We’ve noted a few times now how the quest to ban TikTok is heavily peppered with bad faith actors who historically don’t care about consumer privacy or national security. We’ve also noted how it’s performative to hyperventilate about one single sometimes-dodgy app, but ignore the broader dysfunction and corruption (like our lack of a modern […]
Well, that’s the way it goes. Courts have been extremely reluctant to disrupt the long-term surveillance plans of law enforcement. If investigators can mount a camera on public property and keep it focused on areas visible by members of the public, no harm, no foul. Not every court has reached this same conclusion. Notably, one […]
Welcome to the realm of the very, very stupid. There are a couple of purposes of trademark law. The first and most obvious of them is that they are used to make sure the public knows from whom or from where a particular good or service comes from. It’s a measure to protect the public, […]
Look, I’m nearing 50. I’ve been around. I have seen some absolute clown shit from politicians. I have witnessed years of things like “bridges to nowhere” and self-aggrandizement taking the form of renamed airports or whatever. I have seen any number of candidates step into the arena with a headful of moronic ideas. But things […]
Self-described “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk has just had a judge slam him for trying to punish and suppress the speech of critics. Judge Charles Breyer did not hold back in his ruling dismissing Musk’s utterly vexatious SLAPP suit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). Sometimes it is unclear what is driving a […]
“Open up the libel laws!” the man who can’t win consecutive elections (much less a defamation lawsuit) once proclaimed. The Republican Party (or at least its voting bloc) appears willing to give a man who’s enjoyed nothing but unearned opportunities throughout his professional and governmental career yet another shot in 2024. But he’s not going […]
This Little Wonder Solo Stereo Multi Connect Bluetooth Speaker may look small, but it produces as clear and powerful a sound as any other speaker. It comes in a solid and metallic look that is great for any setting and décor at your home, office, pool, picnic spot, and more! Connect this speaker to your […]
I know that some people, including Elon Musk recently, have claimed that “trust & safety” is some sort of “euphemism for censorship.” That is not true, and has never been true. The role of trust & safety has always been about building trust in the platform and making sure that users feel safe on the […]
As the Vice and Messenger collapse just got done illustrating in glorious technicolor, the problem with online U.S. journalism isn’t that it’s inherently unprofitable. The problem is usually that the worst, least competent, shallowest people imaginable routinely fail upward into positions of management, then treat the brands they acquire like disposable napkins. That’s certainly been the case over at Sports […]
This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is MrWilson, replying to another commenter who was bandying about the court rulings that erroneously agreed that Biden and the FBI violated the first amendment by coercing platforms: You mean a conservative think tank shopped for a favorite Trump-appointed judge known for his willingness to […]
We’re past the halfway mark in our series of spotlight posts looking at the winners of the sixth annual public domain game jam, Gaming Like It’s 1928! We’ve already featured Best Visuals winner Flight from Podunk Station and Best Adaptation winner Mickey Party, and Best Remix winner The Burden Of Creation, and today we’re taking […]
Ah, the idea/expression dichotomy strikes again! It really is incredible just how many copyright lawsuits and disputes are launched due to the fundamental lack of understanding of this particular nuance of copyright law. As a very quick reminder: you cannot copyright an idea, but you can copyright specific expression. For example, you cannot copyright the […]
Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice — or go straight to the RSS feed. In this week’s online speech, content moderation and internet regulation […]
They called themselves the “Goon Squad.” Six Mississippi deputies bestowed this name upon themselves, perhaps hoping to invoke the more violent era of the National Hockey League — an era overseen by “enforcers” fueled by cocaine and testosterone who gave the home crowd what they wanted: blood on the ice in return for any perceived […]
In January 2022, 77-year-old Ruby Johnson’s house was raided by the Denver Police Department. Supposedly seeking a stolen vehicle and several guns, the SWAT team descended on Johnson’s house. The officers ordered anyone inside to come out of the house. Johnson complied, but that didn’t stop the SWAT team from attempting to destroy her house […]
The Python and Django Web Development Bundle has 7 courses to help you learn how to build your own sites and apps. Courses cover the basics of Django and Python and then build upon those skills by having you create your own to do list app and user authentication app, and more. It’s on sale […]
Can you imagine what kind of world we’d live in if you could blame random media companies for tangential relationships they had with anyone who ever did anything bad? What would happen if we could blame newspapers for inspiring crime? Or television shows for inspiring terrorism? The world would be a much duller place. We’ve […]
For decades, U.S. cable and broadband giants have advertised one price, then socked consumers with a much higher price once the bill actually arrives. This is usually accomplished via a bevy of bullshit below the line fees specifically built for the purpose. Like “regulatory recovery fees,” which ambiguously blame government for prices hikes due to […]
The Devil, as they say, is in the details. It’s a lesson that Warner Bros. apparently just recently had to learn after it poked the Australian Football League over its latest addition to the league, from the isle of Tasmania. You have probably already guessed where this is going. The AFL announced recently that the […]
This took way too long, but it appears that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and the Judicial Conference have finally decided to crack down on the serious problem of judicial shopping in the federal courts. They’ve set a new policy that will hopefully result in a more random allocation of cases to judges. Jurisdiction […]
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