The Crazy Week That Was
A round up of all the things
This was a crazy week. I feel like I say that every week, but this one really was - and not just because Trump got indicted.
I feel like everyone was rushing to do all the events, all the hearings, all the panels, and all the stories before Congress went on recess. I’m exhausted. I spent most of yesterday just catching up on the recordings of the things I couldn’t attend or watch live.
So, I’m exhausted. And it’s why there’s only one newsletter this week.
I hope you’ll forgive me that I’m just doing a link round-up. Any one of these stories could be their own newsletter - and likely will be. But right now, I need to recharge a bit, so I’m going to go visit my favorite juice shop since BluePrint went out of business - Greenheart - because I desperately need to reset my body after eating absolutely horrible this week, get some lunch and hang out with friends this weekend. Oh, and hopefully not blow away. DC is expected to have wind gusts up to 60mph.
PS: For my Swiftie readers, last night’s concert in Texas has Swifties going nuts because she not only changed up the set list, but she wore a different shirt for 22 with new words in red (clearly going to be a secret message) and told everyone to expect the unexpected. Not that I was watching some of it live or anything. 😀
Have a great weekend, and rest up. Things are only going to get crazier.
What I’m Reading
NOTE: The outlet and headline were pulled using ChatGPT. Summaries written by me.
🇺🇸 American Politics
Kyle Tharp at
is right - online campaigning in 2024 will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. I think there will be tools campaigns use in the general that aren’t even invented when the primaries begin. It’s both exciting and terrifying.FWIW - America is unprepared for the 2024 political internet
Associated Press - Trump charts new course with videos, policy speeches as 2024 looms
The New York Times - A Campaign Aide Didn’t Write That Email. A.I. Did
Marketing Brew - Video ads remain king among political advertisers
💻. Tech Industry
Per usual, a lot is happening across all the platforms, but I particularly want to point your attention to the DC tour that new YouTube CEO Neal Mohan did. At the Axios What’s Next event, Sara Fischer asked him about YouTube’s thought process in letting Trump back on the platform. It’s the most the platform has ever said about the topic - and he still doesn’t say much. I’m biased, but I appreciate that Casey Newton pointed out how Facebook has been methodical in this process, and YouTube hasn’t. I used Otter.ai to transcribe that interview and what Mohan said at the Summit for Democracies should anyone not want to watch the clips.
Axios What’s Next - A conversation with Sara Fischer and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan
Reuters - Tesla's Musk planning visit to China, seeking meeting with premier - sources
Google Ads Blog - Announcing the Launch of the New Ads Transparency Center
Reuters - East Europe governments urge tech firms to fight disinformation
Facebook Newsroom - News Industry Reaps Considerable Economic Benefit from Facebook
Rest of World - How and when Facebook decides to break its own moderation rules
The New York Times - Twitter Source Code Leak Raises Security Concerns
TechCrunch - Twitter alternative T2 launches new verification program, hires Discord engineering head as CTO.
Reuters - Meta, Google defend Brazilian law on internet platform responsibility for content
🏛️ Summit for Democracy
Google Public Policy Blog - Protecting and Advancing Democracy Online
Facebook Newsroom - How Meta is Advancing Democracy
Microsoft On the Issues Blog - Media Viability Accelerator: A Partnership to Strengthen Independent Media Around the World
The White House - Fact Sheet: Advancing Technology for Democracy at Home and Abroad
The White House - Fact Sheet: The Biden-Harris Administration's Abiding Commitment to Democratic Renewal at Home and Abroad
☑️ Elections
Reuters - Mexico government to challenge Supreme Court suspension of electoral reform
Financial Times - Meta bosses look at political ads ban in Europe
🤖 Artificial Intelligence
Google AI Blog - A Shared Agenda for Responsible AI Progress
Brookings - Comparing Google Bard with OpenAI’s ChatGPT on political bias, facts, and morality
The Information - Google, OpenAI, and the Coming Copyright Storm
💃 TikTok
I don’t agree with Senator Rand Paul on a lot of things, but his floor speech this week on why banning TikTok was a bad idea on first amendment grounds is worth watching. I dare say it had some hints of Sorkin-ism to it.
The Washington Post - Rand Paul blocks Josh Hawley’s bid to ban TikTok in GOP split
Politico - The campaign to save TikTok has been years in the making
The Washington Post - Popular Apps With Chinese Ties Can Gather More Data Than TikTok
The Hill - How could a TikTok ban be enforced?
The New York Times - Lemon8: The TikTok Creator Who Keeps It Real
The New York Times - What’s Hot on TikTok? Defending Its C.E.O.
🏛️ Congress
Punchbowl News - From Big Tech to Bragg, Republicans investigate away
The House Judiciary Committee is continuing its investigation into Big Tech’s content moderation policies. Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft and Meta have begun producing documents in compliance with the March 23 deadline. But negotiations are still ongoing between the Big Tech companies and the panel, a committee spokesperson told us. The Judiciary Committee is considering holding a document status hearing in the future, and we’re told everything is on the table when it comes to compliance — including a potential contempt resolution.
Senator Ted Cruz - Sen. Cruz Wants Big Tech Giants to Give Answers on Coordination with Government Officials
Calendar
🚨🚨 NEW 🚨🚨
April 3, 2023: Colombia Law School - Demystifying Content Moderation
April 19 - 23, 2023: International Journalism Festival
April 28 - 29, 2023: Knight First Amendment Institute - Optimizing for What? Algorithmic Amplification and Society
By May 12 - Meta response on spirit of the policy decisions
June 5, 2023 - The European Commission, European parliament and EU member states are due to agree a final definition for political advertising
Mid-September: All Tech Is Human - Responsible Tech Summit NYC
Topics to keep an eye on:
Facebook 2020 election research
TV shows about Facebook - Doomsday Machine and second season of Super Pumped
April 3, 2023: Colombia Law School - Demystifying Content Moderation
April 19 - 23, 2023: International Journalism Festival
April 28 - 29, 2023: Knight First Amendment Institute - Optimizing for What? Algorithmic Amplification and Society
April 30, 2023 - Benin Election
April 30, 2023 - Paraguay Election
April 2023 - Andorra Election
April 2023 - Finland Election
April 2023 - Montenegro Election
May 7, 2023 - Thailand Election
May 10 - 12, 2023 - All Things in Moderation Conference
By May 12 - Meta response on spirit of the policy decisions
May 15-16: Copenhagen Democracy Summit
June 5-9: RightsCon
June 5, 2023 - The European Commission, European parliament and EU member states are due to agree a final definition for political advertising
June 24 - June 30: Aspen Ideas Festival
June 24, 2023 - Sierra Leone Election
June 25, 2023 - Guatemala Election
June 25, 2023 -Turkey Election
TBD June: DFR Lab 360/OS
July 11-13, 2023 - TrustCon
July 2023 - Cambodia Election
July 2023 - Timor-Leste Election
July 2023 - Zimbabwe Election
August 6, 2023 - Greece Election
August 2023 - Eswatini Election
August 2023 - First GOP Presidential Primary Debate
Mid-September: All Tech Is Human - Responsible Tech Summit NYC
September 27-29, 2023: Athens Democracy Forum
TBD September: Atlantic Festival
TBD September: Unfinished Live
September 2023 - Mauritania Election
September 28-29, 2023 - Trust & Safety Research Conference
October 8 - 12: Internet Governance Forum - Japan
October 10, 2023 - Liberia Election
October 12, 2023 - Pakistan Election
October 14, 2023 - New Zealand Election
October 22, 2023 - Switzerland Election
October 2023 - Argentina Election
October 2023 - Luxembourg Election
October 2023 - Oman Election
November 12, 2023 - Poland Election
November 20, 2023 - Marshall Islands Election
November 29, 2023 - Ukraine Election
November 2023 - Bhutan Election
November 2023 - Gabon Election
November 2023 - Rwanda Election
December 10, 2023 - Spain Election
December 2023 - Bangladesh Election
December 2023 - Democratic Republic of the Congo Election
December 2023 - Togo Election
TBD - Belarus Election
TBD - Cuba Election
TBD - Equatorial Guinea Election
TBD - Guinea Election
TBD - Madagascar Election
TBD - Maldives Election
TBD - Myanmar Election
TBD - Singapore Election
TBD - South Sudan Election - (Unlikely to happen)
TBD - Turkmenistan Election
TBD - Tuvalu
TBD - Haiti
July 15-18, 2024 - Republican National Convention