Back when I wrote the blog post detailing the basic content moderation learning curve speedrun, I actually thought that, like most sites that go through it, Elon might actually learn from it. Yet, it appears he still has trouble processing lessons from basically any of the mistakes he makes. Or he seems to be trying […]
For four years under the Trump administration, the FCC was little more than a mindless rubber stamp, stripping away media consolidation rules, gutting net neutrality, and approving competition-eroding telecom mergers (often without even reading the deal details). Things were supposed to be slightly better under the Biden FCC. But an inexplicable eight month delay in […]
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard plods along with a drip of news coming out every so often. For those of you with your pencils and scorecards ready, the current state is: the FTC has sued to stop the deal in the States, the EU has given its approval for the purchase to move forward, and […]
Reform efforts aimed at making it easier and more affordable to repair technology you bought and paid for continue to see progress. California’s SB 244 this week passed in the California State Senate with a vote of 38-0, a notable retort to the lobbyists that had been trying to kill the bill: The bill still […]
Since its inception, the UK’s latest attempt to directly regulate the internet has been a disaster. Once dubbed the “Online Harms Bill,” it has since been rebranded to make it appear less harmful to the internet. The bill hasn’t gotten any better, but it does have a less alarmist name, even if everyone pushing hard […]
We’ve written a lot about AB 2273, California’s Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) that requires websites with users in California to try to determine the ages of all their visitors, write up dozens of reports on potential harms, and then seek to mitigate those harms. I’ve written about why it’s literally impossible to comply with […]
Just when we didn’t think the state of Texas could get any more wacko on tech policy, this latest bill really suggests otherwise. House Bill 1181 is an age verification measure that is similar to what we’ve seen in the state legislatures across other red U.S. states. You have an age verification proposal that is similar […]
Designed for the world of hybrid work, Windows 11 can help you work more simply and seamlessly from anywhere. Windows 11 Pro also includes a number of productivity-focused features, such as the ability to snap multiple windows together and create custom layouts, improved voice typing, and a new, more powerful search experience. Personal and professional users […]
We’ve written a few times about California’s “Journalism Protection Act” (CJPA) from state Rep. Buffy Wicks, and many times about the terrible concept of such link taxes. Unfortunately, it looks like California’s bill is moving forward, with buy-in from the big media orgs and their journalists that will get the free pay offs from such […]
Netflix’s new password sharing crackdown is a dumb cash grab. It’s unnecessary, confusing, risks annoying subscribers, duplicates existing monetization efforts (Netflix already forces you to pay for higher tiers of service if you want simultaneous streams), contradicts years of Netflix’s stated position on the issue, comes on the heels of other price hikes, and the […]
Jack Daniel’s, the famous whiskey maker out of Tennessee, is not a complete stranger to silly trademark battles. But it appears that the company may be getting into the trademark bullying game, or at least the trademark lack of comprehending the law game, more and more these days. This post will serve as another example […]
For two decades, frustrated towns and cities all over the country have responded to telecom monopolies by building their own fiber broadband networks. Data routinely shows that not only do these networks provide faster, better, and cheaper service, the networks are generally more accountable to the public — because they’re directly owned and staffed by […]
It’s always disappointing when an internet company that should know better decides to throw the open internet it relies on under the bus. You would think that a site like OnlyFans would know better. You expect this sorta thing from Meta or Google or Netflix, which have reached a size where they’re more willing to […]
Section 230: not just for those irascible tech giants politicians keep grandstanding about. We all may have a love/hate/really hate relationship with various social media services, but Section 230 also protects the little guys. So, while it might be momentarily satisfying to cheer on the latest comeuppance attempt by political opportunists, remember it’s going to […]
There has been a lot said about Gonzalez v. Google, the first Supreme Court Section 230 case in 22 years. Of course, in those 2+ decades Section 230’s “twenty-six words that created the internet” have generated their fair share of courtroom and political controversy. But even given 230’s lightning-rod status for free speech and the internet, interest in […]
The Angle Pro Knife Sharpener helps you get professional quality sharpening right in your own home. This 3-in-1 knife sharpener includes a stainless steel angle gauge for measuring your blade’s exact angle, three ceramic wheels for honing (straightening) your blade, three diamond wheels for sharpening your blade, and 3 tungsten carbide rods for putting a […]
A few months back, we wrote about California Rep. Buffy Wicks’ blatantly corrupt plan to use the California legislature to simply make Google and Facebook hand cash over to news orgs (the same news orgs she needs endorsements from to keep getting elected). We’ve gone over the basics many times before: link taxes not only […]
We’ve noted several times how European ISPs have somehow convinced European Commission that technology giants should repeatedly give them billions of dollars… for no coherent reason. This “fair share” proposal is dressed up to sound like a sensible adult policy aimed at shoring up broadband access. In reality it’s net neutrality 2.0: telecom giants using […]
Everyone likes an easy day at the office. Cops are no exception. They like easy excuses to disregard the Fourth Amendment. Pretextual stops are how cop business has been done for years. Any missing tail light or (subjectively) too dark window tint is enough to initiate a traffic stop and apply pressure on drivers to […]
As anyone who reads this site regularly will know, DMCA abuse happens all the time. Typically you see this sort of thing resulting from clear attempts to hobble a competitor, or to silence content someone doesn’t want to see, or pure trolling for the purposes of producing mayhem. But we also see this kind of […]
stLouIST