samantha floreani
@floreani.bsky.social
digital rights advocate / writer / PhD candidate researching tech + housing justice 🏠 surveillance isn't safety xoxo
samanthafloreani.com
samanthafloreani.com
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samantha floreani
@floreani.bsky.social
· Jun 18
The Machine-Readable Renter — Samantha Floreani
Participants needed! Are you a renter in Australia? Have you ever used tech to find and apply for a home, log maintenance, or pay rent? I want to speak with you!
www.samanthafloreani.com
I’m researching ways that digital technologies in Australia's private rental sector are impacting renters and housing justice.
I’m looking for more interview participants. If you are a renter and have experience using ‘RentTech’ - I want to speak with you!
More info and EOI here:
I’m looking for more interview participants. If you are a renter and have experience using ‘RentTech’ - I want to speak with you!
More info and EOI here:
Reposted by samantha floreani
We need more honest language:
Theft Tech (AI)
Grift Tech (crypto)
Death Tech (automated weapons and military surveillance)
Theft Tech (AI)
Grift Tech (crypto)
Death Tech (automated weapons and military surveillance)
"theft tech" is a term my pal @astra.bsky.social thought of just today when we were working on our book about these End Times Fascists.
We were thinking about what should happen when this this bubble busts, as we all know it will.
Remember: they have bunkers. We don't. 2/3
We were thinking about what should happen when this this bubble busts, as we all know it will.
Remember: they have bunkers. We don't. 2/3
November 17, 2025 at 7:01 PM
We need more honest language:
Theft Tech (AI)
Grift Tech (crypto)
Death Tech (automated weapons and military surveillance)
Theft Tech (AI)
Grift Tech (crypto)
Death Tech (automated weapons and military surveillance)
do you resent playing AI detective online??? does it make you so, so annoyed to spend time looking for generative AI red flags? me too!!! my latest piece for the guardian is for those of us who are fed! up!
Becoming an AI-detective is a job I never wanted and wish I could quit | Samantha Floreani
My social media feed is now a hellish stream of puerile AI slop. Am I stubborn to want to hang on to reality?
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 AM
do you resent playing AI detective online??? does it make you so, so annoyed to spend time looking for generative AI red flags? me too!!! my latest piece for the guardian is for those of us who are fed! up!
giving a talk tomorrow, it will not be cynical
November 12, 2025 at 3:35 AM
giving a talk tomorrow, it will not be cynical
what shines through, to me, is that while landlords overwhelmingly see themselves as "providing an essential service" they avoid accountability for the obligations that kind of service provision requires. they want a pat on the back for doing a ~good deed~ without the work or responsibility
Renting in Reality — Landlords Insights - CPRC
cprc.org.au
November 6, 2025 at 1:56 AM
what shines through, to me, is that while landlords overwhelmingly see themselves as "providing an essential service" they avoid accountability for the obligations that kind of service provision requires. they want a pat on the back for doing a ~good deed~ without the work or responsibility
my number one piece of advice to people wanting to do a PhD is to pick a topic that makes you so. fucking. angry. truly incredible the level of motivation that unbridled rage can provide
October 28, 2025 at 2:55 AM
my number one piece of advice to people wanting to do a PhD is to pick a topic that makes you so. fucking. angry. truly incredible the level of motivation that unbridled rage can provide
Lily Allen's 'West End Girl' is an emotionally excruciating examination of what happens when people attempt to open a relationship as a solution to a fundamentally broken romantic partnership and the affect of non-ethical non-monogamy. In this essay I will
October 27, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Lily Allen's 'West End Girl' is an emotionally excruciating examination of what happens when people attempt to open a relationship as a solution to a fundamentally broken romantic partnership and the affect of non-ethical non-monogamy. In this essay I will
Ok and in Victoria, rentals must have heating to meet minimum standards requirements. Searching in Melbourne when you check the 'heating' filter drops from 3365 to 2098 properties.
As of May 2025 it's unlawful in NSW for a landlord or agent to advertise that pets will not be permitted in a rental property. When you search for a rental in Sydney on realestate.com.au, 1019 rental properties return. If you tick the 'pets considered' filter option, it drops to 125 properties.
October 25, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Ok and in Victoria, rentals must have heating to meet minimum standards requirements. Searching in Melbourne when you check the 'heating' filter drops from 3365 to 2098 properties.
As of May 2025 it's unlawful in NSW for a landlord or agent to advertise that pets will not be permitted in a rental property. When you search for a rental in Sydney on realestate.com.au, 1019 rental properties return. If you tick the 'pets considered' filter option, it drops to 125 properties.
October 25, 2025 at 3:36 AM
As of May 2025 it's unlawful in NSW for a landlord or agent to advertise that pets will not be permitted in a rental property. When you search for a rental in Sydney on realestate.com.au, 1019 rental properties return. If you tick the 'pets considered' filter option, it drops to 125 properties.
Reposted by samantha floreani
A Melbourne real estate agency just casually putting a job out on Airtasker for a lawyer to write a cease and desist for a fkn Google review. Incredible.
October 24, 2025 at 5:56 AM
A Melbourne real estate agency just casually putting a job out on Airtasker for a lawyer to write a cease and desist for a fkn Google review. Incredible.
what in the moral valuation of women meets moral judgement of renters is happening in this choice of photo to visually represent "bad tenants"
dare I say it but 365 partygirls still deserve housing xoxo
dare I say it but 365 partygirls still deserve housing xoxo
October 24, 2025 at 5:20 AM
what in the moral valuation of women meets moral judgement of renters is happening in this choice of photo to visually represent "bad tenants"
dare I say it but 365 partygirls still deserve housing xoxo
dare I say it but 365 partygirls still deserve housing xoxo
Reposted by samantha floreani
It's going to get up to 40° in Sydney today. Summer hasn't even started yet.
If you're baking in your rental home, join our Renter Lab to help us make sure renters don't have to suffer through another unbearable summer: bit.ly/renter-lab-S...
If you're baking in your rental home, join our Renter Lab to help us make sure renters don't have to suffer through another unbearable summer: bit.ly/renter-lab-S...
October 22, 2025 at 1:14 AM
It's going to get up to 40° in Sydney today. Summer hasn't even started yet.
If you're baking in your rental home, join our Renter Lab to help us make sure renters don't have to suffer through another unbearable summer: bit.ly/renter-lab-S...
If you're baking in your rental home, join our Renter Lab to help us make sure renters don't have to suffer through another unbearable summer: bit.ly/renter-lab-S...
any renters out there who have been pushed to use an AI chatbot as part of your rental experience, I'd love to chat with you for my PhD research! I'm looking at the ways that tech in the private rental sector is impacting renters + housing justice and this seems...troubling
Nelson Alexander requiring tenants to use an AI chatbot to report urgent repairs. Reportedly this chatbot cannot differentiate between urgent and non-urgent repairs. Incredible.
October 23, 2025 at 8:57 AM
any renters out there who have been pushed to use an AI chatbot as part of your rental experience, I'd love to chat with you for my PhD research! I'm looking at the ways that tech in the private rental sector is impacting renters + housing justice and this seems...troubling
Reposted by samantha floreani
Nelson Alexander requiring tenants to use an AI chatbot to report urgent repairs. Reportedly this chatbot cannot differentiate between urgent and non-urgent repairs. Incredible.
October 10, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Nelson Alexander requiring tenants to use an AI chatbot to report urgent repairs. Reportedly this chatbot cannot differentiate between urgent and non-urgent repairs. Incredible.
Reposted by samantha floreani
Melbourne folks! I'm going to be part of a Luddite Tribunal organised by the Brunswick Library — you gotta love public libraries and their critical workers — on November 27th at 6:30pm. I'll be joined by Lizzie O'Shea; it'll be a ton of fun! Free registration: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-luddit...
October 23, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Melbourne folks! I'm going to be part of a Luddite Tribunal organised by the Brunswick Library — you gotta love public libraries and their critical workers — on November 27th at 6:30pm. I'll be joined by Lizzie O'Shea; it'll be a ton of fun! Free registration: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-luddit...
Reposted by samantha floreani
Oh damn, Kohei Saito has entered into the techno-feudalism debate and his argument aligns with what me and @bigblackjacobin have been saying for a long time: Stop saying techno-feudalism, this is called rentier capitalism, and it's the basis for techno-fascism. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
October 21, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Oh damn, Kohei Saito has entered into the techno-feudalism debate and his argument aligns with what me and @bigblackjacobin have been saying for a long time: Stop saying techno-feudalism, this is called rentier capitalism, and it's the basis for techno-fascism. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
look all I’m saying is that one job AI could never come for is a jewellery heist at the louvre
October 21, 2025 at 3:48 AM
look all I’m saying is that one job AI could never come for is a jewellery heist at the louvre
I'm currently looking to talk with renters who have used a digital portal / app to conduct their own routine rental inspection without the real estate agent coming to your house. This is sometimes called a 'Remote Inspection'
If this is you, please get in touch!
If this is you, please get in touch!
I’m researching ways that digital technologies in Australia's private rental sector are impacting renters and housing justice.
I’m looking for more interview participants. If you are a renter and have experience using ‘RentTech’ - I want to speak with you!
More info and EOI here:
I’m looking for more interview participants. If you are a renter and have experience using ‘RentTech’ - I want to speak with you!
More info and EOI here:
The Machine-Readable Renter — Samantha Floreani
Participants needed! Are you a renter in Australia? Have you ever used tech to find and apply for a home, log maintenance, or pay rent? I want to speak with you!
www.samanthafloreani.com
October 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM
I'm currently looking to talk with renters who have used a digital portal / app to conduct their own routine rental inspection without the real estate agent coming to your house. This is sometimes called a 'Remote Inspection'
If this is you, please get in touch!
If this is you, please get in touch!
Reposted by samantha floreani
Huge story here. Daniel had his payments illegally cancelled by the Mutual Obligations system. After years of bravely fighting, he exposed the error and won the backpay he was always legally entitled to
Centrelink illegally cancelled Daniel’s jobseeker payment. He fought back against the system – and won
Centrelink illegally cancelled Daniel’s jobseeker payment. He fought back against the system – and won
After taking his case to the administrative review tribunal, Daniel’s complaint then went to the commonwealth ombudsman, which is now investigating Centrelink
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Daniel’s chest tightened, his stomach dropped. The Centrelink worker at the end of the line told him his jobseeker payment had been cancelled. But he knew it wasn’t right.
Daniel is one of an estimated 310,000 Centrelink recipients who had their payments unlawfully cancelled between 2020 and 2024 because they were incorrectly told they had not met their mutual obligations under the scheme. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
October 17, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Huge story here. Daniel had his payments illegally cancelled by the Mutual Obligations system. After years of bravely fighting, he exposed the error and won the backpay he was always legally entitled to
In my research into tech x rental housing, one of the (many) grievances tenants have shared with me is the additional fees they cop just to pay rent. It's great to see legislation introduced to Vic Parliament seeking to address this.
Hundreds of thousands of tenants set to benefit as long-awaited rental reforms introduced to Victorian parliament
Exclusive: New bill seeks to ban rent processing fees, require landlords to provide proof for bond claims and establish a portable bond scheme
www.theguardian.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:11 AM
In my research into tech x rental housing, one of the (many) grievances tenants have shared with me is the additional fees they cop just to pay rent. It's great to see legislation introduced to Vic Parliament seeking to address this.
Reposted by samantha floreani
Hello~ i wrote something for @theverge.com about the surreal horror of online transness in a fascist surveillance state.
it’s time to change tactics and make ourselves less legible to this machinery of death — but *without* sacrificing our connection and community.
it’s time to change tactics and make ourselves less legible to this machinery of death — but *without* sacrificing our connection and community.
The return of the trans underground
The internet once helped trans people connect and organize. Now it’s a dangerous liability. What comes next?
www.theverge.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Hello~ i wrote something for @theverge.com about the surreal horror of online transness in a fascist surveillance state.
it’s time to change tactics and make ourselves less legible to this machinery of death — but *without* sacrificing our connection and community.
it’s time to change tactics and make ourselves less legible to this machinery of death — but *without* sacrificing our connection and community.
Reposted by samantha floreani
OpenAI has chosen the worst, weirdest possible time to embrace the fact that people want to fuck chatbots www.404media.co/chatgpt-erot...
ChatGPT’s Hail Mary: Chatbots You Can Fuck
As recent reports show OpenAI bleeding cash, and on the heels of accusations that ChatGPT caused teens and adults alike to harm themselves and others, CEO Sam Altman announced that you can soon fuck t...
www.404media.co
October 14, 2025 at 9:21 PM
OpenAI has chosen the worst, weirdest possible time to embrace the fact that people want to fuck chatbots www.404media.co/chatgpt-erot...
lmao after watching successive governments do absolutely nothing meaningful about the data broker industry nor targeted marketing, I’m not above laughing at them for this
Anthony Albanese, Sussan Ley and Scott Morrison’s private phone numbers exposed on US marketing databases
Richard Marles says investigation under way into how the prime minister and other senior government staff’s phone numbers appeared in the databases
www.theguardian.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:19 AM
lmao after watching successive governments do absolutely nothing meaningful about the data broker industry nor targeted marketing, I’m not above laughing at them for this
Reposted by samantha floreani
“The goal of funwashing is to humanise its subjects — but what happens when you attempt to funwash things that weren’t human to begin with?”
@martynpedler.com on showing the softer side of killer robots. overland.org.au/2025/10/kill...
@martynpedler.com on showing the softer side of killer robots. overland.org.au/2025/10/kill...
Killer robots can dance, too - Overland literary journal
Promoting Phantom as having multiple functions foregrounds the notion that it’s a tool that can be used for good or bad — for fun-having or death-dealing.
overland.org.au
October 13, 2025 at 1:42 AM
“The goal of funwashing is to humanise its subjects — but what happens when you attempt to funwash things that weren’t human to begin with?”
@martynpedler.com on showing the softer side of killer robots. overland.org.au/2025/10/kill...
@martynpedler.com on showing the softer side of killer robots. overland.org.au/2025/10/kill...
even when writing makes me want to tear my eyeballs out of my skull, I still wouldn't want AI to take away this experience. the uncomfortable friction between what's in my brain (makes sense!) and what's on the page (does not make sense!) is where the good shit happens
October 13, 2025 at 1:23 AM
even when writing makes me want to tear my eyeballs out of my skull, I still wouldn't want AI to take away this experience. the uncomfortable friction between what's in my brain (makes sense!) and what's on the page (does not make sense!) is where the good shit happens
Reposted by samantha floreani
New one from James Parker and me - wading into the fights between artists and AI companies. We suggest artists need a vocabulary beyond copyright to articulate their grievances: www.versobooks.com/en-gb/blogs/...
Labor not property: Why artists are fighting the wrong battle on gener
This cover image depicts the display screen of the Suno-generated song 'created' using the text of this piece as the prompt. You can listen to the song by clicking the hyperlink where you see "Bad son...
www.versobooks.com
September 26, 2025 at 4:30 AM
New one from James Parker and me - wading into the fights between artists and AI companies. We suggest artists need a vocabulary beyond copyright to articulate their grievances: www.versobooks.com/en-gb/blogs/...