Mariel Garcia-Montes
@marielgm.bsky.social
40% thinker, 60% doer. 100% altermundista. Sociotechnical researcher on privacy and surveillance, trust and safety at MIT HASTS, Data + Feminism, Berkman Klein. I love creative uses of media and tech in the public interest. Cambridge, MA/Ciudad de México.
Pinned
Intro: My name is Mariel (she/her/señora). I'm a final year STS PhD @ MIT. I'm very invested in the sociotechnical study of tech + media for the public interest and social change, especially privacy & #surveillance, T&S in the global majority world. For fun, I #mutualaid, cook for friends, and read.
If you're in or near #BostonMA #CambridgeMA #SomervilleMA and looking to do some #mutualaid on the coldest night of the season so far, the Malden Warming Center is fundraising for a stove to keep serving hot meals: givebutter.com/MWCStove
Warm Hearts, Warm Meals: MWC Stove Fund
Raising money to provide warm meals for Malden Warming Center guests
givebutter.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:23 AM
If you're in or near #BostonMA #CambridgeMA #SomervilleMA and looking to do some #mutualaid on the coldest night of the season so far, the Malden Warming Center is fundraising for a stove to keep serving hot meals: givebutter.com/MWCStove
It's #WorldAIDSDay. Every year, I learn more and more about a topic that touched my life as a '90s kid who lost 'uncles' back then. This year I finally watched 'How to Survive a Plague' and I am infinitely moved by the advocacy that happened to get antiretrovirals in the market.
December 1, 2025 at 5:11 PM
It's #WorldAIDSDay. Every year, I learn more and more about a topic that touched my life as a '90s kid who lost 'uncles' back then. This year I finally watched 'How to Survive a Plague' and I am infinitely moved by the advocacy that happened to get antiretrovirals in the market.
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
I was diagnosed with #HIV in 1998, when I was 30.
Many of my friends had died of AIDS. I did not expect to live to 50.
I’m 58 now.
HIV treatment works.
Treatment also makes it impossible for me to pass HIV on during sex.
Ensure HIV treatment for all.
End HIV stigma.
#WorldAIDSDay
Many of my friends had died of AIDS. I did not expect to live to 50.
I’m 58 now.
HIV treatment works.
Treatment also makes it impossible for me to pass HIV on during sex.
Ensure HIV treatment for all.
End HIV stigma.
#WorldAIDSDay
December 1, 2025 at 8:46 AM
I was diagnosed with #HIV in 1998, when I was 30.
Many of my friends had died of AIDS. I did not expect to live to 50.
I’m 58 now.
HIV treatment works.
Treatment also makes it impossible for me to pass HIV on during sex.
Ensure HIV treatment for all.
End HIV stigma.
#WorldAIDSDay
Many of my friends had died of AIDS. I did not expect to live to 50.
I’m 58 now.
HIV treatment works.
Treatment also makes it impossible for me to pass HIV on during sex.
Ensure HIV treatment for all.
End HIV stigma.
#WorldAIDSDay
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
This great piece by @joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social (as well has his excellent new book) gets at something I'm always exploring: While we think of surveillance as an issue of the latest technology, and it is, it's also a historical constant about states forcing vulnerability onto political targets.
Newly Unveiled Photos of MLK Jr. Show Depth of NYPD’s Surveillance
After J. Edgar Hoover cast civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as a “liar,” the New York City Police Department’s spy unit heeded the call.
theintercept.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
This great piece by @joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social (as well has his excellent new book) gets at something I'm always exploring: While we think of surveillance as an issue of the latest technology, and it is, it's also a historical constant about states forcing vulnerability onto political targets.
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
meanwhile, nonprofits are asked “what is your plan to sustain this food bank after the term of this one month emergency grant to replace SNAP?”
OpenAI needs to raise at least $207bn by 2030 so it can continue to lose money, HSBC estimates on.ft.com/4ij0yh8
OpenAI needs to raise at least $207bn by 2030 so it can continue to lose money, HSBC estimates
A burning platform
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:28 PM
meanwhile, nonprofits are asked “what is your plan to sustain this food bank after the term of this one month emergency grant to replace SNAP?”
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
[10] An unidentified #trans woman was reportedly beaten to death in Tamaulipas (Mexico) on or before 10 Oct 2024.
No other information is known other than her approximate age of 45-50. #SayHerName #TransLivesMatter #TDoR
tdor.translivesmatter.info/reports/2024...
No other information is known other than her approximate age of 45-50. #SayHerName #TransLivesMatter #TDoR
tdor.translivesmatter.info/reports/2024...
November 20, 2025 at 7:45 AM
[10] An unidentified #trans woman was reportedly beaten to death in Tamaulipas (Mexico) on or before 10 Oct 2024.
No other information is known other than her approximate age of 45-50. #SayHerName #TransLivesMatter #TDoR
tdor.translivesmatter.info/reports/2024...
No other information is known other than her approximate age of 45-50. #SayHerName #TransLivesMatter #TDoR
tdor.translivesmatter.info/reports/2024...
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Alice Wong helped me accept my disabilities.
She taught me there’s no social justice without disability justice.
She encouraged me to start The Disabled Ginger and was a friend & mentor.
She won’t be forgotten.
Don’t let the bastards grind you down:
www.disabledginger.com/p/thank-you-...
She taught me there’s no social justice without disability justice.
She encouraged me to start The Disabled Ginger and was a friend & mentor.
She won’t be forgotten.
Don’t let the bastards grind you down:
www.disabledginger.com/p/thank-you-...
Thank You Alice Wong
Alice Wong has passed away and the disability community has lost a leader. I lost a mentor and a friend. The Disabled Ginger wouldn't exist without Alice and everything she taught me.
www.disabledginger.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Alice Wong helped me accept my disabilities.
She taught me there’s no social justice without disability justice.
She encouraged me to start The Disabled Ginger and was a friend & mentor.
She won’t be forgotten.
Don’t let the bastards grind you down:
www.disabledginger.com/p/thank-you-...
She taught me there’s no social justice without disability justice.
She encouraged me to start The Disabled Ginger and was a friend & mentor.
She won’t be forgotten.
Don’t let the bastards grind you down:
www.disabledginger.com/p/thank-you-...
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
At least nine people in southern Ethiopia have been infected with the deadly Marburg virus, a clinically similar cousin to Ebola, according to the WHO.
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus.
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus.
Ethiopia reports first outbreak of Marburg, Ebola cousin with no vaccine
At least nine cases of the rare viral hemorrhagic fever have been confirmed, the World Health Organization said Friday.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:30 PM
At least nine people in southern Ethiopia have been infected with the deadly Marburg virus, a clinically similar cousin to Ebola, according to the WHO.
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus.
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus.
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Not now, carnivorous death ball
November 6, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Not now, carnivorous death ball
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
We have a great event coming up on Nov. 12 to discuss possibilities for and examples of Feminist AI —join us! bit.ly/DCFNOV2025
#DataAgainstFeminicide #FAIR @kanarinka.bsky.social @ladelentes.bsky.social @silvanavf.bsky.social
#DataAgainstFeminicide #FAIR @kanarinka.bsky.social @ladelentes.bsky.social @silvanavf.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 8:43 AM
We have a great event coming up on Nov. 12 to discuss possibilities for and examples of Feminist AI —join us! bit.ly/DCFNOV2025
#DataAgainstFeminicide #FAIR @kanarinka.bsky.social @ladelentes.bsky.social @silvanavf.bsky.social
#DataAgainstFeminicide #FAIR @kanarinka.bsky.social @ladelentes.bsky.social @silvanavf.bsky.social
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Take note, NSO Group.
Today the Supreme Court heard a very, very technical case about whether a government contractors (in this case, private prison company GEO Group) should get essentially qualified immunity for contractors (I'm oversimplifying). The answer, it seems, will be no.
news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
Justices Doubt Timing of Immunity Appeal in GEO Wage Case (1)
Several US Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of GEO Group Inc.’s argument that it can immediately appeal a lower court’s rejection of its immunity defense to escape forced labor claims from im...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Take note, NSO Group.
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Amigues en CDMX y más allá:
El 5 de noviembre a las 10am voy a charlar con David Pruneda sobre Binding Media para el CISAN, UNAM.
Yo estaré virtualmente pero la sede oficial es la Torre de Humanidades II en CU. También se va a transmitir en vivo vía el YouTube de CISAN www.youtube.com/cisanunamweb
El 5 de noviembre a las 10am voy a charlar con David Pruneda sobre Binding Media para el CISAN, UNAM.
Yo estaré virtualmente pero la sede oficial es la Torre de Humanidades II en CU. También se va a transmitir en vivo vía el YouTube de CISAN www.youtube.com/cisanunamweb
October 29, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Amigues en CDMX y más allá:
El 5 de noviembre a las 10am voy a charlar con David Pruneda sobre Binding Media para el CISAN, UNAM.
Yo estaré virtualmente pero la sede oficial es la Torre de Humanidades II en CU. También se va a transmitir en vivo vía el YouTube de CISAN www.youtube.com/cisanunamweb
El 5 de noviembre a las 10am voy a charlar con David Pruneda sobre Binding Media para el CISAN, UNAM.
Yo estaré virtualmente pero la sede oficial es la Torre de Humanidades II en CU. También se va a transmitir en vivo vía el YouTube de CISAN www.youtube.com/cisanunamweb
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
Trans data epistemologies: Transgender ways of knowing with data by @drnikko.bsky.social and @ameliadogan.bsky.social in @bigdatasoc.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Trans data epistemologies: Transgender ways of knowing with data - Nikko Stevens, Amelia Lee Doğan, 2025
Amidst proliferating threats to trans rights, transgender activists are using data and data activism to advocate for and to protect trans communities. This tran...
journals.sagepub.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Trans data epistemologies: Transgender ways of knowing with data by @drnikko.bsky.social and @ameliadogan.bsky.social in @bigdatasoc.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
We watched How to Survive a Plague in class, and I cried from beginning to end. I thought I was moved because I was a '90s kid who lost 'uncles' to HIV, but many students were moved, too. A story of people who, as they were dying, found it in their heart to fight for their right to live, saving many
October 29, 2025 at 7:28 PM
We watched How to Survive a Plague in class, and I cried from beginning to end. I thought I was moved because I was a '90s kid who lost 'uncles' to HIV, but many students were moved, too. A story of people who, as they were dying, found it in their heart to fight for their right to live, saving many
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
A reminder that we're collecting books, chapters, and journal articles by non-TT historians for publication in our year-end lists. Anything with a 2025 pub date is eligible and you can submit for your friends/colleagues! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Publications by Non-Tenure-Track Historians
Since we began publishing in 2019, Contingent has published end-of-year lists of books and articles by non-tenure-track historians released in the past calendar year. To submit something for inclusion...
contingentmagazine.org
October 24, 2025 at 12:09 AM
A reminder that we're collecting books, chapters, and journal articles by non-TT historians for publication in our year-end lists. Anything with a 2025 pub date is eligible and you can submit for your friends/colleagues! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
What makes the internet so special you ask? It was designed in the 1970s to create a system resilient to single points of.....oh.
Jokes aside, I'm grateful that so much infrastructure *did* keep running yesterday. Saying a general thanks to all the engineers whose work made that possible.
Jokes aside, I'm grateful that so much infrastructure *did* keep running yesterday. Saying a general thanks to all the engineers whose work made that possible.
According to more than a dozen college and uni students, “the Canvas outage threw off their schedules, preventing them from not just submitting and viewing assignments but also from participating in-class activities, contacting professors, and accessing the textbooks and other materials…”
The AWS Outage Was a Nightmare for College Students
The outage impacted online learning platform Canvas, which is used by half of college students across the US, leaving many unable to access course materials or contact professors.
www.wired.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:24 PM
What makes the internet so special you ask? It was designed in the 1970s to create a system resilient to single points of.....oh.
Jokes aside, I'm grateful that so much infrastructure *did* keep running yesterday. Saying a general thanks to all the engineers whose work made that possible.
Jokes aside, I'm grateful that so much infrastructure *did* keep running yesterday. Saying a general thanks to all the engineers whose work made that possible.
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
I am being asked to tell my department which pieces of lab equipment should be supported with backup power because they expect rolling blackouts and brownouts in 2026 due to increased energy demands from AI. In case you're wondering how my day is going.
October 14, 2025 at 2:10 PM
I am being asked to tell my department which pieces of lab equipment should be supported with backup power because they expect rolling blackouts and brownouts in 2026 due to increased energy demands from AI. In case you're wondering how my day is going.
I have learned *so much* from @msifry.bsky.social's nuanced, informed, realistically optimistic thinking on the biggest conflicts humanity has faced the past few years. He shares it all for free on his Substack, so his book is an immediate order for me: micahsifry.com/books/whendo...
When Doves Try: Israel’s Peace Now Movement 1978-1983
When Doves Try: Israel’s Peace Now Movement 1978-1983 tells the story of how a handful of young Israeli reserve officers helped ignite the country’s largest grassroots peace movement. In 1978, their o...
micahsifry.com
October 9, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I have learned *so much* from @msifry.bsky.social's nuanced, informed, realistically optimistic thinking on the biggest conflicts humanity has faced the past few years. He shares it all for free on his Substack, so his book is an immediate order for me: micahsifry.com/books/whendo...
This project is #goals for anyone working on AI, computing, and environment: insightful research on an urgent matter, extremely compelling choice of case studies in the global majority, and beautifulllllll grabado/print illustrations. The women behind it are a dream team. tramas.digital/es/
Início
Investigación-acción feminista descolonial que revela los impactos socioambientales del mundo digital en América Latina.
tramas.digital
October 8, 2025 at 5:58 PM
This project is #goals for anyone working on AI, computing, and environment: insightful research on an urgent matter, extremely compelling choice of case studies in the global majority, and beautifulllllll grabado/print illustrations. The women behind it are a dream team. tramas.digital/es/
Reposted by Mariel Garcia-Montes
In February, @404media.co did a piece on the overwhelming amount of AI Slop in public library vendor Hoopla Digital. They promised to clean up their platform, but just this morning I went looking and easily found a self-publishing house pushing shoddy health content by a fake author.
October 8, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In February, @404media.co did a piece on the overwhelming amount of AI Slop in public library vendor Hoopla Digital. They promised to clean up their platform, but just this morning I went looking and easily found a self-publishing house pushing shoddy health content by a fake author.
Today in dream job alerts, the International Spy Museum is hiring a historian: www.spymuseum.org/about/career...
Historian
Job Opportunity: The International Spy Museum is searching for a Historian & Curator to join our Exhibitions and Collections team. Our new museum is located at L’Enfant Plaza.
www.spymuseum.org
October 6, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Today in dream job alerts, the International Spy Museum is hiring a historian: www.spymuseum.org/about/career...