Trending news on the Fediverse
The most-shared links across the Fediverse over the last day, with summaries and live discussion. Updated every 5 minutes.
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MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMargaret Hamilton, computing pioneer who led software development for the Apollo program, dies at 90
Margaret H. Hamilton, a profoundly influential computer scientist best known for leading the software engineering team at MIT’s Instrumentation Lab during NASA’s Apollo program, died at age 90.
1384 mentions · news.mit.edu -
Novara MediaFacebook Blocks Lula’s Campaign Ads Just Days Before Brazil Election
Meta briefly disabled ads on the Facebook page of Brazil’s leftwing president on Friday – just days before he faces a far-right challenger in national elections.
2218 mentions · novaramedia.com -
FuturismAI Bros Are Having a Meltdown Because the Associated Press Stylebook Clarifies That AIs Don't Have Feelings
The Associated Press Stylebook posted a reminder not to anthropomorphize AIs because they can't think, trigger a meltdown among AI bros.
229 mentions · futurism.com -
The Hollywood ReporterThe Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ (Exclusive)
YouTube, TikTok and Meta have all turned down the trailer for the Oct. 9 doc, citing “political” content. X won't even take Bleecker Street's calls. The distributor is appealing.
4469 mentions · hollywoodreporter.com -
MIT Technology ReviewDon’t be fooled by this summer of AI hype
Breathless claims about AGI and new capabilities fall apart pretty quickly under scrutiny.
3269 mentions · technologyreview.com -
The GuardianMeta bans ads for Virginia Woolf play in Spain because they relate to feminism
Theatre told that Facebook and Instagram filter out ads mentioning ‘social topics’ such as civil rights or feminism
3477 mentions · theguardian.com -
noyb.euAI: EU Member States plan “digital expropriation” of Europeans in the interest of AI companies
In a leaked document, the Irish Presidency proposes to EU Member States that the interest of AI companies to make profits should take precedence over the fundamental rights of Europeans.
3535 mentions · noyb.eu -
TAP: The American ProspectAnthropic Is Building a Predictive Surveillance System to Monitor Activists - The American Prospect
New hires and comments in interviews show that the AI giant is using its capabilities against dissenters.
4562 mentions · prospect.org -
WIREDFlock Has a Powerful New AI Tool for Police. We Got Its Code
Flock’s surveillance cameras have already sparked outrage. WIRED reconstructed its next-generation AI system, already in use by some police, to confirm it goes much further than tracking license plates.
4563 mentions · ired.com -
404 Media‘Doom Loop’: OpenAI and Microsoft Admits LLMs Are Destroying the Web and Built on Theft
"Millions of people around the world will soon consider large models ‘hoovering up’ all their work to be an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions."
6607 mentions · 404media.co -
MicahfleeFlock cameras are riddled with security vulnerabilities and hard-coded credentials
This morning, DDoSecrets published an exciting new dataset: Filesystem images of the partitions from an in-use Flock ALPR camera. 404 Media and Wired published a joint investigation into it. I downloaded the dataset and am now thoroughly nerd-sniped. Hackers from a collective called stegan0gram collected the data. “Why
4805 mentions · micahflee.com -
404 MediaHackers Stole Flock’s Camera Software, Revealing How the Company Tracks Cars and People
While people around the U.S. are tearing down Flock cameras, one group of hackers went a step further: extracting the camera's software too.
4950 mentions · 404media.co -
404 MediaInside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats
Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 Media.
5316 mentions · 404media.co -
ProPublicaDonald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large group of other Russian guests.
7415 mentions · propublica.org -
The GuardianNaomi Klein: ‘Extreme wealth has a deranging effect. It turns you into a supremacist’
She’s tackled neoliberalism and the digital world, now the writer and activist is taking on tech billionaires. She explains how the super-rich are capitalising on climate and financial chaos in pursuit of power
5739 mentions · theguardian.com -
VarietyLilly Wachowski on Her New Studio Anarchists United, the Black Power Origins of ‘The Matrix’ and How ‘Harry Potter’ Fans Are ‘Supporting Trans Genocide’
‘The Matrix’ filmmaker Lilly Wachowski opens up about her new studio for marginalized voices Anarchists United, J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk.
2453 mentions · variety.com -
Smashing FramesPower grab
Omarchy should not matter. But sadly it does. As a power grab. If you don’t know what Omarchy is here’s the short summary. David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of RubyOnRails, owner of a software business and millionaire, decided a few months ago to go all in on Linux and – because that’s just his MO – […]
6011 mentions · tante.cc -
Manual do UsuárioLibreOffice breaks download records after declaring it has no AI features
LibreOffice 26.8 became the app’s most popular update, with over 1 million downloads, after the foundation behind it declared that LibreOffice doesn’t come with generative AI features due to the…
8796 mentions · manualdousuario.net -
WIREDWikipedia Workers Unionize for the First Time
More than 200 people in roles such as engineering, finance, and communications will now be represented by the Communications Workers of America.
1892 mentions · ired.com -
European Digital Rights (EDRi)EDRi stands in solidarity with Autistici/Inventati after “terrorist” designation by the US government - European Digital Rights (EDRi)
The United States government has designated the Italian non-profit organisation Autistici/Inventati as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" for providing digital infrastructure. EDRi stands in full solidarity with A/I.
57 mentions · edri.org -
The New York TimesWhistle-Blower Says USPS Is Secretly Proceeding on Trump’s Mail Voting Plan Before Midterms
The Postal Service disputed allegations by the whistle-blower that the agency had violated several court orders that should have halted work on the plan.
8519 mentions · nytimes.com -
TechCrunchMapQuest's app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario | TechCrunch
MapQuest is getting an unexpected boost from its decision to defy President Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario.
3302 mentions · techcrunch.com -
CBC'Just stop burning fossil fuels.' Scientists stress that our smoky skies only have one true fix | CBC News
Smoky skies in Toronto have led to new scrutiny of government efforts to fight fires and manage forests. But scientists say the realistic way to tackle the smoke is fighting climate change itself.
5416 mentions · cbc.ca -
Le Monde.frFrance's Constitutional Council strikes down social media ban for under-15s
The Council said the ban 'constitutes a restriction that is not appropriate, necessary or proportionate' to the freedom of expression of children under 15. President Emmanuel Macron, a staunch promoter of the ban, asked his prime minister to work on a new 'legally robust draft.'
1091 mentions · lemonde.fr -
Electronic Frontier FoundationAge Verification and Age Gating: Resource Hub
Age verification (or age-gating) laws generally require online services to check, estimate, or verify all users’ ages—often through invasive tools like ID checks, biometric scans, or other dubious “age estimation” methods—before granting them access to certain online content or services. Governments in the U.S. and around the world are increasingly adopting these restrictive measures in the name of protecting children online. But in practice, these systems create dangerous new forms of surveillance, censorship, and exclusion. Technologically, the age verification process can take many forms: collection and analysis of government ID, biometric scans, algorithmic or AI-based behavioral or user monitoring, digital ID, the list goes on. But no matter the method, every system demands users hand over sensitive and immutable personal information that links their offline identity to their online activity. Once that valuable data is collected, it can easily be leaked, hacked, or misused. (Indeed, we’ve already seen several breaches of age verification providers.) EFF has long warned against age-gating the internet. Age verification technology itself is often inaccurate and privacy-invasive. These restrictive mandates strike at the foundation of the free and open internet. They are tools of censorship, used to block people from viewing or sharing information that the government deems “harmful” or “offensive.” And they create surveillance systems that critically undermine online privacy, chill access to vital online communities and resources, and burden the expressive rights of adults and young people alike. EFF.org/Age: A Resource to Empower Users Age-gating mandates are reshaping the internet in ways that are invasive, dangerous, and deeply unnecessary. But users are not powerless! We can challenge these laws, protect our digital rights, and build a safer digital world for all internet users, no matter their ages. This resource hub is here to help—so explore, share, and join us in the fight for a better internet.
413 mentions · eff.org -
U.S. Department of the TreasuryTreasury Takes Action Against Violent Far-Left Terrorist Networks
WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action to counter the growing threat posed by violent far-left terrorist groups. OFAC sanctioned Autistici Inventati, an Italy-based entity that supplies specialized digital architecture, tools, and …
8898 mentions · home.treasury.gov -
MediumHeise entschied, dieses Interview zu Hintergründen der Lottoland-Recherche nicht zu veröffentlichen
Heise entschied, dieses Interview zu Hintergründen der Lottoland-Recherche nicht zu veröffentlichen Eigentlich sollte heute parallel mit meiner Reportage zu Lottoland ein Interview mit mir zu den …
224 mentions · lilithwittmann.medium.com -
FuturismThe Diarrhea Lettuce Company Has Been Linked to Forced Labor
The lettuce-producing Taylor Farms was linked to the widespread use of prison labor before its involvement in a cyclospora outbreak.
2465 mentions · futurism.com -
Reason MagazineRubio uses terrorism law to ban secure email service
The State Department doesn’t accuse Autistici/Inventati of doing anything more than providing surveillance-free email accounts. But that’s enough to declare it a terrorist organization.
2135 mentions · reason.com -
FuturismAI Companies Are Trying to Hide a Staggering Amount of Debt
AI companies are pouring tens of billions of dollars into enormous data centers. They're being built on top of a mountain of hidden debt.
3637 mentions · futurism.com -
The GuardianUS government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference
State department ‘takes full responsibility’ for erroneous, widely shared chart displayed at Aids conference in Brazil
2930 mentions · theguardian.com -
PetaPixel Inc.Scientists Warn Wildlife Photographers’ AI-Enhanced Bird Photos Could Threaten Research
'Wildlife photographers can be quite obsessed with getting a beautiful photo.'
3208 mentions · petapixel.com -
FuturismIt Appears That the US Military Accidentally Killed Everybody on Board a Civilian Medevac Flight in New Mexico
A days-long electronic warfare drill was one of the causes behind the loss of a four-passenger medevac flight.
3991 mentions · futurism.com -
The Document FoundationLibreOffice 26.8 brings professional typography, deeper support for the world's writing systems, and no artificial intelligence - TDF Community Blog
Berlin, 26 August 2026 – The Document Foundation today announced the availability of LibreOffice 26.8, the new major release of the free and open source office suite, for Windows, macOS and Linux. Development began in December 2025, and the release consolidates the work of 206 contributors, of whom 155 are volunteers. LibreOffice 26.8 concentrates on three areas: the typographic quality of what the suite produces, the range of writing systems it handles correctly, and the fidelity with which documents survive exchange with other office suites. Writing systems The largest single body of work in this release addresses bidirectional and complex text. Writer now detects paragraph direction automatically when documents or plain text are opened or pasted. Line wrapping places end-of-line spaces according to the direction of the paragraph rather than that of the adjacent characters. Object resize handles behave correctly in right-to-left and vertical CJK documents. Bidirectional control characters are now visible alongside other formatting marks. In Calc, typing right-to-left text into an empty cell sets the direction of that cell automatically. Alignment semantics have been revised accordingly: new documents default to start alignment rather than left, and changing paragraph direction no longer mirrors explicitly left- or right-aligned paragraphs. Math
4143 mentions · blog.documentfoundation.org -
FortuneWhy did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century? | Fortune
Should how much you pay in taxes determine how much your vote counts? Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke seems to think so.
4355 mentions · fortune.com -
TechdirtSurveillance Tech Company Is Pitching An Unholy ALPR/Stingray Hybrid To Law Enforcement
Here’s something no one but cops and the tech firms that love cops wanted: an ALPR that can scoop up pretty much any information being broadcasted by cars and the devices carried by the peopl…
5686 mentions · techdirt.com -
The Irish TimesWomen continue to bear the brunt of bad tech decisions
Meta’s smart glasses are just the latest example of technology being used in ways developers should have anticipated
8928 mentions · irishtimes.com -
European Digital Rights (EDRi)The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel - European Digital Rights (EDRi)
The leaked draft text suggests that the Commission significantly caved in to US’s excessive demands for unfettered information access.
8926 mentions · edri.org -
FuturismBosses Horrified as "AI Native" College Graduates Hit the Workplace
"AI native" college graduates are hitting the workplace -- and, as experts warned, bosses are finding their performance disappointing.
8939 mentions · futurism.com -
404 MediaFlorida ‘Deputy of the Year’ Used Flock to Stalk Ex, Held Gun in Her Mouth, Did a Nazi Salute
The deputy resigned after an investigation uncovered an alleged history of racism, stalking, and sexual abuse.
7135 mentions · 404media.co -
Byline TimesThe Peter Thiel-Linked Race Science Network that Penetrated Cambridge University and Targeted Jason Arday
The media's coverage of the academic's life was fuelled by the campaign of an established far-right network
6501 mentions · bylinetimes.com -
Mastodon Blog5.0: Laying the foundation
First looks at the upcoming changes to Mastodon’s composer and navigation on web
8923 mentions · blog.joinmastodon.org -
FuturismMeta Caught Paying Nazis to Post on Facebook
An investigation found that Meta has been paying prominent neo-Nazi accounts to post on Facebook through its invite-only monetization program.
8916 mentions · futurism.com -
The New York TimesWashington Post Ordered to Rehire Fired Columnist Karen Attiah
An arbitrator ordered the newspaper to reinstate Karen Attiah, who was fired after posting about “white men who espouse hatred and violence” following Charlie Kirk’s killing.
8916 mentions · nytimes.com -
404 Media‘Show How 3M Is 0% at Fault:’ Expert Witness Used ChatGPT to Write Report Defending Company in Deadly Explosion Lawsuit
ChatGPT prompts show how an expert witness report was created in a $61 million lawsuit over an explosion that killed three people.
8917 mentions · 404media.co -
TechCrunchUS accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a 'duress' password during border search | TechCrunch
A U.S. citizen has asked a court to throw out the government's claim that he gave over a passcode to border authorities that wiped his phone's data, opening up fresh questions about a person's constitutional rights at the U.S. border.
8919 mentions · techcrunch.com -
EngadgetGoogle DeepMind disbands its Nobel-prize winning AlphaFold team - Engadget
DeepMind's award-winning AlphaFold team is no more.
8900 mentions · engadget.com -
The GuardianGreenland issues ‘strong warning’ as Trump-linked oil firm prepares to drill
Island’s government says no approval given after Greenland Energy brings kit ashore for exploratory drilling
8904 mentions · theguardian.com -
404 MediaWe Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility
We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.
10915 mentions · 404media.co -
The Guardian‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroom
Education is at a crossroads, argues the author and academic. Should we embrace new technology in the name of efficiency, or is it time to fight back?
10915 mentions · theguardian.com -
The Guardian‘We can’t make it better again’: what Europe’s wildfires tell us about the climate crisis
In this week’s newsletter: As France and Spain battle huge fires in this summer of relentless heat, will it be enough to spur us to take action?
10917 mentions · theguardian.com