#internet-governance — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #internet-governance, aggregated by home.social.
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Meet the 45 #AfriSIG26 fellows 🌍
Coming from 20 countries, they represent civil society, technical communities, governments, regulators, academia, business, media and intergovernmental organisations.
In Accra, they will explore internet governance, with a particular focus on AI governance in the African context.
Meet the fellows and explore their profiles:
https://www.afrisig.org/afrisig-2026 -
Meet the 45 #AfriSIG26 fellows 🌍
Coming from 20 countries, they represent civil society, technical communities, governments, regulators, academia, business, media and intergovernmental organisations.
In Accra, they will explore internet governance, with a particular focus on AI governance in the African context.
Meet the fellows and explore their profiles:
https://www.afrisig.org/afrisig-2026 -
Meet the 45 #AfriSIG26 fellows 🌍
Coming from 20 countries, they represent civil society, technical communities, governments, regulators, academia, business, media and intergovernmental organisations.
In Accra, they will explore internet governance, with a particular focus on AI governance in the African context.
Meet the fellows and explore their profiles:
https://www.afrisig.org/afrisig-2026 -
Meet the 45 #AfriSIG26 fellows 🌍
Coming from 20 countries, they represent civil society, technical communities, governments, regulators, academia, business, media and intergovernmental organisations.
In Accra, they will explore internet governance, with a particular focus on AI governance in the African context.
Meet the fellows and explore their profiles:
https://www.afrisig.org/afrisig-2026 -
Meet the 45 #AfriSIG26 fellows 🌍
Coming from 20 countries, they represent civil society, technical communities, governments, regulators, academia, business, media and intergovernmental organisations.
In Accra, they will explore internet governance, with a particular focus on AI governance in the African context.
Meet the fellows and explore their profiles:
https://www.afrisig.org/afrisig-2026 -
https://www.europesays.com/be/38026/ EU countries to discuss AI rules as Trump calls safety warnings a ‘hoax’ – POLITICO #Algorithms #ArtificialIntelligence #BigData #BrandoBenifei #Brussels #China #Companies #Cooperation #Cybercrime #Cybersecurity #Development #Hackers #HennaVirkkunen #InternetGovernance #safety #Software #UnitedStates #UrsulaVonDerLeyen
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https://www.europesays.com/uk/1206923/ Von der Leyen to invite AI leaders to ‘support’ efforts to ‘pace the frontier’ – POLITICO #algorithms #ArtificialIntelligence #BigData #Canada #China #Companies #Cybercrime #Cybersecurity #DataProtection #Development #ElonMusk #EU #Europe #European #EuropeanUnion #Hackers #Industry #Intelligence #InternetGovernance #InternetSearch #MarkCarney #Privacy #software #UnitedKingdom #UnitedStates #UrsulaVonDerLeyen
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EU tech chief backs global AI rules in wake of extinction warning – POLITICO
The bloc has consistently called for global cooperation on the risks stemming from the technolo…
#Europe #EU #EuropeanParliament #Algorithms #ArtificialIntelligence #Bigdata #China #Companies #Cooperation #Cybercrime #cybersecurity #Development #digital #Hackers #HennaVirkkunen #Intelligence #Internetgovernance #onlinesafety #safety #Security #Software #technology #UnitedStates
https://www.europesays.com/europe/135953/ -
What does gender-responsive AI governance actually look like?
At the launch discussion for APC’s research on AI and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), speakers explored the gaps between gender equality commitments and how AI governance is actually implemented.
Read more from the discussion:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/ai-and-technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-how-bridge-critical-gaps-regulation -
What does gender-responsive AI governance actually look like?
At the launch discussion for APC’s research on AI and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), speakers explored the gaps between gender equality commitments and how AI governance is actually implemented.
Read more from the discussion:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/ai-and-technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-how-bridge-critical-gaps-regulation -
What does gender-responsive AI governance actually look like?
At the launch discussion for APC’s research on AI and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), speakers explored the gaps between gender equality commitments and how AI governance is actually implemented.
Read more from the discussion:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/ai-and-technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-how-bridge-critical-gaps-regulation -
What does gender-responsive AI governance actually look like?
At the launch discussion for APC’s research on AI and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), speakers explored the gaps between gender equality commitments and how AI governance is actually implemented.
Read more from the discussion:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/ai-and-technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-how-bridge-critical-gaps-regulation -
What does gender-responsive AI governance actually look like?
At the launch discussion for APC’s research on AI and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), speakers explored the gaps between gender equality commitments and how AI governance is actually implemented.
Read more from the discussion:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/ai-and-technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-how-bridge-critical-gaps-regulation -
Platforms Externalize Risk, Internalize Profit
By Cliff Potts
Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 4, 2026The System Is Not Neutral
The modern Internet presents itself as a neutral space: open, decentralized, user-driven. That claim collapses under scrutiny. What exists today is not a neutral network but a set of tightly controlled corporate systems that systematically push risk outward while pulling profit inward.
This is not accidental behavior. It is the predictable outcome of incentive design.
Upside Centralized, Downside Distributed
Platforms capture value by aggregating attention, labor, and data at scale. Advertising revenue, market valuation, and strategic leverage accrue to the center. Meanwhile, volatility—income instability, account loss, harassment, burnout—is absorbed by individuals on the edges.
When algorithms change, creators lose reach.
When monetization rules shift, income disappears.
When accounts are suspended, livelihoods end.The platform’s exposure is limited. The user’s exposure is total.
Risk Without Recourse
In any functioning economic system, risk is paired with protection: contracts, insurance, due process, and appeal. On the Internet, those safeguards are conspicuously absent.
Users are bound by terms of service that can change unilaterally. Enforcement is opaque. Appeals are slow or nonexistent. Decisions are automated, final, and often unexplained. There is no meaningful right to contest outcomes that have real economic and psychological consequences.
Risk exists, but recourse does not.
Algorithmic Volatility as Policy
Income on the Internet is not merely uncertain; it is structurally unstable. Algorithms prioritize engagement, novelty, and growth. Stability is not an objective.
This means success today offers no protection tomorrow. Visibility is revocable. Distribution is conditional. Monetization is discretionary. What appears to be a career is, in reality, a series of temporary allowances.
Volatility is not a flaw in this system. It is a control mechanism.
Legal Distance as Business Strategy
Platforms insist they are not employers, not publishers, and not utilities. This legal distance allows them to avoid obligations that would otherwise attach to power.
Labor protections do not apply.
Publisher liability does not apply.
Public-service duties do not apply.What remains is a system with extraordinary influence and minimal responsibility. This arrangement would be unacceptable in banking, transportation, healthcare, or energy. That it persists online reflects regulatory choice, not technological necessity.
Externalized Harm, Internalized Growth
Harassment, misinformation, and abuse are routinely described as social problems rather than business outcomes. Yet these phenomena drive engagement, retention, and data generation.
The costs—mental health damage, reputational harm, social instability—are borne by users and communities. The benefits—traffic, revenue, valuation—are retained by platforms.
This asymmetry explains why harm persists even when it is well documented. Addressing it would reduce engagement. Reducing engagement would reduce profit.
The Illusion of Participation
Platforms frame risk as opportunity and instability as freedom. Users are told they are entrepreneurs, creators, partners. In reality, they are inputs—interchangeable and replaceable.
Participation is encouraged. Dependency is cultivated. Responsibility is denied.
When outcomes turn negative, the narrative shifts. The system remains blameless. The individual is told to adapt, pivot, or leave.
No One in Charge Is a Design Choice
It is often said that “no one is in charge of the Internet.” That is only partially true. Power is highly concentrated. Responsibility is not.
Oversight bodies exist, but they lack enforcement authority. Corporate governance focuses on shareholder value, not social impact. Political systems defer, delay, or decline to act.
This vacuum is not a failure of coordination. It is the intended result of decades of policy decisions that privileged growth over governance.
A Predictable Outcome
When systems are built to extract value without assuming responsibility, the result is predictable: instability for the many, security for the few.
This is not a moral argument. It is an institutional one.
The Internet did not become exploitative because people misused it. It became exploitative because it was allowed to operate without the constraints that govern every other major economic system.
Conclusion: Accountability Is the Missing Variable
Platforms externalize risk because they are permitted to do so. They internalize profit because no mechanism forces redistribution of responsibility.
Until that imbalance is addressed, no amount of innovation, moderation, or user education will correct the underlying problem.
The system is functioning as designed.
The outcomes reflect the design.And responsibility remains elsewhere—by choice.
For more information, for more social commentary and horror stories, see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
References (APA)
Cunningham, S., & Craig, D. (2019). Social media entertainment: The new intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. NYU Press.
Duffy, B. E. (2017). (Not) getting paid to do what you love: Gender, social media, and aspirational work. Yale University Press.
Fuchs, C. (2014). Digital labour and Karl Marx. Routledge.
Pew Research Center. (2022). The state of online creators and digital labor.
Terranova, T. (2000). Free labor: Producing culture for the digital economy. Social Text, 18(2), 33–58.
Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism. PublicAffairs.
#algorithmicPower #creatorEconomy #digitalLabor #internetGovernance #platformAccountability #riskExternalization #socioeconomicSystems #WPSNews -
What Bluesky Got Right: Journalism Without Engagement Traps
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 2, 2026
Modern social media has warped journalism by tying visibility to provocation. Reporters are pushed to frame stories for maximum reaction rather than maximum accuracy. Context is sacrificed for speed. Corrections are punished. Nuance disappears because it does not travel well.
This distortion is not accidental. It is structural.
When Bluesky removed engagement traps from the core experience, journalists behaved differently—not because they were better people, but because the system stopped rewarding bad habits.
Engagement Incentives Corrupt Reporting
On algorithm-driven platforms, journalists learn quickly what works. Strong language outperforms careful phrasing. Outrage outpaces verification. Ambiguity is flattened because it slows momentum.
The result is a feedback loop where reporters feel pressure to post hot takes instead of facts. Being first matters more than being right. Corrections receive a fraction of the attention of the original error.
Bluesky disrupted that loop by decoupling reach from reaction.
Chronology Rewards Consistency, Not Shock
In a chronological feed, journalists cannot rely on algorithms to rescue poorly framed posts. Visibility comes from being followed over time, not from triggering outrage in the moment.
This encouraged different behavior.
Posts became more measured.
Threads became more explanatory.
Follow-ups and corrections became visible parts of the record.Accuracy stopped being a liability.
Dogpiling Lost Its Utility
On many platforms, journalists are incentivized to dunk on one another. Public callouts generate engagement, which feeds the algorithm. This creates a hostile professional environment that rewards performative criticism.
Bluesky’s design reduced the payoff for that behavior. Without quote-dunking or amplification boosts, public pile-ons lost reach. Disagreements stayed closer to substance and farther from spectacle.
That shift improved professional discourse.
Corrections Were Possible Again
Corrections are essential to journalism, but they are structurally disadvantaged online. Algorithms prioritize novelty, not revision. A corrected error rarely travels as far as the original mistake.
Chronological feeds restore balance. Corrections appear where they belong—in sequence. Readers who saw the original post are more likely to see the update. Accountability becomes practical rather than symbolic.
This reinforced trust.
Why This Terrified Media Platforms
Engagement-driven systems benefit from controversy. They treat journalism as content, not as a public good. Accuracy is valuable only if it performs well.
Bluesky challenged that assumption. By creating an environment where journalists could work without constant incentive distortion, it showed that healthier media behavior was possible.
The platform did not fix journalism.
It stopped actively breaking it.That distinction matters.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
McChesney, R. W., & Nichols, J. (2010). The Death and Life of American Journalism. Nation Books.
#BlueSky #DigitalMedia #internetGovernance #journalism #newsCulture #platformDesign #socialMediaIncentives
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2018). Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press.
Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet. Yale University Press.
Marwick, A. (2013). Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Yale University Press. -
What Bluesky Got Right: Journalism Without Engagement Traps
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 2, 2026
Modern social media has warped journalism by tying visibility to provocation. Reporters are pushed to frame stories for maximum reaction rather than maximum accuracy. Context is sacrificed for speed. Corrections are punished. Nuance disappears because it does not travel well.
This distortion is not accidental. It is structural.
When Bluesky removed engagement traps from the core experience, journalists behaved differently—not because they were better people, but because the system stopped rewarding bad habits.
Engagement Incentives Corrupt Reporting
On algorithm-driven platforms, journalists learn quickly what works. Strong language outperforms careful phrasing. Outrage outpaces verification. Ambiguity is flattened because it slows momentum.
The result is a feedback loop where reporters feel pressure to post hot takes instead of facts. Being first matters more than being right. Corrections receive a fraction of the attention of the original error.
Bluesky disrupted that loop by decoupling reach from reaction.
Chronology Rewards Consistency, Not Shock
In a chronological feed, journalists cannot rely on algorithms to rescue poorly framed posts. Visibility comes from being followed over time, not from triggering outrage in the moment.
This encouraged different behavior.
Posts became more measured.
Threads became more explanatory.
Follow-ups and corrections became visible parts of the record.Accuracy stopped being a liability.
Dogpiling Lost Its Utility
On many platforms, journalists are incentivized to dunk on one another. Public callouts generate engagement, which feeds the algorithm. This creates a hostile professional environment that rewards performative criticism.
Bluesky’s design reduced the payoff for that behavior. Without quote-dunking or amplification boosts, public pile-ons lost reach. Disagreements stayed closer to substance and farther from spectacle.
That shift improved professional discourse.
Corrections Were Possible Again
Corrections are essential to journalism, but they are structurally disadvantaged online. Algorithms prioritize novelty, not revision. A corrected error rarely travels as far as the original mistake.
Chronological feeds restore balance. Corrections appear where they belong—in sequence. Readers who saw the original post are more likely to see the update. Accountability becomes practical rather than symbolic.
This reinforced trust.
Why This Terrified Media Platforms
Engagement-driven systems benefit from controversy. They treat journalism as content, not as a public good. Accuracy is valuable only if it performs well.
Bluesky challenged that assumption. By creating an environment where journalists could work without constant incentive distortion, it showed that healthier media behavior was possible.
The platform did not fix journalism.
It stopped actively breaking it.That distinction matters.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
McChesney, R. W., & Nichols, J. (2010). The Death and Life of American Journalism. Nation Books.
#BlueSky #DigitalMedia #internetGovernance #journalism #newsCulture #platformDesign #socialMediaIncentives
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2018). Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press.
Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet. Yale University Press.
Marwick, A. (2013). Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Yale University Press. -
What Bluesky Got Right: Journalism Without Engagement Traps
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 2, 2026
Modern social media has warped journalism by tying visibility to provocation. Reporters are pushed to frame stories for maximum reaction rather than maximum accuracy. Context is sacrificed for speed. Corrections are punished. Nuance disappears because it does not travel well.
This distortion is not accidental. It is structural.
When Bluesky removed engagement traps from the core experience, journalists behaved differently—not because they were better people, but because the system stopped rewarding bad habits.
Engagement Incentives Corrupt Reporting
On algorithm-driven platforms, journalists learn quickly what works. Strong language outperforms careful phrasing. Outrage outpaces verification. Ambiguity is flattened because it slows momentum.
The result is a feedback loop where reporters feel pressure to post hot takes instead of facts. Being first matters more than being right. Corrections receive a fraction of the attention of the original error.
Bluesky disrupted that loop by decoupling reach from reaction.
Chronology Rewards Consistency, Not Shock
In a chronological feed, journalists cannot rely on algorithms to rescue poorly framed posts. Visibility comes from being followed over time, not from triggering outrage in the moment.
This encouraged different behavior.
Posts became more measured.
Threads became more explanatory.
Follow-ups and corrections became visible parts of the record.Accuracy stopped being a liability.
Dogpiling Lost Its Utility
On many platforms, journalists are incentivized to dunk on one another. Public callouts generate engagement, which feeds the algorithm. This creates a hostile professional environment that rewards performative criticism.
Bluesky’s design reduced the payoff for that behavior. Without quote-dunking or amplification boosts, public pile-ons lost reach. Disagreements stayed closer to substance and farther from spectacle.
That shift improved professional discourse.
Corrections Were Possible Again
Corrections are essential to journalism, but they are structurally disadvantaged online. Algorithms prioritize novelty, not revision. A corrected error rarely travels as far as the original mistake.
Chronological feeds restore balance. Corrections appear where they belong—in sequence. Readers who saw the original post are more likely to see the update. Accountability becomes practical rather than symbolic.
This reinforced trust.
Why This Terrified Media Platforms
Engagement-driven systems benefit from controversy. They treat journalism as content, not as a public good. Accuracy is valuable only if it performs well.
Bluesky challenged that assumption. By creating an environment where journalists could work without constant incentive distortion, it showed that healthier media behavior was possible.
The platform did not fix journalism.
It stopped actively breaking it.That distinction matters.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
McChesney, R. W., & Nichols, J. (2010). The Death and Life of American Journalism. Nation Books.
#BlueSky #DigitalMedia #internetGovernance #journalism #newsCulture #platformDesign #socialMediaIncentives
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2018). Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press.
Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet. Yale University Press.
Marwick, A. (2013). Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Yale University Press. -
What Bluesky Got Right: Journalism Without Engagement Traps
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 2, 2026
Modern social media has warped journalism by tying visibility to provocation. Reporters are pushed to frame stories for maximum reaction rather than maximum accuracy. Context is sacrificed for speed. Corrections are punished. Nuance disappears because it does not travel well.
This distortion is not accidental. It is structural.
When Bluesky removed engagement traps from the core experience, journalists behaved differently—not because they were better people, but because the system stopped rewarding bad habits.
Engagement Incentives Corrupt Reporting
On algorithm-driven platforms, journalists learn quickly what works. Strong language outperforms careful phrasing. Outrage outpaces verification. Ambiguity is flattened because it slows momentum.
The result is a feedback loop where reporters feel pressure to post hot takes instead of facts. Being first matters more than being right. Corrections receive a fraction of the attention of the original error.
Bluesky disrupted that loop by decoupling reach from reaction.
Chronology Rewards Consistency, Not Shock
In a chronological feed, journalists cannot rely on algorithms to rescue poorly framed posts. Visibility comes from being followed over time, not from triggering outrage in the moment.
This encouraged different behavior.
Posts became more measured.
Threads became more explanatory.
Follow-ups and corrections became visible parts of the record.Accuracy stopped being a liability.
Dogpiling Lost Its Utility
On many platforms, journalists are incentivized to dunk on one another. Public callouts generate engagement, which feeds the algorithm. This creates a hostile professional environment that rewards performative criticism.
Bluesky’s design reduced the payoff for that behavior. Without quote-dunking or amplification boosts, public pile-ons lost reach. Disagreements stayed closer to substance and farther from spectacle.
That shift improved professional discourse.
Corrections Were Possible Again
Corrections are essential to journalism, but they are structurally disadvantaged online. Algorithms prioritize novelty, not revision. A corrected error rarely travels as far as the original mistake.
Chronological feeds restore balance. Corrections appear where they belong—in sequence. Readers who saw the original post are more likely to see the update. Accountability becomes practical rather than symbolic.
This reinforced trust.
Why This Terrified Media Platforms
Engagement-driven systems benefit from controversy. They treat journalism as content, not as a public good. Accuracy is valuable only if it performs well.
Bluesky challenged that assumption. By creating an environment where journalists could work without constant incentive distortion, it showed that healthier media behavior was possible.
The platform did not fix journalism.
It stopped actively breaking it.That distinction matters.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
McChesney, R. W., & Nichols, J. (2010). The Death and Life of American Journalism. Nation Books.
#BlueSky #DigitalMedia #internetGovernance #journalism #newsCulture #platformDesign #socialMediaIncentives
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2018). Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press.
Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet. Yale University Press.
Marwick, A. (2013). Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Yale University Press. -
What Bluesky Got Right: Journalism Without Engagement Traps
By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 2, 2026
Modern social media has warped journalism by tying visibility to provocation. Reporters are pushed to frame stories for maximum reaction rather than maximum accuracy. Context is sacrificed for speed. Corrections are punished. Nuance disappears because it does not travel well.
This distortion is not accidental. It is structural.
When Bluesky removed engagement traps from the core experience, journalists behaved differently—not because they were better people, but because the system stopped rewarding bad habits.
Engagement Incentives Corrupt Reporting
On algorithm-driven platforms, journalists learn quickly what works. Strong language outperforms careful phrasing. Outrage outpaces verification. Ambiguity is flattened because it slows momentum.
The result is a feedback loop where reporters feel pressure to post hot takes instead of facts. Being first matters more than being right. Corrections receive a fraction of the attention of the original error.
Bluesky disrupted that loop by decoupling reach from reaction.
Chronology Rewards Consistency, Not Shock
In a chronological feed, journalists cannot rely on algorithms to rescue poorly framed posts. Visibility comes from being followed over time, not from triggering outrage in the moment.
This encouraged different behavior.
Posts became more measured.
Threads became more explanatory.
Follow-ups and corrections became visible parts of the record.Accuracy stopped being a liability.
Dogpiling Lost Its Utility
On many platforms, journalists are incentivized to dunk on one another. Public callouts generate engagement, which feeds the algorithm. This creates a hostile professional environment that rewards performative criticism.
Bluesky’s design reduced the payoff for that behavior. Without quote-dunking or amplification boosts, public pile-ons lost reach. Disagreements stayed closer to substance and farther from spectacle.
That shift improved professional discourse.
Corrections Were Possible Again
Corrections are essential to journalism, but they are structurally disadvantaged online. Algorithms prioritize novelty, not revision. A corrected error rarely travels as far as the original mistake.
Chronological feeds restore balance. Corrections appear where they belong—in sequence. Readers who saw the original post are more likely to see the update. Accountability becomes practical rather than symbolic.
This reinforced trust.
Why This Terrified Media Platforms
Engagement-driven systems benefit from controversy. They treat journalism as content, not as a public good. Accuracy is valuable only if it performs well.
Bluesky challenged that assumption. By creating an environment where journalists could work without constant incentive distortion, it showed that healthier media behavior was possible.
The platform did not fix journalism.
It stopped actively breaking it.That distinction matters.
For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.
References (APA)
McChesney, R. W., & Nichols, J. (2010). The Death and Life of American Journalism. Nation Books.
#BlueSky #DigitalMedia #internetGovernance #journalism #newsCulture #platformDesign #socialMediaIncentives
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2018). Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press.
Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet. Yale University Press.
Marwick, A. (2013). Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Yale University Press. -
My session is in the APrIGF 2026 program (Kathmandu, 4–7 October):
"Backdoors, Blackouts, and Big Tech" — E2EE regulation across 20 jurisdictions in five types, down to states with no capacity to regulate encryption at all, which cut the network instead.
The gap: no Southeast Asian jurisdiction is in it. If you know how your government treats encrypted messaging, come and put it on the map. Joining online is free.
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My session is in the APrIGF 2026 program (Kathmandu, 4–7 October):
"Backdoors, Blackouts, and Big Tech" — E2EE regulation across 20 jurisdictions in five types, down to states with no capacity to regulate encryption at all, which cut the network instead.
The gap: no Southeast Asian jurisdiction is in it. If you know how your government treats encrypted messaging, come and put it on the map. Joining online is free.
-
My session is in the APrIGF 2026 program (Kathmandu, 4–7 October):
"Backdoors, Blackouts, and Big Tech" — E2EE regulation across 20 jurisdictions in five types, down to states with no capacity to regulate encryption at all, which cut the network instead.
The gap: no Southeast Asian jurisdiction is in it. If you know how your government treats encrypted messaging, come and put it on the map. Joining online is free.
-
My session is in the APrIGF 2026 program (Kathmandu, 4–7 October):
"Backdoors, Blackouts, and Big Tech" — E2EE regulation across 20 jurisdictions in five types, down to states with no capacity to regulate encryption at all, which cut the network instead.
The gap: no Southeast Asian jurisdiction is in it. If you know how your government treats encrypted messaging, come and put it on the map. Joining online is free.
-
My session is in the APrIGF 2026 program (Kathmandu, 4–7 October):
"Backdoors, Blackouts, and Big Tech" — E2EE regulation across 20 jurisdictions in five types, down to states with no capacity to regulate encryption at all, which cut the network instead.
The gap: no Southeast Asian jurisdiction is in it. If you know how your government treats encrypted messaging, come and put it on the map. Joining online is free.
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SUMMARY - Do data localization policies really improve cybersecurity outcomes?
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/data-localizationWilliam Akoto, Samantha Bradshaw & Trey Herr test the security case for keeping data onshore — 195 countries, 2000-2022 — and find no measurable effect, at any lag, rich or poor. Localization governs where data sits, not how it gets taken.
#DataLocalization #DigitalSovereignty #Cybersecurity #InternetGovernance
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SUMMARY - RFC 9998: Report from the IAB/W3C Workshop on Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access - four functional roles, a shared vocabulary, and why no single method works for everyone.
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/rfc9998The IAB has now taken the position the report itself withheld: device-based age assurance is the most promising route at current maturity, and hasty mandates risk ossifying worse designs.
@w3c @mnot #AgeVerification #AgeAssurance #InternetGovernance #ChildSafety
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SUMMARY - RFC 9998: Report from the IAB/W3C Workshop on Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access - four functional roles, a shared vocabulary, and why no single method works for everyone.
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/rfc9998The IAB has now taken the position the report itself withheld: device-based age assurance is the most promising route at current maturity, and hasty mandates risk ossifying worse designs.
@w3c @mnot #AgeVerification #AgeAssurance #InternetGovernance #ChildSafety
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SUMMARY - Internet Accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean: State of Play and Outlook
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/lac-accountability
Olga Cavalli's report for the European University Institute finds the region's accountability failures are institutional, not technical: strong constitutional and data protection frameworks, thin enforcement.Chile and Costa Rica rank 3rd and 4th for internet freedom; Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba are Not Free.
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SUMMARY - Internet Accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean: State of Play and Outlook
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/lac-accountability
Olga Cavalli's report for the European University Institute finds the region's accountability failures are institutional, not technical: strong constitutional and data protection frameworks, thin enforcement.Chile and Costa Rica rank 3rd and 4th for internet freedom; Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba are Not Free.
-
SUMMARY - Internet Accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean: State of Play and Outlook
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/lac-accountability
Olga Cavalli's report for the European University Institute finds the region's accountability failures are institutional, not technical: strong constitutional and data protection frameworks, thin enforcement.Chile and Costa Rica rank 3rd and 4th for internet freedom; Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba are Not Free.
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SUMMARY - Internet Accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean: State of Play and Outlook
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/lac-accountability
Olga Cavalli's report for the European University Institute finds the region's accountability failures are institutional, not technical: strong constitutional and data protection frameworks, thin enforcement.Chile and Costa Rica rank 3rd and 4th for internet freedom; Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba are Not Free.
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SUMMARY - Internet Accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean: State of Play and Outlook
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/lac-accountability
Olga Cavalli's report for the European University Institute finds the region's accountability failures are institutional, not technical: strong constitutional and data protection frameworks, thin enforcement.Chile and Costa Rica rank 3rd and 4th for internet freedom; Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba are Not Free.
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SUMMARY - White Paper on: AI and Environment
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ai-and-environmentThe Dynamic Coalition on Environment of the Internet Governance Forum, with the Nature and People Foundation (Russia), the China Institute at Fudan University and the Pahle India Foundation, brings AI's environmental footprint and its environmental benefits into a single frame. Foreword by Jeffrey D. Sachs. Six regulatory gaps common to every jurisdiction.
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SUMMARY - White Paper on: AI and Environment
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ai-and-environmentThe Dynamic Coalition on Environment of the Internet Governance Forum, with the Nature and People Foundation (Russia), the China Institute at Fudan University and the Pahle India Foundation, brings AI's environmental footprint and its environmental benefits into a single frame. Foreword by Jeffrey D. Sachs. Six regulatory gaps common to every jurisdiction.
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SUMMARY - White Paper on: AI and Environment
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ai-and-environmentThe Dynamic Coalition on Environment of the Internet Governance Forum, with the Nature and People Foundation (Russia), the China Institute at Fudan University and the Pahle India Foundation, brings AI's environmental footprint and its environmental benefits into a single frame. Foreword by Jeffrey D. Sachs. Six regulatory gaps common to every jurisdiction.
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SUMMARY - White Paper on: AI and Environment
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ai-and-environmentThe Dynamic Coalition on Environment of the Internet Governance Forum, with the Nature and People Foundation (Russia), the China Institute at Fudan University and the Pahle India Foundation, brings AI's environmental footprint and its environmental benefits into a single frame. Foreword by Jeffrey D. Sachs. Six regulatory gaps common to every jurisdiction.
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SUMMARY - White Paper on: AI and Environment
https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ai-and-environmentThe Dynamic Coalition on Environment of the Internet Governance Forum, with the Nature and People Foundation (Russia), the China Institute at Fudan University and the Pahle India Foundation, brings AI's environmental footprint and its environmental benefits into a single frame. Foreword by Jeffrey D. Sachs. Six regulatory gaps common to every jurisdiction.
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the funniest thing about working in open tech is realising that i didn't actually know much about the internet i used every day.
i came for the communications job. i accidentally left with an existential crisis about platforms, power, and why mastodon feels like being handed flour when all i wanted was toast.
here's what i've been thinking about lately: https://medium.com/@camikara/another-internet-is-possible-what-the-f-is-a-pluriverse-girl-i-just-wanted-toast-c028e4e1ce27?sharedUserId=camikara
#Fediverse #FLOSS #OpenSource #DigitalRights #InternetGovernance
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Opinion: A Billion-Dollar Fine Isn’t a Punishment. It’s a Warning That We Waited Too Long.
By Cliff Potts | WPS News Opinion
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, July 29, 2026 — 0005 PhST
There is something fundamentally wrong with a system where a corporation can be fined nearly US$1 billion for violating competition rules—and investors barely blink.
That is not a sign of successful regulation.
It is evidence that regulators waited far too long.
The modern internet did not spring from Silicon Valley. It was built upon decades of publicly funded research beginning in the 1960s through the work of the U.S. Department of Defense, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Science Foundation, public universities, and countless scientists and engineers whose work was financed by American taxpayers.
Our parents paid for it.
Our grandparents paid for it.
We paid for it.
The protocols, the backbone, the research, and many of the technologies that made today’s internet possible were developed with public money because governments believed global computer networking would benefit society as a whole.
They were right.
What they failed to anticipate was that the roads they helped build would eventually be dominated by a handful of private gatekeepers.
Today, a small number of corporations influence what news people discover, what applications succeed, which businesses customers find, whose music gets heard, whose videos appear in recommendations, and increasingly, whose original work is absorbed into artificial intelligence systems.
That is an extraordinary concentration of power.
The European Union’s decision to fine Google approximately €890 million should not be viewed simply as another corporate penalty.
It should be viewed as a confession.
A confession that governments allowed a communications system built upon public investment to become so concentrated that one company can violate competition rules, write a check approaching a billion dollars, and continue operating almost as though nothing happened.
When a billion-dollar penalty becomes another quarterly expense, the problem is no longer the fine.
The problem is the market structure.
This is not about punishing success.
Successful businesses should succeed.
Innovation should be rewarded.
Investment should be rewarded.
Competition should be rewarded.
Gatekeeping should not.
No private corporation should possess the practical ability to determine whether thousands of independent publishers, software developers, musicians, researchers, educators, and small businesses can realistically reach an audience.
The internet functions as essential public infrastructure.
Societies regulate highways.
They regulate railroads.
They regulate electrical grids.
They regulate radio spectrum.
They regulate banking.
Yet somehow we have accepted the idea that the gateways controlling access to information for billions of people should largely regulate themselves.
That assumption deserves to be challenged.
The internet has become too important to modern civic life, commerce, education, journalism, and democratic participation to be governed primarily by the commercial interests of a few extraordinarily wealthy companies.
The European Union has at least begun asking difficult questions.
Other democratic governments—including the United States—should be asking them as well.
There is another number worth considering. Google can absorb nearly a billion dollars in regulatory penalties without threatening its existence. Independent publishers routinely make decisions about whether they can afford domain registrations, web hosting, software subscriptions, or even a public means of contact. That is not merely an economic disparity. It demonstrates how concentrated the digital marketplace has become. The companies controlling access to the internet possess resources beyond the imagination of the independent voices trying to reach the public.
The question is no longer whether Google, or any other technology giant, has become too powerful.
A company capable of treating a billion-dollar regulatory penalty as a manageable business expense has already answered that question.
The real question is whether elected governments are finally prepared to reclaim meaningful oversight over the digital public square that taxpayers helped create more than half a century ago.
If they are not, then today’s gatekeepers will become tomorrow’s permanent rulers of the internet.
That should concern everyone—regardless of which search engine, social network, or smartphone they happen to use.
Contact Cliff Potts
Cliff Potts
Founder, Publisher & Editor
WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, PhilippinesWPS News
WPS.NewsBluesky — Preferred Public Contact
WTFM.LOLOccupy 2.5
Occupy25.comCliff Potts
CliffPotts.orgCliff Potts is also the creator of Cliff Potts & the AI Rebellion, with music available on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, and most major streaming platforms worldwide.
For news, commentary, music, and ongoing projects, begin with WPS.News or contact Cliff publicly through Bluesky at WTFM.LOL.
#antitrust #ARPANET #bigTech #CliffPotts #CliffPottsTheAIRebellion #competitionPolicy #digitalGatekeepers #DigitalMarketsAct #EuropeanUnion #Google #independentPublishers #internetGovernance #NSFNET #Occupy25 #publicInfrastructure #technologyRegulation #WPSNewsOpinion #WPSNews -
Why the Future of the Web Is Less Centralized Than It Looks https://tinyurl.com/4mnxeve3
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #WebInfrastructure #DigitalPlatforms #CloudComputing #OpenSource #InternetGovernance #DigitalPolicy
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Why the Future of the Web Is Less Centralized Than It Looks https://tinyurl.com/4mnxeve3
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #WebInfrastructure #DigitalPlatforms #CloudComputing #OpenSource #InternetGovernance #DigitalPolicy
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Why the Future of the Web Is Less Centralized Than It Looks https://tinyurl.com/4mnxeve3
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #WebInfrastructure #DigitalPlatforms #CloudComputing #OpenSource #InternetGovernance #DigitalPolicy
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Why the Future of the Web Is Less Centralized Than It Looks https://tinyurl.com/4mnxeve3
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #WebInfrastructure #DigitalPlatforms #CloudComputing #OpenSource #InternetGovernance #DigitalPolicy
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APC's internet governance lead, Valeria Betancourt, is serving as one of the #WSIS2026 High-Level Track Facilitators, bringing decades of experience in internet governance, digital justice and human rights to the forum. Earlier this year, she was recognised in the Tech Diplomacy Global 50.
📖 Read more about APC at WSIS 2026:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026Swipe through to learn more about Valeria's role, her session and APC's priorities at this year's forum.
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APC's internet governance lead, Valeria Betancourt, is serving as one of the #WSIS2026 High-Level Track Facilitators, bringing decades of experience in internet governance, digital justice and human rights to the forum. Earlier this year, she was recognised in the Tech Diplomacy Global 50.
📖 Read more about APC at WSIS 2026:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026Swipe through to learn more about Valeria's role, her session and APC's priorities at this year's forum.
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APC's internet governance lead, Valeria Betancourt, is serving as one of the #WSIS2026 High-Level Track Facilitators, bringing decades of experience in internet governance, digital justice and human rights to the forum. Earlier this year, she was recognised in the Tech Diplomacy Global 50.
📖 Read more about APC at WSIS 2026:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026Swipe through to learn more about Valeria's role, her session and APC's priorities at this year's forum.
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APC's internet governance lead, Valeria Betancourt, is serving as one of the #WSIS2026 High-Level Track Facilitators, bringing decades of experience in internet governance, digital justice and human rights to the forum. Earlier this year, she was recognised in the Tech Diplomacy Global 50.
📖 Read more about APC at WSIS 2026:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026Swipe through to learn more about Valeria's role, her session and APC's priorities at this year's forum.
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APC's internet governance lead, Valeria Betancourt, is serving as one of the #WSIS2026 High-Level Track Facilitators, bringing decades of experience in internet governance, digital justice and human rights to the forum. Earlier this year, she was recognised in the Tech Diplomacy Global 50.
📖 Read more about APC at WSIS 2026:
https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026Swipe through to learn more about Valeria's role, her session and APC's priorities at this year's forum.
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📍Day 1 at #WSIS2026
Today, APC staff, members and partners are contributing to discussions on the future of internet governance, the #WSISPlus20 review, gender equality in AI governance, and digital inclusion.
Browse today's sessions and join us if you're at the forum.
🔗 https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026
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📍Day 1 at #WSIS2026
Today, APC staff, members and partners are contributing to discussions on the future of internet governance, the #WSISPlus20 review, gender equality in AI governance, and digital inclusion.
Browse today's sessions and join us if you're at the forum.
🔗 https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026
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📍Day 1 at #WSIS2026
Today, APC staff, members and partners are contributing to discussions on the future of internet governance, the #WSISPlus20 review, gender equality in AI governance, and digital inclusion.
Browse today's sessions and join us if you're at the forum.
🔗 https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026
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📍Day 1 at #WSIS2026
Today, APC staff, members and partners are contributing to discussions on the future of internet governance, the #WSISPlus20 review, gender equality in AI governance, and digital inclusion.
Browse today's sessions and join us if you're at the forum.
🔗 https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026
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📍Day 1 at #WSIS2026
Today, APC staff, members and partners are contributing to discussions on the future of internet governance, the #WSISPlus20 review, gender equality in AI governance, and digital inclusion.
Browse today's sessions and join us if you're at the forum.
🔗 https://www.apc.org/en/news/apc-world-summit-information-society-wsis-forum-2026
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HYBRID 9 JUL 12:00 UTC - WSIS+20 follow-up – from Milestones to Momentum: what comes next?
https://isoc.live/21507Internet Society Chapters of the UK, Switzerland, Serbia & Germany host a WSIS Forum 2026 session on turning WSIS+20 outcomes into coordinated, accountable action — covering the Global Digital Compact and the IGF's strengthened mandate.
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HYBRID 9 JUL 12:00 UTC - WSIS+20 follow-up – from Milestones to Momentum: what comes next?
https://isoc.live/21507Internet Society Chapters of the UK, Switzerland, Serbia & Germany host a WSIS Forum 2026 session on turning WSIS+20 outcomes into coordinated, accountable action — covering the Global Digital Compact and the IGF's strengthened mandate.
