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#orwellian — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #orwellian, aggregated by home.social.

  1. #China - Mass #homelessness is exposing the rot in Chinese society

    by Gordon G. Chang, opinion contributor - 08/16/26

    Excerpt: "This post-reform period, however, is seeing even more distressing signs of dislocation. Chinese people, for instance, are opting out of society with many choosing to flee, something evident with the unprecedented surge of Chinese nationals across America’s southern border during the Biden administration. Many of them were poor, but some were middle-class Chinese, evidently desperate to live in a free society.

    "Most Chinese, however, cannot leave. Street dwellers often have low social credit scores. A person’s score reflects all interactions with society, and those with low ones are not allowed to, among other things, maintain bank accounts, buy train tickets or obtain coveted jobs. As a result, they have no home."

    Read more:
    thehill.com/homenews/6030358-c

    @newsbot

    #WorldPol #Homeless #Unhoused #Orwellian #BigBrother #ChinaPol

  2. Facial Recognition is spiralling out of control in the UK and there are no clear laws in place to protect our privacy

    Stop scanning us all with facial recognition Unlike CCTV, facial recognition doesn’t just record what you do, your face becomes a barcode in the same way as your fingerprint or your DNA. We must stop this. The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, recently revealed her chilling vision of building a “panopticon” where “the eyes of the state can be on you at all times.” Your passport photo is now being searched by police facial recognition systems, even if you have done nothing wrong […]

    activitypub.writeworks.uk/2026

  3. US Border czar warns there will be more ‘bloodshed’ unless Democrats ‘shut their mouths’

    US descends into #Orwellian #authoritarian and #oppressive regime.

    #Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has warned that there will be more “bloodshed” unless Democrats “shut their mouths.”

    So similar to #Russia and other #violent, #bullying countries.

    independent.co.uk/news/world/a

    #USThreats #USAggression #BoycotUSA #DemocracyNow #DemocracyLost #dictatorship #DementiaDon #DemocracyLost

  4. #UK #MinistryOfTruth: the #secretive government units #spying on you

    Key Findings

    A few:

    - MP Caroline Lucas was included in an “Election #Disinformation Report” for calling former PM, #Boris Johnson, a liar
    - #Starmer all had comments critical of his govt analysed by anti-misinformation units ...

    #BigBrother #HybridWarfare #repression #DemocracyNOW #ToxicWestminster #ToxicPolitics #FreeSpeech #Orwellian #dystopia #BraveNewWorld

    [1/2]

  5. #JaredGolden isn't running, so he could give a shit about #Mainers (or anyone else)...

    ‘Dangerous and Shameful’: 42 House #Democrats Help #GOP Send #Trump Spying Bill to Senate

    “It was these Democrats’ responsibility to stand up against this administration, and they voted to stand down instead,” said one campaigner.

    Jessica Corbett, Apr 29, 2026

    Excerpt: " 'The 42 Democratic votes to advance Speaker Johnson and Donald Trump’s #surveillance agenda are dangerous and shameful,' she declared.

    " 'These Democrats defied their constituents and common sense to undercut meaningful privacy reforms in the House and instead voted to hand over sweeping spy powers to the Trump administration,' she stressed. 'This means continuing #warrantless backdoor searches and allowing an increasing number of federal agencies to exploit the data broker loophole to supercharge #AI and fuel mass #DomesticSurveillance.' "

    Read more:
    commondreams.org/news/fisa-sec

    #USPol #Fascism #Authoritarianism #Orwellian #FISA #Section702 #SurveillanceState

  6. #Trump Wants to Put You in a Massive, Secret Government Database

    Agencies are reportedly pooling immigration data, Social Security numbers, and more into a central database. #FPF is suing to learn how deep it goes.

    by Lauren Harper, March 17 2026

    Excerpt: "The public has never seen the reports agencies submitted by OMB, despite their impact on our privacy. However, thanks to intrepid reporting and litigation, we do have glimpses of how this is starting to play out:

    - The Central Intelligence Agency has been granted increased access to domestic law enforcement databases, further blurring the line between foreign intelligence and domestic policing.
    - The so-called Department of Government Efficiency got direct access to Treasury Department payment systems, including Social Security numbers, names, and birthdays, according to a whistleblower.
    - Immigration and Customs Enforcement got access to Medicaid recipients’ data and banking information.
    - The Transportation Security Administration is now sharing biometric passenger info with immigration enforcement, turning every airport check-in into a potential trap.

    "But these incursions are only the tip of the iceberg.

    "Reports indicate the administration’s goal for dismantling privacy protections is to build a centralized national database, which would allow the administration to create detailed reports on every American, potentially for political purposes, including retaliation, harassment, and imprisonment.

    "At the same time this database is becoming a reality, the Department of Homeland Security is rapidly expanding its surveillance capabilities, and the administration is unleashing AI across federal systems to analyze the data points they are harvesting from our private lives.

    "Perhaps worst of all, by 'eliminating information silos,' the administration is creating a single point of failure for the privacy of every American. A centralized database that compiles our most intimate information, from our health to our finances, doesn’t just make us vulnerable to government abuse; it creates a massive, singular target for hackers and foreign adversaries."

    Read more:
    theintercept.com/2026/03/17/go

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/4fObS

    #SilencingDissent #SurveillanceState #CriminalizingDissent #BigBrotherIsWatchingYou #Orwellian #FreedomOfThePressFoundation #USPol

  7. #Bipartisan even! #DoublePlusUngood!

    Congress Is Considering Abolishing Your Right to Be #Anonymous Online

    The bipartisan push to remove #anonymity from the #Internet is ushering in an era of unprecedented #MassSurveillance and #censorship.

    Taylor Lorenz
    March 5 2026, 12:20 p.m.

    "In August 2024, the Biden administration hosted hundreds of influencers at the White House for the first-ever Creator Economy Conference. Neera Tanden, a senior Biden adviser, took to the stage and bemoaned anonymity online. The influencers alongside her agreed, pushing the idea that anonymous speech on the internet is harmful, and regulation is needed to force the use of real names on social media. The audience whispered excitedly as those on stage spoke about how proposed laws like the #kidsonlinesafetyact or #KOSA, could unmask every troll.

    "This narrative of online safety, particularly in relation to children, has become central to the bipartisan effort to #censor and #deanonymize the internet for everyone. Today, a package of a dozen 'child online safety' bills is moving forward in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The laws, framed as a way to crack down on harmful content and make the internet safer, would force social media companies to enact invasive identity verification measures in order to keep children from accessing online spaces.

    "The problem is that there’s no way to reliably verify someone’s age without verifying who they are. A platform cannot magically discern that a user is 16 without collecting identifying information, whether through government documents such as a passport, payment information like a credit card, or other identity-disclosing data. Whether that data is stored by the platform itself or outsourced to a vendor, the result is always the same: A user’s offline identity is forever linked with their online behavior.

    "Stripping anonymity from the internet would constitute one of the most sweeping rollbacks of civil rights in recent history. It would allow for unprecedented levels of mass surveillance and censorship, endangering the most marginalized members of society. #Whistleblowers exposing #corporate wrongdoing could be tracked and fired, #GovernmentEmployees speaking out about illegal behavior or bad policies could face prosecution, and #activists #OrganizingProtests could be identified and surveilled before ever setting foot on the street.

    "Already, the U.S. government is flooding social media platforms with subpoenas seeking to unmask hundreds of anonymously run #AntiICE social media accounts. These laws would make it all the more easier for the government to target and prosecute those who dissent.
    Vulnerable members of society will suffer most. #TransPeople under attack from the government could be identified and outed without their consent.

    "Undocumented #immigrants could be cut off from the ability to communicate and connect with advocates. Young people seeking #abortions in states with restrictive laws might no longer have the ability to access information safely and anonymously.

    "Not only will a de-anonymized internet be valuable to the government as it seeks to tighten control, it will also make it easier for any #corporation or bad actor to intimidate, #blackmail, or exploit people by leveraging their own data against them."

    Read more:
    theintercept.com/2026/03/05/ko

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/al8if

    #USPol #Orwellian #BigBrother #SurveillanceState #Corporatocracy #CharacteristicsOfFascism #BigBrotherIsWatchingYou

  8. Meet 21-year-old playing #bagpipes at #US #protests

    He played in both #LA & #Portland (once following the death of Alex #Pretti) Duffy is playing in the face of #violent tactics to #suppress #demonstrations against #trump – especially when #TearGas is deployed

    When asked how #police react, Duffy laughs, and says: “They’ve reacted pretty negatively”.

    thenational.scot/news/25873187

    #PoliceState #dictatorship #authoritarianism #trump #USAggression #lawlessness #fascism #oppression #Orwellian

  9. #UKGovernment expands #police use of #FacialRecognition vans

    by Kate Whannel, August 13, 2025

    "More live facial recognition (#LFR) vans will be rolled out across seven police forces in England to locate suspects for crimes including sexual offences, violent assaults and homicides, the Home Office has announced.

    "The forces will get access to 10 new vans equipped with cameras, which scan the faces of people walking past and check them against a list of wanted people.

    "The government says the technology has been used in London to make 580 arrests in 12 months, including 52 registered sex offenders who breached their conditions.

    "However, campaign group #BigBrotherWatch said the 'significant expansion of the #SurveillanceState' was 'alarming'.

    "Live facial recognition was first used in #England and #Wales in 2017 during the Uefa Champions League final football match in Cardiff.

    "Since then its use has largely been confined to #SouthWales, #London and #Essex including at a Beyoncé concert to scan for paedophiles and terrorists [like elderly Palestine Action activists!]

    "The government is now funding 10 vans equipped with LFR to be shared between seven forces, approximately doubling the number of vehicles.

    "The seven forces are Greater #Manchester, #WestYorkshire, #Bedfordshire, #Surrey, #Sussex, #ThamesValley and #Hampshire.

    "The technology identifies people by taking measurements of facial features including the distance between the eyes and the length of the jawline and then comparing the data to to an existing watchlist.

    "Each van will be staffed with a trained officer who checks the matches identified by the technology.

    "Simultaneously, the government is holding a consultation on what safeguards are needed to "ensure transparency and public confidence", ahead of drawing up a new legal framework.

    "Big Brother Watch is bringing a legal challenge against the #MetPolice's use of the technology, alongside #ShaunThompson, who was wrongly identified by an LFR camera.

    #Rebecca Vincent, interim director of Big Brother Watch, said: 'Police have interpreted the absence of any legislative basis authorising the use of this intrusive technology as carte blanche to continue to roll it out unfettered, despite the fact that a crucial judicial review on the matter is pending.

    " ;The #HomeOffice must scrap its plans to roll out further live facial recognition capacity until robust legislative safeguards are established.'

    "Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti told the BBC the technology was 'incredibly intrusive' and 'some would say this is yet another move towards a total #surveillance society'."

    Read more:
    bbc.com/news/articles/cj4wy21d

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/I2g32

    #Orwellian #UKPol #BigBrotherIsWatchingYou #ThoughtCrime #PalestineAction #Censorship #Authoritarianism

  10. #BorderPatrol Wants Advanced #AI to #Spy on American Cities

    A U.S. Border Patrol “Industry Day” deck also asks for #drones, seismic sensors, and tech that can see through walls.

    by Sam Biddle
    July 23 2025

    Excerpt: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection, flush with billions in new funding, is seeking 'advanced AI' technologies to surveil urban residential areas, increasingly sophisticated #autonomous systems, and even the ability to see through walls.

    "A CBP presentation for an 'Industry Day' summit with private sector vendors, obtained by The Intercept, lays out a detailed wish list of tech CBP hopes to purchase, like satellite connectivity for #SurveillanceTowers along the #border and improved radio communications. But it also shows that state-of-the-art, AI-augmented surveillance technologies will be central to the Trump administration’s #AntiImmigrant campaign, which will extend deep into the interior of the North American continent, hundreds of miles from international borders as commonly understood.

    "The recent passage of Trump’s sprawling flagship legislation funnels tens of billions of dollars to the #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity. While much of that funding will go to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to bolster the administration’s arrest and deportation operations, a great deal is earmarked to purchase new technology and equipment for federal offices tasked with preventing immigrants from arriving in the first place: Customs and Border Protection, which administers the country’s border surveillance apparatus, and its subsidiary, the U.S. Border Patrol.

    "One page of the presentation, describing the wishlist of Border Patrol’s Law Enforcement Operations Division, says the agency needs '#AdvancedAI to identify and track suspicious activity in urban environment [sic],' citing the 'challenges' posed by 'Dense residential areas.' What’s considered '#SuspiciousActivity' is left unmentioned.
    Customs and Border Protection did not respond to questions posed about the slides by The Intercept."

    Read more:
    theintercept.com/2025/07/23/cb

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/ohLtM

    #ThoughtCrime #PoliceDrones #AISucks #SurveillanceState #USPol #CPB #DHS #ICE #ICEKidnapping #Disappeared #Orwellian #NoPrivacy #MinorityReport #ElectronicBigBrother #BrotherEye #DoublePlusUngood #BigBrotherIsWatching #BigBrotherIsWatchingYou

  11. Tuesday, July 1, 2025

    Ukraine rebukes Slovak FM’s call to ‘perhaps forgive’ Moscow — UN analysis finds Russia responsible for 2022 Olenivka prison explosion killing Ukrainian POWs — Smashing previous monthly record, Russia launches 5,337 kamikaze drones against Ukraine during June — Russia-Iran alliance wavers as Tehran suffers major blows — China unveils its new graphite bomb; here’s how they work … and more

    activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025

  12. Team Trump Is Gaming Out How to Ship #USCitizens to #ElSalvador

    Trump officials are talking internally about #denaturalizing #AmericanCitizens — and potentially sending some to #ElSalvador

    By Nikki McCann Ramirez, Asawin Suebsaeng, Andrew Perez - April 12, 2025

    "Donald #Trump and his White House have moved to deport #GreenCard holders for espousing #ProPalestinian views, shipped hundreds of #migrants to a notorious #Salvadoran #MegaPrison without due process (in defiance of a judge’s order), and are now publicly musing about sending United States citizens to prison in El Salvador.

    "Trump said last weekend he would 'love' to send American criminals there — and would even be 'honored' to, depending on 'what the law says.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed this week that the president has discussed this idea privately, too, adding he would only do this 'if it’s legal.'

    "El Salvador’s president, #Nayi Bukele, has for months been offering to hold U.S. citizens in his country’s prison system, which he has turned into 'a judicial black hole' rife with 'systematic #torture,' as one #HumanRights advocate recently told Rolling Stone.

    "Legal experts agree that sending American citizens to prison in El Salvador would be flagrantly illegal under both U.S. and international law — and that the idea itself is shockingly #authoritarian, with few parallels in our nation’s history.

    "The Trump administration is indeed discussing this idea behind the scenes, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Rolling Stone. In their most serious form, these conversations have revolved around attempting to denaturalize American citizens and deport them to other countries, including El Salvador.

    " 'You can’t deport U.S. citizens. There’s no emergency exception, there’s no special wartime authority, there’s no secret clause. You just can’t deport citizens,' says Steve Vladeck, a legal commentator and law professor at Georgetown.

    " 'Whatever grounds they try to come up with for denaturalization or #expatriation, the one thing that is absolutely undeniable is that people are entitled to individualized processes, before that process can be effectuated.'

    "In the United States, the grounds to strip a naturalized individual of their citizenship encompass serious material offenses. They include: committing #treason or #terrorism, enlisting in a foreign military engaged in opposition to the United States, or lying in applications for citizenship or as part of the naturalization process."

    Read more:
    rollingstone.com/politics/poli

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/xliRd

    #Orwellian #Authorianism #Fascism #ICEDetention #Deportations #USPol #SilencingDissent #MemoryHoled #Disappeared

  13. Kremlin finds new enemies to target — Russians without kids

    More than a decade since #Russian lawmakers banned LGBTQ+ #propaganda, the #Kremlin's self-declared crusade for “traditional values” has found a new target — Russians who don’t want children.

    Russian State #Duma voted to outlaw support & promotion of “childfree propaganda,” effectively imposing fines on those who express such views.

    kyivindependent.com/kremlin-fi

    #dictatorship #Orwellian #dystopian #childless #authoritarian #breeders