Bernard Keenan
@bernardkeenan.bsky.social
Lecturer, UCL Laws. Law, theory, tech.
Interception: from postal systems to global networks (MIT 2025)
Interception: from postal systems to global networks (MIT 2025)
Pinned
Bernard Keenan
@bernardkeenan.bsky.social
· May 28
Interception: State Surveillance from Postal Systems to Global Networks
A media history of how the UK and US governments have surveilled citizens by intercepting their private communications.It may not be Big Brother (yet), but
direct.mit.edu
Open Access link:
direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Not sure this tell me much one way or the other abt the larger political/societal debates about AI. But this fascinating science. Working of scientists believes they're now able to decode or understand the language of sperm whales using AI/LLMs. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
Opinion | I’m a Marine Biologist. This Is How I Talk to Whales.
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Not sure this tell me much one way or the other abt the larger political/societal debates about AI. But this fascinating science. Working of scientists believes they're now able to decode or understand the language of sperm whales using AI/LLMs. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
After 404 Media's months-long reporting and pressure from lawmakers, the data broker owned by the U.S.’s major airlines will now shut down a program in which it sold access to hundreds of millions of flight records to the government and let agencies track peoples’ movements without a warrant.
November 18, 2025 at 9:39 PM
After 404 Media's months-long reporting and pressure from lawmakers, the data broker owned by the U.S.’s major airlines will now shut down a program in which it sold access to hundreds of millions of flight records to the government and let agencies track peoples’ movements without a warrant.
Not my Your Party
Zarah Sultana boycotts first day of Your Party conference over 'witch hunt' expulsions
Zarah Sultana boycotts first day of Your Party conference over 'witch hunt' expulsions
Zarah Sultana has boycotted day one of the Your Party Conference over the expulsion of members of left-wing groups.
news.sky.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Not my Your Party
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Seven ‘large providers’ at risk of going under in the next year
Skills minister says no higher education institutions are at imminent risk of collapse this year but OfS confirms more than 20 providers are being closely monitored
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Peter Thiel's constant finger-pointing about the antichrist is starting to come off a bit suspicious
In newly leaked audio, Peter Thiel admits he urged JD Vance to ignore Pope Leo XIV on moral questions — including the ethical development of AI.
He goes even further, branding Leo “the woke American pope” and suggesting he’s a tool of the Antichrist.
He goes even further, branding Leo “the woke American pope” and suggesting he’s a tool of the Antichrist.
NEW: JD Vance’s Top Donor Suggests Pope Leo XIV is Antichrist
In a leaked lecture, Peter Thiel says he’s urged Vance to ignore the pope on moral questions — and simply pray for him.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Peter Thiel's constant finger-pointing about the antichrist is starting to come off a bit suspicious
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
These reports the Government could revalue council tax bands F, G and H don't make sense to me. Here's what could actually be going on:
November 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
These reports the Government could revalue council tax bands F, G and H don't make sense to me. Here's what could actually be going on:
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
We published a calculator that lets you play with mansion tax design buff.ly/RVNtCyK
A 1% tax on £2m+ raises £2bn. But, as ever, there are costs and trade-offs.
A 1% tax on £2m+ raises £2bn. But, as ever, there are costs and trade-offs.
Council tax rises would hit the not-so-rich
Most revenue from a ‘tax on expensive homes’ would come from Band G - ordinary upper-middle households, not the super-rich.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
We published a calculator that lets you play with mansion tax design buff.ly/RVNtCyK
A 1% tax on £2m+ raises £2bn. But, as ever, there are costs and trade-offs.
A 1% tax on £2m+ raises £2bn. But, as ever, there are costs and trade-offs.
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Especially for the 1Ls out there, preparing for their 1st set of law school exams, I wrote this post back in 2007 about how to get a good grade on a law school issue spotter. The post, "Bad Answers, Good Answers, and Terrific Answers," is available here:
volokh.com/posts/116838...
volokh.com/posts/116838...
November 22, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Especially for the 1Ls out there, preparing for their 1st set of law school exams, I wrote this post back in 2007 about how to get a good grade on a law school issue spotter. The post, "Bad Answers, Good Answers, and Terrific Answers," is available here:
volokh.com/posts/116838...
volokh.com/posts/116838...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Excellent piece in the @lrb.co.uk by @crookedfootball.bsky.social about the Labour government's asylum plans www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Christopher Bertram | ‘Core Protection’
Refugeehood is not supposed to be like this. The ideal envisaged by the Refugee Convention is that refugee status should...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Excellent piece in the @lrb.co.uk by @crookedfootball.bsky.social about the Labour government's asylum plans www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
I also strongly had the impression from various Sources that the Labour team really thought The Market was crying out for Sensible governance, and faced with the overwhelming evidence of how Sensible they were the animal spirits would flow carrying investment along with them. It was magical thinking
What was I saying two years ago? I said: there is no plan here, they think they’ll win then everyone will be so happy at being governed by them that the economy will boom. Because that’s what happened last time, isn’t it. That’s what all the chat about the imminent sunny optimism and Good Vibes was.
Lack of planning has hit Labour’s efforts to fix public services, says thinktank
Keir Starmer accused of failing to adequately strategise while in opposition, leading to uncoordinated policymaking
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
I also strongly had the impression from various Sources that the Labour team really thought The Market was crying out for Sensible governance, and faced with the overwhelming evidence of how Sensible they were the animal spirits would flow carrying investment along with them. It was magical thinking
this is excellent
Kirsty Hughes: Immigration and proposals to amend Article 8 ECHR ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/11/19/k...
Kirsty Hughes: Immigration and proposals to amend Article 8 ECHR
Backlash against the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) is heavily driven by immigration and is often a direct reaction to it. This is not a new phenomen…
ukconstitutionallaw.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:14 AM
this is excellent
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
New: this app lets ICE track vehicles and owners across the country. ICE uses phone to scan license plates, add to a database of billions of records. Thomson Reuters then enriches that with marriage, voter, other info. Can predict where a car will be in the future
www.404media.co/this-app-let...
www.404media.co/this-app-let...
This App Lets ICE Track Vehicles and Owners Across the Country
Material viewed by 404 Media shows data giant Thomson Reuters enriches license plate data with marriage, voter, and ownership records. The tool can predict where a car may be in the future.
www.404media.co
November 17, 2025 at 2:31 PM
New: this app lets ICE track vehicles and owners across the country. ICE uses phone to scan license plates, add to a database of billions of records. Thomson Reuters then enriches that with marriage, voter, other info. Can predict where a car will be in the future
www.404media.co/this-app-let...
www.404media.co/this-app-let...
generally speaking, 'safe and legal routes' preclude asylum seekers. it refers to resettlement pathways for refugees (recognised as such by UNHCR) living in refugee camps. the rhetorical move is to leverage the moral force of resettlement to delegitimise in-country asylum applicants
Labour is expected to announce the opening of new “safe and legal routes” for asylum seekers later this week. How does it think Reform and co will react to that? Will they be measured and look at the draconian policies today? Or just condemn them loudly? *How do they see this working?*
November 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
generally speaking, 'safe and legal routes' preclude asylum seekers. it refers to resettlement pathways for refugees (recognised as such by UNHCR) living in refugee camps. the rhetorical move is to leverage the moral force of resettlement to delegitimise in-country asylum applicants
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Turns out the temporary alliance between "writing stuff" and "meaning stuff" was good actually
November 14, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Turns out the temporary alliance between "writing stuff" and "meaning stuff" was good actually
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Just to say, I am a supervisor here:
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
2026 Studentships
www.responsiblenlp.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Just to say, I am a supervisor here:
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Trump slaps Antifa with its first-ever foreign terror label, in move that explicitly cites NSPM-7.
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-slap...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-slap...
Trump Slaps Antifa With First-Ever Foreign Terror Label
Move cites NSPM-7, saying four European Antifa groups espoused "anti-Christianity," "anti-capitalism," and "anti-Americanism"
www.kenklippenstein.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Trump slaps Antifa with its first-ever foreign terror label, in move that explicitly cites NSPM-7.
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-slap...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-slap...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Incredible that Robbie Gibb - most influential person on BBC board by many accounts and from journalists I speak in BBC - was involved in setting up GB News.
GB News of course has breached Ofcom rules on *multiple* occasions - no sign of resignations though
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
GB News of course has breached Ofcom rules on *multiple* occasions - no sign of resignations though
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Enforced veganism’: Ofcom lets GB News flout accuracy rules, say climate campaigners
Exclusive: Regulator has received 1,221 complaints about UK broadcasters since 2020 but found no breaches of its code
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Incredible that Robbie Gibb - most influential person on BBC board by many accounts and from journalists I speak in BBC - was involved in setting up GB News.
GB News of course has breached Ofcom rules on *multiple* occasions - no sign of resignations though
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
GB News of course has breached Ofcom rules on *multiple* occasions - no sign of resignations though
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Read this thread in its entirety. And then realize that there are individuals in the US who not only approve of what ICE is doing but they also relish with glee about that kind of inhumane treatment to other human beings whose only “fault” is being a different skin color and race to theirs.
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
November 7, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Read this thread in its entirety. And then realize that there are individuals in the US who not only approve of what ICE is doing but they also relish with glee about that kind of inhumane treatment to other human beings whose only “fault” is being a different skin color and race to theirs.
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
November 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
A family friend was telling us about what her husband shared about his experience in Broadview before he was deported back to Mexico. She's been sharing to friends and family because she's just in disbelief & horror what her husband told her. She wasn't able to talk to him until he was in Mexico.
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
The last 15 years of HE policy in the UK:
Gov: act like you're in a market!
universities: OK
Gov: not like that!
Gov: act like you're in a market!
universities: OK
Gov: not like that!
November 6, 2025 at 8:15 AM
The last 15 years of HE policy in the UK:
Gov: act like you're in a market!
universities: OK
Gov: not like that!
Gov: act like you're in a market!
universities: OK
Gov: not like that!
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
Two weeks left to apply for a PhD at UCL Laws — ranked the UK’s top law school for research quality (REF 2021). 🎓
Deadline: 18 Nov, 5pm (UK)
Apply: buff.ly/YRdH08Q
Join our research community and help shape the future of law. 🌟
#LawSky #PhDOpportunity
Deadline: 18 Nov, 5pm (UK)
Apply: buff.ly/YRdH08Q
Join our research community and help shape the future of law. 🌟
#LawSky #PhDOpportunity
Applying
Find out how to apply to study an MPhil/PhD programme at the Faculty of Laws
buff.ly
November 5, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Two weeks left to apply for a PhD at UCL Laws — ranked the UK’s top law school for research quality (REF 2021). 🎓
Deadline: 18 Nov, 5pm (UK)
Apply: buff.ly/YRdH08Q
Join our research community and help shape the future of law. 🌟
#LawSky #PhDOpportunity
Deadline: 18 Nov, 5pm (UK)
Apply: buff.ly/YRdH08Q
Join our research community and help shape the future of law. 🌟
#LawSky #PhDOpportunity
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
New from 404 Media: CBP has quietly launched a facial recognition app for local cops to do immigration enforcement. Scans their face, tells cops whether to contact ICE about this person or not. A truly rapid expansion of ICE's facial recognition app to local cops
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
CBP Quietly Launches Face Scanning App for Local Cops To Do Immigration Enforcement
The app, called Mobile Identify and available on the Google Play Store, is specifically for local and regional law enforcement agencies working with ICE on immigration enforcement.
www.404media.co
November 4, 2025 at 5:44 PM
New from 404 Media: CBP has quietly launched a facial recognition app for local cops to do immigration enforcement. Scans their face, tells cops whether to contact ICE about this person or not. A truly rapid expansion of ICE's facial recognition app to local cops
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
www.404media.co/cbp-quietly-...
Reposted by Bernard Keenan
As LLMs manufacture a form of scholarship, presentation doesn’t mean what it used to. D&S's Ranjit Singh looks at how this threatens the open-access research repository arXiv, how its founder is fighting to sustain its credibility, & what researchers can do to help. datasociety.net/points/on-ar...
October 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
As LLMs manufacture a form of scholarship, presentation doesn’t mean what it used to. D&S's Ranjit Singh looks at how this threatens the open-access research repository arXiv, how its founder is fighting to sustain its credibility, & what researchers can do to help. datasociety.net/points/on-ar...