Isabel Linzer
@isabelalinzer.bsky.social
Elections & democracy @ CDT. Stints: OHCHR, Freedom House, NDI. Posting about human rights, tech, authoritarianism, transnational repression, etc. Opinions my own.
This time last year the big Q was how much AI affected elections. But what's changed over the past year? What will the 2026 midterms look like?
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
Countdown to the Midterms: The Changing AI Threat Landscape for Elections
2024 was billed as “the year of AI elections.” And while widespread access to the technology changed how governments, political campaigns, technology companies, and civil society did their work, gener...
cdt.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
This time last year the big Q was how much AI affected elections. But what's changed over the past year? What will the 2026 midterms look like?
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
This week @tharper.bsky.social and I published new @cdt.org analysis about the current status of AI & elections: cdt.org/insights/cou...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
CDT’s @isabelalinzer.bsky.social + @beccabranum.bsky.social's new report examines how creators, platforms, and policymakers are redefining political speech in the digital age. cdt.org/insights/arc...
November 17, 2025 at 7:56 PM
CDT’s @isabelalinzer.bsky.social + @beccabranum.bsky.social's new report examines how creators, platforms, and policymakers are redefining political speech in the digital age. cdt.org/insights/arc...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
A lot of people didn’t like the Washington Post journalist who was tortured and dismembered with a bone saw for writing critically about the man sitting next to me
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 5:51 PM
A lot of people didn’t like the Washington Post journalist who was tortured and dismembered with a bone saw for writing critically about the man sitting next to me
A true public service 🫡
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
A true public service 🫡
Good reporting on what's happening with SAVE. Something they hint at but is worth stating more plainly: DHS is expanding SAVE beyond people in the immigration system to include US-born citizens. Given potential errors, that raises the risk of disenfranchisement & improper immigration enforcement
Scoop from @abbyvesoulis.bsky.social & me: new docs obtained by @weareoversight.bsky.social show DHS trying to obtain drivers license data from all 50 states to weaponize Trump’s false claims of voter fraud & possibly remove voters from rolls before midterms www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
New docs show DHS is gathering drivers’ license data in voter fraud crusade
Experts worry the Trump administration will use the info to disenfranchise voters.
www.motherjones.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Good reporting on what's happening with SAVE. Something they hint at but is worth stating more plainly: DHS is expanding SAVE beyond people in the immigration system to include US-born citizens. Given potential errors, that raises the risk of disenfranchisement & improper immigration enforcement
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
“Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech” electionlawblog.org?p=153011
"Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech" #ELB
Important new report from CDT: A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influence...
electionlawblog.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:39 PM
“Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech” electionlawblog.org?p=153011
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Political speech is indispensable and worth fighting for. At the same time, we all deserve an information ecosystem that’s transparent and empowers us to know who’s working (and paying) to win our votes and attention.
November 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Political speech is indispensable and worth fighting for. At the same time, we all deserve an information ecosystem that’s transparent and empowers us to know who’s working (and paying) to win our votes and attention.
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
So excited to share @cdt.org's latest report, marrying my two great loves: free expression and campaign finance regulation! (Kidding - but only a little) cdt.org/insights/arc...
Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech
[ PDF version ] A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influencer ranted in a v...
cdt.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:31 PM
So excited to share @cdt.org's latest report, marrying my two great loves: free expression and campaign finance regulation! (Kidding - but only a little) cdt.org/insights/arc...
New report alert🚨🚨 Political influencers aren’t quite activists, media, or advertisers. So what are they? How do social media policies and government regulations apply?
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
Architects of Online Influence: How Creators, Platforms, and Policymakers Shape Political Speech
[ PDF version ] A social media creator gave gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump during a livestream ahead of the 2024 presidential election. A progressive influencer ranted in a v...
cdt.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:20 PM
New report alert🚨🚨 Political influencers aren’t quite activists, media, or advertisers. So what are they? How do social media policies and government regulations apply?
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
🧵 on this transformative trend in democracy and politics:
cdt.org/insights/arc...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
NEW: In the latest in our @cdt.org series on the border search exception, we show how your devices can be searched, fully copied, stored with DHS for years, and have sensitive data harvested with powerful AI tools. All without a warrant.
cdt.org/insights/the...
cdt.org/insights/the...
The Border Search Device Database and AI: How Emerging Tech Could Supercharge the Dangers of an Outdated Warrant Exception
This is the third post in CDT’s series on the Border Search Exception. Our previous posts examine best practices for protecting private information when crossing the border and the convoluted legal la...
cdt.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:49 PM
NEW: In the latest in our @cdt.org series on the border search exception, we show how your devices can be searched, fully copied, stored with DHS for years, and have sensitive data harvested with powerful AI tools. All without a warrant.
cdt.org/insights/the...
cdt.org/insights/the...
This report is absolutely fantastic. A nuanced, expert approach to something that matters a whole heck of a lot, and is absolutely essential to get right
AI systems can unintentionally worsen mental health issues — including eating disorders. CDT’s new report, From Symptoms to Systems, maps out 6 key ways generative AI may contribute to eating disorder-related harms and offers guidance for developers, clinicians & caregivers. cdt.org/insights/fro...
November 10, 2025 at 9:38 PM
This report is absolutely fantastic. A nuanced, expert approach to something that matters a whole heck of a lot, and is absolutely essential to get right
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Good @laurenfeiner.bsky.social story about the state of CISA that highlights potentially corrosive fears among the agency's critical infrastructure partners about the Trump administration's cuts and politicization: www.theverge.com/policy/81688...
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Good @laurenfeiner.bsky.social story about the state of CISA that highlights potentially corrosive fears among the agency's critical infrastructure partners about the Trump administration's cuts and politicization: www.theverge.com/policy/81688...
Two things can be true: this signals impunity for TNR and that's bad and makes people less safe, and the existing levers of accountability punish on low-level folks instead of getting to the source of the problem
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump pardons former New York cop convicted of helping Beijing harass Chinese expatriate
Michael McMahon was sentenced to 18 months in prison for what a judge called ‘a campaign of transnational repression’
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Two things can be true: this signals impunity for TNR and that's bad and makes people less safe, and the existing levers of accountability punish on low-level folks instead of getting to the source of the problem
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
BREAKING: The Supreme Court rejects a call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide
The Supreme Court has rejected a call to overturn its landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
BREAKING: The Supreme Court rejects a call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
“‘DHS effectively collapsing different government databases into one is a privacy and practical disaster,’ said @isabelalinzer.bsky.social, elections and democracy fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology, in a statement.“
DHS Expands Immigration Database to Include US Citizens, Voter Data
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formalized changes to its federal immigration database, expanding its purpose to include voter registration and verification for both noncitizens and U.S. citizens.
www.meritalk.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:12 PM
“‘DHS effectively collapsing different government databases into one is a privacy and practical disaster,’ said @isabelalinzer.bsky.social, elections and democracy fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology, in a statement.“
I missed this last week - but wow what a convergence of what it means to be online in 2025. We're at the combination political-influencers-disinformation-transnational-repression-pizza-hut 🧵 www.cnbctv18.com/world/chinas...
China's new influencer law wants only degree-holders to discuss sensitive topics - CNBC TV18
Here's everything you need to know about the new influencer law in China and why it has sparked a debate over "freedom of speech" online.
www.cnbctv18.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:51 PM
I missed this last week - but wow what a convergence of what it means to be online in 2025. We're at the combination political-influencers-disinformation-transnational-repression-pizza-hut 🧵 www.cnbctv18.com/world/chinas...
Stating the obvious that as a researcher, archive sites are so important to being able to do my work. Governments and companies delete their webpages. Whether intentional or not, that undermines public knowledge and accountability. Archives help make up for that gap www.theverge.com/news/815691/...
FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is
The FBI’s trying to track down the site’s elusive owner
www.theverge.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Stating the obvious that as a researcher, archive sites are so important to being able to do my work. Governments and companies delete their webpages. Whether intentional or not, that undermines public knowledge and accountability. Archives help make up for that gap www.theverge.com/news/815691/...
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
I was one of the four people who got canned.
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I was one of the four people who got canned.
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
In the interim, you can subscribe to my newsletter, Straight From The Hut. No paywall, but feel free to choose the pay to support model. I'm not going anywhere — the show goes on, and I'll be back on MSNBC Saturday night. straightfromthehut.substack.com
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
NEW: DHS used to only have information on immigrants who’d had contact with the agency.
Under a new data-sharing agreement, the system added information — including full Social Security numbers — on millions of Americans not in DHS databases.
Under a new data-sharing agreement, the system added information — including full Social Security numbers — on millions of Americans not in DHS databases.
DHS Agreement Reveals Risks of Using Social Security Data for Voter Citizenship Checks
A recently released agreement gives the Department of Homeland Security access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ Social Security data. It contains alarmingly few provisions to ensure accuracy and privacy, experts say.
www.propublica.org
October 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM
NEW: DHS used to only have information on immigrants who’d had contact with the agency.
Under a new data-sharing agreement, the system added information — including full Social Security numbers — on millions of Americans not in DHS databases.
Under a new data-sharing agreement, the system added information — including full Social Security numbers — on millions of Americans not in DHS databases.
Unsolicited recommendation for Democracy Without Exception. It's actually a substack I open and read every time. Very thoughtful (and much-needed) approach to putting US democracy in a global context
democracywithoutexception.substack.com
democracywithoutexception.substack.com
Democracy Without Exception | Liz Ramey | Substack
Democracy Without Exception explores the idea that Americans are part of a global struggle for democracy. Click to read Democracy Without Exception, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers...
democracywithoutexception.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Unsolicited recommendation for Democracy Without Exception. It's actually a substack I open and read every time. Very thoughtful (and much-needed) approach to putting US democracy in a global context
democracywithoutexception.substack.com
democracywithoutexception.substack.com
Reposted by Isabel Linzer
Are people wearing inflatable frog costumes doing the Cha Cha Slide as part of protests outside of ICE detention centers in Portland "domestic terrorists"? Of course not.
cdt.org/insights/wha...
cdt.org/insights/wha...
What “Domestic Terrorism” and Non-Citizen Speech Have in Common
The Fight Must Continuestic-terrorism">The Common Thread Between Non-Citizen Speech and “Domestic Terrorism”hor">A Victory for Non-Citizen Speech ation to people in the United States through coercion,...
cdt.org
October 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Are people wearing inflatable frog costumes doing the Cha Cha Slide as part of protests outside of ICE detention centers in Portland "domestic terrorists"? Of course not.
cdt.org/insights/wha...
cdt.org/insights/wha...
Incredible reporting www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The surveillance empire that tracked world leaders, a Vatican enemy, and maybe you
We uncovered a massive data trove. It revealed the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe.
www.motherjones.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Incredible reporting www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Whether the people in the comments on these posts understand they are viewing AI is one thing, but what about the people who casually scroll past and don't look for a watermark or notice a telltale glitch? Passive consumption is an underappreciated risk IMO gizmodo.com/fake-protest...
Fake Protest Videos Are the Latest AI Slop to Go Viral in MAGA World
Trump supporters are doubling down on AI sadism.
gizmodo.com
October 8, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Whether the people in the comments on these posts understand they are viewing AI is one thing, but what about the people who casually scroll past and don't look for a watermark or notice a telltale glitch? Passive consumption is an underappreciated risk IMO gizmodo.com/fake-protest...
"That is what this war teaches us: Even suffering has a hierarchy, and even survival has a rank... The hierarchy determines how we speak, what we share and how we live with one another. I want people outside Gaza to understand these details." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | The Gaza I Once Knew Is Gone
After two years of war, one Gazan tells of what was lost.
www.nytimes.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:20 PM
"That is what this war teaches us: Even suffering has a hierarchy, and even survival has a rank... The hierarchy determines how we speak, what we share and how we live with one another. I want people outside Gaza to understand these details." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Nate's piece feels especially essential this week. The US forced return of Iranians just days before we marked the anniversary of Khashoggi's assassination invites some heavy reflection on the progress that has been made, how far there remains to go, and the humanity at stake
I wanted to share some of the sources and inspirations for my new @jodemocracy.bsky.social essay this week on transnational repression. Like with anything, there are citations but then there's also stuff that doesn't make it into the piece
www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the...
www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the...
The Golden Age of Transnational Repression | Journal of Democracy
Authoritarian regimes are targeting exiles and diaspora communities in more places than ever before. Activists, journalists, and regular people living abroad must watch their backs…
www.journalofdemocracy.org
October 3, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Nate's piece feels especially essential this week. The US forced return of Iranians just days before we marked the anniversary of Khashoggi's assassination invites some heavy reflection on the progress that has been made, how far there remains to go, and the humanity at stake