued to block it. CFPB is standing down.
So today, the Financial Technology Association—the fintech lobby—intervened in the suit.
So today, the Financial Technology Association—the fintech lobby—intervened in the suit.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Trump picked Jonathan McKernan, who resigned on Monday from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board, to lead the consumer bureau, replacing Biden appointee Rohit Chopra, an aggressive regulator who he ousted last month. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
Trump taps bank, Wall Street regulators for top posts
The moves come as Trump and his allies push for a drastic makeover of the financial regulatory system.
www.politico.com
February 12, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Trump picked Jonathan McKernan, who resigned on Monday from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. board, to lead the consumer bureau, replacing Biden appointee Rohit Chopra, an aggressive regulator who he ousted last month. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
Reposted by Justin Brookman
gritty has seized control of the federal government
February 10, 2025 at 3:31 AM
gritty has seized control of the federal government
Reposted by Justin Brookman
It's important to keep emphasizing that what Musk proposes in this tweet is illegal. Congress created the CFPB, just as it created USAID, the DOE, etc. Neither the President nor a billionaire can dissolve them by fiat. Doing so is a violation of the law and the President's constitutional duties.
Guy wanting to make payment app knifing agency that regulates payment apps
prospect.org/economy/2025...
prospect.org/economy/2025...
February 7, 2025 at 10:47 PM
It's important to keep emphasizing that what Musk proposes in this tweet is illegal. Congress created the CFPB, just as it created USAID, the DOE, etc. Neither the President nor a billionaire can dissolve them by fiat. Doing so is a violation of the law and the President's constitutional duties.
Reposted by Justin Brookman
Today is my birthday, AND the galleys for my book came. I am told that Barnes and Noble is having a sale and A Physical Education is 25% off thru tomorrow with code PREORDER25. Here we are sharing a tender moment www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-physical...
February 7, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Today is my birthday, AND the galleys for my book came. I am told that Barnes and Noble is having a sale and A Physical Education is 25% off thru tomorrow with code PREORDER25. Here we are sharing a tender moment www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-physical...
Reposted by Justin Brookman
new insane tech job listing just dropped
February 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
new insane tech job listing just dropped
Reposted by Justin Brookman
If you wanted no leaks you should have gone into Settings -> Security -> Configure privacy & security -> Privacy options -> Other -> Configure -> Media interface and clicked “Disallow.”
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
"Everything I say leaks," Zuckerberg says in leaked meeting audio. "It sucks"
www.404media.co/zuckerberg-s...
www.404media.co/zuckerberg-s...
Zuckerberg Says 'Everything I Say Leaks' in Leaked Meeting Audio
"There are a bunch of things that I think are value-destroying for me to talk about, so I’m not going to talk about those."
www.404media.co
January 30, 2025 at 10:07 PM
If you wanted no leaks you should have gone into Settings -> Security -> Configure privacy & security -> Privacy options -> Other -> Configure -> Media interface and clicked “Disallow.”
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out
The Leak setting is on by default but we understand your privacy is important so we’ve made it easy to opt out