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.
UK porn block law: How the creepy age verification systems will work
The age verification systems will include online account based verification, app and voucher based verification, and facial scanning verification.
YouTube has disabled some of its search filtering tools following New Zealand mass shootings
YouTube confirmed on Reddit that some of the search sorting features have been temporarily disabled as part of its efforts to better respond to, review, and remove graphic content from YouTube.
New report shows paid contributors are manipulating Wikipedia’s results
The report shows that Facebook, NBC, and Axios have used paid consultants to get favorable edits approved on their Wikipedia pages.
Apple’s response to Spotify’s EC complaint shows it has no plans to fix its anti-competitive practices
Apple claims that Spotify is trying to enjoy all the benefits of the App Store without contributing to the marketplace but fails to address Spotify’s concerns around excessive App Store fees and the monopolistic power of the app store.
Article 13’s main supporter Axel Voss suggests YouTube may not have the right to exist
Voss said we have to think about whether YouTube and other platforms which give people access to copyright-protected works should exist.
Twitter tests hiding like and retweet numbers in an attempt to hide negative feedback
Twitter is testing a new feature which hides likes and retweet numbers on replies in its public beta testing app Twttr. If the test are successful, this feature could be integrated into the main Twitter app.
Dissenter by Gab launches an unbiased trending section to show you what’s really popular online
Dissenter, the comments section of the internet, has added a new trending section to its product which shows you the hottest posts on Dissenter by aggregating the total likes and comments for any web page on the platform.
Sword and Scale podcast dropped by Wondery after a brigading mob targets the network
The popular true crime podcast Sword and Scale is coming to an end after its network Wondery Media bowed to pressure from a brigading mob and dropped the show.
Pocket Casts goes to war with its users after version 7 removes playlists, multi-select, and other basic features
In its first major update since being acquired by NPR, the popular Pocket Casts Android app has faced a major backlash from users after several core features were removed.
Elizabeth Warren calls for the breakup of Amazon, Facebook, and Google
Senator and presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren has laid out her two-step plan for breaking up Amazon, Google, and Facebook – a plan that she hopes will restore competition in the tech sector and protect consumer’s personal information.
YouTube continues its war on so-called misinformation by adding fact-checks to search results
YouTube moves one step closer to becoming an arbiter of truth by adding fact-checks and hoax alerts to its search results for topics that it deems to be spreading misinformation.
Leaked audio from Google reveals its plans to influence the Republican party
The transcript of the leaked audio highlights Google’s efforts to steer the Republican party and conservative movement away from nationalistic ideas and to increasingly control our lives.