@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found that DHS rushed a revamped tool to check voters’ citizenship into use while it was still adding data.

As a result, the tool has made persistent mistakes, particularly for citizens born outside the U.S.
https://www.propublica.org/article/save-voter-citizenship-tool-mistakes-confusion?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@tante@tldr.nettime.org avatar tante , (edited ) to random

"AI is built on the collective knowledge of humankind."

No. Nononononono. It is not built on knowledge, it it built on data. And not everyone's experiences are available as data, many communities are excluded. Also: "Collective" implies some sort of collaboration and shared activity. But "AI" is just accumulation by a few powerful.

So No. It's not collective but extractive, not knowledge but data, not humankind but the hegemonic western view. Everything in that statement is wrong.

lostsettler ,
@lostsettler@mastodon.scot avatar

@tante assimilation is hegemony

(I need to rewatch the Borg episodes of TNG)

@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

The Trump administration’s push for mass deportations has resulted in more than 18,000 challenges in federal court from immigrants claiming their detention is illegal.

We are tracking the increase in these cases:
https://projects.propublica.org/habeas-tracker/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@knoppix95@mastodon.social avatar knoppix95 , to random

France launches "LaSuite," an open-source office suite for digital sovereignty, reducing reliance on foreign proprietary software. 🖥️
Built on Matrix/TChap, LiveKit/Visio, Grist, and Drive—all MIT-licensed for any organization to deploy. 🇪🇺

🔗 https://www.sinologic.net/en/2026-01/france-chooses-open-source-to-secure-european-sovereignty.html

@knoppix95@mastodon.social avatar knoppix95 , to random

DI.DAY is a new monthly “Digital Independence Day” encouraging people to ditch Big Tech and move to privacy‑respecting services. 📅
Launched by Save Social and Chaos Computer Club at 39C3, it runs every first Sunday with events like “de‑Google your phone,” Nextcloud setups, and Linux install parties across Europe. 🛡️

🔗 https://itsfoss.com/news/di-day-celebration/

@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

The FDA won’t tell Americans where their generic drugs are made, so ProPublica built the Rx Inspector tool to show you.

Now a proposed bill would also require manufacturing location information on packaging for both generic and brand-name drugs.
https://www.propublica.org/article/drug-manufacturer-labels-us-senate-bill?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

ProPublica OP ,
@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar

Our Rx Inspector tool allows you to use information from your prescription label to locate the factory where a generic drug was made and see if the plant has a history of inspection violations.

Explore the tool:
https://projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@ced@mapstodon.space avatar ced , to random

Back to after a nice burnout, so time for a new !

I’m a freelance software dev (mainly working for the french ministry of ), but my 2nd (and favorite) hat is and analysis (mainly with https://democratiserlapolitique.org 🥰 right now).

My fav project I’ve worked on was “100 jours de zbeul”, a web leaderboard for the 2023 french manifestations that was really irritating to right wingers ✊.

Can’t wait to see you all again!

@junesim63@mstdn.social avatar junesim63 , to random

Chilling article on the manual for ICE's immigrant-targeting computer system, Palantir ELITE, which was leaked yesterday via 404 media.
To target a "criminal or immigration nexus" the software pulls Americans' personal data from across the government, including data from Health and Human Services and other agencies unrelated to law enforcement.

A reminder that Palantir is currently hoovering up NHS data on UK citizens as part of govt contracts.

https://johnskinnerportfolio.com/blog/ice_elite/

@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar pluralistic , to random

OG App is the coolest app you never heard of. Back in 2022, two teenagers unilaterally disenshittified Instagram by making an "alt-client" that restored all the parts of Insta that made it a success and blocked all the antifeatures that Meta crammed down users' throats after they had them locked in.

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2026/01/30/zucksauce/#gandersauce

1/

ALT
18+ pluralistic OP ,
@pluralistic@mamot.fr avatar

But Eurostack is about to run into a wall: Article 6 of the EU's own Copyright Directive, which prohibits reverse-engineering and modification of tech products. It's a law that the US Trade Rep lobbied hard for, winning the day by promising tariff-free access to the US for Europe's exports (a promise Trump has now broken):

https://pluralistic.net/2025/10/15/freedom-of-movement/#data-dieselgate

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@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

Smoke and Mirrors: How Intoxicating Hemp Seeped Into the First Recreational Marijuana Market in the Country

Colorado, which once served as the model for marijuana regulation, generated billions of dollars in tax revenue while promising to keep consumers safe. Now it’s scrambling to keep harmful hemp off the shelves.
https://www.propublica.org/article/colorado-marijuana-thc-intoxicating-hemp-regulation?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

ProPublica OP ,
@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar

ProPublica and The Denver Gazette set out to see whether claims of widespread substitution of hemp for marijuana were accurate.

After testing 14 vapes at dispensaries, this is what we discovered: https://www.propublica.org/article/colorado-marijuana-hemp-thc-testing-results?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@petersuber@fediscience.org avatar petersuber , to random

"Health Databases Have Gone Dark Under Trump: ‘The Consequences Will Be Dire’."
https://www.404media.co/dozens-of-cdc-health-databases-have-gone-dark-under-trump-the-consequences-will-be-dire/

"Nearly half of routinely-updated CDC databases have experienced delays or shutdowns in 2025, with vaccination-related systems disproportionately affected, according to a new study."

Primary source: "Unexplained Pauses in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surveillance: Erosion of the Public Evidence Base for Health Policy."
https://www.404media.co/dozens-of-cdc-health-databases-have-gone-dark-under-trump-the-consequences-will-be-dire/

@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

Rx Inspector, our free, searchable tool, allows you to look up where your generic prescription drug was made.

From patients and doctors to researchers, it is already reshaping how people make decisions. “This is a godsend,” one professor told us.
https://www.propublica.org/article/rx-inspector-reshaping-decisions-generic-drugs?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@kubikpixel@chaos.social avatar kubikpixel , to random German

» Is Now Collecting Even More About Its Users. Here Are the 3 Biggest Changes:
According to its new policy, now collects more data on its users, including their precise location, after majority ownership officially switched to a group based in the US.«

Surprising, isn't it?! No, precisely because of the power because of , that is, the influence, the wanted to buy it because is considered a competitor.
1/x

🙄 https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-new-privacy-policy/

@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

TikTok's transition to U.S. ownership involves collecting even more data about its users, including precise location and AI interactions. It's also likely that the new privacy policy will lead to you seeing more targeted ads. Here's the lowdown from @.

https://flip.it/TNynho

@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

Last month, we released Rx Inspector, a groundbreaking tool that lets you find the factories where your generic drugs were manufactured.

See the never-before-released data that ties everything together.
https://www.propublica.org/article/rx-inspector-generic-drugs-data?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@knoppix95@mastodon.social avatar knoppix95 , to random

Google’s Gemini A.I. now scans your entire inbox to “help” you summarize, reply & organize. 📬
That’s not assistance — that’s surveillance wrapped in productivity branding. 🔍

If your emails need an opt‑out clause, maybe the feature shouldn’t exist by default. ⚠️

🔗 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/technology/personaltech/gmail-gemini-ai-email-inbox.html

@oaklandprivacy@mastodon.social avatar oaklandprivacy , to random

Court filings show DOGE staffers at the Social Security Administration broke protocol, had broader access to sensitive data than disclosed, and interacted with a political group seeking to overturn election results.

https://www.theverge.com/news/864643/doge-social-security-data-misuse


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@ProPublica@newsie.social avatar ProPublica , to random

The time it takes to resolve Alaska’s most serious felony cases is three years, or more than twice as long as in 2015.

A state lawmaker wants an end to the delays. “I hate how slow this system is. It kills me,” he said.
https://www.propublica.org/article/alaska-murder-pretrial-delays-impact?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

@metaverse@fosstodon.org avatar metaverse , to random

In one week, join our next Special SDO Session featuring the introduction of the Responsible Data Governance (RDG) Standard for Immersive and AI-Integrated Systems by XRSI.

RDG provides a practical, technology-agnostic framework for proactive data governance without prescribing specific data mapping platforms or technical implementations.

Register: https://metaverse-standards.org/event/special-sdo-session-introducing-the-responsible-data-governance-rdg-standard-for-immersive-and-ai-integrated-systems/

ALT
@h4ckernews@mastodon.social avatar h4ckernews Bot , to random
@h4ckernews@mastodon.social avatar h4ckernews Bot , to random
@h4ckernews@mastodon.social avatar h4ckernews Bot , to random
@h4ckernews@mastodon.social avatar h4ckernews Bot , to random
@TechDesk@flipboard.social avatar TechDesk , to random

Are your headphones and speakers vulnerable to hacking? If your audio accessories use Google's Fast Pair protocol, you may need a patch to avoid hackers eavesdropping on your calls and surroundings, hijacking your devices and playing their own audio through them, or even stalking you. Here's a @ story that explains more.

https://flip.it/.Khv35