Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Dr Kat Day (she/her) @chronicleflask.katday.com · 1d

They always start with free speech. It sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Free speech? And they can use it to shut down anyone who criticises them, because it’s all “free speech”

After “free speech” it’s “protecting women and girls”

And then it’s whatever they actually wanted.

Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 1d

The right-wing campaign group that helped topple Roe v Wade in the US is now working to roll back abortion laws in the UK, with the help of Nigel Farage.

Its first step? Trying to create a debate around "free speech"
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/w...

26 530 1.8K

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 6d

Data compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy suggests at least 22,000 jobs were lost in the sector in the first six months of the year on.ft.com/4nBgdu4

‘Enormous fear’: Trump’s threats against George Soros chill US non-profits

Civil society groups funded by billionaire’s charitable foundation feel vulnerable to administration’s attacks

on.ft.com

1 6 8

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 6d

Strong report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Protection of Freedom of Expression on "the paradigm shift" in the governance of social media platforms that has "alarming consequences for freedom of expression online". www.ohchr.org/en/documents...

A/80/341: Threats to freedom of expression online in turbulent times

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression focuses on a paradigm shift in the governance of social media platforms ...

www.ohchr.org

3 5

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

awo.agency @awo.agency · 7d

We're delighted to be ranked in this year's Legal 500 in 3 practice areas (Civil liberties & human rights, Data protection, and Administrative & public law) and as a 'Firm to Watch' in Artificial Intelligence. Thank you to all our clients and referees! 🎉
www.legal500.com/firms/234760...

2 1

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

More in Dutch here - www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/....

Geen spreekverbod voor Mekic in zaak tegen X

Het gerechtshof Amsterdam heeft het verzoek van X (het voormalige Twitter) om een spreekverbod op te leggen aan Danny Mekic afgewezen. Jurist Mekic is al geruime tijd in een strijd verwikkeld met het ...

www.nrc.nl

2 6

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

X must hand over a full, unredacted version of Mekic’s data from Guano Notes to the Court of Appeal. The court may use this information in the case — but Mekic himself won’t receive the data yet. (6/6)

1 6

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

Ahead of the appeal, X demanded that Mekic be barred from speaking publicly about the case, arguing this could reveal more about how Guano Notes works. The Court of Appeal has now ruled that Mekic is free to speak. (5/6)

1 1 8

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

X gave Mekic only limited access. Mekic sued — and won. The Amsterdam court ruled now, under penalty of a fine, that X must provide full access. X appealed that decision. The appeal hearing is set for 11 December. (4/6)

1 1 8

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

The dispute began when X made Mekic’s posts less visible after he retweeted a Dutch NOS news article containing the word “child pornography.” Mekic demanded access to his personal data and to how it was processed — which led to his account being hidden. (3/6)

1 1 7

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

The Amsterdam Court of Appeal has rejected X’s request to impose a gag order on jurist Danny Mekic. Mekic has long been in a legal battle with the company, seeking access to the personal data X holds about him and how it’s been used.(2/6)

1 1 9

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

Interesting development in the X vs. Mekic case in the Netherlands, which partly deals with "Guano Notes" - X’s internal system that tracks users’ reputation scores and labels them. Those scores can determine whether posts are blocked or accounts are hidden. Very little is know about the system(1/6)

1 12 17

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 7d

www.ft.com/content/5f6f...

OpenAI’s computing deals top $1tn

Partners including Nvidia, AMD and Oracle have signed up to Sam Altman’s huge bet on the future of artificial intelligence

www.ft.com

3

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 9d

www.economist.com/business/202...

AI is killing the web. Can anything save it?

The rise of ChatGPT and its rivals is undermining the economic bargain of the internet

www.economist.com

1 2 10

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 11d

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

The speech wars come for Wikipedia

www.politico.com

3

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 19d

www.ft.com/content/6630...

European officials fear Trump is preparing to blame them for Ukraine failure

Poland’s Tusk warns of ‘reduced US involvement and a shift of responsibility’

www.ft.com

2

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 20d

Think of the waste this involves

Jamie Gangel @jamiegangel.bsky.social · 20d

New - “Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work.”

www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/p...

Trump administration rehires hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE | CNN Politics

Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work.

www.cnn.com

62 420 1.5K

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 20d

I can't believe this is real. Literally Thiel is saying the antichrist is anyone who wants to regulate technology.

8 26 92

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Lilian Edwards @lilianedwards.bsky.social · 21d

Very happy to announce brilliant new paper on AI by the wonderful @atoosakz.bsky.social , Phillip Hacker, and er, me, on systemic risk and how it is confusingly differently interpreted through the EU AIA, the DSA and its origin, financial regulation.

Paper at https://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.17878

1 5 20

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 22d

www.ft.com/content/6596...

EU to block Big Tech from new financial data sharing system

Germany argues groups such as Apple and Meta are excluded to protect Europe’s ‘digital sovereignty’

www.ft.com

2 2

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

James Grimmelmann @jtlg.bsky.social · 23d

This white paper from @noupside.bsky.social and @rachelkleinfeld.bsky.social is an extremely helpful explanation of how the media environment has irrevocably shifted away from one in which institutions could wield influence simply by speaking authoritatively.

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

For Expertise to Matter, Nonpartisan Institutions Need New Communications Strategies

To avoid irrelevance when they are needed most, experts and nonpartisan analysts must rethink not just their channels of communication but also their theory of influence.

carnegieendowment.org

2 5

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Prof Mike Yearworth @mikeyearworth.bsky.social · 23d

"In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."

www.computerworld.com/article/4059...

OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws

In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...

www.computerworld.com

120 1.8K 3.6K

Mathias Vermeulen @mathver.bsky.social · 26d

on.ft.com/3K7NYV4 In Charlie Kirk’s name: Trump officials signal move to limit free speech

In Charlie Kirk’s name: Trump officials signal move to limit free speech

White House shifts from defending dissent to vowing crackdown on ‘hateful’ rhetoric in wake of killing

on.ft.com

1 2

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Velma @deradee.bsky.social · 27d

"When trolls demand debates, they’re not interested in having their minds changed or genuinely testing their ideas. They want one of two outcomes: either you decline and they get to claim victory by default, or you accept and they get to use your credibility to legitimize their nonsense..."

Techdirt @techdirt.com · 27d

The “Debate Me Bro” Grift: How Trolls Weaponized The Marketplace Of Ideas

Among the attempts to create hagiographic eulogies of Charlie Kirk, I’ve seen more than a few people suggest that Kirk should be respected for being willing to talk to “those who disagree with him” as a sign that he was…

The “Debate Me Bro” Grift: How Trolls Weaponized The Marketplace Of Ideas

Among the attempts to create hagiographic eulogies of Charlie Kirk, I’ve seen more than a few people suggest that Kirk should be respected for being willing to talk to “those who disagree with him” as a sign that he was engaging in good faith. Perhaps the perfect example of this is Ezra Klein’s silly eulogy claiming that Kirk was “

www.techdirt.com

16 56

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 27d

Carr's views as of October 2024:

3 42 99

Reposted by Mathias Vermeulen

Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · Sep 14

My colleague @thejohnsimpson.bsky.social has done a terrific deep dive into the financial links between US tech billionaires and Tommy Robinson

Well worth a read

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

US cash turned Tommy Robinson into the poster boy of UK f...

Outside the Old Bailey in 2018, a reinvented Tommy Robinson flashed his perfect new teeth to 2,000 diehard supporters at a “free Tommy” rally on a stage ...

observer.co.uk

31 510 740