Laís Martins
@laismartins.com
Repórter | tech, direitos humanos e política | em @intercept.com.br e por aí | 25/26 AI Accountability Fellow @pulitzercenter.org |mundus journalism + UvA alumna | dicas? ✉️ [email protected] e signal laisfm.02 | em PT-BR, sometimes EN
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Laís Martins
@laismartins.com
· Oct 27
Welcome Laís Martins, reporter for @intercept.com.br, to the fourth cohort of the AI Accountability Network Fellows.
@laismartins.com's reporting focuses on technology, human rights, and politics—and what lies at the intersection of these topics.
👉 bit.ly/25AIaccF
@laismartins.com's reporting focuses on technology, human rights, and politics—and what lies at the intersection of these topics.
👉 bit.ly/25AIaccF
I'm super grateful and excited for this opportunity to expand the work we've been doing at @intercept.com.br and to engage with these talented journalists who will be pursuing very important investigations. We are just getting started 💥💫
Reportagem incrível sobre a indústria de golpes no Sudeste Asiático a partir do relato corajoso de alguém que esteve dentro:
Last year, a human trafficking victim trapped in a crypto scam compound in the Golden Triangle region of Laos contacted me. He then proceeded to leak to me a huge collection of the compound's internal materials.
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive
A source trapped inside an industrial-scale scamming operation contacted me, determined to expose his captors’ crimes—and then escape. This is his story.
www.wired.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Reportagem incrível sobre a indústria de golpes no Sudeste Asiático a partir do relato corajoso de alguém que esteve dentro:
Reposted by Laís Martins
Protesto reúne 14 povos, denuncia dragagem sem consulta, riscos a sítios sagrados e promessa não cumprida do governo federal sobre consulta prévia às comunidades impactadas.
infoamazonia.org/2026/01/30/i...
infoamazonia.org/2026/01/30/i...
Indígenas cobram revogação de decreto da hidrovia do Tapajós e dizem que ‘rio não é mercadoria’
Protesto reúne 14 povos, denuncia dragagem sem consulta, riscos a sítios sagrados e promessa não cumprida do governo federal sobre consulta prévia às comunidades impactadas. Reunião ocorrerá na tarde desta sexta-feira entre governo federal, Ministério Público Federal e manifestantes.
infoamazonia.org
January 30, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Protesto reúne 14 povos, denuncia dragagem sem consulta, riscos a sítios sagrados e promessa não cumprida do governo federal sobre consulta prévia às comunidades impactadas.
infoamazonia.org/2026/01/30/i...
infoamazonia.org/2026/01/30/i...
Reposted by Laís Martins
A Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.
How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:55 AM
A Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.
legal 👍🏽
The AI-chat-enabled stuffed toy Bondu invites little kids to have intimate conversations with it, like an LLM imaginary friend. It also exposed virtually all their chats on a web interface with no security. Anyone with a Gmail account could log in and read transcripts. www.wired.com/story/an-ai-...
An AI Toy Exposed 50,000 Logs of Its Chats With Kids to Anyone With a Gmail Account
AI chat toy company Bondu left its web console almost entirely unprotected. Researchers who accessed it found nearly all the conversations children had had with the company's stuffed animals.
www.wired.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:09 PM
legal 👍🏽
"In her video on Wednesday, Owda pointed to recent remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Adam Presser, the new CEO of TikTok’s US arm, as a possible explanation for the ban."
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda with 1.4m followers reports TikTok ban
Emmy-winning Owda points to changes in TikTok's US ownership, remarks from Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu to explain ban.
www.aljazeera.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:08 PM
"In her video on Wednesday, Owda pointed to recent remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Adam Presser, the new CEO of TikTok’s US arm, as a possible explanation for the ban."
“Why am I leaving Big Tech? There are several reasons. I believe they stem from the same underlying structural problem: an unprecedented concentration of power in the hands of those in Big Tech who want to deliberately enact a techno-fascist future”.
Why I'm Leaving Big Tech
A tech worker's reflections
disjunctionsmag.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:16 AM
“Why am I leaving Big Tech? There are several reasons. I believe they stem from the same underlying structural problem: an unprecedented concentration of power in the hands of those in Big Tech who want to deliberately enact a techno-fascist future”.
Reposted by Laís Martins
Priscilla Johnson, who was Microsoft’s director of water strategy from 2017 until 2020 and has consulted for the company since then, siad when she presented ideas for more efficient water use, her manager "basically said, ‘How am I going to justify a more expensive data center?’”
Microsoft Pledged to Save Water. In the A.I. Era, It Expects Water Use to Soar.
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Priscilla Johnson, who was Microsoft’s director of water strategy from 2017 until 2020 and has consulted for the company since then, siad when she presented ideas for more efficient water use, her manager "basically said, ‘How am I going to justify a more expensive data center?’”
Reposted by Laís Martins
Meta blocks posts sharing database of ICE agents
Meta blocks posts sharing database of ICE agents
The move to restrict the links follows unrest in Minneapolis sparked by an ICE operation that has led to thousands of arrests and two fatal shootings.
dlvr.it
January 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Meta blocks posts sharing database of ICE agents
Uma informação nada trivial sobre o futuro ministro da Fazenda: antes de assumir o cargo no governo, ele era diretor de Políticas Públicas do WhatsApp no Brasil
Dario Durigan é escolhido por Haddad para assumir Ministério da Fazenda | Blogs | CNN Brasil
Haddad também tenta construir indicação do secretário do Tesouro Nacional, Rogério Ceron, para função hoje exercida por Durigan
www.cnnbrasil.com.br
January 27, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Uma informação nada trivial sobre o futuro ministro da Fazenda: antes de assumir o cargo no governo, ele era diretor de Políticas Públicas do WhatsApp no Brasil
Um livro de ficção científica que começa assim: No ano 2024, uma empresa promissora de tecnologia elaborou um plano maléfico para gastar milhões e milhões de dólares em milhões de livros, cortar suas lombadas e destruí-los para sempre.
Inside a tech company’s secretive plan to destroy millions of books
Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Um livro de ficção científica que começa assim: No ano 2024, uma empresa promissora de tecnologia elaborou um plano maléfico para gastar milhões e milhões de dólares em milhões de livros, cortar suas lombadas e destruí-los para sempre.
Reposted by Laís Martins
SCOOP: Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti
WIRED obtained Slack conversations + an updated internal Palantir wiki defending the company's work for ICE to outraged workers.
More here:
www.wired.com/story/palant...
WIRED obtained Slack conversations + an updated internal Palantir wiki defending the company's work for ICE to outraged workers.
More here:
www.wired.com/story/palant...
Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti
“In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this,” one worker wrote on Slack.
www.wired.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:11 PM
SCOOP: Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti
WIRED obtained Slack conversations + an updated internal Palantir wiki defending the company's work for ICE to outraged workers.
More here:
www.wired.com/story/palant...
WIRED obtained Slack conversations + an updated internal Palantir wiki defending the company's work for ICE to outraged workers.
More here:
www.wired.com/story/palant...
Reposted by Laís Martins
America update: hours after federal agents executed a Veterans Affairs nurse on camera, the CEOs of Apple and Amazon watched a film about the president's wife at the White House.
On tonight’s White House agenda:
Trump and guests will get a private screening of MELANIA, the documentary about the First Lady, @thr.com reports.
Attendees include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Mike Tyson, per the article.
Trump and guests will get a private screening of MELANIA, the documentary about the First Lady, @thr.com reports.
Attendees include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Mike Tyson, per the article.
January 25, 2026 at 4:35 AM
America update: hours after federal agents executed a Veterans Affairs nurse on camera, the CEOs of Apple and Amazon watched a film about the president's wife at the White House.
Reposted by Laís Martins
Adtech is almost everything you do online. They’re using Adtech to track and investigate. Every little thing you do — shopping, browsing, checking health information, connecting on social, ChatGPT — is on Adtech.
New: Amid the escalating situation in Minneapolis, ICE posted in the Federal Register asking companies to provide info about “commercial Big Data and Ad Tech” products that would “directly support investigations activities”
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
www.wired.com/story/ice-as...
ICE Asks Companies About ‘Ad Tech and Big Data’ Tools It Could Use in Investigations
A new federal filing from ICE demonstrates how commercial tools are increasingly being considered by the government for law enforcement and surveillance.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Adtech is almost everything you do online. They’re using Adtech to track and investigate. Every little thing you do — shopping, browsing, checking health information, connecting on social, ChatGPT — is on Adtech.
Reposted by Laís Martins
This is a breaking news story.
US federal agents shoot another person in Minneapolis: Governor
Footage circulating on social media shows US officers wrestling a person to the ground before several shots ring out.
www.aljazeera.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:30 PM
This is a breaking news story.
Reposted by Laís Martins
We set out to determine how many images of women and girls Grok created during its nudifying spree. What we found was “industrial-scale abuse,” experts said. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Musk’s Chatbot Flooded X With Millions of Sexualized Images in Days, New Estimates Show
www.nytimes.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:56 PM
We set out to determine how many images of women and girls Grok created during its nudifying spree. What we found was “industrial-scale abuse,” experts said. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/t...
Reposted by Laís Martins
One of the issues that has come up again and again in my reporting on misinformation and social media is the massive influence social media companies have on research in the field.
Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
Nearly a third of social media research has undisclosed ties to industry, preprint claims
Industry-linked studies were also more likely to focus on particular topics, suggesting these ties may be skewing the field
www.science.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:26 PM
One of the issues that has come up again and again in my reporting on misinformation and social media is the massive influence social media companies have on research in the field.
Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
Last night a preprint dropped that tries to get at this with some numbers. My piece in @science.org (and 🧪🧵 coming):
Muita atenção pra essas "mudanças de posição". Desde o início estava prevista a perfuração de poços artesianos. A história de que usariam "água de reuso" foi uma narrativa para tentar melhorar a imagem do projeto.
Data center do TikTok descarta água de reúso e vai usar poços
Rodrigo Abreu afirmou que já tratou do assunto com o Governo do Estado sobre a inviabilidade da água reaproveitada
www.opovo.com.br
January 16, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Muita atenção pra essas "mudanças de posição". Desde o início estava prevista a perfuração de poços artesianos. A história de que usariam "água de reuso" foi uma narrativa para tentar melhorar a imagem do projeto.
Reposted by Laís Martins
Você trocaria dinheiro da saúde, educação e segurança por 50 empregos em um data center? O governo do RN, sim www.intercept.com.br/2026/01/14/d... - Por @laismartins.com
RN topa trocar dinheiro da saúde e da segurança por data centers
Plano reforça como os estados estão dispostos a ceder à cobiça das big techs.
www.intercept.com.br
January 14, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Você trocaria dinheiro da saúde, educação e segurança por 50 empregos em um data center? O governo do RN, sim www.intercept.com.br/2026/01/14/d... - Por @laismartins.com
O FBI foi até a casa de uma repórter do Washington Post e apreendeu o celular e um relógio Garmin (que tem GPS, vale dizer). Natanson faz parte da equipe que cobre o governo federal dos EUA e vem dando vários furos com base em denúncias de servidores:
FBI raids home of Washington Post reporter in ‘highly unusual and aggressive’ move
Agents searched Hannah Natanson’s Virginia home and seized devices in inquiry tied to a classified materials case
www.theguardian.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:04 PM
O FBI foi até a casa de uma repórter do Washington Post e apreendeu o celular e um relógio Garmin (que tem GPS, vale dizer). Natanson faz parte da equipe que cobre o governo federal dos EUA e vem dando vários furos com base em denúncias de servidores:
Perfis de fofoca (sim, aqueles de sempre) fizeram uma série de posts enaltecendo o governo Tarcísio. A Piauí teve acesso a um dos pagamentos: R$ 20 mil por quatro postagens. Quem pagou? A Secom do governo de SP nega, o Republicanos nega também. piaui.folha.uol.com.br/tarcisio-fre...
Babado fortíssimo: “O primeiro trecho do Rodoanel Norte” - revista piauí
Quem acessou recentemente o perfil de Instagram @alfinetei, que tem mais de 25 milhões de seguidores, ficou por dentro das fofocas mais variadas: a influenciadora Viih Tube emagreceu mais de 20 kg em ...
piaui.folha.uol.com.br
January 12, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Perfis de fofoca (sim, aqueles de sempre) fizeram uma série de posts enaltecendo o governo Tarcísio. A Piauí teve acesso a um dos pagamentos: R$ 20 mil por quatro postagens. Quem pagou? A Secom do governo de SP nega, o Republicanos nega também. piaui.folha.uol.com.br/tarcisio-fre...
Reposted by Laís Martins
Don't blame Grok: We need to move beyond the idea that generative AI models are just data, models & prompts. That frame places AI companies as passive observers of their own products - but they're the sole deciders of how models are optimized & to what goals. From me in @techpolicypress.bsky.social:
Why Musk is Culpable in Grok's Undressing Fiasco | TechPolicy.Press
Grok’s functionality is not a black box, but the result of specific design decisions made by executives and engineers at xAI, writes Eryk Salvaggio.
www.techpolicy.press
January 7, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Don't blame Grok: We need to move beyond the idea that generative AI models are just data, models & prompts. That frame places AI companies as passive observers of their own products - but they're the sole deciders of how models are optimized & to what goals. From me in @techpolicypress.bsky.social:
Eu sempre gosto de ver retrospectivas de leitura porque pego dicas então resolvi fazer a minha própria. Aqui as 5 melhores leituras desse ano de acordo com critérios da minha cabeça 😀👍 e em nenhuma ordem específica:
December 23, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Eu sempre gosto de ver retrospectivas de leitura porque pego dicas então resolvi fazer a minha própria. Aqui as 5 melhores leituras desse ano de acordo com critérios da minha cabeça 😀👍 e em nenhuma ordem específica:
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. “It is time to choose sides; fascism or morality? Big tech has made their choice.”
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable gr...
www.404media.co
December 23, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. “It is time to choose sides; fascism or morality? Big tech has made their choice.”
Ainda sobre o data center do TikTok/Casa dos Ventos no Ceará (dia 99 de dezembro e estamos aqui): a Funai solicitou à Semace a suspensão do licenciamento ambiental até a regularização do componente indígena. P/ acompanhar o que a Semace responde na volta do recesso
December 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Ainda sobre o data center do TikTok/Casa dos Ventos no Ceará (dia 99 de dezembro e estamos aqui): a Funai solicitou à Semace a suspensão do licenciamento ambiental até a regularização do componente indígena. P/ acompanhar o que a Semace responde na volta do recesso