“Too often, summits result in little more than warm words & empty promises.”
“The price of admission should be that leaders meet with civil society in advance, make commitments at the event, & implement reforms on return” opengovpartnership.org/stories/trumps
#SummitForDemocracy #OGPSummit
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In 2022, didn’t reference or past US #OpenGov commitments in its press release whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-upda
In 2023, is history: obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
& never delivered any self-assessments for the 3rd & 4th plans: opengovpartnership.org/members/united
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I find it encouraging to see rejoining international open government circles.
It’s discouraging have said so little about acting contrary to process after made a mockery of the US being in “good standing.”
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Kind of encouraging to hear @USAID big up US joining the @opengovpart Steering Committee, but also kind of surprising that that came to pass given #OpenGov inaction by the White House over the last few years.
usaid.gov/summitfordemoc
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Not just "respiratory diseases": twitter.com/AshishKJha46/s
Improved indoor air quality helps mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 & "other AIRBORNE diseases" whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-upda
Good masks do, too – but this focuses on vaccines & therapies:
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The updated COVID-19 vaccine is safe, free, and effective. Schedule yours today at vaccines.gov.
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Despite : opengovpartnership.org/members/united & acting "contrary to process":
twitter.com/digiphile/stat in the last 2 cycles – which didn't sanction – folks voted to add the US to steering committee?
Um.
NB: #OpenGov 404: wh.gov/open
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We are pleased to announce the results of the government rotation process to bring three new members to the OGP Steering Committee.
Spain, the United States, and Kenya will join the OGP Steering Committee in October 2023. See here for more info: bit.ly/gov-sc-electio
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Watching kick off the 's #SummitForDemocracy event:
mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/
Live on : facebook.com/DFADCoalition/
I joined this coalition at back in 2017.
The failure to enact reforms in the 117th Congress left our union at risk.
This news that Twitter 2.0™ has a secret VIP list was brought to light by & at , which has been a must-read on tech + democracy & ’s long, strange descent for many months:
open.substack.com/pub/platformer NB: Great editors link out to scoops!
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Musk’s 2.0™ User Experience, Coming April 2023
-“For You” tab promoting tweets + 💛corporations
-“Following” tab with an algorithmic feed of accounts you follow
-Less & moderation
-Secret VIP promotion:
open.substack.com/pub/platformer
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As & note, Musk’s announcement parallels what did on years ago: it’s “pay for play.” axios.com/2023/03/28/soc
If a person, corporation, or government pays for , it’s akin to advertising: you’re sponsoring your tweets in For You.
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this is basically a repeat of Facebook Pages moving from organic traffic to being charged to appear in feed (which also infuriated users)
but in that case pages actually drove meaningful enough traffic to justify as a business expense. i do not think that will be the case here
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Remember when a hosted a MakerFaire & a Science Fair?
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/316486
I remember when a celebrated #SunshineWeek & open government too.
Still watching, waiting, & hoping President will get see the value of building those back better, soon.
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This erred in treating virtual meetings on Zoom as phone calls instead of physical meetings: politico.com/news/2021/03/0 …but it’s journalistic malpractice for not to report how voluntary transparency enables reporting: whitehouse.gov/disclosures/vi #OpenGov #OpenData
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The reason can report on the influence of tech execs is because President ’s discloses visitor logs:
did not, falsely claiming national security prevented it; disclosed 6M+ logs without harm.
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1) Mass shooting occurs in USA
2) Media reports: washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2
3) Politicians send prayers, others call for gun control
4) Goto 1)
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Compare how easy it is to buy a gun in the USA to 15 other countries: nytimes.com/interactive/20
Adding friction throughout the process wouldn’t violate the 2nd Amendment.
Require background checks in private sales, training, a license, secure storage, & registration.
Common sense.
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My faint hopes died after Newtown: digiphile.info/2012/12/14/nat
The worst happened, & Congress did nothing. The cycle continued: twitter.com/digiphile/stat
Someday, the USA will act. We‘ll need more than protests, as inspiring as they are: twitter.com/digiphile/stat
New Zealand showed how.
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Hundreds of people are outside of the @uscapitol at 9:30 PM. Men, women & children, standing & sharing
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IMO, alienating & downranking celebrities, politicians, & journalists who tweet free content is one of the most foolish things the owner of a social media platform based on ads can do — much less .
(I don’t think it’s a wise approach for a subscription-based app, either.)
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It won’t be “glorious” on #AprilFoolsDay if removes status from all who don’t pay — likely to be the vast majority of ~419K verified accounts.
Instead, Musk’s expectation that celebs + consumers will pay for a key free feature will be exposed as delusional.
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As I told the , the reason status exists on was not to designate people as notable or authorities, but to prevent impersonation: apnews.com/article/elon-m There shouldn’t be a different standard, but public figures will be impersonated. It won’t be “glorious.”
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What’s missing: more action from to end the misuse & abuse of surveillance tech domestically in the USA.
How will the USA lead at home so we can lead by “the power of our example” abroad, ?
Will you propose or support a data protection act? cc
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The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to a world where tech supports fundamental human rights. We welcome today’s Executive Order on commercial spyware & look forward to deepening international engagement to counter the misuse of surveillance tech.
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/
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In response to our letter, has said it hired an expert to conduct a feasibility study & provide options & recommendations for the database ordered DoJ to stand up.
After reviewing this study, DoJ is now making design decisions – but has not launched yet.
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NEWS: As said, just issued an executive order that prohibits the US government's use of commercial spyware "that poses risks to national security or has been misused by foreign actors to enable human rights abuses." whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ *Good*.
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In her first post on TikTok, says Members of Congress have not been briefed on any specific national security threat from TikTok, & that the USA should enact a law to protect our privacy rights. nytimes.com/2023/03/25/nyr
tiktok.com/@aocinthehouse
Yep: twitter.com/digiphile/stat
This Tweet is unavailable.
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In a speech at , says the
Internet is best when it’s open, & that the same is true for democracy & a system of governance; Democracy & the digital world are “strongest when defined by open spaces.”
(I agree; ? ObamaWhiteHouse.archives.gov/open)
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US government activity in 2022 globally stood in stark contrast to lack of movement domestically. While Internet freedom in the USA improved, change was marginal – & proposed laws that would strengthen human rights online made no progress
freedomhouse.org/report/freedom #Summit4Democracy
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Even well-meaning efforts to protect users can have inadvertent effects on digital rights
More from our own @adrianshahbaz, @alfunk, and, @kianvest on why its more important than ever to fight for internet freedom: theinformation.com/articles/inter
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"the First Amendment protects not only the right to speak but also the right to receive information, including…information & ideas from abroad"- nytimes.com/2023/03/24/opi
Barring Americans from using a foreign communications platform implicates the First Amendment.
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Skepticism about the purpose of ’s VR/AR Goggles & the 2023 market is warranted.
Novel, good content will help.
Imagine VR/AR Mandalorian or Marvel movies.
To go mainstream, iGlasses will need to be cheaper & have a key use beyond design: copresence in a global metaverse.
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“…the road to deliver augmented reality has been littered with failures, false starts & disappointments, from Glass to & from ’s HoloLens to ’s Quest Pro.”
In , consider ’s $3K🥽
nytimes.com/2023/03/26/tec
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Fort Pickett will become Fort Barfoot, in honor of a WWII Medal of Honor winner who fought fascists.
It’s the 1st of 9 bases changing base names from Confederate officers who led a treasonous insurrection against our union to preserve slavery.
taskandpurpose.com/news/army-fort
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Horrible news
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Holy shit.
Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff texastribune.org/2023/03/26/tex via @TexasTribune
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already happening
imo it is a fundamental misunderstanding of the value proposition— famous (and “famous”) people provide more value to twitter just by being there because that is why people like you and me come to the service to read them
not worth charging a kardashian 8 bux!
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We should expect impersonation, fraud, & phishing to result from enabling people to add to a plausible namespace to spike on #AprilFoolsDay.
If public trust diminishes & platform integrity erodes as rumors, conspiracies, & hoaxes spread, users & advertisers will leave.
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Lewinsky is one of many public figures in the USA who will face impersonation if goes ahead with Musk’s unwise plan to de- people & organizations who don’t pay for .
(It will be worse in other nations, given
& capacity.)
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“no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry...or otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief”-Thomas Jefferson mtsu.edu/first-amendmen
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“We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all our citizens, whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization."- FDR, January 9, 1940 presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/gree
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Dear ,
Please innovate to reduce traffic to
🕺🏿Expand pedestrian district
🤳Partner with ridesharing for #CherryBlossFest discounts
🚌Discounts on buses
🚆Discounts on & parking
🥤Free 🌸bottles to cyclists 🚴🏿♀️
🛴Discounts on scooters
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Here's a very #WashingtonDC pic - cherry blossoms & traffic. If you're coming down to the #NationalMall in the next few weeks, try biking or public transportation: nps.gov/subjects/cherr
#CherryBlossom 
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A new study published in found the states where a greater fraction of the population voted for Trump, “on average, had more infections & more total COVID-19 deaths for the entire study period.”
thelancet.com/action/showPdf
The tragic outcome of this “partisan pandemic.”
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“An essential step in rebuilding trust in US public health & future pandemic responses is being transparent about the political contexts & social, economic, & racial inequities that might have contributed to US struggles in this crisis”
thelancet.com/action/showPdf
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"#COVID19 magnified the polarization & persistent inequities that already existed across US...states that mitigated those inequalities, deployed science-based interventions...were able to match the best-performing nations in minimizing COVID-19 deaths."
thelancet.com/action/showPdf
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3 years into a global pandemic, thousands of Americans keep dying weekly from a disease caused by a coronavirus transmitted through the air.
Hospitalizations from #COVID19 down.
nytimes.com/interactive/20
Lethal risks persist for elderly & immunocompromised; disability risk for all.
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We strongly support you, as do the many many authors who rely on for research, preservation, and expanding the reach of their writing
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We will appeal.
#DigitalRightsForLibraries #EmpoweringLibraries
blog.archive.org/2023/03/25/the
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