Hace rato quería escribir esto sobre el ciclo de la financiación de la tecnología y cómo este obliga al ataque de narrativas exageradas al que estamos sometidos constantemente: https://noblogo.org/pablo/tenemos-que-hablar-del-capital-riesgo #tecnología #tech #vc #ia #ai
#OpenAI finds its #tech being used for #propaganda & #US 2024 #ElectionInterference
#ChatGPT maker OpenAI found #Russia, #China, #Iran & #Israel groups using its #technology to #influence global political discourse, highlighting concerns #generative #ArtificialIntelligence is making it easier for state actors to run covert #propaganda campaigns as the presidential election nears.
#ForeignDisinformationCampaigns #disinformation #generativeAI
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/30/openai-disinfo-influence-operations-china-russia/
JUST ANNOUNCED: public pre-orders are now available for the autumn 2025 issue of #goodinternet ! magazines will begin being shipped next month!
https://goodinternetmagazine.com/pre-orders-now-available-for-autumn-2025-issue/
#indie #zine #zines #indieweb #personalwebsite #web #internet #enshittification #socialmedia #neocities #nekoweb #html #webdev #css #webdesign #website #blog #blogger #digitalart #opensource #tech #foss
Little Bits: Issue #29 For September 2025
A fresh new issue is here overflowing with discovered little bits to explore and a message of personal reflection on the challenges of writing.
Today is #WWDC24, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference. To mark this, and to add even more tech to the fediverse, we've federated the Flipboard accounts of 10 tech publishers.
Follow their profiles for everything they publish, and specific Magazines (topical feeds of content) if you're interested only in particular types of story (we're big fans of We Distribute's Across the Fediverse Magazine, @across-the-fediverse-WeDistribute).
@9to5mac
@cnet
@DigitalTrends
@inversedotcom
@Techcrunch
@thenextweb
@PCMag
@WeDistribute
@WIRED
@ZDNet
#Tech #Technology #Flipboard #Federation #Fediverse #FlipboardMagazines
To discover more federated Flipboard Magazines, follow the Flipboard Magazine Community account, @FlipboardMagazines.
#Apple loses #UK lawsuit over #app store commissions
Apple on Thursday lost a London lawsuit accusing the US #tech company of abusing its dominant position by charging app #developers an unfair 30% commission through its app store.
ICYMI: this is my #Mastodon "origin story" – the reason why I'm going all in on the #Fediverse this year, starting with this platform: https://blog.elenarossini.com/the-future-is-federated/
I'm hoping to recruit more friends and professional contacts over here.
The post includes mentions of some of my favorite accounts including @bookgaga @molly0xfff @triketora @film_girl @fj (if you have advice about how to get more people on Mastodon, I'm all ears)
The AI industry wants us to believe AI superintelligence is the real threat from generative AI.
But that narrative was crafted to distract from the many ways genAI is being used to tear our societies apart, as we saw this week when a deepfake video rocked the Irish election. It must be reined in.
https://disconnect.blog/generative-ai-is-a-societal-disaster/
Europe needs its own social media platforms to safeguard sovereignty
Social media has emerged as the central nervous system of global communication, shaping politics, culture, and identity. Yet, Europe’s digital public square is not its own. Over 80% of the continent’s social media activity flows through platforms headquartered in the United States—Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Alphabet (YouTube), and X (Twitter)—creating a dependency that undermines Europe’s autonomy.
Recently, it has become increasingly clear that European companies urgently need to build Europe’s own sovereign social media ecosystem to counter disinformation, protect democratic integrity, preserve cultural diversity, and reclaim control from US corporate and geopolitical interests. Europe’s sovereignty in the 21st century is at stake.
The threat of US interference: Disinformation as a geopolitical weapon
The 2016 Brexit referendum exposed how US-based actors exploited European vulnerabilities. For example, Cambridge Analytica harvested data from 87 million Facebook users—including millions of Europeans—to micro-target voters with divisive ads. Leaked documents revealed campaigns designed to inflame anti-EU sentiment, demonstrating how US corporate tools can destabilize European unity.
Moreover, false narratives about voter fraud propagated by US politicians on Twitter and Facebook flooded European networks, bolstering extreme movements. In Germany, the “Querdenker” movement leveraged these claims to protest COVID-19 measures, while in other countries, several disinformation groups backed by US billionaires amplified baseless accusations about election rigging.
It is important to understand that US platforms optimize for engagement and their owners interests, not truth. During France’s 2022 presidential race, YouTube’s algorithm disproportionately recommended far-right candidate Éric Zemmour, boosting his visibility despite his marginal polling. Researchers found that 60% of French-language election content on YouTube contained misinformation, much of it algorithmically amplified.
US billionaire oligarchy problem
American billionaires, including tech billionaires, wield outsized influence over European discourse. Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (rebranded as X) led to the reinstatement of 62,000 banned accounts, including extremists, far-right figures like Germany’s Nikolai Nerling, who had spread anti-vaccine conspiracies, persons who committed several serious crimes in Europe, and persons who promote illegal activities such as rape and dehumanization of others. Meanwhile, Meta’s content moderation policies routinely ignore EU directives; in 2023, the European Commission accused Meta of failing to curb disinformation campaigns. Recently, several disinformation campaigns linked to US billionaires attacked EU officials on social media platforms, spreading false narratives and encouraging committing crimes (e.g., murdering officials or overthrowing governments in the EU). It has become clear that these platforms operate as extensions of US corporate power and the new US administration, prioritizing profit and political gains over Europe’s stability and safety.
Data colonialism: US platforms exploit Europe
GDPR vs the US surveillance state
While the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enshrines privacy as a fundamental right, US platforms remain bound by laws like the CLOUD Act, which grants American authorities access to data stored anywhere in the world. In 2022, the European Data Protection Board fined Meta for transferring EU user data to US servers, citing risks of NSA surveillance. Despite the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, experts warn that European data remains vulnerable to US intelligence overreach.
Economic extraction
US platforms siphon billions from Europe’s digital economy. In 2022, Meta reported €4.3 billion in EU revenue but paid an effective tax rate of 8.5% through Irish loopholes—€2.5 billion less than standard EU corporate rates. Google and Apple similarly route profits through tax havens, depriving European governments of funds needed for tech innovation. This financial drain perpetuates Europe’s dependency, stifling homegrown competitors.
Erasing Europe’s diversity
US platforms homogenize culture by privileging English-language content aligning with the worldview of the current US presidential administration and US billionaires. More than 70% of trends on social media originate in the US, overshadowing local creators. European journalists and influencers struggle to compete with US influencers, while platforms like Instagram algorithmically promote American beauty standards, marginalizing Europe’s diverse cultural identities. The shrinking visibility of local users and their regional languages also threatens linguistic heritage of Europe.
Europe is facing digital sovereignty crisis
The US tech cold war has turned data into a strategic asset, yet Europe remains a digital colony. US platforms dominate critical infrastructure: 92% of European governments use Facebook for public communication, while Google’s search monopoly shapes access to information. This dependency leaves Europe exposed to geopolitical coercion. For instance, US platforms are involved in limiting and censoring pro-European content but promoting anti-European narratives that are aligned with US interests. Developing sovereign European platforms, including social media platforms and search engines, would ensure the sovereignty in technology, economy, information space, security and defense.
Building on European strengths: The fediverse and beyond
European companies and communities already host decentralized alternatives like Mastodon, a federated network powered by the homegrown Mastodon software. These GDPR-compliant tools allow users to control data and interconnect across servers—a model echoing the EU’s federalist values. However, fragmentation, lack of user-friendly UI and underfunding limit their reach. A unified EU initiative could fund these projects while the alliance of European companies and communities could merge these projects into a public-private platform.
It is in the best interest of the European Union to provide funding for European-owned social media platforms to ensure their development and European digital sovereignty.
Network effects and innovation
Critics often argue that Silicon Valley’s dominance is insurmountable, citing global statistics of Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) and X. Yet Europe’s 450 million affluent users offer a critical mass. Moreover, Europe attracts people from other regions such as Asia, Africa and South America. Case studies from China (WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu) show that sovereign platforms can thrive and expand globally.
Moreover, the EU is a regulatory superpower which can use legislation to support homegrown social media platforms. For example, the EU can mandate US “gatekeeper” platforms (per the Digital Markets Act) to interconnect with European alternatives, allowing cross-platform interactions. In addition, the EU could introduce EU-wide tax breaks for creators using European platforms in the form of “cultural exceptions”.
Europe’s digital destiny
The choice is stark: continue as a digital colony of US tech giants or forge a sovereign future. European social media platforms are not just a tool—they shield against disinformation, act as guardian of cultural diversity, and a pillar of strategic autonomy. By combining support and strategic interests with cutting-edge innovation, the EU can support the development of the homegrown social media ecosystem. The time to act is now, before the algorithms of Meta and X platforms write Europe’s next chapter for it.
#Europe #EU #digitalsovereignty #technology #tech #fediverse #socialmedia #privacy #data
Microsoft has postponed Windows Recall, the company’s flagship AI feature that tracks everything you do on your computer and makes the content easily searchable. Maybe too easily. Critics slammed Recall as creepy and a privacy nightmare. The postponement also gave Apple execs an opening for a jab at their competitor. Read more from Windows Central. https://flip.it/DPyYQU
#Tech #Technology #AI #Microsoft #Apple
Improve Mozilla Thunderbird Email Message Hyperlink Readability
Learn all available options to improve hyperlink or link readability in email messages when using Mozilla Thunderbird.
https://www.adamsdesk.com/posts/improve-hyperlink-readability-mozilla-thunderbird/
Sony Will Use AI to Cut Film Costs, Says CEO Tony Vinciquerra
"“We are very focused on AI. The biggest problem with making films today is the expense,” Vinciquerra said at Sony’s Thursday (Friday in Japan) investor event. “We will be looking at ways to…produce both films for theaters and television in a more efficient way, using AI primarily.”"
Wow. So I expect the quality will go way down.
#movies #film #AI #tech #news #media #press #entertainment #cinema #tv
https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/sony-pictures-will-cut-film-costs-using-ai-1235010605/
Ever wondered what happens when you get a bunch of people who love Microsoft Excel together in Vegas? The Excel World Championships, of course. And yes we are being serious.
@theverge went along to the competition to find out all about this growing esport, what it takes to be the world’s best spreadsheeter and meet some of the people trying to get there.
Batch Scan Photos With SANE's Scanimage On GNU/Linux Command Line
Turn a painful, time consuming and repetitive task of batch scanning photographs into a joyful one using SANE’s Scanimage on a GNU/Linux command line.
https://www.adamsdesk.com/posts/batch-scan-photo-sane-scanimage/
🚀 The CybersecKyle Community is live! A friendly Discord where security + tech meet: news breakdowns, labs, tools, cloud/automation chats, chill coffee breaks, and so much more! Beginners → pros welcome.
Read more: https://www.kylereddoch.me/blog/the-cyberseckyle-community-is-live-security-and-tech-together/
JesusGPT…
Former CEO of Intel Building Special AI to Bring About Second Coming of Christ
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/former-ceo-intel-ai-christ
#religion #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #LLMs #MachineLearning #tech #technology #BigTech #GenAI #generativeAI #AISlop #Meta #Google #OpenAI #ChatGPT
McDonald's AI-created holiday commercial was taken down after just a few days after an overwhelmingly negative response from pretty much anyone who saw it. Here's more from @Futurism.
#Lifestyle #Advertising #McDonalds #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Technology #Tech
15 years in and we're just getting started! Flipboard's CEO
@mike spoke with @forbes's Andy Meek about being digital survivors, @surf, and our role in the future of publishing.
#Technology #Tech #Media #Journalism #Publishing #Flipboard #Apps #SocialMedia #OpenSocial #SurfSocial
U.S. immigration authorities are using smartphone facial recognition technology in the field to determine whether people are citizens, @404mediaco reports. Officers use an app called Mobile Fortify, which has a bank of 200M images and data from the State Department, CBP, FBI, and states as well as datasets relating to “individuals, vehicles, airplanes, vessels, addresses, phone numbers and firearms,” according to a memo viewed by 404's @josephcox. Ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee Bennie G. Thompson said in a statement: “ICE officials have told us that an apparent biometric match by Mobile Fortify is a ‘definitive’ determination of a person’s status and that an ICE officer may ignore evidence of American citizenship — including a birth certificate — if the app says the person is an alien.
#Technology #Tech #ICE #USNews #TrumpAdministration #Immigration
Il n'est même pas 9h... Vous prendrez bien un entretien fleuve avec Fred Turner, avec votre café ?
On y parle influence des mouvements hippies sur la cybernétique, puis la tech, collision entre les mondes numériques et les fondamentalistes chrétiens aux États-Unis, et nécessité de reprendre le contrôle du récit collectif.
#LARB Radio Hour | The Shit Show
"[H]ow #BigTech dreams – from iPhones to #socialMedia to #AI – have become nightmares.
"How did these decade-defining innovations end up making modern life feel sadder, lonelier, and scarier?"
#books discussed
⦁ @pluralistic's #Enshittification
⦁ Paul Kingsnorth’s #AgainstTheMachine
This week's comic, inspired by a study showing that AI summaries on top of search results are dramatically cutting traffic to websites.
#internet #technology #tech #journalism #disinformation #socialmedia #oligarchy
AI is intellectual Viagra
