ClassWario<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/16/ai-wealth-inequality-cultural-division" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">theguardian.com/commentisfree/</span><span class="invisible">2025/sep/16/ai-wealth-inequality-cultural-division</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a> should be a more popular tag. <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ai" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ai</span></a></p>
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#technofeudalism
5 posts · 5 participants · 0 posts today
Wouter Tebbens<p>Watch the video of the bigtech-Trump meeting, how Don Trump and his techbros bring success to the US and the world, creating jobs(?) and so much good. You would almost forget about the <a href="https://social.coop/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a> regime they're putting in place.<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdAtTnnK4Ps" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">youtube.com/watch?v=kdAtTnnK4Ps</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
Cuilfail<p><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/JohnSwinney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JohnSwinney</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/FirstMinister" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FirstMinister</span></a> of <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Scotland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Scotland</span></a> openly but ineffectually critical of <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/ElonMusk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ElonMusk</span></a> in <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/BBC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BBC</span></a> Radio interview on today's <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/GoodMorningScotland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GoodMorningScotland</span></a><br>Sounds like he & his <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Government" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Government</span></a> should come over to the <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Fediverse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fediverse</span></a> & ditch <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Xitter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Xitter</span></a> <br>See also dropping Microsoft, Google & other <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/DigitalEnclosure" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DigitalEnclosure</span></a> barons <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Technofeudalism</span></a></p>
resistance.website<p>Shit that should surprise NO ONE at this point, 🙄 companies are mostly using 'AI' just to automate work <a href="https://archive.is/VdD5w" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">archive.is/VdD5w</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/work" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>work</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/corporatocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>corporatocracy</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AI</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LLMs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>LLMs</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/automation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>automation</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/bullshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>bullshit</span></a></p>
Exotaur<p>orcs love epic pooh. <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Tolkien" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Tolkien</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/AltRight" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AltRight</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Fantasy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fantasy</span></a> </p><p>Why Is The Right Obsessed With Lord of The Rings?</p><p><a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=1hiKvi6BDcw&si=6K0UeiUdxJttGS1Y" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">youtube.com/watch?v=1hiKvi6BDc</span><span class="invisible">w&si=6K0UeiUdxJttGS1Y</span></a></p>
Battalion 👊🗡️⛓️💥<p><strong>Destroying Autocracy – September 11, 2025</strong></p><p><strong>Welcome to this week’s “Destroying Autocracy”.</strong></p><p>It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting it. That necessitates an opinionated Butlerian jihad against big tech as well as evangelizing for open-source and the Fediverse. Since big media’s journalism wing is flailing and failing in its core duty to democracy, this is also a collection of alternative reporting on the eternal battle between autocracy and democracy. We also cover the cybersecurity world. You can’t be free without safety and privacy.</p><p>DA comes out on Thursday and is updated through the end of day on Friday. Then we start over. So take your time in perusing it and check back in over the weekend.</p><p><strong>FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And will often involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists. Fuck ’em.</strong></p><p><em>The Programmer’s Fulcrum is the future (and smaller) home for a fusion of Symfony Station and Battalion. Its tagline is Devs Defending Democracy, Developing the OMN.</em></p><p><em>You <a href="https://www.thefulcrum.dev/about/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">can sign up now</a> and for 2025 get an email with links to and featured articles for each week’s Symfony Station Communiqué and Battalion “Destroying Autocracy” post along with their featured articles. And you’ll be set with TPF after the fusing.</em></p> <p><strong>Featured Item</strong></p> <p>Dave Rupert writes and asks:</p><p>I think my answer to “Why would anybody start a website (in 2025)?” is the same answer for the content creator in the age of AI problem: I don’t know, but you gotta want to.</p><p>Money sweetens the deal when making content or websites, but we’ve shaken the money tree pretty hard over the last couple decades and it’s looking bare.</p><p>Increasingly, you’ve got to find other sources of inspiration to make a website – which by the way are still the coolest fucking things ever.</p><p><a href="https://daverupert.com/2025/09/why-would-anybody-start-a-website/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Why would anybody start a website?</a></p><p><strong>To join the Open Media Network for one.</strong></p> <p><strong>We start and end with good news to make the middle bearable.</strong></p> <p><strong>The response to Russia’s War Crimes, Techno Feudalism, and other douchebaggery</strong></p> <p>Speaking of websites, the Columbia Journalism Review has:</p><p><a href="https://www.cjr.org/the-interview/tom-ley-defector-five-years.php" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Tom Ley Thinks More People Should Experience Worker-Owned Journalism</a></p><p>The Next Web reports:</p><p><a href="https://thenextweb.com/news/digital-sovereignty-europe" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Reclaiming the stack: Europe’s bid for digital sovereignty</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/10/big_clouds_scramble_over_eu/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Big clouds scramble as EU Data Act brings new data transfer rules</a></p><p>Heisse reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.heise.de/en/news/400-scientists-speak-out-against-chat-control-10637109.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">400 scientists speak out against chat control</a></p><p><strong>Europe is better than anywhere else, but it isn’t perfect.</strong></p><p>The Guardian reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/06/drones-evolving-technology-at-ukraine-conflict-heart" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">‘It is a war of drones now’: the ever-evolving tech dominating the frontline in Ukraine</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/11/lawmaker-calls-for-french-criminal-investigation-into-tiktok" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Lawmaker calls for French criminal investigation into TikTok</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/05/google-fined-european-union" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">EU fines Google nearly €3bn for ‘abusing’ dominant position in ad tech</a></p><p>Speaking of, Tech Policy reports:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/empowered-workers-are-a-bulwark-against-illegal-monopoly" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Empowered Workers Are a Bulwark Against Illegal Monopoly</a></p><p>Ars Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/judge-anthropics-1-5b-settlement-is-being-shoved-down-the-throat-of-authors/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Judge: Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement is being shoved “down the throat of authors”</a></p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/pay-per-output-ai-firms-blindsided-by-beefed-up-robots-txt-instructions/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pay-per-output? AI firms blindsided by beefed up robots.txt instructions.</a></p><p>Ben Werdmuller examines:</p><p><a href="https://werd.io/wordpress-for-newsrooms/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">WordPress for newsrooms</a></p><p><strong>This is the type of content we will feature in The Programmer’s Fulcrum in 2026.</strong></p><p>Make Use of shares:</p><p><a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/vivaldi-best-built-in-email-client-vs-gmail/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">I stopped using Gmail for this built-in client and now Gmail feels stuck</a></p><p><strong>Here is a TAM lite tool for you.</strong></p><p>Mojeek announces:</p><p><a href="https://blog.mojeek.com/2025/09/mojeek-is-not-an-answer-engine.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mojeek is Not an Answer Engine</a></p><p>Tuta shares:</p><p><a href="https://tuta.com/blog/chat-control-criticism" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Chat Control is back & we’ve got one month to stop the EU CSAM scanning plans.</a></p><p>The Counterforce has a guide:</p><p><a href="https://the-counterforce.org/signal-for-punks/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Signal For Punks (it has Stories now!)</a></p><p><strong>I describe myself as 25% intellectual, 25% bohemian, 25% hillbilly, and 25% punk so this appeals to me. 😉</strong></p> <p><strong>Neutral</strong></p> <p>The Observer reports:</p><p><a href="https://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/nick-clegg-and-tim-berners-lee-the-battle-for-the-soul-of-the-internet" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nick Clegg and Tim Berners-Lee: the battle for the soul of the internet</a></p><p>Tech Policy reports:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/washington-and-brussels-vie-for-control-over-big-tech" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Washington and Brussels Vie for Control Over Big Tech</a></p> <p><strong>The Evil Empire (AKA Autocracy) Strikes Back</strong></p> <p>404 Media reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.404media.co/ice-spends-millions-on-clearview-ai-face-recognition-to-find-people-assaulting-officers/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ICE Spends Millions on Clearview AI Facial Recognition to Find People ‘Assaulting’ Officers</a></p><p>The Kyiv Independent reports:</p><p><a href="https://kyivindependent.com/us-steps-back-from-joint-efforts-to-combat-misinformation-ft-reports/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">US steps back from joint efforts to combat misinformation, FT reports</a></p><p>TechDirt reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/08/uk-age-verification-data-confirms-what-critics-always-predicted-mass-migration-to-sketchier-sites/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">UK Age Verification Data Confirms What Critics Always Predicted: Mass Migration To Sketchier Sites</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/11/ssa_doge_whistleblower_demand/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Senator demands to know status of ‘duplicate’ Social Security database ‘immediately’</a></p><p>Nextcloud reports:</p><p><a href="https://nextcloud.com/blog/how-the-eu-chat-control-law-is-a-threat-to-democracy/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The proposed EU Chat Control law is a threat to our democracy. What can you do to prevent it?</a></p><p>EuroNews reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/09/12/pro-kremlin-operation-weaponises-investigative-media-to-claim-ukraine-uses-orphans-to-clea" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pro-Kremlin operation weaponises investigative media to claim Ukraine uses orphans to clear mines</a></p> <p><strong>Pariah States</strong></p> <p>BleepingComputer reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/czech-cyber-agency-warns-against-chinese-tech-in-critical-infrastructure/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Czech cyber agency warns against Chinese tech in critical infrastructure</a></p><p>The Christian Science Monitor reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2025/0907/israeli-media-gaza-war-palestinian-suffering" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Why some Israeli journalists only now are turning a lens on Gaza devastation</a></p><p>Krebs on Security reports:</p><p><a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/09/bulletproof-host-stark-industries-evades-eu-sanctions/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bulletproof Host Stark Industries Evades EU Sanctions</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/11/eggstreme_malware_china_philippines/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Beijing went to ‘EggStreme’ lengths to attack Philippines military, researchers say</a></p><p>DarkReading reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/chinese-hackers-allegedly-pose-us-lawmaker" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Chinese Hackers Allegedly Pose as US Lawmaker</a></p> <p><strong>Big Media</strong></p> <p>The Guardian reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/sep/06/existential-crisis-google-use-ai-search-upended-web-publishers-models" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">‘Existential crisis’: how Google’s shift to AI has upended the online news model</a></p><p>TechDirt reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/02/wired-business-insider-editors-duped-by-completely-bogus-ai-using-journalist-who-made-up-towns-people-that-dont-exist/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Wired, Business Insider Editors Duped By Completely Bogus ‘AI’ Using ‘Journalist’ Who Made Up Towns, People That Don’t Exist</a></p> <p><strong>Big Tech</strong></p> <p>Tech Policy reports:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/how-big-techs-invisible-hand-reaches-latin-american-regulators" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">How Big Tech’s ‘Invisible Hand’ Reaches Latin American Regulators</a></p><p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/09/age-verification-windfall-big-tech-and-death-sentence-smaller-platforms" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Age Verification Is A Windfall for Big Tech—And A Death Sentence For Smaller Platforms</a></p><p>Anil Dash opines:</p><p><a href="https://www.anildash.com//2025/09/09/how-tim-cook-sold-out-steve-jobs/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">How Tim Cook sold out Steve Jobs</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/12/eu_regulators_let_microsoft_off/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">EU regulators let Microsoft off the hook after Teams unbundling pledge</a></p><p><strong>Again, big tech can’t be reformed. It has to be destroyed.</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/07/googles_ai_cites_written_by_ai/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">It’s AI all the way down as Google’s AI cites web pages written by AI</a></p><p>The Markup reports:</p><p><a href="https://themarkup.org/privacy/2025/09/12/google-wasnt-against-this-privacy-bill-officially-behind-the-scenes-it-orchestrated-opposition" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Google wasn’t against this privacy bill, officially. Behind the scenes, it orchestrated opposition</a></p><p>The Guardian reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/11/google-gemini-ai-training-humans" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">How thousands of ‘overworked, underpaid’ humans train Google’s AI to seem smart</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/08/chatbots-mental-health-warning-super-intelligent-ai-nate-soares" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Impact of chatbots on mental health is warning over future of AI, expert says</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/08/meta-virtual-reality-whistleblowers" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meta hid harms to children from VR products, whistleblowers allege</a></p><p>Reuters reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-put-virtual-reality-profit-over-kids-safety-whistleblowers-tell-us-congress-2025-09-09/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meta put virtual-reality profit over kids’ safety, whistleblowers tell US Congress</a></p><p>The BBC reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2kzl79jv15o" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meta to stop its AI chatbots from talking to teens about suicide</a></p><p>404 Media reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.404media.co/instagram-account-promotes-holocaust-denial-t-shirts-to-400-000-followers/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Instagram Account Promotes Holocaust Denial T-Shirts to 400,000 Followers</a></p><p>Ars Technica has:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/09/former-whatsapp-security-boss-sues-meta-for-systemic-cybersecurity-failures/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Former WhatsApp security boss in lawsuit likens Meta’s culture to a “cult”</a></p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/spacex-complaints-to-fcc-pay-off-with-17-billion-spectrum-buy-from-echostar/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">EchoStar to sell spectrum to SpaceX after FCC threatened to revoke licenses</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d6aac7f1-b955-4c76-a144-1fe8d909f70b" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">AI vs. MAGA: Populists alarmed by Trump’s embrace of AI, Big Tech</a></p><p><strong>Even blind fascist squirrels find a nut sometimes.</strong></p><p>SAN reports:</p><p><a href="https://san.com/cc/not-so-secret-xs-new-encrypted-chat-feature-puts-users-at-risk-experts-say/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Not so secret: X’s new encrypted chat feature puts users at risk, experts say</a></p> <p><strong>Cybersecurity/Privacy</strong></p> <p>Signal announces:</p><p><a href="https://signal.org/blog/introducing-secure-backups/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Introducing Signal Secure Backups</a></p><p>La Quadrature reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/2025/09/04/in-france-the-eternal-return-of-facial-recognition/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">In France, the eternal return of facial recognition</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/08/drift_breach_entry_salesloft_github/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Drift massive attack traced back to loose Salesloft GitHub account</a></p><p>In crypto bro FAFO news, BleepingComputer reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-hijack-npm-packages-with-2-billion-weekly-downloads-in-supply-chain-attack/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hackers hijack npm packages with 2 billion weekly downloads in supply chain attack</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ddos-defender-targeted-in-15-bpps-denial-of-service-attack/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DDoS defender targeted in 1.5 Bpps denial-of-service attack</a></p><p>DarkReading reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/without-federal-help-cyber-defense-cisa" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Without Federal Help, Cyber Defense Is Up to the Rest of Us</a></p> <p><strong>Fediverse</strong></p> <p>Connected Places has:</p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.online/reports/fediverse-report-133/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fediverse Report – 133</a></p><p>Fedihost looks at:</p><p><a href="https://fedihost.co/blog/slug/podcasting-with-peertube" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Podcasting With PeerTube</a></p><p>PeerTube announces:</p><p><a href="https://joinpeertube.org/news/release-7.3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">PeerTube v7.3 is out!</a></p><p>The Nexus of Privacy shares:</p><p><a href="https://privacy.thenexus.today/what-solidarity-looks-like/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">This is what solidarity looks like</a></p><p>Mastodon has updates:</p><p><a href="https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/09/introducing-quote-posts/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Introducing quote posts</a></p><p><a href="https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/09/trunk-tidbits-august-2025/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Trunk & Tidbits, August 2025</a></p><p>NodeBB shares a:</p><p><a href="https://community.nodebb.org/topic/18990/progress-update-for-conversational-contexts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Progress update for Conversational Contexts</a></p><p>A New Social announces:</p><p><a href="https://blog.anew.social/bounce-beta-now-live/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bounce Beta Now Live!</a></p><p><a href="https://blog.anew.social/launch-dm-notifications/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Launch: Notifications from Unbridged Users</a></p> <p><strong>RSS</strong></p><p>Buttondown remembers:</p><p><a href="https://buttondown.com/blog/rss-vs-ice" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The story of how RSS beat Microsoft</a></p> <p><strong>Other Slightly Federated Social Media</strong></p> <p>Connected Spaces opines:</p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.online/on-discourse-and-decentralisation/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">On discourse and decentralisation</a></p><p><strong>Personally I view Bluesky as only slightly better than Shitter (drastically fewer c^nts) with a 97.4% chance of becoming enshittified. However, Blacksky has given me a little hope for ATProto at least.</strong></p><p><strong>I would also like to point out 96.525% of people on the Fediverse don’t give a fuck about Bluesky and 99.912% of people on Bluesky don’t give a fuck about the Fediverse.</strong></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/08/bluesky-adds-private-bookmarks/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bluesky adds private bookmarks</a></p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/10/bluesky-will-comply-with-age-verification-laws-in-south-dakota-and-wyoming-after-exiting-mississippi/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bluesky will comply with age-verification laws in South Dakota and Wyoming after exiting Mississippi</a></p> <p><strong>CTAs (aka show us some free love)</strong></p> <ul><li>That’s it for this week. Please share this edition of Destroying Autocracy.</li><li><a href="https://friendica.me/profile/friendofsymfony/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Follow me on the Fediverse</a>. Or this site via the button in the footer. Or via <a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/feed/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">RSS</a>. Or even our <a href="https://www.thefulcrum.dev/about/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">future home in 2026</a>, if you want a headstart.</li></ul> <p>Keep fighting!</p> <p class=""><strong><em>Ringleader, Battalion</em></strong><br>Reuben Walker<br> <a href="https://friendica.me/profile/friendofsymfony/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Follow me on the Fediverse</a></p> <p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/activitypub/" target="_blank">#ActivityPub</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/ai/" target="_blank">#AI</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/atproto/" target="_blank">#ATProto</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/autocracy/" target="_blank">#Autocracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/big-journalism/" target="_blank">#BigJournalism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/big-tech/" target="_blank">#BigTech</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/bluesky/" target="_blank">#Bluesky</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/democracy/" target="_blank">#Democracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/fascism/" target="_blank">#Fascism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/fediverse/" target="_blank">#Fediverse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/mastodon/" target="_blank">#Mastodon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/node-bb/" target="_blank">#NodeBB</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/peertube/" target="_blank">#Peertube</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/rss/" target="_blank">#RSS</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/signal/" target="_blank">#Signal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-china/" target="_blank">#StopChina</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-israel/" target="_blank">#StopIsrael</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-red-america/" target="_blank">#StopRedAmerica</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-russia/" target="_blank">#StopRussia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/support-ukraine/" target="_blank">#SupportUkraine</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/technoanarchism/" target="_blank">#TechnoAnarchism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/technofeudalism/" target="_blank">#TechnoFeudalism</a></p><p><a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=2493" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=24</span><span class="invisible">93</span></a></p>
TinDrum<p>This's pretty great by Matt Seybold with a nod to Varoufakis</p><p>"The mixed economic and gastronomic metaphors which have long been associated with the practice of reading, foremost among them consumption, no longer apply. Or at least, if we are still devouring digital books, they are also, ouroboros-like, simultaneously devouring us, our attention to them being automatically measured and archived in increasingly granular ways"</p><p><a href="https://aus.social/tags/literature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>literature</span></a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/literacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>literacy</span></a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/economics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>economics</span></a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/reading" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>reading</span></a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a></p><p><a href="https://theamericanvandal.substack.com/p/the-technofeudal-text" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theamericanvandal.substack.com</span><span class="invisible">/p/the-technofeudal-text</span></a></p>
André Ourednik<p>Yanis <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Varoufakis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Varoufakis</span></a> explains <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a> and <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/cloudcapitalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>cloudcapitalism</span></a><br>in simple words</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBPX2fHJAMA" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">youtube.com/watch?v=wBPX2fHJAMA</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
Patrick Leavy<p>Warning - extensive use of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ChatGPT" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ChatGPT</span></a> (and other LLMs) will erode your ability for critical thinking:</p><p><a href="https://publichealthpolicyjournal.com/mit-study-finds-artificial-intelligence-use-reprograms-the-brain-leading-to-cognitive-decline" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">publichealthpolicyjournal.com/</span><span class="invisible">mit-study-finds-artificial-intelligence-use-reprograms-the-brain-leading-to-cognitive-decline</span></a></p><p>And I think that's by design - the <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/broligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>broligarchy</span></a> want you to become a dumbass and be dependent on their synthetic brain. </p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AI</span></a> It's the next step in the rental economy, or <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a> - <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/RentIntelligenceOwnIgnorance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RentIntelligenceOwnIgnorance</span></a></p>
Martin Nutty<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@jeffjarvis" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>jeffjarvis</span></a></span> </p><p>This return to the Dark Ages with all the thoughtfulness of Atilla The Hun seems to be driven by the arrogance of those who own <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AI</span></a> assets. </p><p>The <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/SiliconValley" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SiliconValley</span></a> overlords believe that they are a year or two away from disintermediating academics and scientists through the creation of an <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/AGI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AGI</span></a>. I have my doubts on that front</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/USPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USPolitics</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/TechnoFascism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFascism</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/Broligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Broligarchy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.ie/tags/Technogarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Technogarchy</span></a></p>
PapyrusBrigade<p>AI is blasphemy:</p><p>"AI art signifies an even deeper problem with the world and its capture by the technocrats. Just like they're doing with art, they believe they already know everything and they don't need to listen to anyone. And so they continue to fall for their own lies about colonizing space and creating godlike technologies to unlock the secrets of the universe. Many of them have been swaddled in privilege from birth, and they mistake their own immense advantages as evidence of their superiority.</p><p>They've destroyed the world to remake it in their image. It's a sad world, devoid of true human emotion or dignity."</p><p><a href="https://www.the-sentinel-intelligence.net/the/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">the-sentinel-intelligence.net/</span><span class="invisible">the/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AI</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Capitalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Capitalism</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/ClimateChange" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateChange</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/ClimateCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateCrisis</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Art" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Art</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/AIArt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AIArt</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/DragonCon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DragonCon</span></a></p>
Battalion 👊🗡️⛓️💥<p><strong>Destroying Autocracy – September 04, 2025</strong></p><p><strong>Welcome to this week’s “Destroying Autocracy”.</strong></p><p>It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting it. That necessitates an opinionated Butlerian jihad against big tech as well as evangelizing for open-source and the Fediverse. Since big media’s journalism wing is flailing and failing in its core duty to democracy, this is also a collection of alternative reporting on the eternal battle between autocracy and democracy. We also cover the cybersecurity world. You can’t be free without safety and privacy.</p><p>DA comes out on Thursday and is updated through the end of day on Friday. Then we start over. So take your time in perusing it and check back in over the weekend.</p><p><strong>FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And will often involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists. Fuck ’em.</strong></p><p><em>The Programmer’s Fulcrum is the future (and smaller) home for a fusion of Symfony Station and Battalion. Its tagline is Devs Defending Democracy.</em></p><p><em>You <a href="https://www.thefulcrum.dev/about/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">can sign up now</a> and for 2025 get an email with links to and featured articles for each week’s Symfony Station Communiqué and Battalion “Destroying Autocracy” post along with their featured articles. And you’ll be set with TPF after the fusing.</em></p> <p><strong>Featured Item</strong></p> <p>Scripting of <a href="https://this.how/wordland/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">WordLand fame</a> writes:</p><p>I want you to see WordPress as comparable to Bluesky or Mastodon.</p><p>Internally, the software, WordPress, Mastodon, Bluesky, do a lot of the same things. But because WordPress is so long-lived relative to the other two, it’s more complete, scaled, and it federates easily. Lots of people do it.</p><p>WordPress also has excellent support for RSS, especially using a little-known feature called rssCloud. It enables real-time notification of new or changed feed items. And has a deep and powerful API. It’s well designed, documented, and they don’t break it.</p><p><strong>BTW, Mastodon and Bluesky lack these.</strong></p><p><a href="http://scripting.com/2025/08/28/140604.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Think Different about WordPress</a></p><p><strong>Hamish Campbell has made a similar point.</strong></p><p><strong>This article is the type of coverage we will feature on The Fulcrum in 2026.</strong></p> <p><strong>We start and end with good news to make the middle bearable.</strong></p> <p><strong>The response to Russia’s War Crimes, Techno Feudalism, and other douchebaggery</strong></p> <p>BleepingComputer reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/amazon-disrupts-russian-apt29-hackers-targeting-microsoft-365/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Amazon disrupts Russian APT29 hackers targeting Microsoft 365</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/eu-fines-google-35-billion-for-anti-competitive-ad-practices/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">EU fines Google $3.5 billion for anti-competitive ad practices</a></p><p>Platypush shares:</p><p><a href="https://blog.platypush.tech/article/Create-self-hosted-email-aliases-on-the-fly" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Create private self-hosted email aliases on the fly</a></p><p>Les Numeriques reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.lesnumeriques.com/societe-numerique/notre-solution-coute-trois-fois-moins-cher-qu-office-365-comment-lyon-a-tourne-le-dos-a-microsoft-a241415.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">“Notre solution coûte trois fois moins cher qu’Office 365”: comment Lyon a tourné le dos à Microsoft</a></p><p>EDRi shares:</p><p><a href="https://edri.org/our-work/public-consultation-on-retention-of-data-by-service-providers-for-criminal-proceedings-answering-guide-for-civil-society-organisations-and-individuals/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Public consultation on ”retention of data by service providers for criminal proceedings”. Answering guide for civil society organisations and individuals.</a></p><p><strong>EU citizens, please give your input.</strong></p><p>Internet Exchange opines:</p><p><a href="https://internet.exchangepoint.tech/democracy-needs-encryption/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Democracy Needs Encryption</a></p><p><strong>True.</strong></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/sap_sovereign_cloud/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">SAP splashes €20B on Euro sovereign cloud push</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/france_google_shein_cookie_fines/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">France fines Google, SHEIN for undercooked cookie policies that led to crummy privacy</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/m365_copilot_uk_government/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">UK government trial of M365 Copilot finds no clear productivity boost</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/02/reg_poll_microsoft_uk/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Reg readers have spoken: 93% back move away from Microsoft in UK public sector</a></p><p><strong>Now make your politicians do something about it.</strong></p><p>String Literal discusses:</p><p><a href="https://blog.yaelwrites.com/options-for-phones-at-protests/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Options for Phones at Protests</a></p><p>DarkReading reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/how-gray-zone-hosting-companies-protect-data-us-wants-erased" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">How Gray-Zone Hosting Companies Protect Data the US Wants Erased</a></p><p>The Atlantic reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/09/trump-legal-resistance-lawsuits-norm-eisen/684071/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Anti-Trump Strategy That’s Actually Working</a></p><p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/victory-ninth-circuit-limits-intrusive-dmca-subpoenas" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Victory! Ninth Circuit Limits Intrusive DMCA Subpoenas</a></p><p>CIO reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.cio.com/article/4022953/31-of-employees-are-sabotaging-your-gen-ai-strategy.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">31% of employees are ‘sabotaging’ your gen AI strategy</a></p><p><strong>This need to be around 81%.</strong></p><p>Privacy Guides shares:</p><p><a href="https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">“We (Don’t) Care About Your Privacy”</a></p> <p><strong>Neutral</strong></p> <p>Micah Flee opines:</p><p><a href="https://micahflee.com/unfortunately-the-iceblock-app-is-activism-theater/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Unfortunately, the ICEBlock app is activism theater</a></p><p><strong>Hopefully, the app developer will quit ignoring its users and constructive criticism and salvage this project.</strong></p><p>TechPolicy promotes:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/advancing-democracy-as-a-digital-public-service" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Advancing Democracy as a Digital Public Service</a></p> <p><strong>The Evil Empire (AKA Autocracy) Strikes Back</strong></p> <p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/02/ice-reactivates-contract-with-spyware-maker-paragon/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ICE reactivates contract with spyware maker Paragon</a></p><p>Arrs Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/fcc-chair-teams-up-with-ted-cruz-to-block-wi-fi-hotspots-for-schoolkids/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">FCC chair teams up with Ted Cruz to block Wi-Fi hotspots for schoolkids</a></p><p>404 Media reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.404media.co/congress-pushes-dhs-for-details-on-ices-new-facial-recognition-app/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Congress Pushes DHS for Details on ICE’s New Facial Recognition App</a></p> <p><strong>Pariah States</strong></p> <p>EuroNews reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/09/01/russian-propaganda-is-overtaking-legitimate-news-in-the-czech-republic" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Russian propaganda is ‘overtaking’ legitimate news in the Czech Republic</a></p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/09/03/online-disinformation-intensifies-ahead-of-moldovan-parliamentary-elections" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Online disinformation intensifies ahead of Moldovan parliamentary elections</a></p><p>DarkReading reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint-security/apt28-outlook-notdoor-backdoor" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Russia’s APT28 Targets Microsoft Outlook With ‘NotDoor’ Malware</a></p><p><a href="https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/czech-warning-highlights-china-stealing-user-data" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Czech Warning Highlights China Stealing User Data</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/03/censys_abuse_sigcomm_paper/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Internet mapping and research outfit Censys reveals state-based abuse, harassment</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/new_chinaaligned_crew_poisons_windows_servers/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">China-aligned crew poisons Windows servers to manipulate Google results</a></p> <p><strong>Big Media</strong></p> <p>EuroNews reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/09/02/can-the-eu-implement-its-new-press-freedom-law" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Can the EU implement its new press freedom law?</a></p><p>Ben Werdmuller asks:</p><p><a href="https://werd.io/can-newsrooms-become-social-platforms/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Can newsrooms become social platforms?</a></p><p><strong>Great stuff.</strong></p><p>Poytner reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025/is-business-broadcast-journalism-in-trouble/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Inescapable technology changes and a migrating audience have local broadcast news in trouble</a></p><p>NiemanLab reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/trusted-news-sites-may-benefit-in-an-internet-full-of-ai-generated-fakes-a-new-study-finds/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Trusted news sites may benefit in an internet full of AI-generated fakes, a new study finds</a></p><p>Journalism reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/substack-changes-frustrate-publishers-one-option-is-terrible-for-us-the-other-is-terrible-for-our-readers-/s2/a1274464/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Substack’s new in-app payments frustrate publishers: “One option is terrible for us, the other is terrible for our readers”</a></p><p><strong>Because Suckstack is enshittified.</strong></p> <p><strong>Big Tech</strong></p> <p>Reuters reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/meta-launch-california-super-pac-backing-pro-ai-candidates-2025-08-26/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meta to launch California super PAC backing pro-AI candidates</a></p><p>EuroNews reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/09/01/is-meta-failing-to-protect-users-from-the-distribution-of-non-consensual-images" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Is Meta failing to protect users from the distribution of non-consensual images?</a></p><p>Tech Policy reports:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/how-ai-upended-a-historic-antitrust-case-against-google" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">How AI Upended a Historic Antitrust Case Against Google</a></p><p>Ars Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/google-wont-have-to-sell-chrome-judge-rules" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Judge: Google can keep Chrome, must share search data with “qualified competitors”</a></p><p><strong>Sigh. More proof that surveillance tech cannot be reformed. It must be destroyed.</strong></p><p><strong>Once again, please explore our <a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/techno-anarchist-manifesto/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Techno Anarchist Manifesto</a> for what you can do.</strong></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/29/ai_web_crawlers_are_destroying/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">AI web crawlers are destroying websites in their never-ending hunger for any and all content</a></p><p>Alan Smith reports on:</p><p><a href="https://www.alanwsmith.com/en/2v/tc/qq/dq/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Enshittifying Search With AI</a></p><p>Infrequently reports on:</p><p><a href="https://infrequently.org/2025/09/apples-crimes-against-the-internet-community/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Apple’s Assault on Standards</a></p> <p><strong>Cybersecurity/Privacy</strong></p> <p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/09/libraries-schools-why-organizations-should-install-privacy-badger" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">From Libraries to Schools: Why Organizations Should Install Privacy Badger</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/02/exposed_ollama_servers_insecure_research/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">In the rush to adopt hot new tech, security is often forgotten. AI is no exception</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/02/commercial_surveillanceware_safe/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Who watches the watchmen? Surveillanceware firms make bank, avoid oversight</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/03/eu_us_data_challenge/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">EU court’s dismissal of US data transfer challenge raises privacy advocates’ ire</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/cyber_threat_intelsharing_funding_lifeline/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Congressional panel throws cyber threat intel-sharing, funding a lifeline</a></p><p>Signal reports:</p><p><a href="https://aboutsignal.com/news/european-commission-internally-recommends-signal-with-disappearing-messages/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">European Commission internally recommends Signal with disappearing messages</a></p><p>BleepingComputer reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/threat-actors-abuse-xs-grok-ai-to-spread-malicious-links/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Threat actors abuse X’s Grok AI to spread malicious links</a></p><p><strong>Of course.</strong></p><p>DarkReading reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/phishing-empire-undetected-google-cloudflare" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Phishing Empire Runs Undetected on Google, Cloudflare</a></p> <p><strong>Fediverse</strong></p> <p>Connected Places has:</p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.online/reports/fediverse-report-132/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fediverse Report – 132</a></p><p>Social Media Alternative reviews:</p><p><a href="https://www.socialmediaalternatives.org/2025/09/01/hope-and-asm.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">HOPE and Alternative Social Media</a></p><p>WriteFreely announces:</p><p><a href="https://blog.writefreely.org/version-0-16" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Version 0.16</a></p><p>FediHost demonstrates:</p><p><a href="https://fedihost.co/blog/slug/podcasting-with-peertube" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Podcasting With PeerTube</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/03/matrixorg_raid_failure/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Matrix.org homeserver grinds to a halt after RAID meltdown</a></p><p>The Nexus of Privacy shares:</p><p><a href="https://privacy.thenexus.today/improving-accessibility/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Improving accessibility in the Fediverse and the ATmosphere</a></p><p>NodeBB shares a:</p><p><a href="https://community.nodebb.org/topic/18990/progress-update-for-conversational-contexts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Progress update for Conversational Contexts</a></p><p>A New Social announces:</p><p><a href="https://blog.anew.social/bounce-beta-now-live/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bounce Beta Now Live!</a></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/04/threads-challenges-x-by-offering-free-support-for-up-to-10k-characters-plus-prominent-links/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Threads challenges X by offering free support for up to 10K characters, plus prominent links</a></p> <p><strong>Other Slightly Federated Social Media</strong></p><p>Connected Places has:</p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.leaflet.pub/3lxrquusm4225" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Substack and the risk of disruption</a></p> <p><strong>CTAs (aka show us some free love)</strong></p> <ul><li>That’s it for this week. Please share this edition of Destroying Autocracy.</li><li><a href="https://friendica.me/profile/friendofsymfony/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Follow me on the Fediverse</a>. Or this site via the button in the footer. Or via <a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/feed/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">RSS</a>. Or even our <a href="https://www.thefulcrum.dev/about/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">future home in 2026</a>, if you want a headstart.</li></ul> <p>Keep fighting!</p> <p class=""><strong><em>Ringleader, Battalion</em></strong><br>Reuben Walker<br> <a href="https://friendica.me/profile/friendofsymfony/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Follow me on the Fediverse</a></p> <p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/activitypub/" target="_blank">#ActivityPub</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/ai/" target="_blank">#AI</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/atproto/" target="_blank">#ATProto</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/autocracy/" target="_blank">#Autocracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/big-journalism/" target="_blank">#BigJournalism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/big-tech/" target="_blank">#BigTech</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/bluesky/" target="_blank">#Bluesky</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/democracy/" target="_blank">#Democracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/fascism/" target="_blank">#Fascism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/fediverse/" target="_blank">#Fediverse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/mastodon/" target="_blank">#Mastodon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/matrix/" target="_blank">#Matrix</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/peertube/" target="_blank">#Peertube</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-china/" target="_blank">#StopChina</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-israel/" target="_blank">#StopIsrael</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-red-america/" target="_blank">#StopRedAmerica</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-russia/" target="_blank">#StopRussia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/substack/" target="_blank">#SubStack</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/support-ukraine/" target="_blank">#SupportUkraine</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/technoanarchism/" target="_blank">#TechnoAnarchism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/technofeudalism/" target="_blank">#TechnoFeudalism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/threads/" target="_blank">#Threads</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/wordpress/" target="_blank">#WordPress</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/writefreely/" target="_blank">#WriteFreely</a></p><p><a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=2477" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=24</span><span class="invisible">77</span></a></p>
Ur Ya'ar<p>The image of the "tech giants" in Trump's inauguration entered my mind from Cory Doctorow's podcast "Understood: Who Broke the Internet?" where, in the last episode, he describes these men as the "technofeudalists". I highly recommend listening to these four chapters.</p><p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/1353-the-naked-emperor/episode/16142603-introducing-understood-who-broke-the-internet" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/135</span><span class="invisible">3-the-naked-emperor/episode/16142603-introducing-understood-who-broke-the-internet</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>pluralistic</span></a></span> <br><a href="https://tooot.im/tags/enshittification" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>enshittification</span></a> <a href="https://tooot.im/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a></p>
ClassWario<p>3/ now they do not address the situation for what it is, and only wait for the conditions which magically arose to be over. </p><p>But we’re not looking at magic or bad luck. We’re facing the deliberate and systematic annihilation of a way of a life which boomers, still the largest and most powerful voting bloc in the US, took for granted for 70 years now. </p><p>There were some luck adjacencies, <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a> , <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/crypto" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>crypto</span></a> easy money, a pandemic, but even these were more opportunistic to staid (cont</p>
Rae 🧑💻🎃<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Technofeudalism</span></a>, a 🧵 </p><p>tl;dr: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Capitalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Capitalism</span></a> was about accumulation through production. Technofeudalism is about accumulation of 'assets' through depletion (like The Matrix). It's a system where those assets (digital platforms, data, natural resources, AI models, your body, your mind/attention, etc) are enclosed like medieval land/trapped like a walled garden (on the wrong side of the grass, if that fact was invisible to you)/like the matrix, and 'wealth' is extracted through rents, not profits.</p><p>Profit (capitalism) requires markets, circulation, innovation, risk. 'Rent' (technofeudalism) requires only ownership of assets; no markets, no innovation. A subscription model of sorts. </p><p>Every action ultimately feeds the lords (the machines, the extractors, the billionaires) and they hold so many assets that money itself becomes irrelevant—just an inflationary, symbolic reflection of what their holdings are "worth." For them, money is beneath concern; it’s left for the lower classes to fight over. </p><p>And these technofeudalists live like gods while everyone (including governments) and everything (including nature) struggles to survive. Capitalism eating itself while eating us, like a two for one deal. Three for one if you include governments, which are now essentially privatized and controlled by corporations. Scary shit.</p>
Battalion 👊🗡️⛓️💥<p><strong>Destroying Autocracy – August 28, 2025</strong></p><p><strong>Welcome to this week’s “Destroying Autocracy”.</strong></p><p>It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting it. That necessitates an opinionated Butlerian jihad against big tech as well as evangelizing for open-source and the Fediverse. Since big media’s journalism wing is flailing and failing in its core duty to democracy, this is also a collection of alternative reporting on the eternal battle between autocracy and democracy. We also cover the cybersecurity world. You can’t be free without safety and privacy.</p><p>DA comes out on Thursday and is updated through the end of day on Friday. Then we start over. So take your time in perusing it and check back in over the weekend.</p><p><strong>FYI, my opinions will be in bold. And will often involve cursing. Because humans. Especially tech bros. And fascists. Fuck ’em.</strong></p><p><em>As noted before, starting next year I am willing to spend 10 hours weekly on The Programmer’s Fulcrum. It’s the future (and smaller) home for a fusion of Symfony Station and Battalion. Its tagline is Devs Defending Democracy.</em></p><p><em>You <a href="https://www.thefulcrum.dev/about/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">can sign up now</a> and for 2025 get an email with links to and featured articles for each week’s Symfony Station Communiqué and Battalion “Destroying Autocracy” post along with their featured articles. And you’ll be set with TPF after the fusing. I appreciate all of you.</em></p> <p><strong>Featured Item</strong></p> <p>In a late addition, Connected Places writes:</p><p>Building a decentralised network like the fediverse thus means not only building a social network that spreads out over many different nodes, but also building an infrastructure for the network to run on that is itself decentralised. What’s happening to SocialHub is symptomatic of this broader tension, where these decentralised systems promise to distribute power, but they still need coordination mechanisms to function.</p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.online/socialhub-and-the-substrate-of-decentralised-networks/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">SocialHub and the Substrate of Decentralised Networks</a></p><p>Nate Matias has this great story of perseverance:</p><p>That’s when I got an email from Enel X Way, an Italian power company, that the software in the boxes that charge our cars would be disconnected in just a few short weeks. I immediately thought of Mark, whose medical care required reliable travel to the nearby city of Syracuse.</p><p>Across our entire neighborhood, forty homes had exactly the same box, many supported by a New York State electric charging grant. And now all of us were about to have tens of thousands of dollars in critical infrastructure lose functionality – infrastructure we relied on to get to work, access medical care, and live our daily lives.</p><p><a href="https://natematias.com/portfolio/2025-08-22-unchaining-from-broken-software-tethers/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Escaping the chains of tethered products: the Juice Rescue project</a></p><p><strong>Great stuff!</strong></p> <p><strong>We start and end with good news to make the middle bearable.</strong></p> <p><strong>The response to Russia’s War Crimes, Techno Feudalism, and other douchebaggery</strong></p> <p>The Kyiv Independent reports:</p><p><a href="https://kyivindependent.com/cyber-partisans-hack-russian-tv-to-show-the-truth-about-the-war/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">‘Cyber partisans’ hack Russian TV, broadcast battlefield casualties and ‘truth’ about war, HUR source claims</a></p><p>Deutsche Welle reports on:</p><p><a href="https://akademie.dw.com/en/making-news-under-siege-ais-role-in-ukrainian-wartime-media/a-73567580" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">AI’s role in Ukrainian wartime media</a></p><p>ic3 announces:</p><p><a href="https://www.ic3.gov/CSA/2025/250827.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Countering Chinese State-Sponsored Actors<br>Compromise of Networks Worldwide to Feed Global<br>Espionage System</a></p><p>404 Media reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.404media.co/44-attorneys-general-to-ai-chatbot-companies-open-letter/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Attorneys General To AI Chatbot Companies: You Will ‘Answer For It’ If You Harm Children</a></p><p>EuroNews reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/08/26/eu-defends-sovereign-right-to-regulate-tech-against-trumps-latest-tariff-threat" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">EU defends sovereign right to regulate tech against Trump’s latest tariff threat</a></p><p>TechPolicy reports:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/europe-cannot-wait-to-fight-trumps-assault-on-democracy" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Perspective Europe Cannot Wait to Fight Trump’s Assault on Democracy</a></p><p>In <a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/techno-anarchist-manifesto/#arsenal" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">fuck up Techno Feudalism news</a>, XDA Developers share:</p><p><a href="https://www.xda-developers.com/syncthing-ruined-cloud-storage-best-way/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Syncthing ruined cloud storage for me in the best possible way</a></p><p><strong>Manifesto</strong></p><p>And OMG Ununtu reviews:</p><p><a href="https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/08/zen-browser-is-what-mozilla-firefox-should-be" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Zen Browser — What Mozilla Firefox Should Be?</a></p><p><strong>I use it and love it.</strong></p><p>And Ars Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/framework-laptop-16-update-brings-nvidia-geforce-to-the-modular-gaming-laptop/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Framework Laptop 16 update brings Nvidia GeForce to the modular gaming laptop</a></p><p>They also have:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/authors-celebrate-historic-settlement-coming-soon-in-anthropic-class-action/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action</a></p><p>APC reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/full-disclosure-marking-legal-victory-big-tech-transparency-south-korea" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Full disclosure: Marking a legal victory for big tech transparency in South Korea</a></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/microsoft-headquarters-go-into-lockdown-after-activists-take-over-brad-smiths-office/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Microsoft headquarters go into lockdown after activists take over Brad Smith’s office</a></p><p><strong>Boycotting all Microsoft and Israeli products will achieve more than stunts. But publicity from them could result in more boycotts.</strong></p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/27/us-sanctions-fraud-network-used-by-north-korea-to-seek-jobs-and-steal-money/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">US sanctions fraud network used by North Korean ‘remote IT workers’ to seek jobs and steal money</a></p> <p><strong>Neutral</strong></p> <p>TechPolicy has:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/why-we-need-a-carnegie-moment-for-the-age-of-ai" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Why We Need a Carnegie Moment for the Age of AI</a></p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/to-create-transparency-regulation-for-digital-platforms-look-to-lessons-from-other-sectors" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">To Create Transparency Regulation for Digital Platforms, Look to Lessons from Other Sectors</a></p><p>The Guardian asks:</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/25/artificial-intelligence-openai-tiktok" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Is the AI boom finally starting to slow down?</a></p><p><strong>If only hopes and prayers worked.</strong></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/27/openai-co-founder-calls-for-ai-labs-to-safety-test-rival-models/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">OpenAI co-founder calls for AI labs to safety-test rival models</a></p> <p><strong>The Evil Empire (AKA Autocracy) Strikes Back</strong></p> <p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/face-scans-estimate-our-age-creepy-af-and-harmful" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Face Scans to Estimate Our Age: Harmful and Creepy AF</a></p><p>Cloud68 reports:</p><p><a href="https://cloud68.co/blog/chat-control-a-threat-to-privacy-that-does-not-solve-the-core-issue" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Chat Control: A Threat to Privacy that Does not Solve the Core Issue</a></p><p>The Intercept has:</p><p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2025/08/23/trump-international-students-visa-denial-university/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Accepted at Universities, Unable to Get Visas: Inside Trump’s War on International Students</a></p><p>The Dissenter reports:</p><p><a href="https://thedissenter.org/aclu-demands-us-court-immediately-order-release-of-journalist-in-ice-detention/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ACLU Demands US Court Immediately Order Release Of Journalist In ICE Detention</a></p><p>404 Media reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide</a></p><p><a href="https://www.404media.co/flock-wants-to-partner-with-consumer-dashcam-company-that-takes-trillions-of-images-a-month/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Flock Wants to Partner With Consumer Dashcam Company That Takes ‘Trillions of Images’ a Month</a></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/doge-uploaded-live-copy-of-social-security-database-to-vulnerable-cloud-server-says-whistleblower/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">DOGE uploaded live copy of Social Security database to ‘vulnerable’ cloud server, says whistleblower</a></p><p>The Guardian reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/26/donald-trump-tariffs-us-tech-uk-digital-services-tax-eu" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Trump threatens tariffs on countries that ‘discriminate’ against US tech</a></p><p>TechPolicy reports:</p><p><a href="https://techpolicy.press/washington-could-activate-a-kill-switch-to-terminate-european-access-to-us-tech-heres-how-it-could-work" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Washington Could Activate a “Kill Switch” to Terminate European Access to US Tech. Here’s How it Could Work.</a></p><p>Ars Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/att-to-buy-echostar-spectrum-for-23b-further-entrenching-big-3-oligopoly/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">FCC chairman helps AT&T cement dominance with $23 billion spectrum deal</a></p> <p><strong>Pariah States</strong></p> <p>BleepingComputer reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-android-malware-poses-as-antivirus-from-russian-intelligence-agency/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">New Android malware poses as antivirus from Russian intelligence agency</a></p><p><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/silk-typhoon-hackers-hijack-network-captive-portals-in-diplomat-attacks/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Silk Typhoon hackers hijack network captive portals in diplomat attacks</a></p><p>Poynter reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/israel-gaza-hospital-attack-journalists-killed/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Five more journalists were killed covering the war in Gaza</a></p> <p><strong>Big Media</strong></p> <p>NiemanLab reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/the-next-internet-for-news-publishers-gather-to-discuss-protocols-over-platforms/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The next internet for news? Publishers gather to discuss protocols over platforms</a></p><p><strong>Staying true to American media technical incompetence traditions, they advocate for ATProto. The Open Media Network advocates for ActivityPub.</strong></p> <p><strong>Big Tech</strong></p> <p>OS News reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.osnews.com/story/143173/google-to-require-developer-certification-to-install-android-applications-even-outside-of-the-play-store/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Google to require developer certification to install Android applications, even outside of the Play Store</a></p><p><strong>Have I ever said, fuck Google. Peeps, please get a Linux or de-googled Android device and only use f-droid apps.</strong></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/security-researcher-maps-hundreds-of-teslamate-servers-spilling-tesla-vehicle-data/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Security researcher maps hundreds of TeslaMate servers spilling Tesla vehicle data</a></p><p>Infrequently reports:</p><p><a href="https://infrequently.org/2025/08/apple-vs-fb-kayfabe/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Apple vs. Facebook is Kayfabe</a></p><p>Forbes reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilybaker-white/2025/08/26/intel-worked-with-chinese-firms-sanctioned-for-enabling-human-rights-abuses/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Intel Worked With Chinese Firms Sanctioned For Enabling Human Rights Abuses</a></p><p>TheNextWeb has:</p><p><a href="https://thenextweb.com/news/trusting-unverified-ai-agents" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Opinion: Trusting an unverified AI agent is like handing your keys to a drunk graduate</a></p> <p><strong>Cybersecurity/Privacy</strong></p> <p>Rebecca Williams shares:</p><p><a href="https://rebeccawilliams.info/burner-phone-101/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Burner Phone 101</a></p><p>Ars Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/08/senator-to-supreme-court-justice-federal-court-hacks-threaten-us-security/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Senator castigates federal judiciary for ignoring “basic cybersecurity”</a></p><p>The Register reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/zipline_phishing_campaign/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ZipLine attack uses ‘Contact Us’ forms, White House butler pic to invade sensitive industries</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/27/ovhcloud_interview/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Microsoft can’t guarantee data sovereignty – OVHcloud says ‘We told you so’</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/27/popular_nodejs_utility_used_by/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Putin on the code: DoD reportedly relies on utility written by Russian dev</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/27/anthropic_security_report_flags_rogue/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Crims laud Claude to plant ransomware and fake IT expertise</a></p> <p><strong>Fediverse</strong></p> <p>Connected Places has:</p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.online/reports/fediverse-report-131/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fediverse Report – #131</a></p><p><a href="https://connectedplaces.leaflet.pub/3lx2sjrgqj22s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Some thoughts on Bsky, age verification and Mississippi law</a></p><p>Hamish Campbell has:</p><p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/the-stubborn-few-who-show-up-with-shovels-laptops-and-trust/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The stubborn few who show up with shovels, laptops, and trust</a></p> <p><strong>Other Slightly Federated Social Media</strong></p><p>NiemanLab reports:</p><p><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/08/mississippis-onerous-new-social-platform-law-and-the-threat-of-big-fines-has-led-bluesky-to-block-its-users-in-the-state/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mississippi’s onerous new social platform law (and the threat of big fines) has led Bluesky to block its users in the state</a></p><p>TechCrunch reports:</p><p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/25/bounce-launches-a-service-for-moving-accounts-between-bluesky-and-mastodon/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bounce launches a service for moving accounts between Bluesky and Mastodon</a></p><p>The New Public reports:</p><p><a href="https://newpublic.substack.com/p/how-blacksky-grew-to-millions-of" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Social media’s next evolution: decentralized, open-source, and scalable</a></p><p><strong>I don’t usually share items from the Nazi bar but since this is by the founder of Blacksky, I’m making an exception.</strong></p><p>Ars Technica reports:</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/08/more-scientists-choose-bluesky-over-twitter/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bluesky now platform of choice for science community</a></p><p><strong>At least it’s not Shitter.</strong></p> <p><strong>CTAs (aka show us some free love)</strong></p> <ul><li>That’s it for this week. Please share this edition of Destroying Autocracy.</li><li><a href="https://friendica.me/profile/friendofsymfony/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Follow me on the Fediverse</a>. Or this site via the button in the footer. Or via <a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/feed/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">RSS</a>. Or even our <a href="https://www.thefulcrum.dev/about/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">future home in 2026</a>, if you want a headstart.</li></ul> <p>Keep fighting!</p> <p class=""><strong><em>Ringleader, Battalion</em></strong><br>Reuben Walker<br> <a href="https://friendica.me/profile/friendofsymfony/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Follow me on the Fediverse</a></p> <p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/activitypub/" target="_blank">#ActivityPub</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/ai/" target="_blank">#AI</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/atproto/" target="_blank">#ATProto</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/autocracy/" target="_blank">#Autocracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/big-journalism/" target="_blank">#BigJournalism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/big-tech/" target="_blank">#BigTech</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/bluesky/" target="_blank">#Bluesky</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/democracy/" target="_blank">#Democracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/fascism/" target="_blank">#Fascism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/fediverse/" target="_blank">#Fediverse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/mastodon/" target="_blank">#Mastodon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-china/" target="_blank">#StopChina</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-israel/" target="_blank">#StopIsrael</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-red-america/" target="_blank">#StopRedAmerica</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/stop-russia/" target="_blank">#StopRussia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/support-ukraine/" target="_blank">#SupportUkraine</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/technoanarchism/" target="_blank">#TechnoAnarchism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/tag/technofeudalism/" target="_blank">#TechnoFeudalism</a></p><p><a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=2458" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=24</span><span class="invisible">58</span></a></p>
Nicol Wistreich<p>After watching <a href="https://social.coop/tags/AsifKapadia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AsifKapadia</span></a>'s (excellent, captures our moment bleakly-yet-perfectly) <a href="https://social.coop/tags/2073film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>2073film</span></a> last night, am thinking the problem with <a href="https://social.coop/tags/TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a> as a term is feudal lords were smaller than nations, indeed the nation state replaced them.</p><p>The tech giants are obvs bigger than the nationalistic autocrats they help to power, in return for slashed regulation, cut taxes & much lower cross-border friction. Lords and barons is the wrong language, these guys are supranational – they're emperors.</p>
Battalion 👊🗡️⛓️💥Welcome to this week’s “Destroying Autocracy”.<br>It’s your source for curated news affecting democracy in the cyber arena with a focus on protecting it.<br><a href="https://friendica.me/search?tag=democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://friendica.me/search?tag=autocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>autocracy</span></a> <a href="https://friendica.me/search?tag=TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a> <a href="https://friendica.me/search?tag=TechnoAnarchism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoAnarchism</span></a><br><a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/destroying-autocracy-august-21-2025/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">battalion.mobileatom.net/destr…</a><br>RE: <a href="https://battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=2427" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">battalion.mobileatom.net/?p=24…</a>
AlexanderVI<p>There's a lot of talk about the return of <a href="https://stranger.social/tags/feudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>feudalism</span></a> (or just <a href="https://stranger.social/tags/technofeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technofeudalism</span></a>) but what I feel is getting missed in this is that feudalism was a two-way affair. </p><p>Lords had responsibilities, and we have extensive court records (I'm mostly familiar with England, experts please weigh in) filled with references to this. Inevitably, mostly about Lords not actually holding up their end, which will surprise no one. </p><p>But in this new version, that's not happening. Wealth and power flow up. That's it.</p>
HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://masto.ai/@GhostOnTheHalfShell" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>GhostOnTheHalfShell</span></a></span> </p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/USpol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USpol</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Society" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Society</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Economics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Economics</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TechnoFeudalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TechnoFeudalism</span></a></p><p>What am I to say...well, yes, OFC: <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AbolishBillionaires" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AbolishBillionaires</span></a>. As <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AOC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AOC</span></a> put it: EVERY <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Billionaire" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Billionaire</span></a> is a *policy faillure*!</p><p>To sum it up, *this* needs to be done:</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/112875446576795613" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">mastodon.social/@HistoPol/1128</span><span class="invisible">75446576795613</span></a></p><p>and this:</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/111892121431913587" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">mastodon.social/@HistoPol/1118</span><span class="invisible">92121431913587</span></a></p>
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