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The Nexus Of Privacy looks at the connections between technology, policy, strategy, and justice. The newsletter (available at thenexusofprivacy.net) combines frequent news roundups with more detailed analysis. This Dreamwidth community is for discussions, sharing links, and who knows what else!
We're also active on Twitter, including live-tweeting events as well as summaries of newsletters, and have just started an account on mastodon.social. Dreamwidth is more old-school but it also has some big advantages: outstanding accessibility support; good moderation controls; leadership that really understands the importance of privacy, diversity, and online safety; and a long track record of being run ethically. It's a good complement to other social media -- and fits in well with our values. So let's give it a try!
As well as sharing summaries and links to newsletter posts (similar to the threads I've been doing on Twitter), I'll also use this site for polls, gathering links, and other discussions. If you've got ideas about what you want to see here, please leave a comment.
Image credit: "Welcome" by renaissancechambara is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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Black Twitter, quoting, and white views of toxicity on Mastodon
It's an interesting time on Mastodon, the decentralized open-source source social network with Twitter-like functionality. In contrast to Twitter, where conditions continue to deteriorate, there's a sense of possibility on Mastodon and other areas of the "fediverse", a network of interconnected sites that's been around for more than a decade. At the same time though the rapid growth is putting a spotlight on issues that haven't been addressed ... like quote tweets for example.
Here's the article. Please discuss!
ADPPA and Twitter: Eight questions and an elephant
Se the full post here. An extended excerpt:
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Recent events at Twitter provide some clear examples of what’s at stake with real-world privacy-abuses to test how effective ADPPA is going to be in practice. For example, consider the issue Sara Morrison explored in What happens to your Twitter data when Elon takes over: Twitter doesn’t ever actually delete your private messages, even if you delete your account.[1] This leads to some very concrete questions to evaluate how effective the bill is:
- Does ADPPA give you the ability to force Twitter to delete your data?
- If Twitter refuses to delete your data, does ADPPA allow you to sue them for damages?
- If Twitter refuses to delete the data of any Washington state residents, can AG Ferguson (who has a long track record of taking on Big Tech companies and winning) use his full investigative and enforcement powers to hold them accountable?
- If there’s some data about you that you can’t make Twitter delete, does ADPPA at least give you the ability to prevent them from using your data to improve their product and service?
And the new Chief Twit is an anti-trans bigot who’s reinstatating accounts of anti-trans people suspended for hate speech, having chummy discussion with an anti-trans hate group …so it’s a good time to apply Antoine Prince Albert III’s suggestton in Hiding OUT: A Case for Queer Experiences Informing Data Privacy Laws: stress-test the law against the harsh and worsening realities of queer experiences. A couple of specific questions:
- Does ADPPA prevent Twitter from sharing information about people’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression [2] without their consent?
- Does ADPPA prevent Twitter from sharing queer people's location data with hate groups and law enforcement in states that have criminalized gender-affirming health care or passed “don’t say gay” bills?
And as well as the LGBTAIQ2S+ lens, it’s important to look from the perspective of other groups facing harsh and worsening realities as well. For example:
- Does ADPPA protect the privacy of Twitter employees or contractors whose are engaging in worker activism?
- Does ADPPA prevent Twitter selling or sharing pregnant people's data with anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers,” bounty hunters, or law enforcement in states that have criminalized abortion? This is the elephant in the room that ADPPA supporters do their best to avoid talking about. As Kim Clark of Legal Voice says, “This bill, at least from the perspective of pregnant people, it really doesn’t do much.”
Privacy news roundups from the last several weeks
Instead of posting each privacy news item here individually, I tend to batch them up. Here's a batch!
Mastodon: a partial history (DRAFT!)
Here's a draft of a partial history of Mastodon, with a focus on the very early days looking at issues that aren't discussed in most narratives -- like race, and the unrecognized contributions of early LGBTQ+ volunteers. Feedback welcome!
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Mastodon goes live – and flamewars commence
- Qrprzore 2016: EBG13 SGJ!
- Queer community-led rapid innovation
- Dogpiling, weaponized content warning discourse, and a fig leaf for mundane white supremacy
- April 2017: The breakthrough month
- The Battle of the Welcome Modal
- A breaking point for the queer community
- The aftermath
- The patterns continue ...
- Does Mastodon really prioritize anti-abuse and user experience?
- The view from 2022
Catching up -- privacy legislation, FTC comments, Mastodon, and lotsa news
It's the classic chicken-and-egg problem: there's not a lot of action here yet, so I don't always remember to cross-post here, so there's not a lot to see. I'll try to do better! (Famous last words.)
Here's two deep dive privacy-orgiented posts in the Nexus of Privacy newsletter:
And we've had been a couple of posts on Mastodon as well.
Here's two deep dive privacy-orgiented posts in the Nexus of Privacy newsletter:
- The elephant and the lame duck: ADPPA after the midterms (a federal privacy legislation update) (November 14, but still relevant)
- Consent, Automated Systems, and Discrimination (FTC Comments)
And we've had been a couple of posts on Mastodon as well.
- How to choose the right Mastodon instance?
- How to use filtering and muting to hear less discussion of odious people on Mastodon and Twitter
5 ways to protect democracy by fighting election disinformation
Here's the post. Feedback welcome! Use this thread (I've hopefully set it up with no login require, at least for now), or email to nexus-of-privacy@thenexus.today.
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#StopShotSpotter Seattle Update
Today's Nexus of Privacy newsletter looks at ShotSpotter, a "gunfire detection" surveillance system deployed in Black and Latinx neighborhoods across the country.
Seattle Mayor Harrell’s budget allocates $1 million for a gunfire detection system – presumably ShotSpotter, which Harrell's tried to bring to Seattle for over a decade. As Lauryn Bray's Community Groups Say ShotSpotter in Proposed Mayoral Budget May Harm South End in the South Seattle Emerald, there's a lot of opposition to this surveillance technology in the Rainier Beach neighborhood where it would be deployed initially.
And for good reason! Systems like ShotSpotter don’t reduce crime or even produce evidence that can be used in court cases. Instead, they waste police time and resources – and harm people in the communities they’re supposed to protect. In Chicago, police responding to a ShotSpotter alert shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Michael Williams and Daniel Ortiz were wrongfully arrested as a result of ShotSpotter.
You can find the full story at #StopShotSpotter: Seattle Update on The Nexus of Privacy.
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Privacy News -- November 1
- what Karen memes teach us about white women and surveillance
- privacy nutrition labels
- upcoming events
- an abolitionist take on Section 230
- news from across the pond
- and more!
If you've got thoughts on any of the topics in the newsletter -- or if there are links or events you think we should cover in future newsletters -- feel free to drop a comment here!
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Privacy News -- October 28
Today's newsletter covers Twitter, privacy after Roe, automated decision systems, and much more. Some of the highlights:
- Andre Brock's perspectives on Twitter
- A Twitter moment with a bunch of other reactions to the acquisition
- What happens to your Twitter data when Elon takes over, Sara Morrison, Vox
- How the tech sector can protect personal data post-Roe, Jordan Famularo and Richmond Wong on Brookings (brookings.edu)
- Regulating the Risks of AI, Margot E. Kaminski on SSRN (papers.ssrn.com)
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Community Guidlines and Anti-Harassment Policy
The Nexus of Privacy welcomes and honors the voices of all people, particularly those usually marginalized in our society. We are dedicated to providing a positive, inclusive, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, family structure, or religion.
These community guidelines apply to all The Nexus Today spaces, both online and off.
- We do not tolerate harassment in any form. See the anti-harassment policy below for more details.
- Respect others:
- Avoid name calling, demeaning descriptions, ad hominem attacks or veiled put-downs.
- Give everybody a chance to speak, and don’t interrupt unless it’s urgent.
- Use appropriate pronouns; if you are not sure, avoid using any pronouns (for example by using their names instead).
- Respect others’ privacy. Do not share personal information about others without their permission.
- Racism, ableism (including mental health shaming and stigmatization), sexism, microaggressions, gaslighting, trolling, bullying, personal attacks, and other abusive behaviors are prohibited.
If you observe anyone in the group behaving inappropriately, please contact this account or report conduct to code-of-conduct@thenexus.today immediately.
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