Nostr notes by Raphael Albert

In Deutschland und Großbritannien gibt es wohl schon ...

2026-08-15T14:10:10Z

In Deutschland und Großbritannien gibt es wohl schon Initiativen, die sich dafür einsetzen, dass "smarte" Brillen wie die von Meta nicht verkauft werden dürfen.

Haben wir in Österreich auch schon solche Initiativen? Wird irgendwo gerade ein seriöses Volksbegehren vorbereitet?

Bin dankbar für jeden Tipp!
--
#Österreich #Oesterreich #Volksbegehren #PervertGlasses #BanRayBan #Datenschutz #DSGVO

"Privacy protection stifles innovation. Regulation puts such ...

2026-08-04T06:35:27Z

"Privacy protection stifles innovation. Regulation puts such a huge burden on companies. We have to think about the economy!"

If our "innovative" economy can't find ways to come up with new ideas without violating people's rights, maybe the first thing we should innovate is the economy.
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #politics

Privacy is about so much more than just keeping information ...

2026-07-26T17:42:56Z

Privacy is about so much more than just keeping information secret.

Privacy is also about being asked for permission before others use technology to interfere with our lives.

And about having a "no" accepted.

As long as some believe that they can do anything their technologies are capable of, without respecting other people's boundaries, those technologies will always be a problem rather than a solution.
--
#privacy #DataProtection #IrresponsibleTech

8 years in privacy, yes. And I don't need to be an expert on ...

2026-07-25T21:30:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…fluu
_________________________

8 years in privacy, yes. And I don't need to be an expert on building generative models to understand the concepts of training data and large scale data scraping.

Claiming that privacy doesn't protect publicly available data ...

2026-07-25T20:32:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…0xv6
_________________________

Claiming that privacy doesn't protect publicly available data is, frankly, quite ignorant. To borrow your words: If you have no idea about privacy, perhaps you should just keep your mouth shut.

So, let's see if I got the logic right: The slop bros suggest ...

2026-07-25T17:14:09Z

So, let's see if I got the logic right:

The slop bros suggest we should just walk away if we disliked their slop machines so much. But if we walk away and ask them not to follow, they will throw a tantrum because we must not exclude them.

Ahm, yes, makes perfect sense...

Please stop posting about how you're running a slop machine ...

2026-07-25T09:14:18Z

Please stop posting about how you're running a slop machine on local hardware under the privacy hashtag!

The technology is built on massive privacy violations, no matter where it's running! If someone claims that running their slop machine locally is privacy-friendly, their notion of who has a right to privacy is obviously limited to themselves!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #LLMs #SlopMachines #StopTheSlop #Slopposition #AI [sic!]

That it can be built doesn't mean it should be built. That it ...

2026-07-25T05:53:16Z

That it can be built doesn't mean it should be built.

That it exists doesn't mean that it has to be used.

That it works doesn't mean that it is good.

That it is free doesn't mean that nobody is paying a price.

A friendly reminder: When you're building some tech for ...

2026-07-24T09:43:53Z

A friendly reminder: When you're building some tech for others to use, please start thinking about privacy before you write even one line of code!

Believe me, treating privacy as one of the last boxes you have to check before your tech goes live almost always causes trouble. And it probably will make everyone involved - including you - miserable.

Building privacy-respecting tech gets easier the sooner you start thinking about it.
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #ResponsibleTech

A question to those of you with a degree in computer science or ...

2026-07-13T08:27:02Z

A question to those of you with a degree in computer science or any other field related to technology:

Did you take mandatory (!) courses on ethics and/or responsible technology?

Next time someone tells you that new technologies are always ...

2026-07-12T21:23:04Z

Next time someone tells you that new technologies are always great, ask them how they'd feel about using thorium infused toothpaste.

"But the LLMs won't just go away, right?" Says who? ...

2026-07-12T12:22:44Z

"But the LLMs won't just go away, right?"

Says who? The technology is ecologically and economically unsustainable. The people who are most enthusiastic about the slop machines are those who are trying to extract money by building or using them. The rest of us has to deal with the fallout somehow while others reap the benefits (in fictional valuations, not actual profits, mind you).

The technology is a failure. What is keeping it alive is tech bro fanaticism paired
with capitalist sociopathy.

"I don't care about privacy because I have nothing to ...

2026-07-07T12:28:12Z

"I don't care about privacy because I have nothing to hide" always misses the point.

Privacy is about being able to decide for yourself what others know about you and what they're allowed to do with what they know.

Privacy is about setting boundaries to technology and those who are building it.

Privacy is about having a say in who should get to shape our future.

A handful of billionaires (and an especially vile trillionaire)?

Or us?
--
#privacy #DataProtection

I wish I had just 0,1% of Big Tech's combined marketing and ...

2026-07-05T19:54:23Z

I wish I had just 0,1% of Big Tech's combined marketing and lobbying budgets to spend on telling people why techno-capitalism harms us. Imagine what could be done with so much money...

For background, please read @npub1ezr…2hxu's deep dive: ...

2026-06-30T18:24:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…gwp4
_________________________

For background, please read noyb.eu (npub1ezr…2hxu)'s deep dive: https://noyb.eu/en/us-supreme-court-just-blew-eu-us-data-transfers

Another Cassandra moment for many privacy professionals. What we ...

2026-06-30T18:11:27Z

Another Cassandra moment for many privacy professionals.

What we have been warning about for a while now is finally happening: whatever remained of the legal framework for sending personal data to the United States is in shambles due to a recent Supreme Court decision.

Companies, if you haven't cut ties with US-based services by now, brace yourselves for trouble and a great deal of uncertainty.

P.S.: We told you so!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #DataPrivacyFramework

The Austrian state secretary for digital transformation appears ...

2026-06-28T21:19:12Z

The Austrian state secretary for digital transformation appears to suffer from the current heat wave combined with severe slopitis. His latest strategy for digital sovereignty: somehow relocate Anthropic to Europe.

People at Anthropic HQ must be rolling on the floor laughing, that is, if they even heard anything about our politician's great new idea. 🤦‍♂️
--
#StopTheSlop #Slopposition #Austria #politics

As expected, the data broker I filed a successful complaint ...

2026-06-16T09:03:58Z

As expected, the data broker I filed a successful complaint against for not giving me any information when they took my data from an Austrian company register appealed the data protection authority's decision.

Now, the administrative court will decide. This will make a proceeding that already took more than two years even longer.

Yes, we have an enforcement issue when it comes to digital privacy protection!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #litigation #DataBrokers

We'd rather ban people from using harmful tech than force ...

2026-06-16T07:54:37Z

We'd rather ban people from using harmful tech than force those who built it the way it is on purpose to make it safe for everyone.

That's what government by politicians, without the people, and for the capitalists looks like.

Ridiculous how the inflated valuation of a meager percentage of a ...

2026-06-13T13:18:26Z

Ridiculous how the inflated valuation of a meager percentage of a person's company can make them a "trillionaire" in our current system. If capitalism weren't harming 99.99% of us in some way or another, its utter stupidity would actually be quite funny.

Are any of you at FMR26 (https://linzfmr.at) in Linz this week? ...

2026-06-02T18:26:49Z

Are any of you at FMR26 (https://linzfmr.at) in Linz this week? If so, who would be up for a Fedi meeting?
--
#FMR2026 #Linz #Austria #festivals

This should not come as a surprise to anyone, but it needed a ...

2026-05-29T21:56:51Z

This should not come as a surprise to anyone, but it needed a decision by the Austrian data protection authority nonetheless:

Data brokers have to provide proper information when they scrape someone's data from a company register. They cannot claim to have done so by having a privacy notice on their website. Neither does the exemption for situations in which information would require unreasonable effort apply to them.

From a case recently won by yours truly.
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR

German outlets are reporting about a study done by lobbyists that ...

2026-05-26T19:34:15Z

German outlets are reporting about a study done by lobbyists that (miraculously) found that businesses are unhappy with the GDPR.

Obviously, this still hasn't been said enough: the GDPR's purpose isn't making businesses happy! Its purpose is to protect our rights. It's necessary because far too many businesses won't respect our privacy unless they're forced to!

If running their business responsibly is such a huge burden for them, maybe they should let someone else do it.
--
#privacy #GDPR

Nostr event nevent1qqst6lzsl3552aav0lmkfcdut3tjnaxc98060q9u8p0hfvmw32v3rjqzyppndct3fyzmv3kxjrskpl6lea0j82d5dqhd5dcvcz9v9f4zfp4scch2tcf

2026-05-25T20:56:40Z

Twenty-twenty-six: Big Tech Bro is Watching You!

We are not customers, users, subscribers, members, or followers. ...

2026-05-24T09:35:48Z

We are not customers, users, subscribers, members, or followers. We are human beings, and we have a right to be treated as such!

Don't let the capitalists take that away from you!

On Saturday, I'll be talking at AMRO about why the European ...

2026-05-11T05:41:21Z

On Saturday, I'll be talking at AMRO about why the European Commission's plan to soften privacy regulation for slop machines is a bad idea that will harm us all eventually.

If you're in Linz at 10:00 a.m. and interested, please come and join the discussion. If you're not around, there will be a live stream (at dorftv.at).

Also, please have a look at all the other great contributions to AMRO!

Festival programme: https://radical-openness.org/en/program/2026
--
#AMRO26 #privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #LLMs

No I don't. I do see a problem with the technology itself ...

2026-04-10T17:51:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…ajj6
_________________________

No I don't. I do see a problem with the technology itself (being aware of the many nuances between different kinds of machine learning applications) as well as the circumstances under which it is created and deployed, the set of values that is built into it, the effects it has on the environment, on working people (referring especially to reinforcement learning from human feedback), the environment, and the economy.

So no, I won't blame people for "just not doing it right".
Bilal Barakat 🍉 (npub1hh8…0cqv)

I'm still waiting for someone to name a single improvement to ...

2026-04-10T07:24:20Z

I'm still waiting for someone to name a single improvement to society brought by (and requiring) the slop machines. And I mean to society, not just to their lazy individual existence. That they don't have to write their own emails any more doesn't count!
--
#LLMs #StopTheSlop #Slopposition

Please make a screenshot of all the comments and send it to your ...

2026-04-09T15:26:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…zwd5
_________________________

Please make a screenshot of all the comments and send it to your superior. Ask them to send it to their superiors, until it reaches those in charge.

Here are people who know a thing or two about tech begging you to stop your PR and listen for once!

We can't afford to fall for every snake oil grift US Big Tech throws at us! We need the EU and those in charge to be really smart now, because as others have written, there's a lot at stake! Dare to resist the hype, for all our sakes!

Dislike for the slop machine runs deep among you excellent people ...

2026-04-06T20:13:57Z

Dislike for the slop machine runs deep among you excellent people of the Fediverse! And I adore all of you for it!

Please know that each of your posts gives me hope that together, we can resist this mess!

So please stay loud, persistent, and ungovernable!

When it comes to the European Union's tech regulation, the ...

2026-04-04T17:38:14Z

When it comes to the European Union's tech regulation, the shepherds are once more asking the predators how to protect the herd.

I'm not surprised that Microslop's Outlook failed on the ...

2026-04-03T12:30:49Z

I'm not surprised that Microslop's Outlook failed on the Artemis II mission, but I am surprised that it worked (slightly) longer than the toilet.

Data protection rights are protecting consumers too. You might ...

2026-03-15T10:35:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…jvxm
_________________________

Data protection rights are protecting consumers too. You might want to remember that while you're pushing for your Digital Omnibus to be enacted.

Nostr event nevent1qqsgp2u5xgjk57mp4w5fuqvyjn68yhyw83wtmut2ud64cs5ju3l540qzyppndct3fyzmv3kxjrskpl6lea0j82d5dqhd5dcvcz9v9f4zfp4sc8czhe0

2026-02-24T20:42:07Z

Move fast and break your inbox, right?

So Sam Altman's response to concerns about the wastefulness ...

2026-02-22T19:14:31Z

So Sam Altman's response to concerns about the wastefulness of his company's technology is basically "Well, raising humans consumes a lot of energy too!"

Either he has finally fried his own brain with his slop machine or he doesn't even bother any more to hide the degrading, dehumanizing, and despicable mindset that fuels the industry he's in.

Either way, those people shouldn't wield any power in the real world, where the rest of us 'dispensable humans' dwell.
--
#StopTheSlop #LLMs #OpenAI

I wish people would stop using the "but there are legitimate ...

2026-02-21T13:58:10Z

I wish people would stop using the "but there are legitimate use cases" argument to recommend some slop machine to me.

I won't use it! I will stop listening to them! I won't even listen to anything else they might have to say unless they are able to make a convincing case how Slop-enAI (and its ilk) will ever stop roasting the planet, rotting our brains, and burning money in any other way than by going bankrupt.

I'm so exhausted by the Slop Mania!
--
#LLMs #StopTheSlop

I'm sure many of you have had some variation of the "I ...

2026-02-06T10:54:30Z

I'm sure many of you have had some variation of the "I don't care about my privacy because I have nothing to hide!" conversation with other people.

I'm curious, how do you respond to that? Let's collect some talking points and inspire each other!

My typical response is a variation of "Privacy isn't just about hiding something. It's about being able to decide for yourself what others know about you and what they do with that knowledge."
--
#privacy #DataProtection

Far too many companies: "Data protection laws are a failure ...

2026-02-06T09:41:31Z

Far too many companies: "Data protection laws are a failure because they're making our business harder! We need deregulation!!"

Dear companies,
data protection laws are meant to protect people's human rights, not to facilitate your business!
Their sucess isn't measured in how much you like them, but in how well they're protecting people from you. And honestly, judging by how careless some of you treat other people's personal data, this protection is necessary!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR

In a sad way, slop is emblematic of our time. Without humanity ...

2026-01-23T21:56:03Z

In a sad way, slop is emblematic of our time. Without humanity and beauty. Actively undermining societal values. Worthless. Made to be consumed within seconds and last only an instant. Created at the cost of our wellbeing and the environment. Forced upon every aspect of our lives by capitalists solely for their profit.

We really need different times!

European politicians were absolutely willing to monitor our ...

2026-01-06T18:32:24Z

European politicians were absolutely willing to monitor our private messages to fight CSAM, but closing their accounts on a platform that offers CSAM as a service is too much to ask?

What am I missing here?

Whenever someone asks me for my LinkedIn details, I give them the ...

2026-01-02T21:54:49Z

Whenever someone asks me for my LinkedIn details, I give them the same reply:

"I'm a privacy professional. If I were a pulmonologist, I wouldn't advertise on cigarette packs either."

Always get's them startled.

European tech companies should demand stronger regulation, ...

2025-12-31T17:57:09Z

European tech companies should demand stronger regulation, especially on privacy!

Why? Because it would give them an advantage over their US-based competitors, who are neither willing nor able to operate under strict rules.

That's why the European Commission's Digital Omnibus package is such a bad idea. Weak regulation doesn't create a level playing field for all. It benefits the big and powerful players more than anyone else!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #DigitalOmnibus

One of the "innovations" I hate most are cameras on ...

2025-12-26T11:14:10Z

One of the "innovations" I hate most are cameras on phones. Don't debate me, I am prepared to die on this hill!

Please don't take pictures of people without their consent!

Please don't point your phone's camera at other people's faces, even when you're not taking pictures!

And please remind those who are not using their phone's camera responsibly why they should!

Thank you for caring about everyone's privacy!
--
#privacy #DataProtection

"[...] the business model behind AI relies on brute force: ...

2025-12-24T10:43:26Z

"[...] the business model behind AI relies on brute force: capture massive reserves of data by any means possible, throw tons of resource-intensive processing power at that data, and gin up public support with wondrous tales (your AI) and scary stories (their AI). This is a far cry from the idea that innovation works in mysterious ways."

From Jathan Sadowski's "The Mechanic and the Luddite: A Ruthless Criticism of Technology and Capitalism" (2025), p. 93
--
#LLMs #IrresponsibleTech

In Austria (maybe among other places), something - let's say ...

2025-12-22T17:58:26Z

In Austria (maybe among other places), something - let's say a field of study - that is deemed to have litle to no economic value is often labelled "orchid".

Of course, capitalism cannot appreciate something for just being beautiful (or interesting). If it cannot be commodified, it must be worthless.

Although the label is meant derogatory, I like the symbolism. Because appreciating something like beauty for its own sake, without needing it to have value, is a pretty anti-capitalistic message.

"LLMs won't go away, so we better start using them to ...

2025-12-19T22:01:56Z

"LLMs won't go away, so we better start using them to make them less harmful" is as about as smart as "my house is burning down, so I better pour some gasoline into the flames so that it will be over quicker."

John Mastodon knows the last digit of pi.

2025-12-18T14:27:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…gzak
_________________________

John Mastodon knows the last digit of pi.

Today I had the opportunity to talk to a group of digital ...

2025-12-15T11:17:14Z

Today I had the opportunity to talk to a group of digital literacy teachers about the privacy issues related to Microsoft, Google, and other big tech companies in education.

I couldn't have wished for a better audience! Still lots to do, but today was a start!

Want to protect children? Protect their privacy from techno-capitalism!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #education

Whenever I'm about to post something, I'll ask myself if ...

2025-12-11T07:39:03Z

Whenever I'm about to post something, I'll ask myself if it would get me denied entry at the US-border.

If the answer is yes, I'll hit the post-button at least twice.

@npub1m96…ag4y Are you still on X after what the company's ...

2025-12-07T13:31:07Z

European Commission (npub1m96…ag4y)
Are you still on X after what the company's self-proclaimed god-king recently tweeted?

Every time I ditch another piece of irresponsible and ...

2025-12-05T06:57:37Z

Every time I ditch another piece of irresponsible and exploitative tech I get this wonderful feeling of being liberated from something that shouldn't have entered my life in the first place.

We all should feel that way more often!

Them: "I don't want regulation to mess up my ...

2025-11-29T17:01:34Z

Them: "I don't want regulation to mess up my business!"

Me: "Well, I don't want your business to mess up my life!"

Them: "Consider what having to comply with the GDPR means for ...

2025-11-22T19:50:55Z

Them: "Consider what having to comply with the GDPR means for small and mid-sized businesses!"

Me: "Consider what having small and mid-sized businnesses not complying with the GDPR means for all of us!"

I'm so tired of discussing digital privacy primarily from the point of view of companies, as businesses have always done and many politicians are increasingly doing.

We're talking about a human right! Our right! Don't let them frame it any other way!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR

The European Commission wants more techno-capitalist ...

2025-11-21T05:29:39Z

The European Commission wants more techno-capitalist "innovation", and we all have to pay for it with our privacy.

We must stop the Digital Omnibus!
--
#DigitalOmnibus #GDPR #privacy #DataProtection

Dear companies, your right to do business isn't more ...

2025-11-20T15:36:02Z

Dear companies,
your right to do business isn't more important than anyone else's right not to be bothered by you doing business!

And by the way, we must stop the Digital Omnibus!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR

I don't know what worries me more: that more and more ...

2025-11-19T06:03:40Z

I don't know what worries me more: that more and more politicians are falling for hollow LLM marketing promises or that they apparently want to have the world we would live in if those promises were true.
--
#LLMs #IrresponsibleTech

Tomorrow, the European Commission will show whom they are ...

2025-11-18T09:54:54Z

Tomorrow, the European Commission will show whom they are representing. Us? Or big tech and slop machine makers?

European Commission (npub1m96…ag4y) , who is it going to be? The people with votes are waiting for your decision.

Either way, the leaked Digital Omnibus proposal should cause serious alarm. It is a sad reminder that we cannot rely on politicians to always make the the right choices when it comes to protecting our privacy.
--
#DigitalOmnibus #GDPR #privacy #DataProtection

I agree so much with what you wrote! We have to keep the LLMs out ...

2025-11-15T08:46:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…udjp
_________________________

I agree so much with what you wrote! We have to keep the LLMs out of education!

Em :official_verified: (npub1gmn…zh7q)

Them: "But you won't be able to compete once AI is widely ...

2025-11-15T08:23:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…g3te
_________________________

Them: "But you won't be able to compete once AI is widely adopted!"

Me: "I have this great thing that will help me. It's called a brain. You know, it even works offline and I don't have to make myself dependent on some corporation to use it."

The European Commission is currently acting in the proud ...

2025-11-13T12:58:41Z

The European Commission is currently acting in the proud tradition of people like those who once decided that it would be such a great and innovative idea to put asbestos into buildings.

History won't judge them kindly! Unless, of course, the slop-induced brain rot will make people unlearn who we have to thank for the mess we will be in.
--
#digitalOmnibus #privacy #dataProtection #GDPR

Imagine what a wonderful world we could build if we weren't ...

2025-11-11T15:59:10Z

Imagine what a wonderful world we could build if we weren't so occupied with having to keep others from destroying it.

We need to oppose the European Commission's digital omnibus ...

2025-11-10T16:38:04Z

We need to oppose the European Commission's digital omnibus disaster! We need to oppose it loudly and immediately!

Not only is the leaked proposal an outright attack on our digital privacy rights. The Commission would also set whatever will be left of the GDPR up to fail eventually.

noyb.eu (npub1ezr…2hxu) has summarized why an how the digital omnibus will harm people, you can read their article here: https://noyb.eu/en/eu-commission-about-wreck-core-principles-gdpr
--
#digitalOmnibus #GDPR #privacy #dataProtection

The European Commission's solution to companies' ...

2025-11-10T09:57:14Z

The European Commission's solution to companies' malicious compliance when asking for consent before they track people online?

Stop requiring them to ask.
--
#digitalOmnibus #GDPR #privacy #dataProtection

The @npub1m96…ag4y wants to offer our digital privacy to ...

2025-11-09T10:40:31Z

The European Commission (npub1m96…ag4y) wants to offer our digital privacy to slop-machine-makers on a silver platter!

Why are they forcing us to enable those who are harming so many of us? Do we really need more irresponsible and dangerous tech in our lives? And for what? So that the European Union can have their share of economic turmoil once this awful bubble bursts?

This is wrong, plain and simple!
--
#omnibus #GDPR #privacy #LLMs #irresponsibleTech #humanRights

There are so many people out there working countless hours to ...

2025-11-07T15:24:29Z

There are so many people out there working countless hours to protect everyone's privacy. And believe me when I say that big tech and other irresponsible businesses are making the effort hard enough already.
The last thing we need right now are politicians who, apparently caving in to business interests, want to erode our privacy rights.

No politician in support of this can claim to represent the interests of the people! We must hold each and every one of them and their parties accountable!

Dear @npub1m96…ag4y, maybe try to put people's fundamental ...

2025-11-07T15:08:13Z

Dear European Commission (npub1m96…ag4y), maybe try to put people's fundamental rights before business interests and leave our digital privacy alone!

Thank you!

https://netzpolitik.org/2025/digitaler-omnibus-eu-kommission-strebt-offenbar-kahlschlag-beim-datenschutz-an-update/

The tragedy of tech regulation: Politicians, who usually know ...

2025-11-01T13:30:37Z

The tragedy of tech regulation:
Politicians, who usually know little about tech, make their decisions based on the advice of lobbyists and marketers, who are selling tech, while ignoring experts, who are devoting their lives to knowing as much as possible about tech.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything!

Dear politicians, it's okay that you don't know everything. But please start listening to those who know better instead of those who are just selling!
--
#tech #politics #regulation

It feels so great that I hadn't even noticed until I read ...

2025-10-29T17:57:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…fydh
_________________________

It feels so great that I hadn't even noticed until I read your post. 🙃

Since the techno-capitalists are so eager to know everything ...

2025-10-13T19:40:50Z

Since the techno-capitalists are so eager to know everything about us, let's make sure they learn what we're capable of.

Let's be the biggest nuisances we can possibly be! Let's exercise our privacy rights persistently and frequently! Let's educate others why and how to avoid them! Let's call them out for what they are at every occasion!

Even the little things we can do count at scale!
--
#privacy #DataProtection #IrresponsibleTech

Friends don't let friends use probabilistic tech for ...

2025-10-08T09:49:03Z

Friends don't let friends use probabilistic tech for deterministic tasks!

I can see two successful business models built on LLMs: scams and ...

2025-09-07T15:16:49Z

I can see two successful business models built on LLMs: scams and workshops in which someone who usually knows next to nothing about the tech and its capabilities tells other people to use LLMs for basically everything.

Well, I guess it's actually only one successful business model.
--
#LLMs #IrresponsibleTech #business

I'm back at my office, but I'll have this view on my mind ...

2025-09-06T18:07:16Z

I'm back at my office, but I'll have this view on my mind for another while.

The other day at the office: "Hey Mr. privacy consultant, ...

2025-08-22T10:17:26Z

The other day at the office:

"Hey Mr. privacy consultant, what's the big deal about drafting a privacy notice for our website? Can't you just let ChatGPT do it?!"

No, I can't. No, I won't. And no, we won't be working together.

LLMs are harmful. Not just because of their output, but also ...

2025-08-19T21:04:11Z

LLMs are harmful. Not just because of their output, but also because of the output their owners explicitly design them not to produce.

For example, try asking Meta's LLM what the company does to prevent their tech from having inappropriate conversations with minors and see corporate censorship in action.
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#IrresponsibleTech #LLMs #Meta

Actually, I have an awful lot to hide. Not because I am a ...

2025-08-17T22:37:59Z

Actually, I have an awful lot to hide.

Not because I am a criminal or a tax-evading billionaire, but because I'm a human being.

I am more than just a data mine. I refuse to be reduced to a source of digital commodities. I refuse to be valued at anyone's ad-revenue.

I have a right to decide what others should know about me. And I have a right to know what they will do with what they know.

That's why I have a lot to hide. Not because I must, but because I want to.
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#privacy #DataProtection

Adding another layer to your personal privacy protection is truly ...

2025-08-16T17:59:40Z

Adding another layer to your personal privacy protection is truly satisfying. Believe me!

Want to know how? Get some great advice from Em :official_verified: (npub1gmn…zh7q)'s article on Privacy Guides (npub1dm2…7754):

https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/07/24/privacy-is-like-broccoli/#tools-and-services-you-can-start-using
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#privacy #DataProtection

Today is a very good day to go out and remind someone that LLMs ...

2025-08-13T21:12:05Z

Today is a very good day to go out and remind someone that LLMs aren't 'thinking' but merely calculating.

As is tomorrow.

And the day after.
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#LLMs #SimulatedIntelligence #IrresponsibleTech #technology #tech

I feel you! :) You're absolutely right, of course. Part of ...

2025-08-09T13:31:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…5qfz
_________________________

I feel you! :) You're absolutely right, of course.

Part of why I chose to use their assumption for my post was to argue that even if they were right on the capabilities of their tech, the consequences would be far from what they're trying to sell.

True, but I think the thought experiment is still relevant, given ...

2025-08-09T13:10:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…csqj
_________________________

True, but I think the thought experiment is still relevant, given that techno-capitalism keeps pushing in that direction.
I think it's important to ask ourselves what the brave new world their marketing departments are trying to sell would actually be like.

Assuming that there will be an AI one day that is able to solve ...

2025-08-09T12:49:52Z

Assuming that there will be an AI one day that is able to solve most of our problems for us, what would that make of us? Would our lives be degraded to finding more and more problems, which we wouldn't be able to solve ourselves without the machine any more? Would our role be reduced to feeding tasks to the machine and consuming its output?

Who would we be, how would we feel, in a world of problems without being able to do anything about it?

I really don't like AI.

A friend asked me what my goal was, given that things like genAI, ...

2025-08-08T08:40:54Z

A friend asked me what my goal was, given that things like genAI, surveillance based advertising, and corporate social media wouldn't just go away.
That got me thinking. They were probably right, we might not be able to rid ourselves of all the abominations techno-capitalism keeps throwing at us.
But I had an answer anyway.
My goal is to preserve an alternative way of life for as many people as possible, for as long as possible.

Is Austria still opposing or at least neutral though? The ...

2025-07-31T07:51:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…jvv5
_________________________

Is Austria still opposing or at least neutral though? The Austrian government appears to be very open to surveillance these days.

I know. Eventually, I'll be branded Luddite and cast out with ...

2025-07-23T13:50:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…0lyw
_________________________

I know. Eventually, I'll be branded Luddite and cast out with all the ancient feature phones that would still work if someone switched them on.

A bold new marketing advice, free of charge for the companies out ...

2025-07-23T13:26:20Z

A bold new marketing advice, free of charge for the companies out there: Offer products and services that actually solve people's problems instead of paying those who invade their privacy online!
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#privacy #DataProtection #marketing #business

When I chose to study law at the innocent age of 19, I still had ...

2025-07-22T15:59:09Z

When I chose to study law at the innocent age of 19, I still had the naïve notion that legal practice would be a logical, almost mechanical exercise. I thought that courts and authorities were always neutral, objective actors staffed with people who would apply the law dispassionately and base their decissions on their profound knowledge about the subject matters in question.
Those among you who have legal experience are probably shaking their heads violently by now. So am I.

I'll get myself a t-shirt for startup-events that says ...

2025-07-22T09:08:03Z

I'll get myself a t-shirt for startup-events that says "Responsibility should be your baseline, not your marketing strategy!" 🙄

As a child I was taught that it's rude to point my finger at ...

2025-07-18T11:46:02Z

As a child I was taught that it's rude to point my finger at someone. I wish people nowadays were taught that it's also rude to point their phone's camera at somebody's face, even if they're not taking a photo or filming (taking someone's picture or filming them without consent would be more than just rude).

I wish more people would be considerate enough to just tilt their phones a bit when using them in public.
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#privacy

I agree! What concerns me is how people's reactions have ...

2025-07-11T15:57:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…pnm2
_________________________

I agree!
What concerns me is how people's reactions have changed. Google's spyglasses provoked serious pushback, including a very fitting name for those who were wearing them. I miss this kind of resistance now when it comes to Meta's spyglasses.

No my dear US-company, your tech is not GDPR-compliant just ...

2025-07-11T13:16:43Z

No my dear US-company, your tech is not GDPR-compliant just because you're having a few servers in Ireland. Putting it on your website doesn't make it true.
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#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #USTech

If a company uses '123456' as a password, they ...

2025-07-10T17:13:53Z

If a company uses '123456' as a password, they shouldn't be allowed to use computers. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not even in some distant future.

Give them typewriters instead.

Digital transformation means that people, who know little about ...

2025-07-08T08:12:54Z

Digital transformation means that people, who know little about technology, use technology to spy on other people, who know little about technology.
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#privacy #DataProtection #BigTech #SurveillanceCapitalism

If you know anyone in the European Union who is seriously ...

2025-07-04T20:11:07Z

If you know anyone in the European Union who is seriously considering buying Meta's spyglasses, please remind them that using those privacy nightmares would make them a controller according to the GDPR. They'd be responsible for ensuring full compliance with our privacy laws, which - surprise, surprise - will be impossible.

Please tell them to save themselves and everyone around them the trouble and give the money to any NGO instead.
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#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #Meta #BanRayBan

The EU-US Data Privacy Framework stipulates purpose limitation as ...

2025-07-04T17:38:03Z

The EU-US Data Privacy Framework stipulates purpose limitation as a principle for the use of personal data that is transferred to US entities (article 5 letter a). Which means that data that is collected for some purpose, let's say having a social media profile, cannot be used for another (incompatible) purpose, such as LLM training.
It also states that an entity that keeps violating those principles should loose its certification.

So why is Meta still certified?!
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#privacy #GDPR #Meta

Whenever you're building new tech, please seek privacy advice ...

2025-07-02T20:18:31Z

Whenever you're building new tech, please seek privacy advice right from the start. Not as a last step before deployment.

Privacy people want to make your tech better! For you, your customers, and everybody else. But they can only do so if you make them part of your project, not just some final to-do on your checklist.
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#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #tech

A reminder that Meta - the company that comes up with new and ...

2025-06-30T18:34:25Z

A reminder that Meta - the company that comes up with new and "innovative" privacy violations on a weekly basis - is still certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

The current system doesn't work!
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#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #BigTech #SurveillanceCapitalism #Meta

Ich suche Lehrpersonen, die an österreichischen Schulen digitale ...

2025-06-23T12:12:55Z

Ich suche Lehrpersonen, die an österreichischen Schulen digitale Grundbildung unterrichten, und sich mit mir darüber austauschen möchten.

Bitte teilen. Danke! :)
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#Schule #Unterricht #DigitaleGrundbildung #Österreich

I wonder why those who claim that they don't care about their ...

2025-06-20T00:36:05Z

I wonder why those who claim that they don't care about their privacy because they have "nothing to hide" never let me go through their browser history when I ask them. 🤔

(1/2) Austria's supplementary data protection laws are ...

2025-06-19T16:15:13Z

(1/2) Austria's supplementary data protection laws are seriously flawed in many ways.
For example, section 24(6) of the Austrian data protection act ("Datenschutzgesetz") apparently allows controllers to grant access or delete personal data during ongoing complaint proceedings against them. Instead of still being sanctioned for taking their sweet time doing what the GDPR requires them to do, they can even end those proceedings with their belated action.
->
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#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR

Next time someone criticizes you for being privacy-minded, please ...

2025-06-19T11:48:36Z

Next time someone criticizes you for being privacy-minded, please remember what Em :official_verified: (npub1gmn…zh7q) wrote in her latest article for Privacy Guides (npub1dm2…7754):

"When we know a service, platform, or product doesn't respect our privacy rights, we should feel proud to take a stand and refuse to use it ourselves, even if everyone else uses it (for now)."

Read the full article here: https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/17/you-can-say-no/

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#privacy #DataProtection #GDPR #SurveillanceCapitalism

It should be possible to claim compensation for intellectual pain ...

2025-06-12T10:25:53Z

It should be possible to claim compensation for intellectual pain caused by being forced to read the legal submissions of opponents who are obviously clueless and unable to produce any argument other than "We have done nothing wrong! Believe us, pretty please?"