Meredith Whittaker

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npub1vt77trskt354dp399cjals20cegwf7tkjgj08gpwx4s46v3wxssq8y5vdp

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mer__edith_at_mastodon.world@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2024-10-06 17:22:57

Case in point: there's no way to build a backdoor that only the "good guys" can use.
When the entire technical community says that the EU's ChatControl legislation + similar pose serious cybersecurity threats, we're not exaggerating for effect.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/u-s-wiretap-systems-targeted-in-china-linked-hack-327fc63b?st=byoB7m

2024-09-28 09:07:42

I loved talking to
@madhumita29
for Lunch with the FT! We spoke on my personal journey through the enchanted forest of 2000s era-tech, why we must connect AI + surveillance, and the nascent rumblings of a better tech future that I see on the horizon.
Come for that, stay for the portrait perfectly capturing "just off a redeye and powering through it" ♥️👇
https://ft.com/content/799b4fcf-2cf7-41d2-81b4-10d9ecdd83f6

2024-09-25 07:48:52

📣NEW paper! Don’t believe the hype: bigger AI ≠ better AI. @SashaMTL, @GaelVaroquaux and me on how the race to bigger, and bigger AI has bad consequences and isn't necessary.
1. Smaller AI models often perform better than big models in context
And
2. obsession with bigness has severe collateral consequences, from climate costs, to concentrated power, to more surveillance, to the capture of AI research.
All of this, and what we can do instead 👇
arxiv.org/abs/2409.14160
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/113/197/086/235/242/904/original/35f70e3883458c9b.png

2024-09-07 17:33:58

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I'm a huge fan of 404 Media, so I pay. But I am also glad that people who can't afford it can benefit.

2024-09-06 14:20:54

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Yeah, sure, but dying because a pill is $1500 is also very very unsafe.

2024-09-06 10:15:48

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yes they are <3

2024-09-06 09:48:20

This is so cool/kind
(AND they're using machine learning to actually do the thing 'for humanity' that companies selling ML to the pharma industry claim it will , but that of course their version will not actually do, given the incentives♥️)
https://www.404media.co/right-to-repair-for-your-body-the-rise-of-diy-pirated-medicine/

2024-09-02 17:52:23

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Amen!

2024-09-02 16:05:12

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Hey, thanks!!

2024-08-30 15:58:24

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Real recognize real <3

2024-08-28 19:14:19

Such a delight to sit down with the great [@a_greenberg](https://t.l3r.me/users/a_greenberg ) for a long engaged convo on surveillance, AI, my wild path through tech, and how by rejecting the toxic norm Signal provides a shining model for better, healthier tech futures♥️
https://www.wired.com/story/meredith-whittaker-signal/

2024-08-23 12:52:05

DeepMind employees, from executive leadership on down, were a huge part of rejecting Google's Project Maven, selling AI targeting/surveillance to the US military.
They're the heart of AI talent at Google, and again they're speaking from a place of rare & significant expertise.
https://time.com/7013685/google-ai-deepmind-military-contracts-israel/

2024-08-23 12:35:38

This is such a great resource
https://www.surveillancewatch.io/

2024-08-16 10:41:39

"'I actually don’t know of a single provider of abortion services like these who has not encountered this problem [of payment platforms cancelling their accounts or holding their money].'”
https://www.thepersistent.com/telemedicine-abortion-payment-providers/

2024-07-25 11:21:52

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are you arguing that startups, in themselves, are good for innovation/competition? Such that maximizing their number alone is a boon to innovation/competition?

2024-07-25 08:47:04

Nice reflection on the value of private comms, and the consequences of the massive AT&T data breech.
This is why Signal bends over backward to collect as close to NO DATA as we can. Not having it is the best way to keep it safe❤️
https://blog.yaelwrites.com/insights-from-my-stolen-at-t-data-or-why-i-use-signal/
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/846/254/786/650/362/original/f0717b9dc444c264.png

2024-07-24 09:58:33

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(whispers: you can vote twice :)
And thank you <3

2024-07-24 09:33:19

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I do not know the answer to that question, or whether they think of this as a civilian award to begin with. And thank you!

2024-07-24 08:02:50

Well this is a nice surprise and a cool honor!
Particularly because I'm nominated alongside the brilliant
@HeidyKhlaaf, who deeply deserves this recognition.
My suggestion is that you vote for her! And if you want to vote a second time, then vote for me too 🫶💐🙏
https://cyberscoop.com/cyberscoop50/vote/

2024-07-09 12:05:11

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We ask those who are serious about security and privacy to please engage us directly in the future, instead of resorting first to online claims that can confuse non-experts and lead people to make unsafe choices and develop inaccurate mental models based on scary language. We monitor security@signal.org carefully and respond to all legitimate reports.

2024-07-09 12:04:43

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2. We continue working to harden our desktop build across supported operating systems and take advantage of new platform capabilities as they emerge. Those of you following our repo can follow this work there.

2024-07-09 12:04:33

There’s been some chatter about Signal desktop recently, so let’s clear the air. Three points:
1. The reported issues rely on an attacker already having *full access to your device* — either physically, through a malware compromise, or via a malicious application running on the same device. This is not something that Signal, or any other app, can fully protect against. Nor do we ever claim to.

2024-07-06 06:58:00

This is why we're seeing dumb AI everywhere, and self owns like MS's Recall
Recouping revenue from massively expensive AI development is urgent, market fit's unclear, so corps are shoving "AI" into everything to please investors/hope for fit/keep the bubble inflated
IMO this also explains the lockstep turn to military contracting (OAI, et al). A good way to sell tech that "doesn't actually work" via lucrative contracts whose efficacy won't be assessed w trad, metrics.
https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ais-600b-question/

2024-07-04 09:41:55

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I also hope that. And if he was, I hope he's avenged.

2024-07-04 09:39:42

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I don't know. Grief and mourning are very personal, and I assume that if those who loved him wanted to tell the public more they would, and if they don't I respect that. ❤️

2024-07-04 06:42:13

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Yes, fucking terrifying

2024-07-03 11:08:54

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We also need to zoom out & recognize the political context w/in which these laws are being considered.
A context where abortion, LGBTQ resources, access to literature (including Maus in one state) are all being banned for 'youth' as authoritarianism gains force.

2024-07-03 11:08:42

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I think it's important to look behind the curtain on this issue, at the large tech companies like
Yoti who have been lobbying hard for such laws, fear mongering about kids online while standing to benefit richly from implementing mandatory age gating tech.

2024-07-03 11:08:26

I get the reflex here + acknowledge that there are real issues that need to be solved.
But age verification software doesn't work + any mandate creates a v troubling surveillance regime where every person, young or old, would need to be 'verified' across all 'online' activity.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/722/238/277/744/431/original/8688332911d41581.png

2024-07-03 07:15:33

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this is great, thank you!

2024-07-02 21:49:27

RIP Julien Terzics. Cofounder of The Red Warriors who physically defended the community against Nazis in 1980s Paris
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/719/098/052/698/990/original/64860ffed2a8d831.png

2024-06-25 12:03:53

Melbourne!
I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow <3
https://www.wheelercentre.com/events/surveillance-technology-and-ai-meredith-whittaker-in-conversation/#ticket

2024-06-17 19:42:07

📣Official statement: the new EU chat controls proposal for mass scanning is the same old surveillance with new branding.
Whether you call it a backdoor, a front door, or “upload moderation” it undermines encryption & creates significant vulnerabilities
https://signal.org/blog/pdfs/upload-moderation.pdf
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/633/659/313/566/843/original/0269937372fbc99f.png

2024-06-11 14:16:04

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I'm really looking forward to this!

2024-06-06 19:55:21

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I'm American, so I am not familiar with those histories, and my analysis and perspectives are my own.

2024-06-06 15:32:59

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Thank you for your work!!!

2024-06-03 12:55:33

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No, the app does not read your contacts. See: https://signal.org/blog/private-contact-discovery/

2024-06-03 12:14:39

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AI read a lot of speculation and bluster, no facts or citations.

2024-06-01 14:36:19

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We don't scan your contacts. You can use a username to keep your phone number private from those you communicate w/on Signal.

2024-05-31 14:27:03

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Yes. TLDR we would not comply. Then they'd take whichever action they'd take in response to remove us from the market.

2024-05-31 12:07:18

Signal strongly opposes the newest #ChatControl proposal in Europe.
Let there be no doubt: we will leave the EU market rather than undermine our privacy guarantees.
This proposal--if passed and enforced against us--would require us to make this choice.
It's surveillance wine in safety bottles.
See more: https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/majority-for-chat-control-possible-users-who-refuse-scanning-to-be-prevented-from-sharing-photos-and-links/ @npub1s7d…4chv

2024-05-31 10:33:01

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Yes, there's a lot of work to do on many axes

2024-05-30 10:43:32

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Esp now, in 2024 when Jessica Burgess is living in prison bc Facebook turned over messages detailing her accessing reproductive care in a state where this had been made illegal.
I'd love to work w Francis + others on REAL solutions. & I'm frustrated that so much of the purported "solution space" is occupied by toothless, even dangerous proposals that are implicitly limited by unwillingness to touch the (profitable) business models core to these harms.

2024-05-30 10:43:11

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Ceasing targeted ads, killing the "find a friend" feature, curbing engagement driven objective functions...all would actually work to curb the harms to children/democracy/etc.
A transparency report + eliminating the small refuge of privacy that Meta provides will not make a dent. Indeed, the implication that the ability to communicate privately is dangerous is itself a v dangerous claim.

2024-05-30 10:42:26

IMO we need to dismantle the surveillance advertising biz model & the surveillance and centralized control at its heart.
But this doesn't do that. Instead, it advocates for 'transparency' w/o accountability + inexplicably ONLY names e2ee encryption as a "risk" to children.
What's clear here, broadly, are the sharp limits of shareholder-driven activism when it comes to curtailing a toxic-yet-profitable business model.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/529/611/004/252/511/original/e9835f8ae0c3fd7f.png
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/529/611/003/159/319/original/c8782da7134c0eb2.png
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/529/611/013/053/003/original/fd353642469b0cb2.png

2024-05-29 08:39:58

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Happy to serve! Haha

2024-05-25 15:27:09

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Yeah. I cover the emergence of the signature strike and said continuity in the talk.

2024-05-24 11:53:46

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The latest example of robust, longstanding expert consensus tirelessly pushing back against politically motivated magical thinking:
https://x.com/carmelatroncoso/status/1785980270664929481

2024-05-24 11:53:17

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On tech lobbyists involvement (and the corruption that allowed this) see: https://balkaninsight.com/2023/09/25/who-benefits-inside-the-eus-fight-over-scanning-for-child-sex-content/

2024-05-24 11:52:41

Ignoring expert consensus, feeling no shame following exposés showing tech lobbyists shaping these EU surveillance proposals, EU politicians are at it again
So, we'll reiterate: Signal would rather leave the EU market than subject our users to mass gov surveillance. FULL STOP
https://netzpolitik.org/2024/internes-protokoll-belgien-will-nutzer-verpflichten-chatkontrolle-zuzustimmen/
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/112/495/921/158/967/226/original/8b0d0983f03a5849.png

2024-05-23 06:57:19

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Helmut Schmidt is dead, and thank you!

2024-05-23 06:11:05

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I studied Rhetoric and English Lit at Berkeley. Then Google hired me in 2006. And in 13 years I did a learned and founded a lot before leaving Google for NYU, then FTC, then Signal. There ya go?

2024-05-22 15:21:45

Last week I had the honor of accepting the 2024 Helmut Schmidt Future Prize
Instead of a traditional speech, I gave this talk on the history of AI, the business of surveillance, & why the use of AI "ad targeting for killing" in Gaza should be illegal👇
https://www.helmut-schmidt.de/aktuelles/detail/die-rede-der-zukunftspreistraegerin

2024-05-19 14:42:21

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And who will have the resources (without licensing them from AWS, GCP, Azure) to run these models? Or the access to markets if not via cloud monopolies/surveillance ad platforms?

2024-05-19 13:53:09

❤️ ☺️
https://theinnovator.news/interview-of-the-week-meredith-whittaker-ai-ethics-expert/

2024-05-15 10:15:52

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Open source ≠ contributions accepted from anyone. Open source allows people validate and examine our work. Building and maintaining usable robust high availability software is a huge amount of forever work, and requires close coordination and sustained effort. Sometimes we do accept outside contributions. But this is not a volunteer led effort nor could it be and continue to serve the many many millions of people who rely on signal for secure, private comms.

2024-05-12 10:00:11

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Not totally sure, but the founder talks a big game often in very misleading ways, as well

2024-05-09 21:55:40

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On their DIY encryption:
https://words.filippo.io/dispatches/telegram-ecdh/

2024-05-09 21:55:22

Telegram is notoriously insecure and routinely cooperates with govs behind the scenes while talking a big game about speech and privacy. Even their limited opt-in (roll their own) encryption is sus. The more you know 🌈

2024-05-02 15:01:20

Anyone who cares about free speech & expression should be feeling cold blood in their veins as USG rushes to silence, censor, & brutalize those critical of Israel's extremist gov.
Bills like this are political weapons. Once forged, they will be wielded for much, much more.
https://forward.com/fast-forward/608308/gop-democrats-antisemitism-campus-israel/

2024-05-01 19:08:09

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God no. Never. Ever. Literally would rather shut down than even consider such a thing.

2024-04-25 22:30:29

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This is weird. Moxie's been out for a while, after 10+ years. If a charismatic leader is what you're into, cool, there are plenty. But the substance of the product and its robust and verifiable privacy guarantees are what animate me, and the people who continue to push the mission forward at Signal.

2024-04-21 15:34:27

Extremely important research.
It's not possible to understand the state of BigTech, or its pathologies at the moment, without understanding these companies' transformation into defense contractors, in addition to their central role as surveillance providers to the state. 👇
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2024/SiliconValley

2024-04-16 18:11:29

This is a historic tech action in a long proud tradition.
From Polaroid workers rejecting their work contributing to S Africa's passbooks, to the MIT research strike where scientists refused to work for warfare; to Geoff Hinton relocating to Canada to avoid building US weapons.
https://www.wired.com/story/google-no-tech-for-apartheid-project-nimbus-israel-gaza-protest/

2024-04-02 17:10:11

I keep brooding on the way the xz backdoor was enabled in significant part via weaponizing the FOSS culture of shitty behavior and abuse.
Yes, there're other pathologies at work here (the big tech capitalist pillaging of the commons, etc).
But what is striking is that the uncool, mean standards of FOSS conduct that many of us have decried for years, & that many defended as authentic, tough, etc., ended up not just being exclusionary loser behavior, but a significant attack surface.