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funnymonkey
@funnymonkey@freeradical.zone
mastodon 4.7.3Personal Acc't. Speaking only for myself. Privacy, Misinformation, AdTech, Education, Open Source, Content, and Standards. Education is a social justice issue.
Test all the things: https://codeberg.org/funnymonkey/hopscotch
1855 Followers
1158 Following
50 Posts
Joined November 01, 2022
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Psst. The chatbot is not the problem.
I mean, it totally is, but whoo boy this is a just a round robin of catastrophe and stupid.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/politics/us-military-ai-false-intelligence-china-ship
If AI agents are given adequate latitude to execute cyber attacks, prosecute the people running the companies where this is happening.
If your solution to bad age verification is "better" age verification, you are part of the problem.
Reject surveillance.
Age verification is a tool and a goal of fascists.
I hear flavors of this argument a lot:
"It is the output that counts, not how it is made"
This is the foie gras argument.
cc @neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk
This is a rip of a post.
You mean there is no honor among thieves?
:shocked face dot gif:
This is the internet on Age Verification.
This was on a search page; my search string was related to a technical issue (an error message on a shell script).
Keeping communities safe by creeping on kids.
While this story is about Flock, it is equally true for all of the other "we watch you always because we care" tech that is sold as "safety" but is better understood as state sanctioned creeping.
And remember: for every story like this that breaks, there are hundreds to thousands of adults who see cameras creeping on kids and think it's fine.
Systems rolling out age assurance are creating an invaluable dataset of verifiable identities of people who are susceptible to scams.
When the breaches happen, the criminals will thank everyone for participating.
Replying to
Current approaches to "safety" create a mandate that legislates pervasive surveillance as a business opportunity.
They are using "safety" as the fig leaf to force us all into always-on surveillance.
We need to stop talking about companies like Palantir *enabling* abuses.
That's incomplete and inaccurate.
Companies like Palantir don't just enable able abuse. They make more aggressive abuse possible. They make it so the abusers have an endless supply of targets.
Companies like Palantir make bad situations exponentially worse.
https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-employees-are-starting-to-wonder-if-theyre-the-bad-guys/
If you work in a school district and want to get a sense of how the tech used in your district works, reach out!
I'm working with some folks on answering some foundational questions around privacy and security implications of commonly used edtech.
Details on the program here: https://a4l.org/introducing-the-data-observations-do-program-technical-testing-built-by-the-community/
And the core of what we use is here: https://codeberg.org/funnymonkey/hopscotch
Age assurance does the heavy lifting of making sure adtech/surveillance companies can identify people after cookies go away.
They "care" about privacy by setting in place a system that violates our privacy more absolutely -- and via regulatory requirement.
Sure. Forcing people to prove their age definitely keeps people safe.
Except, you know, when it doesn't.
As always, @PogoWasRight@infosec.exchange has a good rundown of the data breach -- in this case, the Instructure breach.
Edit: forgot to add the link! https://databreaches.net/2026/05/03/instructure-discloses-second-data-breach-in-less-than-a-year/
Imagine being required to take a polygraph because your boss is a drunk.
This toot is about working in the FBI.
I hope all these newly unemployed people who were supporting fascism get a chance to talk to AI Zuckerberg as their exit interview: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/technology/meta-layoffs.html
Seriously -- if you are working at Facebook (or X, etc, etc) in 2026 -- why? What's your rationale?
Most immediately, I wish the best for Christian Hergert and his family.
And this seems like a monumental fuckup by Red Hat.
https://www.newinlinux.com/christian-hergert-a-core-gnome-maintainer-has-stepped-down/
Replying to
@PogoWasRight@infosec.exchange This one is a mess.
I can only imagine what could come out via the private messages, both between students and ::shudder:: between teachers and admins.
I have been working really hard not to write a piece on how the edtech industry has created fertile ground for resentment -- which has in turn made a great climate for grifters.
tl;dr the edtech industry has set the stage for this backlash, and kids and teachers will pay the price.
And to be clear: the reasons behind the backlash are well earned and spot on.
This story is bad on its own.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/07/waymo-car-reports-drinking-teens/
Now, think of how much worse it will be with cameras pointed at drivers faces in every new car, legally required in 2027.
If you think those cameras won't be transformed into surveillance tools in the name of "safety" you are beyond help.
Well done, Hungary.
Really hoping the current projections hold and the incoming government gets a supermajority.
The fact that both Trump and Putin support Orbán is not remotely surprising.
Instructure data breach looks very not good.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-canvas-instructure-breach-275m-users/
Replying to
Replying to
@knowprose
We have a hummingbird feeder in our back yard.
And yes, they are gorgeous.
And: they are also dicks! Every year, one hummingbird claims the feeder as its own and will buzz any other hummingbird that dares approach.
We (very creatively) call this hummingbird "Dick Hummingbird."
Every summer has a new dick hummingbird.
(And these are primarily ruby throated hummingbirds)
@molly0xfff
Replying to
@ben@werd.social
Canvas has been openwashing since day one.
And yeah, this is a serious mess.
I have been seeing more claims of people/orgs doing "forensic analysis" that are neither forensic or analysis.
It really makes it more difficult to do good work.
Replying to
@jonhendry
Yeah, we have plenty of hummingbird-friendly flowers (I live in the sticks).
We haven't made the leap into a second feeder because we figure then we'll have *two* Dick Hummingbirds, which just feels excessive :)
@knowprose @molly0xfff
Replying to
@cR0w@infosec.exchange While I regularly provide reasons for people to question my judgment, today was not that day.
At least not yet.
Replying to
@TCatInReality
The age assurance push is a data grab, and it's being pushed by major tech players.
The claims that age assurance is "for the kids" are lies. It's surveillance, wrapped in a disingenuous lie.
For your consideration: this bunny.
Replying to
@curious_carrot
Seriously. Folks are looking to destroy the internet because politicians refuse to tell tech billionaires "no".
Replying to
Replying to
@cR0w@infosec.exchange While I was happily, joyfully, shamelessly stealing multiple memes from this thread, I may have accidentally shared one in a work-related chat.
I may have noticed a few short seconds later, and deleted it.
I admit nothing.