Author | Lightnews

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 5h

Without a #CFPB & #FTC committed to protecting people over #BigTech, US consumer financial well-being threatened by growing role of agentic AI in payments. See, for ex. newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2025-10-28-O...; cloud.google.com/blog/topics/...

OpenAI and PayPal Team Up to Power Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce in ChatGPT - Oct 28, 2025

PayPal's tens of millions of merchants will soon be discoverable in ChatGPT, helping connect consumers to businesses that they love SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PayPal, Inc....

newsroom.paypal-corp.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 6h

That the Trump Adm and its FTC missing the biggest threat to US consumers in decades--from Gen AI data tactics--says a lot about their priorities. American privacy at risk--along with their $.
democraticmedia.org/publishings/...

Advocates Urge FTC to Halt Meta’s Plan to Use AI Chatbot Data for Ads | Center For Digital Democracy

democraticmedia.org

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 7h

Mark Zuckerberg feels so immune from Trump Adm FTC that Meta doesn't even offer ineffective opt-out on AI surveillance marketing. Says a lot about what he knows goes on there! www.mediapost.com/publications...

Watchdogs To FTC: Block Meta Plan To Harness Chatbot Data

Meta's plan to target ads based on chatbot conversations "will normalize a level of surveillance that is qualitatively more intrusive than traditional behavioral tracking," privacy groups tell the FTC...

www.mediapost.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 11h

Is Trump FTC concerned more about your AI privacy & safety or Meta's growing grab of our info? Dozens of advocates tell #FTC to act asap, enforce its rules. Key test for #FTC in the #GenAI era.
bit.ly/3X3sWdm

Advocates Urge FTC to Halt Meta’s Plan to Use AI Chatbot Data for Ads | Center For Digital Democracy

bit.ly

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 2d

Financial regulators & advocates, & responsible investors, should investigate Meta bond scheme. www.theinformation.com/articles/cre...

The Creative Dealmaking Behind Meta’s $30 Billion Data Center Financing

It took a year and some financial acrobatics, but Meta Platformsand a small army of bankers and lawyers were able to secure funding for a$27 billiondata center project withoutdoing any immediate damag...

www.theinformation.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 3d

China will still be the "boss" in TikTok deal, raising questions about how & what data is gathered & used. Ongoing ad targeting isn't protecting privacy or security. "latest changes put almost all of TikTok’s business operations under Chinese execs who are ByteDance veterans."
bit.ly/4nsOqeu

TikTok Empowers Chinese Executives in Management Revamp

TikTok is implementing drastic leadership changes that pull the video app closer to the orbit of its parent ByteDance, just as Washington and Beijing are on the cusp of reaching a deal over the app’s ...

bit.ly

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 4d

The WaPo staff should protest what its owner and editorial team have done to its repulation and role. Bezos should be asked to donate WaPo to an independent NGO dedicated to journalism
Washington Post Defends Trump Demolition of White House East Wing

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 7d

Shame on Hollywood Unions & those concerned about democracy in US. Speak out against Warner/Discovery/CNN sale, esp to Paramount/Skydance (which will have TikTok too!). #WGA esp should stand up here.

Springsteen, Elizabeth Warren & the Last Populists in Hollywood open.substack.com/pub/theankle...

Springsteen, Elizabeth Warren & the Last Populists in Hollywood

A senator calls out a WBD mega-merger while Bruce sings about America’s soul. So why does the industry hum along in silence?

open.substack.com

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 8d

The Trump Adm is responsible for protecting Americans from rampant GenAI-driven data tactics threatening American consumers. It's hands-off self-serving approach is giving permission for AI-dominated commercial surveillance to explode online/offline.

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 8d

AI browsers--commercial surveillance via GenAI. Regulators & advocates should address agentic AI search, data gathering, ad delivery & marketing systems that can threaten privacy, financial security, health & consumer protection.
bit.ly/3L0q9yV

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 9d

Sale of Warner/Discovery/CNN should set off alarms--it's example of how structural failures in US to regulate older & digital media led us to the threats to democracy we face. Many issues, inc. potential TikTok, Paramount/CBS, Warner/CNN Maga influenced combine.
www.techpolicy.press/trumps-tikto...

Trump’s TikTok Deal Would Further Entrench Big Tech Surveillance | TechPolicy.Press

Trump's TikTok deal would effectively endorse the current extractive system shaping our social media platforms, writes Jeffrey Chester.

www.techpolicy.press

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 10d

The Trump FTC is afraid of facing the truth. www.wired.com/story/ftc-re...

The FTC Is Disappearing Blog Posts About AI Published During Lina Khan’s Tenure

The Federal Trade Commission removed several blog posts in recent months about open source and potential risks to consumers from the rapid spread of commercial AI tools.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Jeff Chester

WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 13d

#NoKings ad for Dubuque, Iowa 🤣🔥

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 14d

Another example of Trump led #FTC #CFPB failing to protect consumers & our $ in GenAI agentic payment & marketing era. These agencies are DMIA--digitally missing in action. Global/state regulators should address:
See: bit.ly/4hboNNK; bit.ly/4hdXpPb

Announcing Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) | Google Cloud Blog

Learn more about the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open protocol that builds on A2A, Agent to Agent Protocol. AP2 was developed by Google with leading payments and technology companies to securely...

bit.ly

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 15d

With US privacy, consumerprotection & antitrust agencies sidelined, Big Data+AI+commercial surveillance marketing giants combine forces. Global regulators/advocates take note: bit.ly/478nPNL

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 16d

If the US had a working FTC & CFPB, it would be sounding consumer protection alarm on Walmart+OpenAI deal: Through AI-first shopping, the retail experience shifts from reactive to proactive as it learns, plans and predicts, helping customers anticipate their needs before they do." bit.ly/3L9jmTu

Walmart Partners with OpenAI to Create AI-First Shopping Experiences

Walmart’s new partnership with OpenAI will allow customers and members to shop with ChatGPT, creating an AI-first experience where shoppers can simply chat and select.

bit.ly

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 17d

Public health & other safeguards needed as Gen AI further pushes food/beverage marketing.
Instacart, Uber, DoorDash bringing food delivery to ChatGPT www.grocerydive.com/news/chatgpt... via @grocerydive

Instacart, Uber, DoorDash bringing food delivery to ChatGPT

The three e-commerce providers are among several apps set to join the AI-powered chatbot.

www.grocerydive.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 17d

There should be broad opposition to the Trump Adm TikTok deal, as part of U.S. digital media reforms to serve democracy. TikTok, Google, Meta & most other commercial surveillance operations largely operate in similar ways; multiple and growing via AI harms. bit.ly/4n2JWLy

Trump’s TikTok Deal Would Further Entrench Big Tech Surveillance | TechPolicy.Press

Trump's TikTok deal would effectively endorse the current extractive system shaping our social media platforms, writes Jeffrey Chester.

bit.ly

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 19d

www.statnews.com/2025/10/11/c...

Deep cuts made to CDC's flagship MMWR publication, a cornerstone of public health

CDC staff behind the agency’s flagship publication have been fired amid drastic cuts to the HHS promised by the White House due to the government shutdown, according to five people familiar with the s...

www.statnews.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 20d

Why Trump's #TikTok deal should be fought. Greater surveillance, less privacy, more power for Meta, Google & other AI/BigTech giants & expanded MAGA influence over our media.
www.techpolicy.press/trumps-tikto...

Trump’s TikTok Deal Would Further Entrench Big Tech Surveillance | TechPolicy.Press

Trump's TikTok deal would effectively endorse the current extractive system shaping our social media platforms, writes Jeffrey Chester.

www.techpolicy.press

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Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 21d

What is the Trump FTC under @AFergusonFTC doing to stop Meta's further & ongoing weakening of privacy, inc. no opt-outs for Meta AI ads. By ignoring this problem, FTC further reveals no consumer data watchdog in DC.
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Meta won’t allow users to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats

US users stuck with AI ad targeting as EU users win more control over their feeds.

arstechnica.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 22d

What is the Trump #FTC under @AFergusonFTC doing to protect Americans privacy as GenAI & retail media networks explode, capturing our data, $ & more. More giveaways to #BiggestTech. Ex: arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Meta won’t allow users to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats

US users stuck with AI ad targeting as EU users win more control over their feeds.

arstechnica.com

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 24d

What do the Ellison's give the US public--more branded content via Paramount/CBS. From Ad Week/NYC. "unskippable AI-powered ad formats are reshaping the future of brand integration. By moving beyond traditional product placement, these approaches embed brands into entertainment..."

Jeff Chester @chesterj1.bsky.social · 25d

Inspiration for these times as civil society, inc scholars, successfully pushed back on anti-democratic & racist movements in 1930s. It can happen here.
Gotham at War - Mike Wallace - Oxford University Press. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

global.oup.com

Reposted by Jeff Chester

Defend Democracy @defenddemocracy.bsky.social · 26d

President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!

We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

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