Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tim Engelhardt

@tengelhr.bsky.social

530 followers 720 following 170 posts

Mostly on human rights, digital tech. Work at UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). Posts personal.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Tim Engelhardt @tengelhr.bsky.social · Feb 7

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; „… without #encryption tools, lives may be endangered. In the worst cases, a Government’s ability to break into its citizens’ phones may lead to the persecution of individuals who are simply exercising their fundamental human rights.” t.co/AWG89rXGkD

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17138

t.co

15 17

Tim Engelhardt @tengelhr.bsky.social · 1d

Remember this one?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiUV...

Explaining Net Neutrality Is Easier On A Giant Roller Coaster

YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Rosamunde Van Brakel @rosamundevb.bsky.social · 2d

In-the-wild testing of police facial recognition systems has failed to generate clear evidence of the technology’s benefits, or to assess the full range of socio-technical impacts www.computerweekly.com/news/3666322...

Police facial recognition trials show little evidence of benefits | Computer Weekly

In-the-wild testing of police facial recognition systems has failed to generate clear evidence of the technology’s benefits, or to assess the full range of socio-technical impacts.

www.computerweekly.com

11 14

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Joshua Lüdtke @joshualudtke.bsky.social · 3d

I'll just print up this list and distribute it to all the colleges and universities nearby

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 3d

I actually don't really care if AI is useful/interesting/good for some things in education actually - it is besides these things clearly a big problem already that maybe need listing yet again:

1 1

Tim Engelhardt @tengelhr.bsky.social · 3d

Read this thread, please!

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 3d

I actually don't really care if AI is useful/interesting/good for some things in education actually - it is besides these things clearly a big problem already that maybe need listing yet again:

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 3d

For this week’s podcast, I spoke with Mallory Knodel from the Social Web Foundation and the Internet Exchange and Burcu Kilic from CIGI. The conversation revolved around a post the two wrote for the Internet Exchange titled, “Big Tech Redefined the Open Internet to Serve Its Own Interests."

The Open Internet is Dead. What Comes Next? | TechPolicy.Press

Justin Hendrix spoke to Mallory Knodel and Burcu Kilic about their recent essay, titled "Big Tech Redefined the Open Internet to Serve Its Own Interests."

www.techpolicy.press

1 15 35

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 4d

The alarming aspect of this deliberate "anti-woke" algorithmic biasing of LLMs from an educational perspective is our institutions all bought in to an imaginary of innovation, then got locked in to enterprise contracts, and now the models are being recoded so they undermine educational values

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 4d

Genuine question: for those enthusiastically pushing AI tools into every part of our education system—what checks/guardrails are there around algorithmic biases like this?

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 4d

The administration “is currently pressuring OpenAI and other AI companies to make their models more conservative-friendly.”

3 67 120

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Christian Eymery @christianeymery.bsky.social · 3d

Heute vor 82 Jahren wurde Willi Graf, Mitglied der Weißen Rose, nach 8 Mo. Haft von den Nazis ermordet. Während seiner Haft schwieg er trotz fortwährender Verhöre durch die Gestapo. Er rettete damit vielen Gleichgesinnten das Leben.
In ehrenvollem Gedenken.

13 210 750

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Michelle A. Rodrigues 🐒 @marspidermonkey.bsky.social · 13d

We can remember Goodall’s accomplishments and legacy while recognizing that National Geographic created a narrative that erased the local people who contributed to her research. Her African colleagues deserve to be credited, not erased (10/10).

3 76 360

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Michelle A. Rodrigues 🐒 @marspidermonkey.bsky.social · 13d

As a primatologist, Jane Goodall was a huge inspiration to me. I admired the way she describes chimpanzee behavior with such detail and empathy, and she’s inspired so many people and advocated for chimpanzee conservation and welfare.

However, I'm dismayed at what her narrative leaves out (1/10)

Photo of Jane Goodall in the center, signing a book, with three women standing slightly hunched behind her. A very young Michelle is to the right, smiling.

3 170 380

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 6d

New from 404 Media: the Discord hack is every users' worst nightmare. Yesterday the hackers started posting Discord users' selfies, identity documents, email addresses, phone numbers, more. I watched in real time. This is risk of tech storing ID for age verification
www.404media.co/the-discord-...

The Discord Hack is Every Users’ Worst Nightmare

A hack impacting Discord’s age verification process shows in stark terms the risk of tech companies collecting users’ ID documents. Now the hackers are posting peoples’ IDs and other sensitive informa...

www.404media.co

26 930 1.7K

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · 7d

NEW: Germany opposes mass scanning of private messages.

"must be taboo in a constitutional state"

"even the worst crimes don't justify giving up basic civil rights"

Well said Minister Stefanie Hubig!

Leadership we need from Europe's democracies.
www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Z...

Dr. Stefanie Hubig, Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection, on the occasion of political discussions about privacy in the digital space and about a proposal for an EU regulation to prevent and combat sexual abuse

„Unreasonable chat control must be taboo in a constitutional state. Private communication must never be under general suspicion.“

08. October 2025

„Unreasonable chat control must be taboo in a constitutional state. Private communication must never be under general suspicion. The state must also not force messengers to scan messages en masse for suspicious content before sending them. Germany will not agree to such proposals at EU level. We must also make progress in the fight against child pornography at EU level. That's what I'm committed to. But even the worst crimes do not justify giving up basic civil rights. The federal government's votes have insisted on this for months. And it will stay that way.“

2 40 130

Tim Engelhardt @tengelhr.bsky.social · 7d

Why did they stop counting at 30? That’s just half a morning.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 7d

How many browsing tabs do you typically have open?*

1: 6%
2-5: 54%
6-10: 14%
11-20: 8%
21-30: 2%
More than 30: 3%

*across all windows, on desktop/laptop

yougov.co.uk/topics/techn...

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Pat Walshe - Privacy Matters @privacymatters.bsky.social · 7d

Germany. Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection opposes the EU #ChatControl proposal for the indiscriminate scanning of all private messaging to combat CSAM.

“Private communication should never be under general suspicion.”

www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Z...

Zitat

Anlasslose Chatkontrolle muss in einem Rechtsstaat tabu sein. Private Kommunikation darf nie unter Generalverdacht stehen.“

www.bmjv.de

1 10 21

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Markus Reuter @markus.reuter.netzpolitik.org · 7d

Bundesjustizministerin Hubig zur #Chatkontrolle: "Anlasslose Chatkontrolle muss in einem Rechtsstaat tabu sein. Private Kommunikation darf nie unter Generalverdacht stehen. [..] Solchen Vorschlägen wird Deutschland auf EU-Ebene nicht zustimmen."

www.bmjv.de/SharedDocs/Z...

Zitat

Anlasslose Chatkontrolle muss in einem Rechtsstaat tabu sein. Private Kommunikation darf nie unter Generalverdacht stehen.“

www.bmjv.de

5 48 210

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

CCC @ccc.de · 7d

Mehrheit am 14. Oktober für EU-Vorschlag kaum noch in Sicht: Bundesjustizministerium lehnt Pläne zur #Chatkontrolle ab www.handelsblatt.com/dpa/umstritt...

Handelsblatt

Justizministerin Hubig stellt klar: Deutschland wird bei der EU-Chatkontrolle nicht mitziehen. Was bedeutet das für WhatsApp & Co. – und wie geht es jetzt in Brüssel weiter?

www.handelsblatt.com

3 19 82

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

UN Working Group on business and human rights @unwgbhr.bsky.social · 8d

🌍UN Forum on Business & Human Rights, uniting 4,000+ participants from governments, businesses, trade unions and civil society. A key platform for tackling human rights issues & advancing the UNGPs.

🔗Donate Now: www.every.org/un-human-rig...

#UNForumBHR #BizHumanRights

1 1

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Robin Berjon @robin.berjon.com · Jan 10

New year, new thread — here's my 2025 reading log! 💙📚

Previous episodes:
• 2020: tweets.berjon.com/121259142400...
• 2021: tweets.berjon.com/134848568673...
• 2022: tweets.berjon.com/147749837904...
• 2023, before Xodus: tweets.berjon.com/161179872221...
• 2024: bsky.app/profile/robi...

a man is holding a flashlight with the words be ready to run below him

Alt: The Last of Us: "Be ready to run."

media.tenor.com

3 2 38

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Markus Reuter @markus.reuter.netzpolitik.org · 9d

Trotz des immensen möglichen Schadens der #Chatkontrolle für Meinungsfreiheit, Pressefreiheit, Privatsphäre, Demokratie und IT-Sicherheit ist das Thema medial derzeit noch ganz schön unterberichtet. Hier steht, um was es eigentlich geht: netzpolitik.org/2025/fragen-...

Fragen und Antworten: Warum ist Chatkontrolle so gefährlich für uns alle?

Die Chatkontrolle gilt weithin als Ende der verschlüsselten und privaten Kommunikation, also als Gefahr für die Demokratie und technisches Sicherheitsrisiko für die digitale Welt. Wir erklären und kom...

netzpolitik.org

12 340 590

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

CCC @ccc.de · 9d

Wer jetzt schweigt, riskiert den Verlust einer zentralen demokratischen Infrastruktur: der freien verschlüsselten Kommunikation. #Chatkontrolle bedroht auch Pressefreiheit www.djv.de/news/blog/bl...

Chatkontrolle bedroht Pressefreiheit

Der wichtigste sichere Messenger könnte bald aus Europa verschwinden – mit gravierenden Folgen für die Pressefreiheit.

www.djv.de

2 170 300

Tim Engelhardt @tengelhr.bsky.social · 10d

Really interesting. With English subtitles: youtu.be/i-jjWQke37k?...

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

John86 @john86l.bsky.social · 10d

You don’t have to be called Steve or Stephen to work at Blackpool, but it does help.

A club statement from Blackpool saying Steve Bruce has been sacked along with coaches Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence. Stephen Dobbie and Steve Banks will take temporary charge.

50 370 1.1K

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Robert Heinze @rheinze.bsky.social · 14d

Neoliberalismus und Deregulierung bedeutete nie einfach „Bürokratieabbau“, im Gegenteil: im Alltag der Menschen gab es einen enormen Zuwachs an Bürokratie und Formularkrieg, wie die frz. Soziologin Béatrice Hibou dokumentiert.

Anne Roth @anneroth.bsky.social · 14d

Amthor redet im DLF davon, dass für Bürokratieabbau Vertrauen nötig ist und nicht so viel dokumentiert werden soll, und sagt das zwar allgemein, aber meint offensichtlich nur Unternehmen.

Er meint nicht Bürgergeld. Da wäre das sinnvoll. Den Bürger*innen vertrauen sie ja nicht.

3 33 87

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Freiheitsrechte.org - GFF @freiheitsrechte.org · 13d

Fast geschafft! 💪 Teilt diesen Post und helft uns, die 10.000 Follower*innen vollzumachen. Gemeinsam setzen wir uns für die #Grundrechte ein! #10YGFF

Ein Meme mit einem Koala, der Blätter im Mund hat. Beschriftung am oberen Bildrand: "Me when I check if GFF reached 10k on Bluesky." Beschriftung unten: "They almost made it."

33 41

Reposted by Tim Engelhardt

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 12d

The UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI must include social, environmental, and public perspectives in its work and membership, and public voices must have a formal, ongoing role in the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, write Tim Davies and Anna Colom.

The UN’s Global Dialogue on AI Must Give Citizens a Real Seat at the Table | TechPolicy.Press

Learning from decades of global convening on climate change, AI Governance must place local lived experiences at its heart, write Tim Davies and Anna Colom.

www.techpolicy.press

16 30

Tim Engelhardt @tengelhr.bsky.social · 13d

A few months old but more important than ever.

Keith Fitzgerald @keithfitzgerald.bsky.social · Jun 26

Worth a watch:

Head of Signal, Meredith Whittaker, on so-called "agentic AI" and the difference between how it's described in the marketing and what access and control it would actually require to work as advertised.

3 9