Dr. Lex Zard
@lexzard.bsky.social
Online Ads Policy
Policy Director @ CheckMyAds
Opinions my own
Georgian, European, Dr.
Aleksandre Zardiashvili
Policy Director @ CheckMyAds
Opinions my own
Georgian, European, Dr.
Aleksandre Zardiashvili
Pinned
🇪🇺 🔥 Paper 🔥 🇪🇺
We can talk of AI, cloud, and chips, but the most imminent problem the EU faces is surveillance capitalism, at root of which are user agents making the Internet lawless - information ozone hole. We must fix this first!
👉 tinyurl.com/rvrknh94
#digitalsovereignty #eurostack #omnibus
We can talk of AI, cloud, and chips, but the most imminent problem the EU faces is surveillance capitalism, at root of which are user agents making the Internet lawless - information ozone hole. We must fix this first!
👉 tinyurl.com/rvrknh94
#digitalsovereignty #eurostack #omnibus
Its crazy that after all this people still don't understand that the Big Tech gave mandate to Trump to dissolve the EU. Thats his primary goal in international relations. Not joking.
December 7, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Its crazy that after all this people still don't understand that the Big Tech gave mandate to Trump to dissolve the EU. Thats his primary goal in international relations. Not joking.
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
"We are at war. In a hybrid conflict, the frontline is everywhere and everyone is on it." — @stollmeyer.bsky.social
December 4, 2025 at 5:58 PM
"We are at war. In a hybrid conflict, the frontline is everywhere and everyone is on it." — @stollmeyer.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
OTD in 1975 Hannah Arendt died.
"The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact & fiction and the distinction between true & false no longer exist".
"The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact & fiction and the distinction between true & false no longer exist".
December 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
OTD in 1975 Hannah Arendt died.
"The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact & fiction and the distinction between true & false no longer exist".
"The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact & fiction and the distinction between true & false no longer exist".
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
Translating the CJEU judgment in Amazon vs EC on art.40 DSA: (1) giving vetted researchers data isn’t a disproportionate privacy intrusion; (2) compliance may be costly but you can bear it; (3) if you have a better way to study systemic risks, we haven’t heard it. curia.europa.eu/juris/docume...
November 25, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Translating the CJEU judgment in Amazon vs EC on art.40 DSA: (1) giving vetted researchers data isn’t a disproportionate privacy intrusion; (2) compliance may be costly but you can bear it; (3) if you have a better way to study systemic risks, we haven’t heard it. curia.europa.eu/juris/docume...
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
The European digital rule-book is not up for negotiation.
We, Europeans, have adopted our rules to ensure fair markets and to protect consumers rights while backing Europe’s digital future.
It’s our duty to preserve our values and to defend our people. 🇪🇺
We, Europeans, have adopted our rules to ensure fair markets and to protect consumers rights while backing Europe’s digital future.
It’s our duty to preserve our values and to defend our people. 🇪🇺
November 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The European digital rule-book is not up for negotiation.
We, Europeans, have adopted our rules to ensure fair markets and to protect consumers rights while backing Europe’s digital future.
It’s our duty to preserve our values and to defend our people. 🇪🇺
We, Europeans, have adopted our rules to ensure fair markets and to protect consumers rights while backing Europe’s digital future.
It’s our duty to preserve our values and to defend our people. 🇪🇺
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
The reason why platform companies do make it hard to find account location information is not because they believe in privacy, it's so that advertisers do not know how much is lost to low-tier engagement.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The reason why platform companies do make it hard to find account location information is not because they believe in privacy, it's so that advertisers do not know how much is lost to low-tier engagement.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
Growth, at all costs, means avoiding publishing basic metadata so that advertisers don't sue.
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
I asked grok who was the better role model for humanity, Jesus Christ or Elon Musk. GUESS WHAT.
November 20, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I asked grok who was the better role model for humanity, Jesus Christ or Elon Musk. GUESS WHAT.
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
"In Spain, the law stands above any algorithm or big tech company. And whoever violates our rights will face the consequences,” he added."
Spain probes Meta over privacy abuse of ‘millions’ of Android users
Spain probes Meta over privacy abuse of ‘millions’ of Android users
Researchers say Meta’s tracking tech bypassed protections, prompting Congress hearing
dlvr.it
November 19, 2025 at 3:12 PM
"In Spain, the law stands above any algorithm or big tech company. And whoever violates our rights will face the consequences,” he added."
Spain punishes Meta for dispossessing Spanish consumers, and news media publishers with anticompetitive behaviour.
www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2...
www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2...
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta is hit with €479m compensation bill for unfair competition in Spain - Olive Press News Spain
TECH company Meta has been ordered to pay €479 million to Spanish digital media outlets for unfair competition practices and infringement of EU data
www.theolivepress.es
November 20, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Spain punishes Meta for dispossessing Spanish consumers, and news media publishers with anticompetitive behaviour.
www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2...
www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2...
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
A teddy bear equipped with AI was meant to be a child’s chat companion, but it eagerly jumped into topics like BDSM and “where to find knives.” The manufacturer stopped sales and cut off access. AI toys need strict filters, testing, and oversight or ot ends in a plush sewer. #AIact #GDPR
November 20, 2025 at 9:52 AM
🇪🇺 🔥 Paper 🔥 🇪🇺
We can talk of AI, cloud, and chips, but the most imminent problem the EU faces is surveillance capitalism, at root of which are user agents making the Internet lawless - information ozone hole. We must fix this first!
👉 tinyurl.com/rvrknh94
#digitalsovereignty #eurostack #omnibus
We can talk of AI, cloud, and chips, but the most imminent problem the EU faces is surveillance capitalism, at root of which are user agents making the Internet lawless - information ozone hole. We must fix this first!
👉 tinyurl.com/rvrknh94
#digitalsovereignty #eurostack #omnibus
November 19, 2025 at 7:53 AM
🇪🇺 🔥 Paper 🔥 🇪🇺
We can talk of AI, cloud, and chips, but the most imminent problem the EU faces is surveillance capitalism, at root of which are user agents making the Internet lawless - information ozone hole. We must fix this first!
👉 tinyurl.com/rvrknh94
#digitalsovereignty #eurostack #omnibus
We can talk of AI, cloud, and chips, but the most imminent problem the EU faces is surveillance capitalism, at root of which are user agents making the Internet lawless - information ozone hole. We must fix this first!
👉 tinyurl.com/rvrknh94
#digitalsovereignty #eurostack #omnibus
An old barber in Georgia asked me today if I regretted moving to the Netherlands 8 years ago, now that Europe is falling. "Twilight of Europe", he said, patronising me. It is so sad to see people brainwashed like that by all the crap in the media.
November 4, 2025 at 7:48 PM
An old barber in Georgia asked me today if I regretted moving to the Netherlands 8 years ago, now that Europe is falling. "Twilight of Europe", he said, patronising me. It is so sad to see people brainwashed like that by all the crap in the media.
There is no way this can pass the DSA test. The DSA must be enforced, fast. This information violence can not continue. I wrote a bit about Elon's agenda here: www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr...
October 31, 2025 at 2:22 PM
There is no way this can pass the DSA test. The DSA must be enforced, fast. This information violence can not continue. I wrote a bit about Elon's agenda here: www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr...
Made it to Georgia, where disinformation is only information. There is no agreement on facts, no shared reality, and no trust on social institutions. This information armageddon (@mariaressa.bsky.social) is coming to the whole world unless we win the battle for information integrity.
October 28, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Made it to Georgia, where disinformation is only information. There is no agreement on facts, no shared reality, and no trust on social institutions. This information armageddon (@mariaressa.bsky.social) is coming to the whole world unless we win the battle for information integrity.
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
"Big tech know that they're stoking a bubble that will end in a crash. They are not concerned. The crash will wipe out smaller rivals and weaken the governments that they want to control." — @moonalice.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:10 PM
"Big tech know that they're stoking a bubble that will end in a crash. They are not concerned. The crash will wipe out smaller rivals and weaken the governments that they want to control." — @moonalice.com
So difficult to watch. If we believe Meta's spokesperson, EU has green lighted their AI training practices, personalized ads, and no-one in industry has a problem with them using AI in ads. Cringe.
Is Europe overregulating AI? | DW Business
YouTube video by DW News
youtu.be
July 19, 2025 at 10:43 AM
So difficult to watch. If we believe Meta's spokesperson, EU has green lighted their AI training practices, personalized ads, and no-one in industry has a problem with them using AI in ads. Cringe.
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
Brazil developed a highly popular electronic payments system called Pix. Meta tried to undercut it by shipping WhatsApp Pay first, hoping to ride on network effects, to which the Brazilians (rightly) said "no."
Now Trump is trying to retaliate.
economia.uol.com.br/colunas/mari...
Now Trump is trying to retaliate.
economia.uol.com.br/colunas/mari...
economia.uol.com.br
July 17, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Brazil developed a highly popular electronic payments system called Pix. Meta tried to undercut it by shipping WhatsApp Pay first, hoping to ride on network effects, to which the Brazilians (rightly) said "no."
Now Trump is trying to retaliate.
economia.uol.com.br/colunas/mari...
Now Trump is trying to retaliate.
economia.uol.com.br/colunas/mari...
This. Except I would say Thiel is more dangerous.
Any further questions about #Palantir? Meanwhile Europeans are sleepwalking into the next disastrous digital dependency. Thiel is like Musk, just less noisy.
June 7, 2025 at 9:03 PM
This. Except I would say Thiel is more dangerous.
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
"Y Combinator, one of the world’s most prolific startup accelerators, sent a letter on Wednesday urging the Trump administration to openly support Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a wide-ranging piece of legislation that aims to crack open Big Tech’s market power." techcrunch.com/2025/03/13/y...
Y Combinator urges the White House to support Europe's Digital Markets Act | TechCrunch
YC sent a letter on Wednesday urging the Trump Administration to support Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
techcrunch.com
March 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
"Y Combinator, one of the world’s most prolific startup accelerators, sent a letter on Wednesday urging the Trump administration to openly support Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a wide-ranging piece of legislation that aims to crack open Big Tech’s market power." techcrunch.com/2025/03/13/y...
I'll be in Canada for the next three months. If anyone nearby, let's catch up!
A warm welcome to Balsillie Scholar, Lex Zard (@lexzard.bsky.social)! Lex will explore governance frameworks for fair interest balancing in browser-based online advertising, an alternative to cross-site surveillance.
March 7, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I'll be in Canada for the next three months. If anyone nearby, let's catch up!
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
A big tech executive should not be running the UK's competition authority, or CMA. We joined civil society partners, small and mid-sized tech companies, trade groups and more in a letter to the government👇 www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
February 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
A big tech executive should not be running the UK's competition authority, or CMA. We joined civil society partners, small and mid-sized tech companies, trade groups and more in a letter to the government👇 www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
Read the brilliant @daniellecitron.bsky.social on DOGE access to Treasury systems www.lawfaremedia.org/article/doge...
DOGE Betrays Foundational Commitments of the Privacy Act of 1974
Musk’s attempts to gain access to agency databases is an egregious violation of the Act, which protects personal information from abuse.
www.lawfaremedia.org
February 7, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Read the brilliant @daniellecitron.bsky.social on DOGE access to Treasury systems www.lawfaremedia.org/article/doge...
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
Democracy needs rules and Elon Musk is breaking every one of the in Europe. On purpose. The European Commission can stop him and make sure that every vote and every voice counts. #DSA @hennavirkkunen.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Europe’s Elon Musk Problem
He and other tech oligarchs are making it impossible to conduct free and fair elections anywhere.
www.theatlantic.com
January 27, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Democracy needs rules and Elon Musk is breaking every one of the in Europe. On purpose. The European Commission can stop him and make sure that every vote and every voice counts. #DSA @hennavirkkunen.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Reposted by Dr. Lex Zard
Elon Musks megaphone is not the Digital Services Act (DSA) "live or die" moment in the EU. Started to gather some thoughts here after some of the discussions of last week, including here with @daphnek.bsky.social @davidakaye.bsky.social @pjleerssen.bsky.social . Should I flesh it out a bit further?
January 10, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Elon Musks megaphone is not the Digital Services Act (DSA) "live or die" moment in the EU. Started to gather some thoughts here after some of the discussions of last week, including here with @daphnek.bsky.social @davidakaye.bsky.social @pjleerssen.bsky.social . Should I flesh it out a bit further?