Ignacio Castro
@ignactro.bsky.social
(Mostly) Internet data science.
Lecturer (aka Assistant Prof.) at QMUL and IRTF chair of RASP RG. My orthography is creative, no typos here.
Lecturer (aka Assistant Prof.) at QMUL and IRTF chair of RASP RG. My orthography is creative, no typos here.
Pinned
Ignacio Castro
@ignactro.bsky.social
· Jan 19
If you're curious about the growth of @bsky.app, a few of us published a paper using April'24 data. Since, all stats have gone through the roof... arxiv.org/pdf/2408.12449
More than 5xusers and well beyond 300K starter packs since April 2024. How did Bluesky looked before the stampede out of X?👇 [1/n]
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Airbus to migrate critical apps to a sovereign Euro cloud
Airbus to migrate critical apps to a sovereign Euro cloud
Tech exec admits not dead cert it'll find the right solution
Exclusive Airbus is preparing to tender a major contract to migrate mission-critical workloads to a digitally sovereign European cloud – but estimates only an 80/20 chance of finding a suitable provider.…
dlvr.it
December 19, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Airbus to migrate critical apps to a sovereign Euro cloud
Great title, although a reverse rationality is likely more accurate
Former UK chancellor George Osborne finds something to do at OpenAI
Former UK chancellor George Osborne finds something to do at OpenAI
Follows Nick Clegg at Meta and Rishi Sunak at Anthropic in snuggling up to US tech
OpenAI has hired former UK finance minister George Osborne, continuing a trend of British politicians whose careers have peaked cozying up to US tech giants.…
dlvr.it
December 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Great title, although a reverse rationality is likely more accurate
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Announcing eurosky.social accounts - launching January 2026.
✅ Managed by Eurosky, a European non-profit initiative
✅ Hosted on European cloud
✅ Governed by European law
www.eurosky.social/register
✅ Managed by Eurosky, a European non-profit initiative
✅ Hosted on European cloud
✅ Governed by European law
www.eurosky.social/register
Register for a eurosky.social account - one web identity, dozens of apps — eurosky
www.eurosky.social
December 15, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Announcing eurosky.social accounts - launching January 2026.
✅ Managed by Eurosky, a European non-profit initiative
✅ Hosted on European cloud
✅ Governed by European law
www.eurosky.social/register
✅ Managed by Eurosky, a European non-profit initiative
✅ Hosted on European cloud
✅ Governed by European law
www.eurosky.social/register
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
If you want to make a copy of the entire Bluesky network (or some subset of it, or some other app built on atproto), Tap is now the best way do do it. I hope this will enable more people do do, for example, interesting social network analysis research
finally landed it!
Tap is your all-in-one sync tool for the Atmosphere: webhooks, backfill, filtering, signaling collections, no cbor/msts/signatures/cursors. this thing's got it all!
give it a go and let me know what you think & if you run into any issues
docs.bsky.app/blog/introdu...
Tap is your all-in-one sync tool for the Atmosphere: webhooks, backfill, filtering, signaling collections, no cbor/msts/signatures/cursors. this thing's got it all!
give it a go and let me know what you think & if you run into any issues
docs.bsky.app/blog/introdu...
Introducing Tap: Repository Synchronization Made Simple | Bluesky
Just about every app built on AT needs data from a repository at some point. For many use cases – feed generators, labelers, bots – streaming live data through a Relay or Jetstream works well. But som...
docs.bsky.app
December 12, 2025 at 9:35 PM
If you want to make a copy of the entire Bluesky network (or some subset of it, or some other app built on atproto), Tap is now the best way do do it. I hope this will enable more people do do, for example, interesting social network analysis research
Spain's ISPs block IPs used by pirate streaming sites during the Spanish league football matches. IP-level blocks impact the many unrelated sites that are behind each IP. Adding insult to injury, Movistar keeps the blocks for 14 HOURS after the match is over. bandaancha.eu/articulos/mo...
December 10, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Spain's ISPs block IPs used by pirate streaming sites during the Spanish league football matches. IP-level blocks impact the many unrelated sites that are behind each IP. Adding insult to injury, Movistar keeps the blocks for 14 HOURS after the match is over. bandaancha.eu/articulos/mo...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
New blog post! ✨ I argue that AI will make formal verification go mainstream. martin.kleppmann.com/2025/12/08/a...
Three reasons for this:
1. LLMs are getting increasingly good at writing proofs using proof assistants. This will make formal verification vastly cheaper than it's been to date.
Three reasons for this:
1. LLMs are getting increasingly good at writing proofs using proof assistants. This will make formal verification vastly cheaper than it's been to date.
Prediction: AI will make formal verification go mainstream — Martin Kleppmann’s blog
martin.kleppmann.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
New blog post! ✨ I argue that AI will make formal verification go mainstream. martin.kleppmann.com/2025/12/08/a...
Three reasons for this:
1. LLMs are getting increasingly good at writing proofs using proof assistants. This will make formal verification vastly cheaper than it's been to date.
Three reasons for this:
1. LLMs are getting increasingly good at writing proofs using proof assistants. This will make formal verification vastly cheaper than it's been to date.
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
‘una investigación realizada por IMDEA Networks (España), … reveló que “Meta utilizó durante casi un año un mecanismo oculto para rastrear la actividad web de usuarios de dispositivos Android a través de las aplicaciones de Facebook e Instagram”.’
elpais.com/espana/2025-...
elpais.com/espana/2025-...
El PSOE registra en el Congreso la solicitud de comparecencia de Mark Zuckerberg y otros dos directivos de Meta
Los socialistas piden la declaración de los miembros de la plataforma ante “la posible violación masiva de la privacidad de millones de usuarios”
elpais.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:37 AM
‘una investigación realizada por IMDEA Networks (España), … reveló que “Meta utilizó durante casi un año un mecanismo oculto para rastrear la actividad web de usuarios de dispositivos Android a través de las aplicaciones de Facebook e Instagram”.’
elpais.com/espana/2025-...
elpais.com/espana/2025-...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
A really nice figure of population and partisan malapportionment in national legislatures around the world
from Beramendi, Boix, Guinjoan, and Rogers (yassified by The Economist) priceschool.usc.edu/wp-content/u...
from Beramendi, Boix, Guinjoan, and Rogers (yassified by The Economist) priceschool.usc.edu/wp-content/u...
December 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
A really nice figure of population and partisan malapportionment in national legislatures around the world
from Beramendi, Boix, Guinjoan, and Rogers (yassified by The Economist) priceschool.usc.edu/wp-content/u...
from Beramendi, Boix, Guinjoan, and Rogers (yassified by The Economist) priceschool.usc.edu/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Dutch tax agency today justified uploading all their email to the US by (wait for it) assuring us the CLOUD Act represents a very small risk. No word on the other legislation of course. Following the Microsoft suggested narrative:
Anytime you see Microsoft or any US company state the CLOUD Act is not such a big deal for Europe, do ask them if they can reassure us on FISA 702 and EO12333 as well. You will not get an answer. Here EDRI sets it out nicely: edri.org/our-work/pro...
Promises unkept: The EU-US Data Privacy Framework under fire - European Digital Rights (EDRi)
A decade after Snowden’s revelations — and despite public outrage — surveillance and mass data collection continue under the EU-U.S.
edri.org
December 1, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Dutch tax agency today justified uploading all their email to the US by (wait for it) assuring us the CLOUD Act represents a very small risk. No word on the other legislation of course. Following the Microsoft suggested narrative:
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Useful if terrifying read on the Chinese brand of smart watches for kids, Little Genius, which is forming an entire, insular — and seemingly pretty socially unhealthy — platformised and corporatised world. substack.com/@ivyyang/p-1...
China's Apple Watches for Kids - by Ivy Yang
Brilliant dopamine-fueled marketing, and the darker long term implications of Little Genius Watches
substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Useful if terrifying read on the Chinese brand of smart watches for kids, Little Genius, which is forming an entire, insular — and seemingly pretty socially unhealthy — platformised and corporatised world. substack.com/@ivyyang/p-1...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Fully-funded PhD studentships available in Computer Science at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/fees-a...
Interested? Please see www.st-andrews.ac.uk/computer-sci... first and have a chat with prospective supervisors. Applications due 1 Feb.
Interested? Please see www.st-andrews.ac.uk/computer-sci... first and have a chat with prospective supervisors. Applications due 1 Feb.
School of Computer Science PGR Scholarships - Study at St Andrews - University of St Andrews
www.st-andrews.ac.uk
December 1, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Fully-funded PhD studentships available in Computer Science at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/fees-a...
Interested? Please see www.st-andrews.ac.uk/computer-sci... first and have a chat with prospective supervisors. Applications due 1 Feb.
Interested? Please see www.st-andrews.ac.uk/computer-sci... first and have a chat with prospective supervisors. Applications due 1 Feb.
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Join us on Tuesday, December 2 (12 pm CET / 6 am ET), for a
@technis4.bsky.social webinar
📝 Paper: "Looking for #Innovation Beyond the #Patent System: Evidence from Research Disclosures"
🔍 Zoom info at technisnet.org/seminars.html
#EconSky
@zew.de @macci-mannheim.bsky.social
@technis4.bsky.social webinar
📝 Paper: "Looking for #Innovation Beyond the #Patent System: Evidence from Research Disclosures"
🔍 Zoom info at technisnet.org/seminars.html
#EconSky
@zew.de @macci-mannheim.bsky.social
November 30, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Join us on Tuesday, December 2 (12 pm CET / 6 am ET), for a
@technis4.bsky.social webinar
📝 Paper: "Looking for #Innovation Beyond the #Patent System: Evidence from Research Disclosures"
🔍 Zoom info at technisnet.org/seminars.html
#EconSky
@zew.de @macci-mannheim.bsky.social
@technis4.bsky.social webinar
📝 Paper: "Looking for #Innovation Beyond the #Patent System: Evidence from Research Disclosures"
🔍 Zoom info at technisnet.org/seminars.html
#EconSky
@zew.de @macci-mannheim.bsky.social
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Now over 61,000 🚀
🔥 Highly recommended that you all sign and share.
Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Now over 61,000 🚀
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
We are calling on the UK Government to not introduce a levy on higher education provider income from international students, reduce visa costs to attract global talent, and to review higher education funding to create a sustainable model
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
July 10, 2025 at 8:54 AM
We are calling on the UK Government to not introduce a levy on higher education provider income from international students, reduce visa costs to attract global talent, and to review higher education funding to create a sustainable model
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
This is quite a victory - universities (particularly research intensives) have been lobbying for real terms protection of QR for ages
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
Block grants for university R&I to rise by £425m over four years.
Treasury confirms real-terms protection of quality-related grants and Higher Education Innovation Funding in autumn budget.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Treasury confirms real-terms protection of quality-related grants and Higher Education Innovation Funding in autumn budget.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
November 26, 2025 at 5:32 PM
This is quite a victory - universities (particularly research intensives) have been lobbying for real terms protection of QR for ages
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
It's a classic government give with one hand (QR) and take with the other (international student levy)
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
They line up perfectly.
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 AM
They line up perfectly.
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
AI is looking peaky, and Larry Ellison’s Oracle is in the contagion zone. Turns out, having OpenAI as one of your biggest customers isn’t always a golden ticket.
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
November 19, 2025 at 4:08 PM
AI is looking peaky, and Larry Ellison’s Oracle is in the contagion zone. Turns out, having OpenAI as one of your biggest customers isn’t always a golden ticket.
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
An @alphaville.ft.com and #FTEdit 🧵 on the software company’s perilous position 👉
But small boats
UK 🇬🇧 Ministry of Defence (MOD) image of Russian spy ship Yantar, presumably in or near UK waters.
Note that the ROV (remote operated vehicle, a deep-sea robot) A-frame is deployed (red). It’s doing something on the seabed.
Also two new radomes (yellow)
Note that the ROV (remote operated vehicle, a deep-sea robot) A-frame is deployed (red). It’s doing something on the seabed.
Also two new radomes (yellow)
November 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
But small boats
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Data collection at scale is a national security issue. This trading is happening even with GDPR protections.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
cyberinsider.com/precise-loca...
This #databrooker business must be stopped.
FYI @carissaveliz.bsky.social
This #databrooker business must be stopped.
FYI @carissaveliz.bsky.social
Precise Locations of EU Officials Retrieved Through Data Brokers
Phone location data, collected under the guise of ad tracking, can be used to precisely track the movements of millions in the EU.
cyberinsider.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Data collection at scale is a national security issue. This trading is happening even with GDPR protections.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
And yet the Commission is advocating changes that would remove such data from the scope of the regulation.
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
How clear does it need to be that Europe needs independent digital infrastructure before we actually take credible action? The need is as clear for cloud as it is for the rest of our critical digital systems.
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
How Many More Cloud Scares Does Europe Need?
Robin Berjon urges the EU to dismantle the entrenched US monopolies that are undermining the goal of tech sovereignty.
www.project-syndicate.org
November 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM
How clear does it need to be that Europe needs independent digital infrastructure before we actually take credible action? The need is as clear for cloud as it is for the rest of our critical digital systems.
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...
Steve Banon's populism: the american constitution represents the popular will, therefore anything that represents the popular will is constitutional www.economist.com/insider/the-...
Inside the mind of MAGA: a conversation with Steve Bannon | The Economist Insider
Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, has a worldview that contradicts that of The Economist. He’s a populist nationalist; this publication is classically liberal. But liberalism demands ...
www.economist.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Steve Banon's populism: the american constitution represents the popular will, therefore anything that represents the popular will is constitutional www.economist.com/insider/the-...
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
Oh hi! You should check these out. Especially that Technical Recruiter role, there...
bsky.social/about/join
bsky.social/about/join
Jobs - Bluesky
View open positions at Bluesky
bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Ignacio Castro
I was looking for a good explanation of 'curtailment' (paying renewable generators to turn off and gas turbines to turn on because supply and demand rarely match geographically) and this piece about the issues driving what seems like crazy behaviour is great on the historical background
Transmission Network Unavailability – the Quiet Driving Force Behind Rising Curtailment Costs in Great Britain
In this blog, Callum MacIver and Keith Bell set out to dig a little deeper into the current state of wind curtailment.
ukerc.ac.uk
October 27, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I was looking for a good explanation of 'curtailment' (paying renewable generators to turn off and gas turbines to turn on because supply and demand rarely match geographically) and this piece about the issues driving what seems like crazy behaviour is great on the historical background
Hell!
Some people complain there’s too much polling in this life, but what is voting intention in the after life? Reform leads among both those who think they’d go to heaven & those who think they’d go to hell. Though their lead grows from 6 to 20 among (self selected) denizens of hell
October 23, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Hell!