Tom Parker
Tom Parker is a founder and lead editor for Reclaim The Net and provides news and analysis on how we can promote free speech, stop censorship, and protect our personal data online.
Instagram deletes account of independent conflict journalism outlet Popular Front
Instagram had previously claimed the outlet’s reporting on the Hong Kong protests was “bullying and harassment.”
Some Google employees are pressuring bosses not to work with fossil fuel industry
Employees inside the company have previously complained about it working with ICE, CBP, and Breitbart News.
Adobe, Twitter, and The New York Times are developing a DRM-style attribution system for memes
Many popular memes are already being taken down by questionable copyright claims.
Gab Trends says it’s already sending over 200,000 clicks per week to publishers
The crowdsourced news aggregation site has become popular with former Drudge Report users who are frustrated by Drudge’s increasingly anti-Trump perspective.
Apple and TikTok refuse to testify to US Congress about their business in China
Both companies are facing growing scrutiny over their ties to China.
Twitter mob successfully pressures new Deadspin writer to quit on his first day
The writer quit less than an hour after his first Deadspin post was published and even thanked the Twitter mob for pointing him in the “right direction.”
Blizzard slammed for “empty” China-Hong Kong controversy apology at Blizzcon 2019
Gamers and digital rights groups are criticizing Blizzard for failing to change its action and describing it as a non-apology.
Google smart city project moves forward and could get formal approval by March 2020
Civil liberty groups have raised concerns over the privacy threats raised by the project and sued the Canadian government in an attempt to stop the project.
Zuckerberg trolls Aaron Sorkin in response to free speech open letter
Sorkin’s open letter accused Facebook of “assaulting the truth.”
Hong Kong court’s decision to ban some Telegram content slammed by legislators and digital rights activists
Legislators and digital rights activists fear the decision marks the first steps of an internet shutdown.
Twitter says it locked and suspended 105% more accounts in 2019
Some of these account suspensions include human rights activists, parody accounts, independent journalists, and the Houston Rockets.
YouTube quietly hides its code after content “throttling” system is leaked
Before the code was changed, it contained several internal metrics that YouTube appeared to be using to suppress content on the platform.