Xavier Brandao
@xavierbrandao.bsky.social
Tech, activisme, haine et désinformation, société civile, responsabilité des grandes plateformes, droits numériques, et autres. Cofondateur de #jesuislà.
Pinned
Xavier Brandao
@xavierbrandao.bsky.social
· May 20
J’ai déposé une plainte contre Facebook auprès de l’Arcom hier, pour manquement à ses obligations liées au Digital Services Act (DSA). La raison : une modération aux abonnés absents, impliquant un potentiel risque systémique.
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
Yesterday, an #OpenReview vulnerability led to the leak of reviewer identities of all the major academic AI conferences, including the ongoing #ICLR2026 conferences. #ICLRLeaks
This is both a huge disaster, and an opportunity to tackle the serious flaws of AI research.
eu.36kr.com/en/p/3572028...
This is both a huge disaster, and an opportunity to tackle the serious flaws of AI research.
eu.36kr.com/en/p/3572028...
Academic Circle in Uproar: ICLR Reviewers Reveal Identities, Low Scores Given by Friends
True Open Review: Unveiling Transparent and Authentic Evaluations
eu.36kr.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Yesterday, an #OpenReview vulnerability led to the leak of reviewer identities of all the major academic AI conferences, including the ongoing #ICLR2026 conferences. #ICLRLeaks
This is both a huge disaster, and an opportunity to tackle the serious flaws of AI research.
eu.36kr.com/en/p/3572028...
This is both a huge disaster, and an opportunity to tackle the serious flaws of AI research.
eu.36kr.com/en/p/3572028...
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
Democracy vs authoritarian surveillance: www.salon.com/2025/11/21/h...
Standing for democracy and opposing fascism is both essential and non-partisan. So is standing up to neo-McCarthyism.
Standing for democracy and opposing fascism is both essential and non-partisan. So is standing up to neo-McCarthyism.
How Trump’s National Security memo targets political dissent - Salon.com
Critics say the NSPM-7 policy is a "frontal assault" on First Amendment rights
www.salon.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Democracy vs authoritarian surveillance: www.salon.com/2025/11/21/h...
Standing for democracy and opposing fascism is both essential and non-partisan. So is standing up to neo-McCarthyism.
Standing for democracy and opposing fascism is both essential and non-partisan. So is standing up to neo-McCarthyism.
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
X just unveiled a new feature, letting users know which country an account is being managed from.
Unsurprisingly, many large accounts (MAGA or otherwise) don't appear to match their self-description 🤔
Unsurprisingly, many large accounts (MAGA or otherwise) don't appear to match their self-description 🤔
November 24, 2025 at 10:48 AM
X just unveiled a new feature, letting users know which country an account is being managed from.
Unsurprisingly, many large accounts (MAGA or otherwise) don't appear to match their self-description 🤔
Unsurprisingly, many large accounts (MAGA or otherwise) don't appear to match their self-description 🤔
L'Europe est à un tournant. Deux pétitions à signer pour demander à @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu de défendre les citoyens plutôt que de servir les intérêts des barons de la Tech.
@wemoveeurope.bsky.social, @avaaz.org az.org, @peoplevsbigtech.bsky.social
peoplevsbig.tech/standupursula/
@wemoveeurope.bsky.social, @avaaz.org az.org, @peoplevsbigtech.bsky.social
peoplevsbig.tech/standupursula/
📣 Over 200,000 people have signed petitions demanding action. @wemoveeurope.bsky.social @avaaz.org
✍️ Add your voice now → StandUpUrsula.com #StandUpUrsula #EU #DataRights #GDPR
✍️ Add your voice now → StandUpUrsula.com #StandUpUrsula #EU #DataRights #GDPR
standupursula - People vs. Big Tech
STAND UP, URSULAFight for Europe - not for Trump and Big Tech Add your name now: demand the EU stand up to Trump and Big Tech - starting with breaking up
StandUpUrsula.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:54 AM
L'Europe est à un tournant. Deux pétitions à signer pour demander à @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu de défendre les citoyens plutôt que de servir les intérêts des barons de la Tech.
@wemoveeurope.bsky.social, @avaaz.org az.org, @peoplevsbigtech.bsky.social
peoplevsbig.tech/standupursula/
@wemoveeurope.bsky.social, @avaaz.org az.org, @peoplevsbigtech.bsky.social
peoplevsbig.tech/standupursula/
A l'heure du Digital Services Act, il est absurde que les grandes plateformes ne disent même pas quels sont leurs posts les plus viraux. Une pétition de @mozilla.org et @algorithmwatch.org demande plus de transparence.
www.mozillafoundation.org/en/campaigns...
www.mozillafoundation.org/en/campaigns...
Demand the Data: What’s Really Going Viral? | Mozilla Foundation
Social media platforms aren’t sharing what goes viral on their sites. Tell YouTube, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X to disclose their most-viewed content. Sign now.
www.mozillafoundation.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:49 AM
A l'heure du Digital Services Act, il est absurde que les grandes plateformes ne disent même pas quels sont leurs posts les plus viraux. Une pétition de @mozilla.org et @algorithmwatch.org demande plus de transparence.
www.mozillafoundation.org/en/campaigns...
www.mozillafoundation.org/en/campaigns...
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
The European Commission will unveil a “digital omnibus” package later this month to simplify many of its tech laws.
The draft document we’ve obtained shows EU officials are planning far-reaching changes to the GDPR to benefit AI developers.
🔗 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
The draft document we’ve obtained shows EU officials are planning far-reaching changes to the GDPR to benefit AI developers.
🔗 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
November 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The European Commission will unveil a “digital omnibus” package later this month to simplify many of its tech laws.
The draft document we’ve obtained shows EU officials are planning far-reaching changes to the GDPR to benefit AI developers.
🔗 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
The draft document we’ve obtained shows EU officials are planning far-reaching changes to the GDPR to benefit AI developers.
🔗 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
🗞️ "The European Commission is apparently planning a reform of the #GDPR. Max Schrems and noyb are highly critical of the proposal. The plans would 'throw 40 years of European fundamental #rights doctrine out the window.'" 🇪🇺 (from German)
👉 Read more: netzpolitik.org/2025/trumpsc...
👉 Read more: netzpolitik.org/2025/trumpsc...
„Trumpsche Gesetzgebungspraktiken“: Max Schrems kritisiert Grundrechte-Kahlschlag
Die Europäische Kommission plant offenbar eine DSGVO-Reform mit der Abrissbirne. Der Datenschutzexperte Max Schrems und die Organisation noyb lassen kein gutes Haar an dem Vorschlag, den wir veröffentlichten. Die Pläne würden
netzpolitik.org
November 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM
🗞️ "The European Commission is apparently planning a reform of the #GDPR. Max Schrems and noyb are highly critical of the proposal. The plans would 'throw 40 years of European fundamental #rights doctrine out the window.'" 🇪🇺 (from German)
👉 Read more: netzpolitik.org/2025/trumpsc...
👉 Read more: netzpolitik.org/2025/trumpsc...
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
Scientists and scholars in AI and its social impacts call on von der Leyen to retract #AIHype statement.
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
Scientists call on the President of the European Commission to retract AI hype statement
Experts in AI call on the President of the European Commission to retract unscientific AI hype statement she made in the budget speech.
www.iccl.ie
November 10, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Scientists and scholars in AI and its social impacts call on von der Leyen to retract #AIHype statement.
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
How to get rid (at least temporarily) of these annoying AI overviews when doing a Google search?
Add something like -AI at the end of the search query.
www.pcmag.com/how-to/i-fig...
Add something like -AI at the end of the search query.
www.pcmag.com/how-to/i-fig...
I Figured Out How to Limit Google's AI Overviews. You're Welcome
There's no official way to turn off Google's AI-generated search results completely, but these tricks can help you see them less often.
www.pcmag.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM
How to get rid (at least temporarily) of these annoying AI overviews when doing a Google search?
Add something like -AI at the end of the search query.
www.pcmag.com/how-to/i-fig...
Add something like -AI at the end of the search query.
www.pcmag.com/how-to/i-fig...
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
📢 As the EU's deregulation agenda rolls out the red carpet for corporate interests, our new study shows that the tech industry has ramped up its lobby power:
💰 Lobby spending hits a record €151 million
🕴 Almost 900 tech lobbyists
🤝 Big Tech has lobby 3 meetings a day
@lobbycontrol.bsky.social
💰 Lobby spending hits a record €151 million
🕴 Almost 900 tech lobbyists
🤝 Big Tech has lobby 3 meetings a day
@lobbycontrol.bsky.social
Big Tech lobby budgets hit record levels | Corporate Europe Observatory
New figures show that the digital industry as a whole is now spending €151 million a year on lobbying the EU, a major increase to what was already considerable firepower.
corporateeurope.org
October 29, 2025 at 7:58 AM
📢 As the EU's deregulation agenda rolls out the red carpet for corporate interests, our new study shows that the tech industry has ramped up its lobby power:
💰 Lobby spending hits a record €151 million
🕴 Almost 900 tech lobbyists
🤝 Big Tech has lobby 3 meetings a day
@lobbycontrol.bsky.social
💰 Lobby spending hits a record €151 million
🕴 Almost 900 tech lobbyists
🤝 Big Tech has lobby 3 meetings a day
@lobbycontrol.bsky.social
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
👀Is that EU competition chief @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu taking a hammer to break up Google??
Today we're sending a loud message to @ec.europa.eu to dismantle Google's toxic advertising monopoly! #BreakUpBigTech. Great work @lobbyctrl-tech.bsky.social bsky.social @rebalance-now.bsky.social 👏👏👏
Today we're sending a loud message to @ec.europa.eu to dismantle Google's toxic advertising monopoly! #BreakUpBigTech. Great work @lobbyctrl-tech.bsky.social bsky.social @rebalance-now.bsky.social 👏👏👏
September 22, 2025 at 12:34 PM
👀Is that EU competition chief @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu taking a hammer to break up Google??
Today we're sending a loud message to @ec.europa.eu to dismantle Google's toxic advertising monopoly! #BreakUpBigTech. Great work @lobbyctrl-tech.bsky.social bsky.social @rebalance-now.bsky.social 👏👏👏
Today we're sending a loud message to @ec.europa.eu to dismantle Google's toxic advertising monopoly! #BreakUpBigTech. Great work @lobbyctrl-tech.bsky.social bsky.social @rebalance-now.bsky.social 👏👏👏
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
Google's monopoly power rips off consumers, pollutes our information environment, and destroys the news media.
Today's €2.95 billion fine is a start, but won't touch Google's toxic ad-tech monopoly. The EU @ec.europa.eu must hold firm and now break up Google. www.politico.eu/article/eu-s...
Today's €2.95 billion fine is a start, but won't touch Google's toxic ad-tech monopoly. The EU @ec.europa.eu must hold firm and now break up Google. www.politico.eu/article/eu-s...
EU slaps Google with €2.95B fine despite Trump trade threat
Brussels hammers U.S. search giant after internal Commission feud.
www.politico.eu
September 5, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Google's monopoly power rips off consumers, pollutes our information environment, and destroys the news media.
Today's €2.95 billion fine is a start, but won't touch Google's toxic ad-tech monopoly. The EU @ec.europa.eu must hold firm and now break up Google. www.politico.eu/article/eu-s...
Today's €2.95 billion fine is a start, but won't touch Google's toxic ad-tech monopoly. The EU @ec.europa.eu must hold firm and now break up Google. www.politico.eu/article/eu-s...
Cette séquence est un naufrage. C’est le naufrage de Luc Julia d’abord, empêtré dans ses justifications hasardeuses, et c’est surtout le naufrage journalistique et déontologique de BFMTV.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKeF...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKeF...
Luc Julia face à Monsieur Phi - Tech&Co la quotidienne du 01/09/2025
YouTube video by Tech & Co
www.youtube.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Cette séquence est un naufrage. C’est le naufrage de Luc Julia d’abord, empêtré dans ses justifications hasardeuses, et c’est surtout le naufrage journalistique et déontologique de BFMTV.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKeF...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKeF...
Comme le dit @johnnyryan.bsky.social, l'Europe doit résister, ou périr. Chaque renoncement face à Trump serait un clou dans notre cercueil. Le Digital Services Act est l'une des lois pouvant défendre nos démocraties européennes. Protégeons-la et employons-la.
The EU must use the anti coercion instrument now, or be humiliated. Europe must be free to enforce its own law on its own soil.
August 26, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Comme le dit @johnnyryan.bsky.social, l'Europe doit résister, ou périr. Chaque renoncement face à Trump serait un clou dans notre cercueil. Le Digital Services Act est l'une des lois pouvant défendre nos démocraties européennes. Protégeons-la et employons-la.
This is spot on. This AI frenzy and madness gives such an eerie feeling. AI is forced upon us at every opportunity as big tech companies try to bag as many billions as possible from venture capital before the music stops. But the environmental and societal damage will be massive and long-lasting.
Hello. I wrote a nice long essay about AI and this very strange moment where we're constantly told we're living in the dawn of a strange new future but the only thing that's actually clear is that everyone feels pretty unmoored and uncertain. I hope you'll read it
AI Is a Mass-Delusion Event
Three years in, one of AI’s enduring impacts is to make people feel like they’re losing it.
www.theatlantic.com
August 20, 2025 at 3:00 PM
This is spot on. This AI frenzy and madness gives such an eerie feeling. AI is forced upon us at every opportunity as big tech companies try to bag as many billions as possible from venture capital before the music stops. But the environmental and societal damage will be massive and long-lasting.
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
Today (w/ @ox.ac.uk @stanford @MIT @LSE) we’re sharing the results of the largest AI persuasion experiments to date: 76k participants, 19 LLMs, 707 political issues.
We examine “levers” of AI persuasion: model scale, post-training, prompting, personalization, & more!
🧵:
We examine “levers” of AI persuasion: model scale, post-training, prompting, personalization, & more!
🧵:
July 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Today (w/ @ox.ac.uk @stanford @MIT @LSE) we’re sharing the results of the largest AI persuasion experiments to date: 76k participants, 19 LLMs, 707 political issues.
We examine “levers” of AI persuasion: model scale, post-training, prompting, personalization, & more!
🧵:
We examine “levers” of AI persuasion: model scale, post-training, prompting, personalization, & more!
🧵:
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
this is the very technology orgs like the UN is adopting to "solve" gender inequity
Study finds A.I. LLMs advise women to ask for lower salaries than men. When prompted w/ a user profile of same education, experience & job role, differing only by gender, ChatGPT advised the female applicant to request $280K salary; Male applicant=$400K.
thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
thenextweb.com/news/chatgpt...
ChatGPT advises women to ask for lower salaries, study finds
A new study has found that large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT consistently advise women to ask for lower salaries than men.
thenextweb.com
July 21, 2025 at 9:33 AM
this is the very technology orgs like the UN is adopting to "solve" gender inequity
This is outrageous. Full support to @abeba.bsky.social. Dr Birhane's speech “AI for social good: the new face of technosolutionism” was apparently too grounded in reality in this tide of technosolutionism at the "AI for good" summit, which frankly looked like a tech fair.
July 10, 2025 at 6:38 PM
This is outrageous. Full support to @abeba.bsky.social. Dr Birhane's speech “AI for social good: the new face of technosolutionism” was apparently too grounded in reality in this tide of technosolutionism at the "AI for good" summit, which frankly looked like a tech fair.
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
New poll shows huge majorities of Europeans--74% of Von Der Leyen's own CDU--want a tough stance on Big Tech.
This is no time to roll over. Tech is vital infrastructure, and it can be ours again--with a three-part play:
Break, build, enforce.
w/ @robin.berjon.com: www.politico.eu/article/digi...
This is no time to roll over. Tech is vital infrastructure, and it can be ours again--with a three-part play:
Break, build, enforce.
w/ @robin.berjon.com: www.politico.eu/article/digi...
Digital sovereignty can’t be bargained away
The European Commission has tools, public support and a mandate to act on Big Tech. Trading that away for short-term calm would be a costly mistake.
www.politico.eu
July 3, 2025 at 7:45 AM
New poll shows huge majorities of Europeans--74% of Von Der Leyen's own CDU--want a tough stance on Big Tech.
This is no time to roll over. Tech is vital infrastructure, and it can be ours again--with a three-part play:
Break, build, enforce.
w/ @robin.berjon.com: www.politico.eu/article/digi...
This is no time to roll over. Tech is vital infrastructure, and it can be ours again--with a three-part play:
Break, build, enforce.
w/ @robin.berjon.com: www.politico.eu/article/digi...
La majorité des citoyens Français, Allemands, et Espagnols souhaite que les géants de la tech soient davantage régulés, avec deux fois plus de personnes qui sont pour leur démantèlement que de personnes contre, d'après un nouveau sondage YouGov commandé par @peoplevsbigtech.bsky.social.
🚨 NEW POLL: roughly TWICE as many people in France, Germany & Spain want the EU to break up Big Tech giants, as those who don't.
@ec.europa.eu will soon decide whether to dismantle Google's toxic adtech monopoly. Will it listen to EU citizens and #BreakUpBigTech?
peoplevsbig.tech/large-majori...
@ec.europa.eu will soon decide whether to dismantle Google's toxic adtech monopoly. Will it listen to EU citizens and #BreakUpBigTech?
peoplevsbig.tech/large-majori...
July 3, 2025 at 12:27 PM
La majorité des citoyens Français, Allemands, et Espagnols souhaite que les géants de la tech soient davantage régulés, avec deux fois plus de personnes qui sont pour leur démantèlement que de personnes contre, d'après un nouveau sondage YouGov commandé par @peoplevsbigtech.bsky.social.
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
In this letter, EFJ, @cdteu.bsky.social and other civil society organisations express their grave concerns about the continued unchecked use of #spyware within the European Union. We call for urgent and coordinated EU action to ensure the protection of the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Open letter: Recent spyware abuse cases require urgent EU action
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined CDT Europe and 11 civil society and journalists organisations, all members of the Spyware ...
europeanjournalists.org
June 26, 2025 at 12:31 PM
In this letter, EFJ, @cdteu.bsky.social and other civil society organisations express their grave concerns about the continued unchecked use of #spyware within the European Union. We call for urgent and coordinated EU action to ensure the protection of the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
Facial recognition as allowed by Hungarian laws is a form of mass surveillance⚠️
👉 Sign the petition from @algorithmwatch.org, EDRi, @ecnl.bsky.social, HCLU & @liberties.eu to support:
➡️an enforcement of existing laws &
➡️an end to face recognition in public spaces.
👉 algorithmwatch.org/sign
👉 Sign the petition from @algorithmwatch.org, EDRi, @ecnl.bsky.social, HCLU & @liberties.eu to support:
➡️an enforcement of existing laws &
➡️an end to face recognition in public spaces.
👉 algorithmwatch.org/sign
June 25, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Facial recognition as allowed by Hungarian laws is a form of mass surveillance⚠️
👉 Sign the petition from @algorithmwatch.org, EDRi, @ecnl.bsky.social, HCLU & @liberties.eu to support:
➡️an enforcement of existing laws &
➡️an end to face recognition in public spaces.
👉 algorithmwatch.org/sign
👉 Sign the petition from @algorithmwatch.org, EDRi, @ecnl.bsky.social, HCLU & @liberties.eu to support:
➡️an enforcement of existing laws &
➡️an end to face recognition in public spaces.
👉 algorithmwatch.org/sign
Meta finance les propagandistes RT et Sputnik via ses programmes de monétisation, au mépris des sanctions européennes, d'après un rapport de @whattofix.tech
[🚨 Exclusive] Our latest investigation finds that Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. may have violated EU sanctions and channeled money to RT, Sputnik and other EU-sanctioned entities.
You read that right: Facebook *pays* some content publishers.
Read full report → www.whattofix.tech/publications... /🧵
You read that right: Facebook *pays* some content publishers.
Read full report → www.whattofix.tech/publications... /🧵
June 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Meta finance les propagandistes RT et Sputnik via ses programmes de monétisation, au mépris des sanctions européennes, d'après un rapport de @whattofix.tech
Reposted by Xavier Brandao
🚨 Today we're sending a loud message to the EU to stand up to the tech oligarchy and #BreakUpBigTech! 📣📣
We've delivered a petition from +115,000 people calling on @ec.europa.eu @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu to break up Google, ahead of its major ruling on Google's toxic online advertising monopoly.
We've delivered a petition from +115,000 people calling on @ec.europa.eu @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu to break up Google, ahead of its major ruling on Google's toxic online advertising monopoly.
June 18, 2025 at 10:10 AM
🚨 Today we're sending a loud message to the EU to stand up to the tech oligarchy and #BreakUpBigTech! 📣📣
We've delivered a petition from +115,000 people calling on @ec.europa.eu @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu to break up Google, ahead of its major ruling on Google's toxic online advertising monopoly.
We've delivered a petition from +115,000 people calling on @ec.europa.eu @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu to break up Google, ahead of its major ruling on Google's toxic online advertising monopoly.
Il y a d'inquiétants conflits d'intérêts et liens avec Big Tech chez des chercheurs français... www.franceinfo.fr/societe/educ...
ENQUÊTE. Écrans et enfants : quand la recherche publique flirte avec les intérêts privés
La cellule investigation de Radio France a enquêté sur la stratégie des start-ups du numérique mais aussi des GAFAM pour faire rentrer les écrans à l’école.
www.franceinfo.fr
June 16, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Il y a d'inquiétants conflits d'intérêts et liens avec Big Tech chez des chercheurs français... www.franceinfo.fr/societe/educ...