For many, the end of the year is an opportunity to catch up on reading or to purchase books as gifts. In 2025, a number of authors joined the Tech Policy Press podcast, providing fresh insights into how technology interacts with people, politics, and power. Check out the list:

It used to be that the United States would use Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to transmit truth across the borders of repressive regimes. Now the work of American reporters, having been censored, is being smuggled across the border to reach Americans.

This is a very comprehensive summary of Section 230 and why it should not be repealed. Contact your local representatives to discuss concerns (more info in the show notes). open.spotify.com/episode/71HP...

“If someone says ‘AI is here to stay,’ nail them down on what the precise claim is they’re making. Details. Numbers. What do you mean by ‘being here?’… I mean, they won’t answer. They never answer. They never had a claim in mind. They were just making promotional mouth noises.” @davidgerard.co.uk

1/Beijing is using an increasingly powerful tool to control and monitor its own officials: Surveillance technology, much of it originating in the U.S., an @apnews.com investigation has found. Buckle up for a twisting ride through China's corruption crackdown... apnews.com/article/whis...

Just want to share with my American friends how the Australians respond to a shooting tragedy. Action, rather than thoughts and prayers.

Well, fuck. I’m starting to suspect that our ability to catch spree killers who leave the scene is extremely dependent on a functioning FBI…which we 100% do not have right now.

"...the uncritical adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) poses a threat to academic professions through potential work intensification and job losses and through its implications for intellectual property, economic security, and... faculty working conditions..." www.aaup.org/reports-publ...

MA folks please call senator warren to complain that she should not sponsor KOSA her number is (617) 565-3170, press 1 to leave a message. go here for more info about kosa www.stopkosa.com and the full list of orgs that think it's a bad idea.

Key Dates: January 10: Proposals due February 1: Authors notified of program acceptance March 30: Draft proceedings manuscripts submitted for review June 30: Final proceedings manuscripts submitted 3/3

As a reminder, ACM will have a new OER process starting in January 2026. Please review this link for more information: www.acm.org/publications... To submit to the conference, please use the following EasyChair link: easychair.org/conferences?.... 2/3

As a reminder, proposals for the 2026 ACM Special Interest Group on Design of Communication are due in ONE month! We are looking forward to welcoming you to SIGDOC 2026 at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. The Call for Proposals is live: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2.... 1/3

I really really hate how normalized life-with-no-privacy has become. Corporations, governments, random internet creeps... everyone has access to every single moment of your existence now and it's ridiculous.

This tech is already being implemented in Palestine. It’s not only invasive but is a severe violation of human rights.

The FBI is seeking to use AI surveillance drones for facial recognition and detecting weapons. This dangerously invasive technology can be used to target protestors and civilians. Learn more: theintercept.com/2025/11/21/f...

Don’t stuff your alt text with keywords without context. If your alt text is just a collection of keywords, it will just sound like a gibberish string. It won’t describe what’s actually in the image, and won't help a blind user get a context or content of the image.

Leaving Spotify can be difficult, that’s why we had @janus.bsky.social put together this guide to find a more sustainable way to release, discover, and listen to music so you can kick Spotify for good 😜 touchgrass.fightforthefuture.org/how-to-ditch...

Just as you thought food delivery companies couldn't inflict any more misery on society: Instead of using lowly-paid gig economy contractors to deliver groceries, they're replacing humans with robots, who, in turn, force humans off the pavement into road traffic.

The bots obstruct sidewalks and hinder accessibility. “Surveillance is another concern. Each Coco robot has five cameras that are constantly on and recording ‘vast amounts of data every day from...full 360-degree perception…’”

At Indigenous Day of Mourning, Plymouth, organized by www.uaine.org, my family gathered w/ thousands of people to say: from turtle Island to Palestine, colonialism is a crime!

If you are someone — citizen, scholars, journalist, activist, etc — fighting against AI data center development anywhere in Canada, can you ping me? Would like to coordinate something…

Was an honor to have @hypervisible.blacksky.app on our podcast to talk about spying on ourselves, spying on each other, Flock, Ring, food delivery robots, and general surveillance culture: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kBg...

Insurers are now seeking to exclude AI from corporate policies because the risks are too unpredictable and liability is unclear. This is a signal: we cannot rely on insurance markets or tort law to protect against AI harms. We need actual governance and policy.

EFF is defending free expression: 🧑‍⚖️ Fighting social media surveillance waged against students 🧑‍💻 Exposing dangerous legislation that enables easy censorship 🙅‍♀️ Opposing age verification laws that would require internet ID checks Learn more—Take Back CTRL today: takebackctrl.org/stay-loud

It feels like you have to give your email address to get access to EVERYTHING these days. 😩 We have a guide to help you avoid that! privacyinternational.org/guide-step/5...

It's noteworthy that in our 21c landscape loaded w technologies marketed for their so-called objectivity, eg. fitness trackers, facial recognition, & generative AI, that the defining concept after all is that of plausibility. The same logic in sentence below applies to AI image generators & LLMs.

Looking for plans on January 28 and 29? Register today for two fantastic webinars to celebrate Data Privacy Week! For more details about the event, please visit Civics of Technology's new Privacy Page: www.civicsoftechnology.org/privacy We can't wait to see you in January!

I’m heartsick to hear that the incomparable Alice Wong has passed. Her loss will be felt keenly, by many, and for a long time. She is a force, a generous leader and storyteller, and an oracle for disabled futures. Much love to Alice and to all our crip kin and comrades. ❤️‍🩹

Mobile IDs promise convenience, but before you download your state’s app, there’s a few questions worth asking yourself. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Apple introduced their new Digital ID, and I can’t believe I have to say this, but please do not add your passport to your phone: www.apple.com/newsroom/202...

Ring’s new facial recognition feature provides regulators a clear opportunity to step up to investigate, protect people’s privacy, and test the strength of their laws. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

As a reminder, proposals for the 2026 ACM Special Interest Group on Design of Communication are due in two months! We are looking forward to welcoming you to SIGDOC 2026 at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. The Call for Proposals is live: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2.... 1/2

“When people understand that Flock data can be used to track them exercising reproductive freedom or to facilitate federal immigration enforcement, the calculus around ‘public safety’ technology changes entirely,” EFF’s @tsnvaa.bsky.social told @ArsTechnica.com. arstechnica.com/tech-policy...

Deceptive design⬇️

Alongside armored vehicles, local police are getting surveillance technology with help from the federal government. Learn what tech law enforcement have in your area with EFF's Atlas of Surveillance, where we’ve documented thousands of examples: atlasofsurveillance.org/

EFF fights surveillance…and we do so in 14 languages in our educational resource, Surveillance Self-Defense. ssd.eff.org/

I missed seeing everyone at #SIGDOC25, but I’m so excited to be program co-chairing with @banvillemorgan.bsky.social for #SIGDOC26! Our CFP is linked below. Please email us at the posted email addresses with any questions!

🇬🇧 Tomorrow we'll be providing oral evidence to the UK Joint Human Rights Committee as part of their ongoing inquiry on human rights and artificial intelligence. Watch us here 👉 parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...

@ekalodnermar.bsky.social and I cannot wait to read your proposals!! Submissions are accepted until January 10!

“The state of our surveillance dystopia is such that a major glasses retailer is advertising anti-facial recognition features as a selling point as if it was normal.”

Being on a search committee may be summarized as follows: “Morgan, I’ve never seen you speechless before.” - my colleague

This is one of the best analyses of the total grift and scammery of AI in education I’ve seen, and it is a MUST Read: “Higher Ed’s Rush To Adopt AI Is About So Much More Than AI - defector.com/higher-eds-r...

By all modes of transport.

After years of activist pressure, lawsuits, and bad press Ring made much needed reforms. Now, they’re pivoting back to mass police surveillance as a business model. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Don’t forget your lanyard!!

SIGDOC 2025 begins tomorrow!! Use #SIGDOC25 to tag us in your posts. Take a look at our stellar program: sigdoc.acm.org/conference/2... Do not miss our welcome tomorrow, Friday 10/24 at 8:00 a.m.! Session 1 begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. Also, Ignite Talks will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Friday.

“Ring’s new partnership with Flock shows that the company is more interested in contributing to mounting authoritarianism than servicing the specific needs of their customers,” EFF’s @MGuariglia.bsky.social told @ArsTechnica.com. arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...

Here's my take for @the-independent.com on the AWS outage today and what it tells us about the future of relying on a handful of names www.independent.co.uk/voices/inter...

Take some time this weekend to get caught up in our #OptOutOctober series, where we’re providing daily tips to reclaim your privacy, one small task at a time. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

An iPhone has so many privacy and security features that it’s very easy to miss them. Now’s a good time to dive in and get to know them all. ssd.eff.org/module/how-...