We need to get back to authentic, artisan, organic, Brooklyn farmers market Bluesky. All code written out by hand in a journal.

FYI: I am going to stop summarizing Supreme Court decisions on here as they come down. One comment has been plucked out of context of all my reporting, misread, and used as the basis of a mean-spirited pile-on. I am not going to subject myself to this. If this was your goal, then congratulations.

I have experienced similar pile-ons when my summary of a court's holding was mistaken for my personal view on the matter. This insistence on stripping a post of context then imputing bad faith is making BlueSky unusable for legal reporting. Today's incident shows that the problem is getting worse.

So, the thought occurred to me when reflecting on how little I now use FB (maybe a quick skim 1/week) and how little I used to use Twitter (a few minutes a day, tops) as compared to Bluesky (I'm writing this, ain't I?) is that Bluesky has a truly "addictive" algorithm. 1/?

When we look back at the death of the open and free global internet, the legislative and judicial developments of 2026 will play a starring role.

The Meta ruling is bad, no matter how much you dislike Meta or how much New Mexico tries to pretend this is about "product design" This is an attempt to get around Section 230 (and 1A) protections, hold platforms liable for user speech, implement universal age verification, and end encrypted DMs

Eighteen months ago, this would have sounded a little hyperbolic. Today, it's very hard to argue with any of it.

Cox v. Sony is out! An ISP is not liable for copyright claims if it “merely provid[es] a service to the general public with knowledge that it will be used by some to infringe copyrights.” For expert analysis, check out our episode on the oral argument with @pamelasamuelson.bsky.social.

1/ Are AI outputs free speech under the First Amendment? Yes. Polling on AI is ... bad. Meanwhile, I'm like Butters in South Park, unironically marveling at how awesome it is. So maybe I'm just asking for a ratio, but I wrote a big paper arguing that AI outputs deserve First Amendment protection.

New Tech Policy podcast! Host @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social speaks at State of the Net with @joellthayer.bsky.social (Digital Progress Institute), @ashkhen.bsky.social (@futurefreespeech.org) and Luke Hogg (FAI). They discuss how the First Amendment should work in a world of algorithms and AI.

When you gaze at the night sky, do you wistfully ask why there isn't an entire podcast episode taking down Justice Barrett's weird and annoyingly influential concurrence in Moody v. NetChoice? Your wait is over.

Algorithms don’t just fall from the sky. On a new Tech Policy Podcast, host @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social deconstructs Justice Barrett’s surprisingly influential concurrence in Moody v. NetChoice. Or: Why the First Amendment protects algorithms—and AI. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/431...

It’s not a war you fucking idiots. It’s an exchange of violence between two polities to impose a political outcome through conflict.

As I have said, you can throw a dart at an historical calendar (or at least one going back to the 1868 decision in R. v. Hicklin) and wherever it hits you will find grievous (and sincere) concern over the harmful effects of a communications medium over young people.

& the argument is always "but this medium is really different because unlike the previous ones it is ____" [psychologically manipulative (jazz, heavy metal), uniquely interactive (video games), designed to appeal specifically to children (comic books), habit-forming (comic books, video games), etc.]

A common refrain I've heard from (often well-meaning) people is that they agree that Section 230 is important, but they'd like to reform it so it doesn't apply to algorithmically recommended content. I think that's a bad idea and finally wrote a long thing explaining why.

Sharing this *excellent* explainer by @lawfaremedia.org 's Isabel Arroyo on the current stage of digital age assurance definitions and laws. Bookmark it, it's a fabulous resource: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-r...

I’m teaching child safety cases to my class today, and it’s super hard to distill down key points in the deluge. But maybe I’ll just start by quoting @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social.

What does meaningful work look like in a world of genius machines? On a new Tech Policy Podcast, Brent Orrell (AEI) and @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social explore and debate how AI will disrupt the job market. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/429...

“‘having lawyers get up and give speech contests in front of a jury’ is one of the worst ways he can imagine of settling the scientific disputes about social media and its effects on mental health.” — @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

Nothing says "there will be no technical glitches with age verification so need to worry about privacy!" like the guy from the age verification trade association being surprised when each new slide he shows starts playing music while a small dog yaps incessantly in the background

LIVE today: FTC Age Verification Workshop. I'll livestream commentary here, starting at 9 ET/6 PT www.ftc.gov/news-events/...

Relax, they just want the discretion to reward friends and punish enemies. On a new Tech Policy Podcast, Thom Lambert (Mizzou Law) and @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social discuss the Trump II administration’s new right antitrust regulators. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/428...

5 year old at bedtime: “You‘re the best dad ever. I hope you never die. But you will.”

Wrote about Rand Paul totally flipping his position on Section 230... because someone was mean to him on the internet. But also, he's blatantly violating the law he himself proposed to make it illegal for gov't employees to demand internet companies remove any content.

You should maybe look at this piece bc it has my thoughts on a hypocritical (possibly theocratic?) FTC commissioner named Mark Meader. But you should definitely look at it bc I convinced @mmasnick.bsky.social to put a picture (!) on top of a Techdirt article. www.techdirt.com/2026/01/20/c...

It is fair to say that @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social and I don't always see eye to eye, but I think he's dead on with this one. open.substack.com/pub/corbinkb...

This is a must-read from friend of the show @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social about the state of the FTC (not great, Bob!) and the hypocritical balls-and-strikes, finger-wagging rhetoric coming from one of its most politicized actors. Go check it out! corbinkbarthold.substack.com/p/can-you-tr...

🚨 SO MUCH STATE TECH POLICY 🚨

Ring in the new year with (what else?) a tech policy podcast. (Ahem, *the* Tech Policy Podcast.) First: Some thoughts from me on the tech + kids moral panic. Then: We revisit an epic 2025 episode on age verification, featuring the great @ericgoldman.bsky.social. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...

🇦🇺: 67% support the new legal ban on all social media for minors under 16 BUT only 29% will actually enforce that for their own kids “Bans for thee and thine, but not for me and mine!”🤦‍♂️

Attention Internet law nerds! The legendary Pamela Samuelson joined me this week to talk about Cox v. Sony -- a SCOTUS case in which Internet access is under threat from rampaging copyright law. It was an honor to have her on the show. Do check it out. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/4...

New Tech Policy Podcast! @pamelasamuelson.bsky.social (UC Berkeley) and @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social discuss the Supreme Court oral argument in Cox v. Sony, a copyright case that could have major ramifications for the internet. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/426...

Two amazing First Amendment litigation spots are open at Protect Democracy. Deadline is December 7th. This is someone's dream job and they may not know about it, so please send to good lawyers you know! protectdemocracy.recruitee.com/o/counsel-fi...

Hey folks: this morning we're launching a monthlong fundraiser for @techdirt.com. Over the last year, we've been steadfast in not self-censoring, not capitulating, not sanewashing bullshit. But that's come at a cost. And we need help: rtb.techdirt.com/products/fri...

In which Mike Masnick and I have a long talk about the state of social media, and Mike still finds a way to wrap things up with a note of optimism.

Crossover time! On a new Tech Policy Podcast, @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social heads over to the @techdirt.com Podcast, hosted by the one and only @mmasnick.bsky.social, for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of social media. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/425...

This is, of course, a fascinating thread from Kate asking why Google is effectively cannibalizing its own market for both digital ads on third party properties and search ads, by effectively taking away the incentive to click through to third party sites. I have a theory as to why they're doing it.

They promised us free speech—but all they’ve given us is hypocrisy! On a new Tech Policy Podcast, @aricohn.com (@thefireorg.bsky.social) and host @corbinkbarthold.bsky.social survey the Trump administration’s many attacks on the First Amendment. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/423...

I couldn’t be more delighted to announce that I’ve accepted an offer to join the faculty of Tulane Law School. law.tulane.edu/news/tulane-...

Uh, we've literally gone to bat for countless students protesting against Israel's actions in Gaza. Immense money? Do you know how nonprofits work? I could easily be making 3-4x as much, at a minimum, in private practice.

This is so unhinged.

Oh hell yes. This is like in a movie when two giant, comically inept, and heavily armed bad guys face off.

Techdirt Podcast Episode 437: Social Media Is Always Changing Support us on Patreon » For two decades, the landscape of social media has been constantly changing, and the discourse about "free speech" has been changing alongside it. This week, we've got a bit of an open-ended discussion with…

She’s back! On the latest Tech Policy Podcast, former host Ashkhen Kazaryan (@ashkhen.bsky.social) of @futurefreespeech.org returns for a wide-ranging discussion about powerful algorithms, attacks on Section 230, and much, much more. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/422...

Join EFF as a legal intern and fight for privacy, human rights, and freedoms! Your work can make a real difference. www.eff.org/about/oppor...

NEW: "American rhetoric doesn’t just shape diplomacy; it shapes the rhythm of the war itself. Russian planners watch press briefings and tweets as intently as they monitor radar returns. They calibrate escalation to the tempo of U.S. ambiguity." www.thebulwark.com/p/mixed-sign...

New Tech Policy Podcast! Sri Muppidi of @theinformation.com discusses OpenAI’s effort to overhaul its corporate structure—and the resulting power struggle over the company’s future. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/421...

Will America remain a magnet for researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs? On a new Tech Policy Podcast, Jeremy Neufeld (Institute for Progress) discusses why it should, why it might not, and how to make sure it does. podcast.techfreedom.org/episodes/420...

1/ The FCC has no authority to police content for bias or balance. We—and more than seventy other organizations and scholars—warned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. techfreedom.org/wp-content/u...