Bruce Lawson ✅ ♫ ♿ ✌️♂️✊

https://social.vivaldi.net/@brucelawson

Web standards a11y lovegod who leverages synergies at Vivaldi browser. Personal views. RT≠+1.Co-founder Open Web Advocacy (emeritus). Musician. Woke libtard atheist, least spiritual person in the universe. Multiple Sclerosis owner. Pun lover. Hootie Tootie Disco Cutie. Birmingham, UK. He/ him. Bigots, nutters and rude people get blocked. https://www.brucelawson.co.uk

music:: https://cruellestmonths.com
blog:: https://www.brucelawson.co.uk
work:: https://vivaldi.com/team/
languages:: English, Thai, Turkish, French

Public Key

npub1duhg4d9cf0k2nfvw95fkxhzz0lgtcwut7ynrf6yadatfmvn7v7uqfw4el7

NIP-05 Address

brucelawson_at_social.vivaldi.net@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsx7t52kjuyhm9f5k8z6ymrt3p8l59u8w9lzf35azwk745akflx0wqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds9y8whr

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1duhg4d9cf0k2nfvw95fkxhzz0lgtcwut7ynrf6yadatfmvn7v7uqfw4el7

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Last Notes

2026-07-16 08:42:50 UTC

The thing that offends me the most about how A.I. "music" generator Suno scraped decades worth of music and podcasts from the internet without permission, attribution or payment is that the CEO said "I think the majority of people don’t enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music.” https://www.404media.co/hack-reveals-suno-ai-music-generator-scraped-youtube-deezer-and-genius/

2026-05-28 10:16:10 UTC

What's missing in CSS layout https://patrickbrosset.com/articles/2026-05-20-whats-missing-in-css-layout/ by glamorous @npub152k…te0s

2026-05-27 13:36:50 UTC

'Millions' of pounds saved by replacing Palantir tech in refugee system https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2l2j1lxdk5o - the new system was built by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in-house staff, delivered on time, and users report it's simpler to use and more accessible than its predecessor. Hooray.

2026-05-27 10:29:38 UTC

The only way to stop a bad dog with a gun is with a good dog with a gun. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/dog-shotgun-nebraska-convenience-store

2026-05-26 17:27:28 UTC

1 in 5 people arrested in the 2024 Farage riots have since been reported for domestic abuse. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/26/one-in-five-people-arrested-over-2024-riots-have-since-been-reported-for-domestic-abuse

2026-05-22 09:37:43 UTC

Read this. "Google didn’t talk about ads in the I/O keynote. Everything they announced is the new ad system. One that, in the eyes of Google, no longer needs the open web as an intermediary … Google is betting its entire future on a world where people eagerly hand over their emails, their files, their habits, and their trust – to an AI system that will quietly auction off their attention, word by word, to the highest bidder." by @npub1spt…wwgs https://matthiasott.com/notes/ad-infinitum

2026-05-21 08:03:22 UTC

In these trying times, why not cheer yourself up with Vivaldi 8, our biggest UI overhaul to date? Getting started is now easier, so that's another reason to switch from Big Tech's snooping and its AI-pooping. https://vivaldi.com/blog/vivaldi-on-desktop-8-0/

2026-05-20 11:34:08 UTC

UK competition regulator investigates Microsoft https://brucelawson.co.uk/2026/uk-competition-regulator-investigates-microsoft/ - I explain why the investigation is happening, and how UK orgs (or orgs with UK customers) can give the regulator feedback. And, as a bonus, I correct the common mispronunciation of "Copilot".

2026-05-15 13:21:48 UTC

In today's "For A Better Web" podcast, my victims are Sebastian Snell and Chris Ristovski, co-founders of Sidephone, a newly-shipping device that is intentionally a premium dumbphone that helps you prioritise Real Life over doom-scrolling. https://vivaldi.com/blog/sebastian-snell-chris-ristovski-sidephone-for-a-better-web/

2026-05-12 08:04:26 UTC

BruceLab. An important announcement. BruceLab Act 2.1: Accelerating Human-Centric Agentic Synergy at Machine Velocity https://brucelawson.co.uk/2026/brucelab-act-2-1-accelerating-human-centric-agentic-synergy-at-machine-velocity/

2026-05-06 11:52:03 UTC

People have asked me if @npub19rt…adh9 parks this on your machine. No, we don’t, because this “A.I.” is short for “Annoyingly Invasive”. We know it’s your machine, and you’d rather use storage space for music from The Cruellest Months/ Cheeky Girls songs, or selfies with your pet triceratops. Of course, you can visit any AI site you want in Vivaldi, but we won’t build it into our browser. There are plenty of data hoovers dressed up as browsers for that. https://www.theverge.com/tech/924933/google-chrome-4gb-gemini-nano-ai-features

2026-05-05 08:00:06 UTC

Absolutely dreadful. I hope this bloke gets awarded 5% of their worldwide turnover. (and another 50% goes to the journalists and creators whose work powers AI overviews, but have seen their revenues crash because people don't click through any more). https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/05/canadian-ashley-macisaac-fiddler-musician-singer-songwriter-sues-google-ai-sex-offender-ntwnfb

2026-05-01 16:38:45 UTC

The most severe Linux threat to surface in years catches the world flat-footed https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/04/as-the-most-severe-linux-threat-in-years-surfaces-the-world-scrambles/ "Publicly released exploit code for an effectively unpatched vulnerability that gives root access to virtually all releases of Linux is setting off alarm bells"

2026-05-01 08:45:21 UTC

At @npub19rt…adh9, we agree with Mozilla's Jank Architect. The Prompt API isn't a Web API, and we drown it in a bucket at compile time. https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/30/mozilla_pushes_back_against_googles/

2026-04-28 22:01:46 UTC

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As luck would have it, on the platform for my train home from London I bumped into the disgraced ex-ambassador to Washington, Peter Madalorianson.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/484/581/883/509/921/original/9e2eb9e251a62afa.jpg

2026-04-28 12:19:14 UTC

I'm in the European Parliament to argue that achieving European tech sovereignty requires enforcing the law against Big Tech taking the piss.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/482/290/405/102/401/original/19c14efe3cb4f1fe.jpg

2026-04-26 06:02:24 UTC

Typical. No NATO members helped him during the dinner.

2026-04-12 21:00:12 UTC

Perhaps I'm projecting, but the footage from Budapest right now reminds me of the images of Berlin when the wall came down.

2026-04-12 20:56:46 UTC

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aww, I'm touched. I now get paid to do this, so can be more active than I used to be. But we're all doing our bit.

2026-04-09 09:01:04 UTC

Amazon is cutting off support for older Kindles https://www.engadget.com/mobile/amazon-is-cutting-off-support-for-older-kindles-115653205.html - but don't worry! Bountiful beneficent Bezos is "encouraging" you to buy a new one with a 20% discount, so just drop your old one in a canal, or hoik it at an eagle, or bash an otter with it.

2026-04-08 12:32:37 UTC

Happy Thatcher Death Day to all who celebrate it!
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2026-03-31 14:33:17 UTC

I Decompiled the White House's New App https://blog.thereallo.dev/blog/decompiling-the-white-house-app
The official White House Android app has a cookie/paywall bypass injector, tracks your GPS every 4.5 minutes, and loads JavaScript from some guy's GitHub Pages.

2026-03-27 10:10:52 UTC

◞˚📣ₓ Schadenfreude klaxon! ◞˚📣ₓ
Elon Musk's X advertising boycott lawsuit dismissed by US judge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05dlm0l0jgo

2026-03-25 12:58:23 UTC

The Goose and the Common - video of my CSS Day 2025 talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWDvt85qJNQ

2026-03-24 09:27:19 UTC

Germany makes Open Document Format mandatory as the standard format for documents within its sovereign digital infrastructure (along with PDF/UA - accessible PDF) https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/03/20/big-news-germany-has-just-made-odf-mandatory/

2026-03-23 14:57:27 UTC

A man used LLMs to generate hundreds of thousands of "songs", then used bots to stream them billions of times, to collect $8m in royalties. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/north-carolina-man-pleads-guilty-music-streaming-fraud-aided-artificial-intelligence-0 Is there a better metaphor for late-stage capitalism than burning resources to make songs that are never listened to, then steaming them to robots that will never hear them, ad infinitum?

2026-03-12 11:02:49 UTC

Surrounded by feral Norwegians, about to give a keynote talk called "How to unfuck the web"
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/215/861/374/798/881/original/15d0425d2e5b3399.jpeg

2026-03-12 06:42:48 UTC

Up ludicrously early to berate unsuspecting Oslo conference attendees with my talk "how to unfuck the web".

2026-03-05 14:35:24 UTC

Today's Vivaldi desktop snapshot has a trial of a new onboarding step for people to quickly configure Vivaldi for assistive tech, keyboard-only use or with visual impairments.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/desktop/easier-onboarding-for-all-users-vivaldi-browser-snapshot-3969-3/
#note1ptx…y8dx

2026-03-04 12:32:54 UTC

The Enshittificator - a Norwegian documentary about the life of an Enshittificator and how the Internet and AI has enhanced his productivity. https://vimeo.com/1168468796

2026-03-02 13:57:48 UTC

Shirt manufacturers: a shirt without a breast pocket is only half-finished. Do better.

2026-02-28 10:33:42 UTC

Me and Laura repping the Browser Choice Alliance at State of the Browser Conference #sotb26
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/147/796/014/023/354/original/7371c3512cf95f3e.jpg

2026-02-28 07:51:04 UTC

The winner of the FIFA Peace Prize is bombing another country, without stopping the Ukrainian war in 24 hours as promised.

2026-02-26 15:17:04 UTC

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I have two!
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/137/588/245/383/725/original/adcb4f4c354f05b0.png

2026-02-26 14:31:12 UTC

Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/26/how-to-replace-amazon-google-x-meta-apple-alternatives - contains nice words about Vivaldi.

2026-02-25 18:23:53 UTC

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Except Chrome isn't open source. [@S_Paternotte](https://social.vivaldi.net/@S_Paternotte )
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/132/660/293/735/174/original/75640e8e566a7d6b.png

2026-02-25 14:35:24 UTC

Another gruelling training session in preparation for the State of the Browser cage fight between browser vendors. @npub19rt…adh9 are sponsoring the event - and winning the fight!
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/131/757/771/738/952/original/f604c600aa3b878d.mp4

2026-02-25 10:45:53 UTC

AI Added ‘Basically Zero’ to US Economic Growth Last Year, Goldman Sachs Says https://gizmodo.com/ai-added-basically-zero-to-us-economic-growth-last-year-goldman-sachs-says-2000725380

2026-02-24 16:41:39 UTC

RE: https://techhub.social/@keepandroidopen/116126023448256005
At Vivaldi, we believe you should be free to install the software you want on a device you own. This is as important for Android as it is for iOS, so we'e signed this letter to Google, along with friends.
#note1na2…yvu0

2026-02-22 11:34:31 UTC

Hackers Expose Age-Verification Software Powering Surveillance Web https://www.therage.co/persona-age-verification/
Three hacktivists tried to find a workaround to Discord’s age-verification software. Instead, they found its frontend exposed to the open internet.

2026-02-21 12:25:20 UTC

People often ask me the secret of my brilliant career, stupendous good looks, incredible talent and astonishing virility. It's this breakfast every Saturday.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/108/603/404/972/135/original/df369cb6c3f13401.jpeg

2026-02-07 13:20:36 UTC

Hats off to G11 Barbers in Glasgow who got annoyed at Farage's racist dogwhistling about Turkish barbers, so teamed up with the local artist "rebel bear" (https://www.instagram.com/the.rebel.bear/)
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/029/537/288/010/646/original/6c4054206ba04d78.png
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2026-02-05 16:00:55 UTC

An extra bonus for Vivaldi users on iOS: today's new Vivaldi 7.8 lets you install alternate app stores, such as @npub168y…upza where you don't have to pay tribute to Apple. (Note, only in EU; other jurisdictions don't have Digital Markets Act, so Apple won't let you have nice things.)
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/116/018/846/140/158/921/original/08ff25238c99688e.mp4

2026-01-27 16:04:20 UTC

France to ditch US platforms Microsoft Teams, Zoom for ‘sovereign platform’ amid security concerns. (It's called Visio, based on LiveKit, MIT licensed) https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/01/27/france-to-ditch-us-platforms-microsoft-teams-zoom-for-sovereign-platform-amid-security-con

2026-01-20 10:44:41 UTC

European Union companies' annual purchases of cloud software services that benefit the US economy amount to €264 billion … If the EU were able to produce 15% of the cloud software services it currently purchases from the United States in 2035, this would result in 463,000 additional jobs in the EU. https://www.cigref.fr/technological-dependence-on-american-software-and-cloud-services-an-assessment-of-the-economic-consequences-in-europe

2026-01-19 10:43:47 UTC

I tried to change my password to "BeefStew" but the system told me that it's not stroganoff.

2026-01-15 11:36:20 UTC

According to Tech Radar, a reason to avoid using Vivaldi web browser is "No AI-powered assistant". Yup - and we're proud of it! If you don't want slop while you shop, or scurf while you surf, give the European browser a try.
https://vivaldi.com/blog/a-i-browsers-the-price-of-admission-is-too-high/
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/898/889/923/906/848/original/a32e9effc7bbd2ab.png

2026-01-13 11:08:18 UTC

New Tesla feature to automatically create explicit images of pedestrians it passes on the street https://newsthump.com/2026/01/13/new-tesla-feature-to-automatically-provide-explicit-images-of-pedestrians-it-passes-on-the-street/

2026-01-12 09:56:47 UTC

Are you evil? Test your level of evilness (evility? evilosity?) with these absurd trolly problems https://neal.fun/absurd-trolley-problems/

2026-01-09 15:20:37 UTC

Well, slap my 12 faces and call me a dodecahedron, it's the first Reading List of the year: Reading List 352! https://brucelawson.co.uk/2026/reading-list-352/

2026-01-09 15:03:25 UTC

Extracting books from production language models - "We extract nearly all of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone from jailbroken Claude…substantial proportions of the book from Gemini 2.5 Pro and Grok 3 and notably do not need to jailbreak them to do so" PDF: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.02671v1

2026-01-05 10:38:18 UTC

"42% of Danes want to try new alternatives to Big Tech. 68% would like to reduce their screen time … Danmark Skifter [Denmark shifts] is a national campaign where thousands of Danes take back control of their digital lives – not alone, but together.
The campaign runs from January 1 to March 20, 2026. It starts with digital New Year's resolutions in January and culminates with The Big Shift Day on March 20, when all of Denmark shifts together." https://danmarkskifter.dk/en/

2025-12-18 11:03:50 UTC

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.. of course, no browser vendor is likely to be able to ship their own browser, because of Apple's anti-competitive Ts&Cs it imposes: " if Apple has reason to believe You or Your Embedded Browser Engine App (Japan) have failed to comply… Apple reserves the right to…remove Your Embedded Browser Engine App (Japan) and/or other Applications from the App Store; block Your Applications from distribution on Apple platforms; and/or to suspend or remove You from the Apple Developer Program." https://developer.apple.com/contact/request/download/embedded_browser_engine_jp.pdf
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/740/231/916/402/788/original/e52b2382820e89a0.png

2025-12-18 08:26:24 UTC

Changes to iOS in Japan. iOS 26.2 introduces changes for iOS to comply with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), creating new options for developers with apps in Japan. Developers can distribute apps on alternative app marketplaces, operate alternative app marketplaces, process app payments for digital goods and services outside of Apple In-App Purchase, use alternative web browser engines, and more. https://developer.apple.com/support/app-distribution-in-japan/

2025-12-17 23:36:04 UTC

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thank you. I will not allow this accolade to change how I treat utter peasants such as you.

2025-12-17 23:28:43 UTC

Wow, I've just had a late-night phone call to tell me I've been awarded the National Basketball Association's inaugural Web Standards prize!

2025-12-15 15:09:18 UTC

US Embassy in UK: “Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law.” https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/

2025-12-13 15:51:30 UTC

Prepping a (hopefully) excellent roast beef pre-xmas meal for my mum, as she'll be with my kid brother on 25th. Nice merlot is open and breathing, roast potatoes are peeled, green veg ready for steaming. I'll keep you posted.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/713/044/820/423/155/original/7101d37a7591dad8.jpg

2025-12-10 15:18:21 UTC

On January 3, 1941, Martin Bormann issued a circular to all public offices which declared Fraktur typeface to be Judenlettern (Jewish letters) and prohibited their further use. https://alphahistory.com/pastpeculiar/1941-nazis-ban-jewish-fonts/

2025-12-10 10:01:31 UTC

Remove Windows Ai https://github.com/zoicware/RemoveWindowsAI "The current 25H2 build of Windows 11 and future builds will include increasingly more AI features and components. This script aims to remove ALL of these features to improve user experience, privacy and security."

2025-12-09 17:38:31 UTC

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Google over the use of publisher content for its AI products “without appropriate compensation" https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/european-commission-google-ai-investigation/

2025-12-02 13:15:27 UTC

As a fashion influencer, Awesome Lawson Apparel(tm) has sent many buyers across the globe. Valiant [@patrick_h_lauke](https://mastodon.social/@patrick_h_lauke ) sent me this from sunny Japan - a "Lawson Station" t-shirt, which will be the latest addition to my "Pret A Snogger" range. Thanks Pattypoo! #fashionBuyerOfTheMonth
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/650/148/757/872/093/original/dbdddc8b3e74a08e.jpg

2025-12-01 11:45:20 UTC

Leak confirms OpenAI is preparing ads on ChatGPT for public roll out https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/artificial-intelligence/leak-confirms-openai-is-preparing-ads-on-chatgpt-for-public-roll-out/ "what most people don't understand is that GPT likely knows more about users than Google." Hooray.

2025-12-01 11:27:28 UTC

Absolute scenes at Chateau Lawson yesterday when I caught La Daughter's Useless Dog somehow on top of the kitchen table munching a bowl of plum crumble I'd saved for El Son.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/644/053/274/933/593/original/5746f542f31a11be.png

2025-11-29 16:01:51 UTC

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that would imply some sort of corruption going on - isn't there a swamp to drain?

2025-11-29 15:28:42 UTC

So, Trump has killed 80 people, and is preparing to invade Venezuela because Maduro is (USA says) involved in drug trafficking - and also will pardon the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of drug trafficking. Hmm.

2025-11-20 18:13:56 UTC

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for THREE days

2025-11-20 15:36:09 UTC

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co-worker!

2025-11-20 12:44:44 UTC

Off to another vast Euro building for 2 meetings, this time with politicians. Then train home + beers.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/582/079/900/989/924/original/ca06ccdf16d0b1d8.jpg

2025-11-13 16:22:31 UTC

It's my bloody birthday, and all I wanted was a long cinnamon-coloured iPhone Pocket, for a bargain $229.95. Perhaps @sil has one for me at the pub later.
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2025-11-12 10:19:22 UTC

Breaking news (to me): "If wheel running is indeed caused by captive housing, wild mice are not expected to use a running wheel in nature. This however, to our knowledge, has never been tested. Here, we show that when running wheels are placed in nature, they are frequently used by wild mice, also when no extrinsic reward is provided. … Wheel movement not caused by mice was caused by shrews, rats, snails, slugs or frogs" https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2014.0210
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2025-11-12 09:13:47 UTC

FFmpeg to Google: Fund Us or Stop Sending Bugs https://thenewstack.io/ffmpeg-to-google-fund-us-or-stop-sending-bugs/
A lively discussion about open source, security, and who pays the bills has erupted on Twitter.

2025-11-08 14:09:55 UTC

Someone put this "blue plaque" on a London Tesla showroom to mark his becoming the world's first trillionaire. “World’s first trillionaire Elon Musk. Could have solved world hunger but funded fascists instead. Bellend.” https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/everyone-hates-elon-protest-tesla-dealership-london-400042/
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/514/470/406/381/469/original/1e89162cc891b6ba.png

2025-11-06 12:08:58 UTC

Another scene from Vivaldi HQ in Oslo: @npub1e35…d5me and Atle, our glamorous design lead, making some sultry and subtle tweaks to make you go "oooooh"
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/502/645/166/696/349/original/dc6801eca1dc2cdb.png
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2025-11-05 09:41:49 UTC

I've just realised that cottage cheese isn't really cheese, at all. It's literally just a curd to me.

2025-11-04 16:10:26 UTC

75 years ago today, European nations signed this Convention, so the Holocaust could not be repeated. Beware those who want this to end.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/492/296/472/851/644/original/b48d5942989aa206.png

2025-11-04 09:49:36 UTC

Are you forced to work with Linux?
Do you miss the convenience of Microsoft spying on you and keeping track of everything?
https://github.com/rolflobker/recall-for-linux

2025-10-31 16:31:40 UTC

But WHY does docusign want to know my location?
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/469/730/987/363/672/original/d3f5e1d6252fcac1.png

2025-10-29 10:29:40 UTC

Big Tech lobby budgets hit record levels https://corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/big-tech-lobby-budgets-hit-record-levels
"lobby groups have used their lavish budgets to aggressively push for the deregulation of the EU’s digital rulebook… Big Tech companies have on average more than one lobby meeting per day with EU Commission officials."

2025-10-22 10:29:54 UTC

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Yesterday, Apple took the EU to court, to argue that it's "really mean" and "totally, like, not fair" to expect it to allow "stinky competitors" to access APIs on iOS. @npub16xn…g7f8 intervened on behalf of "users" to argue why DMA 6(7) applies even to a small startup like Apple. Their hearing is at https://fsfe.org/news/2025/news-20251021-01.en.html

2025-10-22 10:09:51 UTC

Which DMA article does Apple believe should not apply to iOS? "The gatekeeper shall allow providers of services and providers of hardware, free of charge, effective interoperability with, and access for the purposes of interoperability to, the same hardware and software features accessed or controlled via the operating system" It's 6(7)!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgfHt52vys8 (https://www.eu-digital-markets-act.com/Digital_Markets_Act_Article_6.html#:~:text=The%20gatekeeper%20shall%20allow%20providers%20of%20services%20and%20providers%20of%20hardware)

2025-10-22 08:15:09 UTC

Browsers from "A.I." companies? Now they can start constructing the panopticon to monetise the millions; all those NVIDIA chips and data centres don't come cheap, and investors need dividends.

2025-10-20 09:08:08 UTC

Following Rishi Sunak and Nick Cleggs' move to advising tech companies, let's all wish Liz Truss well on her first day at Amazon Web Services.

2025-10-13 11:47:08 UTC

Open Social https://overreacted.io/open-social/ - a nice explanation, with pictures, of how new open social protocols work, and why they're more 'webby'.

2025-10-12 17:53:34 UTC

Best roast pork with crackling I've done in a while. The roast parsnips with chilli flakes were pretty tasty too.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/362/463/697/895/336/original/f5d213f488051a31.png

2025-10-11 21:04:42 UTC

Anthropic stole the books I co-wrote in order to train their planet-burning hallucination machine, so I've filed a claim. They wept that if every plagiarised author does so, the company will go bankrupt. Boo emdash hoo. www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

2025-10-04 12:41:35 UTC

Happy Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, to all decent people.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/315/941/165/857/483/original/2d16e972fe95e148.jpg

2025-10-04 08:57:22 UTC

Dear Labour Party - you don't neutralise the threat from Reform by adopting their policies or talking points. You do it by reducing inequality. Fascism doesn't flourish if people feel they're fairly recompensed, equally treated, well-fed and well-housed and their jobs are safe. So be more Labour.

2025-10-03 08:50:38 UTC

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Developers! If you want to distribute software "applications" that don't depend on the whims of multi-billion dollar organisations romantically linked to illiberal regimes across the globe, there's a brand new vague-but-exciting technology you can use, called "the Web"! https://pwa.dev

2025-09-12 08:39:21 UTC

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WHAAAAAT?!?!?

2025-09-12 08:07:36 UTC

"Former Meta user experience researcher Cayce Savage said the company shut down internal research showing Meta knew children were using its VR products and being exposed to sexually explicit material." https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-put-virtual-reality-profit-over-kids-safety-whistleblowers-tell-us-congress-2025-09-09/

2025-09-09 09:11:44 UTC

Apparently, it's bad luck to mention a "MacBook" in a software company. You have to call it "the Scottish laptop".

2025-09-08 15:17:56 UTC

Meta to stop its AI chatbots from talking to teens about suicide https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kzl79jv15o Yay? "It comes two weeks after a US senator launched an investigation into the tech giant after notes in a leaked internal document suggested its AI products could have "sensual" chats with teenagers." - if Meta were a person, no-one would let their kids anywhere near them.

2025-09-01 12:47:33 UTC

Reform councillor Robert Bloom resigned 117 days after his election, after repeatedly shouting the word ‘n*****’ at his black neighbour, saying he would set the far-right English Defence League on her and told her there’d be ‘black body bags’. It's triggered a by-election, which will cost the taxpayer about £27,000. https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/corby-reform-councillor-resigns-over-serious-racism-allegations-5289085

2025-09-01 11:23:28 UTC

Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with age verification laws https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/29/mastodon-says-it-doesnt-have-the-means-to-comply-with-age-verification-laws/ #willNobodyThinkOfTheChildren

2025-09-01 08:36:25 UTC

Your mother paints roundabouts and your father shouts at hotels.
https://social-cdn.vivaldi.net/system/media_attachments/files/115/128/122/014/805/891/original/e5780496df3aac01.png

2025-08-31 21:05:05 UTC

Featuring a voice over from yours truly! (They rejected both my comedy hillbilly and my brilliantly accurate French accents, so I had to go with my normal suave tones.) https://social.vivaldi.net/@Vivaldi/115124691138254723

2025-08-29 11:23:46 UTC

Meta might be secretly scanning your phone's camera roll - how to check and turn it off https://www.zdnet.com/article/meta-might-be-secretly-scanning-your-phones-camera-roll-how-to-check-and-turn-it-off/
"Some Facebook users have noticed new settings that let Meta analyze and retain your phone's photos. Yes, you read that right."
Hurrah for the security and privacy of Native apps!

2025-08-27 13:40:15 UTC

Yuck, it looks like Microsoft's GitHub is teaming up with Space Karen https://github.blog/changelog/2025-08-26-grok-code-fast-1-is-rolling-out-in-public-preview-for-github-copilot/

2025-08-26 10:24:20 UTC

Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year/ imagine if Big Tech just allowed you to install whatever you wanted to on a device that you own?