Olives @olives@qoto.org

https://www.woodhullfoundation.org/get-involved/stop-kosa/

"Instead, this bill poses a serious threat to our fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and access to information. The requirement for online platforms to censor content deemed “inappropriate” for minors will stifle the free exchange of ideas and information that is vital for our democracy."

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ald-jim-gardiner-fined-20000-retaliation/

"The Chicago Board of Ethics has fined Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) $20,000, after finding probable cause he committed 10 ethics violations, by retaliating against a constituent who frequently criticized him.

In July, the Chicago Inspector General's office found Gardiner "directed City employees to issue unfounded citations for overgrown weeds and rodents to the home of a constituent who had been publicly critical of the alderperson."

Although Gardiner was not specifically named in the report, the inspector general's report said he went ahead with plans to have the constituent cited, even after being told the plants in his yard were legal.

Those citations could have cost his constituent $600, but they were ultimately thrown out by a judge."

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/10/31/court-tells-cops-that-a-driver-not-laughing-at-an-officers-terrible-joke-is-not-reasonable-suspicion/ Well, it's nice to see the court pushback against it.

We call this theft.

The government calls it "civil forfeiture".

Same thing. Different language.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/14/poland-abortion-witch-hunt-targets-women-doctors

"Additionally, since January 2021, at least six women are known to have died after doctors did not terminate their pregnancies despite complications that posed a danger to their health or lives, which remain legal grounds for abortion in Poland."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/01/love-bikes-hate-wild-parking-dutch-city-puts-rule-breakers-on-the-rack I don't really see the point of this tbh.

If you want my opinion, PiS is a vile and inhumane party, and it shows in a lot of what they do.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/01/nick-clegg-ai-clamour-similar-moral-panic-video-games He's not wrong.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/01/nightmare-is-over-polish-election-result-brings-relief-for-lgbtq-people Discourse around the fall of PiS.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/01/hungary-anti-lgbt-law-under-18s-barred-world-press-photo-exhibition

"People younger than 18 have been barred from visiting this year’s World Press Photo exhibition in Budapest after Hungary’s rightwing populist government decided that some of its photos violate a contentious law restricting LGBTQ+ content.

The prestigious exhibition, being shown at Hungary’s National Museum in Budapest, receives more than four million visitors from around the world every year. Showcasing outstanding photojournalism, its mission is to bring visual coverage of a range of important events to a global audience."

https://reason.com/2023/10/29/free-the-meds/ What do you think of this?

https://www.wired.com/story/pornhub-tracking-cookies-gdpr-video-history/ What do you think of this?

There is a lot of warm and fuzzy language, and high aspirations. Those aren't necessarily bad aspirations to have, or not all of them. There are certainly parts which seem very moral panicky.

Still, it's not the aspiration, it's how it comes out in practice.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/

First Amendment says hi.

https://techfreedom.org/loot-boxes-benefit-videogame-developers-and-players-alike-techfreedom-tells-ninth-circuit/

I'm honestly not a fan of loot boxes. I've played games with mechanics like this, and I honestly think they're annoying, and make the experience worse. That said, I don't think the government should ban them.

https://ncac.org/news/ncac-set-to-host-first-annual-stand-up-for-free-speech-comedy-benefit Interesting.

It's as if an evil spirit took control of the bodies of politicians in 2017 / 2018, and now, we keep getting hideously authoritarian (and nasty) proposals...

https://nichegamer.com/peter-molyneuxs-blockchain-game-legacy-to-launch-next-month/

"While the game isn’t out yet, those interested can purchase “land” using Ethereum or GALA through OpenSea. The latter of which is Gala Games own type of cryptocurrency. In terms of USD, prices range from $47 to $11465."

Why...

"My assessment is these are the same folks who called the insurrection at the Capitol free speech."

Well... No... someone making a post mocking a dead cop is not really the same thing as someone physically trespassing (among other things) at the Capitol.