Ad Tech
+1
Jan 9, 2026
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10 min read
Why is Meta still feeding us garbage in response to their scam ads scandal?
A new set of embarrassing documents about Meta’s fraud problems leaked on New Year’s Eve. Comms VP Andy Stone didn’t handle this batch any better than last time. Why can’t he get it right?
+1
Dec 12, 2025
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10 min read
Inside My Battles With Google Trust & Safety
Welcome to the two-week Platformocracy Holiday Party! Today I play the Grinch and share a few anecdotes in which I complain about my difficult relationship with Google Trust and Safety.
Identity
+1
Nov 21, 2025
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10 min read
Exit and Interoperability Exist Today, If You Know Where To Look
Outside the big walled gardens, the open social web is making Exit and interoperability a reality. I review a few projects that I’m excited about, and where I think they could take us next.
Ad Tech
+1
Nov 7, 2025
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10 min read
Rant: Meta is earning billions from scams and fraud. Their lack of transparency is an insult.
Meta’s newly-revealed carelessness is egregious, but their bullshit response is the Platformocracy at its worst. I am pissed. Welcome to what my coworkers used to call a “Bellack Special.”
Identity
+1
Oct 31, 2025
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9 min read
Can we regulate or spend our way to Exit? Lessons from Europe, Utah, and Project Liberty
The EU has regulated data portability, but the US is dragging its heels. A deep-pocketed benefactor has put $500 million into the fight, but is even a large fortune enough to make a difference?
+2
Oct 3, 2025
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8 min read
Private, community, public: online identity should not be one size fits all
Today’s platforms don’t give us enough choice and control over expressing, or requiring, identity in different situations. Based on work of colleagues at Google, I propose a matrix of options to start a more nuanced discussion.
Privacy
+2
Sep 26, 2025
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10 min read
There is no online safety without anonymity
Last week, I said we need real-world identity online. This week, I rebut myself. Nobody said this Internet thing was going to be easy.
Identity
+2
Sep 19, 2025
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8 min read
If an account is not a person, then you don’t have to treat it with respect
Free, anonymous online accounts let bad guys proliferate and platforms pretend we are disposable. Real-world identity requirements could help us reclaim our digital selves.
Identity
+2
Sep 12, 2025
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9 min read
Can we protect the Internet without revealing our real-world identities?
Free, anonymous online accounts are a cornerstone of the Internet. Fraud and child safety fears are putting that principle to the test.
Identity
+1
Sep 5, 2025
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9 min read
Account Terminations Are Easy, But Unjust
Violate a policy, lose your account. Simple, right? A tactic born to handle mass fraud has ended up hurting real people who are dependent on platforms for community and storage.
Ad Tech
+1
Aug 6, 2025
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6 min read
Bonus issue: I’m in a book! "Yield" by Ari Paparo, about Google’s ad business
From Project Wolf to the “spaghetti football,” Ari tells a gripping story previously known only to insiders. Plus jokes!
Children
+1
Jul 25, 2025
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9 min read
Why Is Every Parent I Know Frustrated With Parental Controls?
Platforms offer us features, but we actually need context and customization. Believe it or not, AI could help. Call it Vibe Parenting.
