Ad Tech
+2
Aug 28, 2026
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5 min read
Summer field trip 2.2: Strategy theatre at Google: was I the hero or the fool?
My summer field trip into Google corporate culture continues with a memoir of twenty years of strategic planning success and debacle.
Ad Tech
+1
Aug 14, 2026
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6 min read
Summer field trip 2.1: two mythic tales of Sridhar Ramaswamy, former Google Ads chief
In the spirit of Odysseus, I’m sailing the seas of Google corporate culture for the next three weeks. Today, how senior executives, like the Gods, shaped the fate of billions even when they weren’t in the room.
Children
+2
Jul 31, 2026
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4 min read
News round-up: New York, France, & Google jump on the child-safety bandwagon; Meta, Tiktok, & Discord auto-moderation goes rampant
Online age verification keeps accelerating with a major new EU report and a new Android feature. Creators and regular users continue to take it on the chin from platform moderation errors. Plus, I preview this year’s summer field trip.
Privacy
+2
Jun 26, 2026
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3 min read
News round-up: lawsuits, social media bans, and a curious launch from Google
Sarah Wynn-Williams strikes back at Meta, Google blurs the line between Search and YouTube, and the child safety wars continue to rage across the globe.
+4
Jun 5, 2026
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4 min read
Platformocracy is one year old! Here’s what’s coming next (including song lyrics and maybe some code)
First, like any enthusiastic one-year-old, I’m gonna smash a big piece of cake into my face with my bare hands. Then, I’m going to try some new things, including attempting to write code that demonstrates my ideas.
Identity
+1
May 29, 2026
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5 min read
Practical exit part 2: groups and identity (again)
Last week I proposed regulation to make it easier for you to bring your friends and followers with you from one social platform to another. This week, I look at two use cases with more complexity.
Privacy
+1
May 22, 2026
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5 min read
Practical Exit: It’s time for regulators to require social graph portability
We’ve had mobile phone number portability for twenty years. We now have proven technology to help move your online friends and followers in a secure and privacy-preserving way. If platforms won’t implement it, we should demand regulation to make it mandatory.
Children
+2
May 15, 2026
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5 min read
Social media vs. parasocial media vs. social networking
The “social media” platforms we demonize today are actually multiple suspects in a trench coat. Separating out key use cases makes it easier to talk about practical ways to reduce harm and take back control.
Children
+1
May 8, 2026
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4 min read
Meta unleashes a haiku of PR bullsh*t after being found guilty of harming children
Yet again, Meta’s VP of Communications Andy Stone has responded to his company’s indefensible conduct with an insulting and ineffective public statement. Why does he keep doing this? Let’s break it down.
+1
May 6, 2026
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3 min read
Q&A #2 - Ganesh Shankar, Google Director of Product Management, User Protection
Second in this occasional bonus feature. Get to know the leaders, builders, and thinkers working to give us control over our online lives. This week - Ganesh Shankar from Google's Privacy, Safety, and Security team.
Children
+3
May 1, 2026
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4 min read
Reader mailbag #3: age verification follow-up
Reader feedback on my piece criticizing social media age verification, plus more bumps on the road in the EU and Australia.
Privacy
+2
Apr 24, 2026
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5 min read
Palantir offers us Guardianship at gunpoint
The influential data integration / AI intelligence company Palantir has published a 22-point manifesto. It's just another tired argument that tech execs should be in charge of society, except for the implicit threat of violence if we don't comply.
Children
+2
Apr 17, 2026
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5 min read
Why I don’t like age verification for social media
Age verification laws for social media are sweeping the world. The EU just announced their own solution is ready to go. I am worried that we are making big platforms stronger without being clear about what problem we’re trying to solve.
+1
Apr 15, 2026
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7 min read
Q&A #1 - Scott Spencer, CEO and co-founder of Rewarded Interest
Introducing a new occasional bonus feature. Get to know the leaders, builders, and thinkers working to give us control over our online lives. Leading us off, Scott Spencer, one of the original veterans of online advertising safety.
Privacy
+2
Mar 27, 2026
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8 min read
How is your Instagram account like a hotel room?
Data in our online accounts should be protected from unreasonable search and seizure just like luggage in a hotel room, according to a new US Supreme Court amicus brief from Harvard’s Cyberlaw Clinic and an old Google colleague. This could be extended to expand ownership and data portability rights.
