Eric Sears

@easears

Senior Program Officer at the MacArthur Foundation () | Focused on advancing technology in the public interest | (Re)Tweets are mine

Chicago
macfound.org/about/people/7…
Joined September 2008
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  1. Apr 12

    Important op-ed from the always thoughtful

    2 likes
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  2. Retweeted
    Apr 11

    Zuckerberg's difficulty defining hate speech is one reason why we should all pause before suggesting that Facebook should be tasked with more aggressively arbitrating on and taking down content:

    5 retweets 7 likes
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  3. Retweeted
    Apr 10

    This is bizarre. Zuckerberg keeps saying special consent for face recognition is appropriate Yet *literally this Thursday* Facebook-backed lobbyists and Facebook-backed lawmakers are working to gut the nation's strongest face recognition privacy law.

    75 replies 2,136 retweets 2,533 likes
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  4. Retweeted
    Apr 11

    "Facebook gives users fewer options to control what is collected about them, and how it is used, than any other internet or mobile platform company evaluated in ['s] Index—including two Chinese companies and two Russian companies."—

    1 reply 30 retweets 31 likes
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  5. Retweeted
    Apr 10

    So glad WaPo put this together. The idea that was somehow caught off-guard by privacy issues is ahistorical to say the least.

    The made a timeline of Facebook's 14 years of apologies with sorries in orange and promises in blue. Seeing Facebook's history like this makes a compelling case for privacy regulation.
    2 replies 11 retweets 13 likes
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  6. Apr 9

    Everyone working on issues related to the social impacts of artificial intelligence technologies should put this new report by the at the top of their reading list. It is an important step in moving from theories for mitigating harms to concrete practices.

    Today we release our full report on Algorithmic Impact Assessments, a framework for accountability and oversight of AI + algorithmic decision making in public agencies.
    25 retweets 52 likes
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  7. Apr 7

    This is the kind of collaboration we need to see more of between independent researchers and social media platforms. Research that is open, evidence-based and privacy protecting. It would be great to see others in the tech industry follow 's lead.

    Launching a new study today with and to help diminish abuse on Twitter. It’s a simple idea, and we have an open and accountable way to share the findings.
    1 retweet 4 likes
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  8. Apr 2

    This is an encouraging development: Judge Allows ACLU Case Challenging Law Preventing Studies on ‘Big Data’ Discrimination to Proceed via

    2 retweets 2 likes
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  9. Retweeted
    Mar 29

    ICYMI Facebook’s announcement that it is shutting down relationships with data brokers is a big deal. /1

    33 replies 370 retweets 423 likes
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  10. Mar 26

    Highly recommended. As always, timely and informative research from

    At USENIX Enigma I spoke about out how bad web tracking has gotten, why it’s a problem for society and not just for individuals, why browser vendors should intervene, and how they can do it without breaking websites. I'll summarize in this thread.
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  11. Retweeted
    Mar 20

    Just finished a live tweet Q&A with . Spoilers: we talk Cambridge Analytica/Facebook, feral business models, the need for stronger laws & accountability, and how AI is just starting to impact the public sphere

    This month I’ve been chatting with experts re the kinds of consumer protections people need in the digital age. Today I’m thrilled to be chatting with co-director of Kate, what is AI Now?
    2 replies 34 retweets 60 likes
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  12. Mar 20

    "Leak-flavored propaganda" is a particularly odious type of misinformation that seems poised to grow as a problem. is leading efforts to research and expose it.

    1 retweet 2 likes
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  13. Mar 19

    At a time when there is a lot surfacing about what big tech companies are getting wrong, this post from about fairness and bias in algorithms is a refreshing example of doing the right thing.

    26 retweets 61 likes
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  14. Mar 19

    Yes — look forward to reading this

    The New Jim Code 1.coded bias + imagined objectivity 2. tech innovation that enables racist forms of social control while appearing fairer than discrimination of a previous era 3. a riff off of Alexander's work that focuses on the technical underpinnings of racial domination
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  15. Retweeted
    Mar 17

    Very interesting background on the CA data harvesting. One thing that struck me was that they sought to beta test their tech in Africa and the Caribbean before moving to US. Another example of how tech firms use POC as beta testers for unethical

    7 replies 87 retweets 105 likes
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  16. Retweeted
    Mar 14

    NYT says CIA nominee should be confirmed if she rejects torture. She should have rejected torture 16 years ago, when it mattered. That she didn't should be disqualifying--whatever she says at her confirmation hearing.

    5 replies 55 retweets 121 likes
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  17. Mar 10

    Just saw the powerful & timely new Howardena Pindell exhibition at the . Don’t miss it.

    2 likes
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  18. Mar 9

    More impressive work from . Leaders in public interest cybersecurity research and policy analysis for more than a decade.

    NEW REPORT: Bad Traffic: Deep Packet Inspection Devices Used to Deploy Government Spyware in Turkey and Redirect Egyptian Users to Affiliate Ads? packetlogic-devices-deploy-government-spyware-turkey-syria
    1 retweet 3 likes
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  19. Retweeted
    Mar 5

    ICYMI: HRDAG colleague has things to say about system used in New Orleans. “I think the data they’re using, there are serious questions about its predictive power." The

    5 retweets 4 likes
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  20. Retweeted
    Mar 5

    DeepFakes dev: increasingly realistic video simulation AI that's likely to further undermine the shared ground truth democratic deliberation requires is...neutral: "[it's not] right to condemn the tech which can be used for...good and bad" Guys...no.

    2 replies 16 retweets 32 likes
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