Olives @olives@qoto.org

Ravi's takes on social media are very stupid and thoroughly out of touch with reality (unsurprising as he essentially parrots out of touch takes).

He suggests strong rate limits for fairly mundane things based on how a "typical user might use a site" on the basis that a *bad actor* might abuse a bit of functionality. This ignores though that there are *power users* who might make use of site functionality far more and there are *casuals*. It can even curtail the capacity of someone to block someone. This is how it pans out in practice. In reality, platforms have never provided unrestricted endpoints.

Ravi inadvertently suggests prohibiting fake porn and only allowing porn of real people to be posted. Clearly failing Welcome to the Internet 101. Curiously, he also presumes that content is always shared in a *broadcast* fashion, rather than casually with some friends (which is fairly common). He also demands a "fully moderated" social network where every post is carefully scrutinized by a company prior to being posted (impossible and harmful).

I wanted to take the time to cover this guy, because there is a small subset of out of touch people who like to "brainstorm" some really stupid ideas (completely out of touch with the real world), then talk as if they are "practical" things to do. People like this waste mental bandwidth from more serious discourse.

https://reason.com/2024/07/18/want-to-catch-serial-killers-faster-listen-to-sex-workers/
"To catch current and future serial predators targeting sex workers in #NewYork, lawmakers should have taken up and passed an immunity bill introduced by state Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda (D–Bronx) in 2023. The bill would have empowered victims of human trafficking and sex workers who experience or witness crimes to make a report and seek help without fear of being prosecuted for prostitution."
#HumanRights

https://reason.com/2024/07/18/fcc-will-cap-the-cost-of-prison-phone-calls/
""The Federal Communications Commission today voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades," the agency announced in a Thursday press release."

"Many of the over 1.2 million Americans incarcerated at any given time depend upon prison calls to maintain ties to friends and family. "Research shows frequent phone calls to family members increase jail safety, promote positive mental health outcomes, and help maintain connections with loved ones," wrote Nicole Loonstyn and Alice Galley of the Urban Institute in 2023."
#FreeSpeech #HumanRights

"teachers should tell parents if their kids are trans at school"
An obvious problem with this is if their parents are abusive.

I'll repost this for now.
QT: https://qoto.org/@olives/112739725098020475

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/19/chris-packham-celebrities-outcry-over-severity-just-stop-oil-sentences
"Chris Packham has called for a meeting with the attorney general for England and Wales as he joined a chorus of prominent voices condemning long jail terms for Just Stop Oil protesters.

Speaking after five activists were sentenced to up to five years for planning protests on the M25, the broadcaster and naturalist said: “Be clear, be very, very clear, this is not just about climate activism."
#HumanRights #ukpol

https://medium.com/@josiah.alen.brown/running-a-local-llm-for-dnd-campaign-creation-fd653bceeab9 Apparently, someone uses LLMs for DND campaigns.

As I've said before, someone might pitch something as a "standard", then later on in the cycle, they'll pitch what someone is already doing (which was formally pitched as "standard") as "negligence" and that someone "has to be" even more intrusive.

From what I've seen from a few advocates, there also never seem to be any lines which they decide they won't cross. Maybe, a low rate of accuracy, or violating the rights of innocent people. It is only about more state power / control.
QT: https://qoto.org/@olives/112812914472175537

"The police are not capable of investigating crimes unless someone sends them a video of themselves carrying it out."

Keep in mind that in the 21st century, the police has never had more technology and capabilities for investigating crimes.
#chatcontrol

"This is a clear violation of human rights / privacy."

"But, what about Microsoft's algorithm. It has been used for a decade by a few tech companies, that means it must be good."

Ugh... #chatcontrol

It's somewhat annoying how over the past decade, one particular algorithm from one particular U.S. company has been used to sell the idea that surveillance is somehow some magical solution to society's problems. #chatcontrol

As bad actors in this country are consistently producing bullshit, I am specifically addressing it.
QT: https://qoto.org/@olives/112812676880642353

It's remarkable how the same bullshit is revived every month where supposedly the "end of the world" over "AI" is here and to "think of the children" over a tiny number of cases at best.

And each time, someone "acts" as if making a "novel" claim. Whether it's promising that "AI" can do anything, or grifting off "AI" hysteria, "AI" remains a magnet for bullshit. #ukpol

I'm working on the draft post on and off, and I haven't made enough changes to it to justify making a whole new post on here.

For an idea of what might be added to a new post though, I make note of the fact that censorship around sex can also lead to educational content being censored.

https://libertyinvestigates.org.uk/articles/met-police-computers-access-dangerous-facial-recognition-search-engine/
"Scotland Yard has banned officers from using a controversial facial recognition search engine described as “invasive and dangerous” by MPs after it was accessed thousands of times from Metropolitan Police computers"

"Pimeyes – a website that allows users to upload photos and identify where images of an individual appear elsewhere on the internet – was visited from Met Police computers 2,337 times in just one three month period, according to a freedom of information request submitted by Liberty Investigates. Unlike Met-approved facial recognition tools, Pimeyes could be accessed by any officer or staff member without official records of searches or safeguards around whose photos are being searched."
#privacy #ukpol #FaceRecognition

https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/help-us-hold-them-to-their-promises/ I was wondering what Liberty had to say about the new British government and there you go.

In general, I'd like to avoid things like "someone being locked up in the mental hospital", if possible, and to expand avenues for getting them out of there.
QT: https://qoto.org/@olives/112805504558675405

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/17/what-bills-are-included-in-the-kings-speech-and-what-will-they-do
"Mental health bill: A broad bill to modernise mental health provisions, including in areas such as how people can be detained and treated under the Mental Health Act."
I often dislike the word "modernise" because there is usually no objective standard to it.

If someone decides that violating someone's human rights is the "modern way" of doing things, then they might market that as "modern".

"Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (extension) bill: This would aim to increase the number of female bishops in the Lords."
I wonder why you'd want bishops in the Lords. Frankly, I think that the Church should be separate from the State.

"Digital information and Smart data bill: In a similar vein, this would change data-sharing standards and introduce a proper system for digital verification services."

"digital verification services"

Hmm...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/17/heath-leaders-hail-labours-plans-to-phase-out-smoking-mental-health-laws I'm okay with dissuading people but not personally a fan of telling people what to do (particularly banning x or y). I'm aware the previous government also had their idea.