Carnesecca would have turned 100 on Jan. 5

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. When US President Donald Trump won his first presidential term, his opponents were declaring they were “moving to Canada;” this time, they are trying to make the microblogging platform Bluesky happen, as a place of exodus from the “hostile” environment on X. But they haven’t quite managed to do that yet, at least according to the EU standards: user numbers are not big enough to consider it a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP – the threshold is 45 million monthly users or more) and it, therefore, is not subjected to the bloc’s censorship law, the Digital Services Act (DSA). Yet Bluesky is kept in the news, even if only to quote an EU Commission spokesperson who said that regardless of not qualifying for regulation under the DSA, all platforms, including this one, should have a page on their website that discloses the number of users in the EU. Bluesky has no such page as of now, the spokesman said – but apparently, the EU is yet to even contact the platform regarding this, although the spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, promised Brussels would “reach out” to the social media company – as soon as the 27 member-countries individually come round to identifying a representative based in any of them. For now, the comments are used by the likes of the Financial Times to remind everyone that Bluesky is reportedly gaining major traction because of Trump’s victory, and X owner Elon Musk’s involvement in the campaign and the incoming administration. But Regnier’s comments did not threaten any action, other than asking member countries to “find some trace” of a legal presence of Bluesky in their jurisdictions – and saying the EU would “reach out” to the platform to make sure it meets the disclosure requirements. Now, we’re hearing that Bluesky’s representative has emailed Bloomberg to say that its legal team is “actively consulting” to comply. Meanwhile, for a while, “VLOPs” like X, TikTok, and Meta have been pressured and are investigated under DSA’s provisions, which could see them stripped of up to 6 percent of global revenue. The more interesting part of the story around Bluesky is the fact it is continuously covered by corporate media – whether it’s to report about a minor regulatory tiff like the one it’s now had with the EU, or to, in the same breath, effectively promote it as the place where those unhappy with both X, and the outcome of the recent US elections, are now “escaping” to – in apparently large numbers. Even though the legality of its operations in the EU might be in question – given that national governments have been instructed to find “any trace” of a Blusky EU-based office, the Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, is among those who have, possibly performatively, opened a Bluesky account. According to FT, other public figures include “academics, journalists, and left-leaning politicians.” Bluesky has an interesting history with X – it started out as a project within Twitter in 2019 and had former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on its board until May of this year. The project became an app after Musk’s Twitter acquisition in 2022 and is now run as a public benefit corporation owned by CEO Jay Garber. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post EU Censors Set Their Sights on Bluesky appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A new UN-driven censorship declaration has been signed by a number of world leaders during an event in Portugal – the Cascais Declaration at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum. We obtained a copy of the final declaration for you here. The gathering was addressed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who once again reiterated his commitment to censoring online speech, bringing up the usual set of “arguments” in favor of moving in this direction. During the address, Guterres spoke about “unchecked digital platforms and AI” and accused them of allowing “hate speech to proliferate like never before” – and did not miss the opportunity to mention “misinformation and deepfakes” in the same context. Guterres wants Big Tech, advertisers, and media – that is, along with some governments and organizations like the UN, among the most egregious offenders when it comes to online censorship – to double down. “Taking responsibility for their role” in spreading hate speech, deepfakes, etc., was how he phrased it. Guterres also again pushed a UN initiative that critics say introduces algorithmic censorship and demonetization under the stated “anti-misinformation and hate speech” scope – the UN’s Global Principles for Information Integrity. According to Guterres, these recommendations allow for “a more humane information ecosystem.” Meanwhile, the Cascais Declaration states that the leaders who signed it are “alarmed” at what is described as a global spread, online and offline, of “disinformation, misinformation and hate speech.” The signatories also want those to be combated while at the same time strengthening “information integrity” (without going into what that means, and how it is supposed to be achieved.) Another of the many controversial UN schemes, the Pact for the Future, is “noted” in the declaration, and framed as recognizing the role of “reinvigorated multilateralism” and religious organization promoting a culture of peace. However, those opposed to the Pact see yet another mechanism to usher in more censorship and surveillance. These points about the supposed greater-than-ever dangers of AI, misinformation, etc., are nestled inside the declaration’s overall message of the need to protect a variety of human rights and cultural diversity. Among them is the mention of “monitoring antisemitism,” but also “combating Islamophobia” – including by appointing a special UN envoy to deal with the latter task. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post World Leaders Sign New Censorship Declaration at UN Event While Secretary-General António Guterres Pushed for Increased Online Censorship appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Thank You, Property Rights!

When it comes to my most anticipated games for 2025, Ghost of Yotei is top of the list. While there are plenty of excellent upcoming titles, Ghost of Tsushima is one of my favorite games of all time, and if you’ve yet to try this former PlayStation exclusive, this Black Friday weekend sale is a great opportunity. Continue reading Ahead of Ghost of Yotei, grab Ghost of Tsushima at its best price yet MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPG games, Best stealth games, Best open-world games

John Bolton's Slam of Kash Patel Proves That President Trump Picked the Right Man to Lead the FBI

I've been thinking about the iPhone 17 Air ever since I first saw rumors claiming that Apple would replace the Plus with an ultra-thin iPhone 17 model. I was already prepared to go non-Pro when it comes to new iPhones, and my two-month stint with the iPhone 16 Plus proved that I can use a non-Pro iPhone as my daily driver. Apple's rumored iPhone 17 Air isn't confirmed, but multiple reliable sources have said that it's in the works. Apple is also reportedly struggling with some of the tech involved with making a phone that's between 5mm and 6mm thin. The battery is one of them, with a report saying that Apple engineers are "finding it hard to fit the battery and thermal materials into the device." The implication here is that iPhone 17 Air battery life might have to suffer in order for Apple to pull off its new ultra-thin design. I was already prepared to accept a battery compromise for the iPhone 17 Air. I don't need the phone to last as long as the iPhone 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max. But I'm not worried about battery life, as I have several reasons to support my thinking. Continue reading... The post 8 reasons I’m not worried about iPhone 17 Air battery life appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals 70mai has the best 4G dash cam deals of Black Friday 2024 T-Mobile’s new deal slashes Go5G Next plans to $5/month for watches & tablets Early Black Friday deals: $154 AirPods Pro 2, $250 iPad 10, $150 Lenovo Chromebook, $10 LifeStraw, more Black Friday blowout: 15% off PS5, $154 AirPods Pro, doorbuster deals, Beats headphones, Narwal Freo Z Ultra, more

The United States has long used trade as a "strategic tool" in negotiations, as access to its economy is a "privilege" for other nations, Sen. Bill Hagerty said Sunday, while defending President-elect Donald Trump's plans for tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and...

Despite talk of Democrats' obstruction of President-elect Donald Trump's pick of Kash Patel to be the next FBI director, Republican Senate leaders are backing Patel as a much-needed agent of change.

Sen. Mike Rounds Sunday defended current FBI Director Christopher Wray, who President-elect Donald Trump has signaled he intends to replace with Kash Patel.