#Data Privacy Coalition

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Trump’s CFPB kills data-broker rule

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in PITTSBURGH TONIGHT (May 15) at WHITE WHALE BOOKS, and in PDX on Jun 20 at BARNES AND NOBLE with BUNNIE HUANG. More tour dates (London, Manchester) here.

Something amazing happened from 2020-2024: even as parts of the Biden administration were encouraging genocide and covering up the president's senescence, a small collection of little-regarded agencies were taking a wrecking ball to corporate power, approaching antitrust and consumer protection with a vigor not seen in generations.

One of the most effective agencies during those years was the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. Under the direction of Rohit Chopra, the CFPB finally used its long-dormant powers to rein in the most egregious and abusive conduct of America's most predatory corporations, like banks, fintech, and repeat corporate offenders, with a 7-2 Supreme Court mandate to go hard:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/10/getting-things-done/#deliverism

As impressive as the whole CFPB agenda was, the standout for me was its attack on America's data brokerage industry. Data brokers are effectively totally unregulated, and they buy and sell every intimate fact of your life. The reason every device in your life – smart speaker, car, toothbrush, thermostate – spies on you all the time is because data brokers will buy any data from anyone and sell it to anyone, too.

Data brokerages put "surveillance capitalist" companies like Google and Meta to shame (indeed, Big Tech buys a lot of data from brokerages, as do agencies like the DEA, ICE and the FBI, who treat the brokerages as a warrant-free, off-the-books mass surveillance system). Data brokerages combine data about your movements, purchases, friends, medical problems, education, love life, and more, and bucket you into categories that marketers (or scammers) can buy access to. There are over 650,000 of these categories, including "seniors with dementia," "depressed teenagers" and "US military personnel with gambling problems":

https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/06/08/from-heavy-purchasers-of-pregnancy-tests-to-the-depression-prone-we-found-650000-ways-advertisers-label-you

Congress hasn't passed a new consumer privacy law since 1988's Video Privacy Protection Act. The last technological privacy issue your legislature considered important enough to address was the scourge of video-store clerks telling newspapers which VHS cassettes you took home:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/06/privacy-first/#but-not-just-privacy

Congress's massive failure created equally massive risks for the rest of us. From phishing and ransomware attacks to identity theft to stalking and SWATting, America's privacy nihilism enabled mass-scale predation upon all of us, rich and poor, old and young, rural and urban, men and women, racialized and white.

That's the void that the CFPB stepped into last summer, when they passed a new rule that would effectively shut down the entire data brokerage industry:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/16/the-second-best-time-is-now/#the-point-of-a-system-is-what-it-does

Yesterday, Trump's CFPB boss, Russell Vought, killed that rule, stating that it was "no longer necessary or appropriate":

https://www.wired.com/story/cfpb-quietly-kills-rule-to-shield-americans-from-data-brokers/

Here's the thing: Trumpism relies on the fusion of two groups of people: a tiny number of oligarchs, and millions of everyday people who are constantly victimized by those oligarchs. To get this latter group of Christmas-voting turkeys to stay in the coalition, Trump needs to delivery something that keeps them happy. Mostly, Trump delivers negative things to keep them happy – the spectacle of public cruelty to immigrants, women, trans people, academics, etc. There is a certain libidinal satisfaction that comes from watching your enemies suffer – but you can't eat schadenfreude. You can't make rent or put braces on your kids' teeth or pay your medical bills with the sadistic happiness you feel when you hear the sobs of people you've been taught to despise.

For Trump to keep the turkeys voting for Christmas, he needs to do something for them. He can't just do things to scapegoats. But America's eminently guillotineable oligarchs have found so many ways to turn working peoples' torment into riches, and they are so greedy and unwilling to give up any of those grifts, that Trump can't manage to deliver anything positive to his base. Last week, his FTC killed the "click to cancel" rule that required companies that tricked you into buying subscriptions to make it easy for you to cancel them:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/12/greased-slide/#greased-pole

There isn't a single person in the Trump base who isn't harmed by data brokers. Every red-hat-wearing MAGA footsoldier has been swindled with a recurring-payment scam by clicking a deceptive link. The material conditions of the lives of Trump's base – already in severe jeopardy thanks to the massive inflation the tariffs will cause, and the plummeting wages that the ensuing mass business-closures will bring about – cannot be improved in any way.

I don't think anyone knows for sure how much support Trump can win solely by torturing the people his supporters hate, even as those supporters' lives get worse and worse. The one thing I'm sure of, though, is that it's less support than Trump would get if he could do something – anything – to make their lives even a little better.

Trump owes his success to coalition-building. The Trumpist agenda – ripoffs and racism and rape – has been around forever, in festering pockets like the John Birch Society, but those feverish monsters were encysted by the body politic and kept away from power. When a group of people who've been unsuccessfully trying to do something for a long time suddenly attain success, the most likely explanation is that they have found coalition partners to join them in their push.

Every coalition is brittle, because coalition partners want different things (if you want the same thing, you're just a group – "coalitions" are, definitionally, made up of people who want different things). They have shared goals, sure, but some of the things that some of the coalition partners want are things that the other partners totally reject. When one partner wins, the other partners lose. Trump's been good at holding together his coalition, but he's running up against some hard limits.

Here's what Naomi Klein told Cerise Castle from Capital & Main/The American Prospect:

The most serious vulnerability that Trump has is that a large part of his base really hates Silicon Valley and is not interested in being replaced by machines. So it’s a monumental bait-and-switch that Trump has done with this immediate alignment with the billionaire class in Silicon Valley, and if the left can’t exploit that, then we’re doing something wrong.

https://prospect.org/culture/2025-05-13-moment-of-unparalleled-peril-interview-naomi-klein/

Killing the CFPB's data broker rule is a pure transfer from the Trump base to Silicon Valley oligarchs, whose hunger for our private data know no bounds.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/15/asshole-to-appetite/#ssn-for-sale

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[mollyjimbly]

🚨🚨AWFUL HORRIFIC NEWS🚨🚨

Hey everyone, some news update and a call to action :( Yes, KOSA is most likely going to be moving again possibly. Please read the entire message and take action.

WHAT TO DO?:

(YES YOU CAN CALL IF YOURE A MINOR)

1) Call House leadership everyday.

Steve Scalise (R), Mike Johnson (R), and Hakeem Jeffries (D). House leadership (GOP) sounds like they're somewhat in disapproval. Use their reasonings. There is a tailored call script SPECIFICALLY FOR REPUBLICANS in our call script here:

2) Call House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Click their names here:

and their phone numbers should be present. Split amongst yourselves which ones to call because there's a lot of members. If you have time, call all. If not, pick a few and call.

More noise = better.

⭐ See end for extra resources and tips.

1) Movement in the House. There will be a full committee markup next Wednesday at 10 am. The list of bills they will markup hasn't been finalized but KOSA is most likely to show up.

SOURCE:

2) 42 State Attorney Generals signed a letter in support of action on social media harms, including passing KOSA

SOURCE:

3) Schumer has been pushing for a vote on this all last week

⭐ Pretend you are a member of the GOP when calling them. Use their concerns. They are worried about pro-life, christian messages being censored off the internet. Pretend you are concerned about this as well. Say things like "this will give Biden a win and then they will use this bill to push their LGBT agenda on the rest of us!"

CALL SCRIPT FOR GOP:

I am urging you to VOTE NO on KOSA, the Kid’s Online Safety Act. This is a dangerous bill that will harm children. Many news organizations have reported that this bill actively harms kids by exposing their private data to strangers under the guise of protecting them. We need to hold Big Tech accountable, but KOSA is not the solution.

The bill let any state attorney general and the FTC to sue any website for “harmful” content. Do we really want blue state lawyers deciding what can and can’t be allowed online? Big Tech is already censoring us. That’s why they support KOSA. This is massive government overreach. We need a bill that actually protects children by creating better security measures instead of bringing about more censorship.

Multiple experts agree this bill pushes age verification, even with the new language. KOSA hands more private data of children to third party companies, which would put them in further danger. How is this protecting children’s privacy? What parent would want their child’s private data in the hands of strangers like this? KOSA is actively putting kids in danger. Do NOT support this bill. Thank you.

CALL SCRIPT FOR DEMS:

I am urging you to VOTE NO on KOSA. Nearly 200 human rights and LGBT organizations total came out in an open letter opposing it. The ACLU is against it. Hundreds of thousands of Gen Z, who actually live online, are against it. We know the harms of social media, and we know this is not the solution. The new language does NOT meet any concerns brought up, in fact many organizations were ignored. Major news have reported that this bill actively harms kids. We do not want this.

The rewritten bill would still allow any state attorney general, and now the FTC, to sue any website for “harmful” content. When you have Republicans calling anything LGBT “sexual exploitation” or anything about race “CRT” to successfully ban books and teachers, then they will use any justification to censor the internet. The Missouri attorney general used “mental health” successfully to ban gender-affirming care with backed up research. Suicide rates will skyrocket for marginalized youth with this bill restricting content.

Multiple experts agree this bill pushes age verification, even with the new language. KOSA hands more private data of children to third party companies. Furthermore, updated language threatens encryption the same way the Earn It Act does. How is this protecting children’s privacy? KOSA actively harms kids. Do NOT support this bill. Thank you.

friendly reminder!! ⬆️

[mariacallous]

Back in November, Elon Musk professed his abiding belief in open government. “There should be no need for FOIA requests. All government data should be default public for maximum transparency,” he tweeted.

“We post our actions to the DOGE handle on X and to the DOGE website,” he boasted in the Oval Office last month as his young child wandered randomly around the room full of reporters. “I don’t know of a case where an organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization.”

That was a lie.

At that time, the DOGE website had virtually no information on it. And DOGE’s public pronouncements are often either mathematically impossible, or, like the $50 million “condoms for Gaza” claim, simply false. In fact, DOGE staffers have taken great pains to obscure their identities, with Musk calling it a crime to dox them. The agency even spent a month refusing to say in court or anywhere else who the DOGE administrator was.

As a practical matter, this makes it impossible for the public to see what DOGE is doing. From a legal standpoint, it allows the administration to take a strategically ambiguous stance in hopes of shielding DOGE from judicial interference.

But the jello against the wall strategy has largely failed in court, and Monday a federal judge ordered DOGE to pony up and begin complying with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

An agency by any other name …

While Elon Musk was preaching the gospel of transparency, the Trump administration was taking deliberate steps to hide what DOGE was doing. Specifically, Trump signed an executive order inserting DOGE into the skin of an existing agency, the United States Digital Service, and then redesignating it as part of the Executive Office of the President (EOP).

The order specified that DOGE is not a federal agency, a legal distinction which turns out to be critical in at least three pending lawsuits. Because if DOGE is not an agency, then it doesn’t have to comply with federal records laws or have its leader confirmed by the Senate. But only an agency can claim authority to shut down great swathes of the federal bureaucracy — something Musk brags about doing on the daily. And so the Justice Department has tried to situate itself in the cut, arguing that DOGE is simply an “instrumentality” of the president.

In a case called AFL v. Department of Labor, a consortium of labor unions sued to block DOGE personnel from rifling through sensitive personal and financial information on the DOL’s servers. They argued that, if DOGE is not itself an agency, then it can neither park employees at agencies under the Economy Act of 1932 nor access sensitive government records under the Privacy Act of 1974.

Judge John Bates denied the unions’ request to lock DOGE out of the database, ruling that entity was pretty clearly an agency since it’s engaged in a wholesale reshaping of the federal government.

“[P]laintiffs have not shown a substantial likelihood that USDS is not an agency,” he wrote, adding that “it follows that plaintiffs have not shown a substantial likelihood on the merits of their Privacy Act claim, for without the argument that USDS employees may not be detailed under the Economy Act, the Privacy Act claim all but disappears.”

But he called out the government for its “desire to escape the obligations that accompany agencyhood — subjection to FOIA, the Privacy Act, the APA [Administrative Procedures Act], and the like — while reaping only its benefits.”

“And so USDS becomes, on defendants’ view, a Goldilocks entity: not an agency when it is burdensome but an agency when it is convenient,” the judge observed drily.

Judge Bates’s colleague Judge Tanya Chutkan came to much the same conclusion in a case called New Mexico v. Musk. There a coalition of states argued that DOGE is a federal agency, and thus Trump needed to nominate Musk as its director and submit him for Senate confirmation under the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.

The judge denied the states’ motion for a temporary restraining order barring DOGE from wreaking havoc on the federal government, finding that the states had failed to demonstrate the requisite danger of imminent, irreparable harm to justify a TRO. But she made it clear that she agreed that DOGE is definitionally an agency.

Plaintiffs raise a colorable Appointments Clause claim with serious implications. Musk has not been nominated by the President nor confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as constitutionally required for officers who exercise “significant authority pursuant to the laws of the United States.”

On the face of it, both sets of plaintiffs lost, but the failure to secure emergency relief shouldn’t obscure the importance of the courts’ rulings. Because if DOGE is a federal agency, it’s subject to FOIA, the Privacy Act, and the APA — which is exactly why President Trump tried to preemptively declare it a non-agency by fiat.

… would still be subject to FOIA.

As Judge Bates pointed out, designating DOGE as part of the EOP was an obvious attempt to exempt it from multiple federal laws. Indeed, spokesperson Katie Miller acknowledged as much on Twitter when 404 Media reported that DOGE was getting off Slack to evade FOIA.

“Per the Executive Order [DOGE] was reorganized under the Executive Office of the President and subject to Presidential Records,” she wrote.

Under the Federal Records Act (FRA), documents generated by federal agencies are presumptively public and subject to FOIA. But under the Presidential Records Act (PRA), presidential records are not subject to FOIA, and the president can functionally lock up them up for five years after he leaves office. Worse still, if the president refuses to comply with the PRA and destroys documents, as Trump did routinely, there’s essentially no remedy.

Not every document created in the EOP is a presidential record immune from FOIA. The DC Circuit ruled that the Office of Science and Technology and the Council on Environmental Quality, both of which are part of the EOP, are subject to FOIA because they exercise substantial independent authority. But the administration takes the position, at least as a legal matter, that Musk and his minions are simply “advising” President Trump, and lack any authority of their own.

It’s a preposterous stance in light of multiple executive orders giving DOGE hiring and firing authority, as well as access to databases at every government agency. But when CREW filed FOIA requests for DOGE documents, they got no response. And so on February 20, the nonprofit sued and filed a motion for preliminary injunction forcing the government to cough up the data by March 10 so that Congress could be informed of DOGE’s activity before passing a budget.

The DOJ tried mightily to duck the agency issue, leaning instead into CREW’s demand for expedited processing and complaining in their opposition memorandum that “the primary effect of granting a preliminary injunction would be to disadvantage other requesters who would be pushed further back in the FOIA processing queue.”

But at the hearing, the government admitted it was refusing to complete the FOIA request on any timeline because it believes that DOGE is not an “agency” susceptible to FOIA. And like Judge Bates and Judge Chutkan, Judge Christopher Cooper wasn’t buying it.

The judge pointed to DOGE’s “substantial authority independent of the President” as laid out in the executive order and later confirmed in public statements by both Musk and Trump.

And the judge noted that DOGE is actually exercising that independent authority: After Musk tweeted that he’d spent the weekend “feeding USAID to the wood chipper,” the agency was functionally shut down.

“For all these reasons, the Court concludes that USDS likely qualifies as an agency for the purposes of FOIA,” he wrote.

Judge Cooper also tweaked the government for playing games with regard to DOGE’s status.

“The Court finds it meaningful that in its briefing and at oral argument, USDS has not contested any of the factual allegations suggesting its substantial independent authority,” he wrote, referring back to Judge Bates’s “Goldilocks” comment. And while Judge Cooper wasn’t willing to enforce the March 10 deadline, he did order expedited processing, with rolling production to begin immediately.

FOIA requests often take years, but, as the court notes, DOGE is used to moving fast when it comes to burning down the government.

“In the less than two months since President Trump’s inauguration, USDS has reportedly caused 3% of the federal civilian workforce to resign, shuttered an entire agency, cut billions of dollars from the federal budget, canceled hundreds of government contracts, terminated thousands of federal employees, and obtained access to vast troves of sensitive personal and financial data,” Judge Cooper wrote, adding that, “given that [DOGE] is apparently not processing any other requests, the Court doubts it would impose much of a burden on the department to expediently process CREW’s request.”

He ended by ordering DOGE to preserve all documents, in light of multiple media reports that DOGE employees are communicating via Signal and non-government emails.

The ruling is a total loss for the Trump administration, which will doubtless appeal in hopes of continuing to hide what Musk is doing. But, barring intervention by a higher court, we’ll soon see the results of CREW’s pared-down query:

The narrowed USDS request seeks, in each case from January 20, 2025, to the present: “all memoranda, directives, or policies regarding changes to the operations of USDS”; organizational charts for USDS; ethics pledges, waivers and financial disclosures of USDS personnel; “all communications with the office of the Administrator of the USDS regarding actual or potential changes to USDS operations”; and “all communications between USDS personnel and personnel of any federal agency outside of the Executive Office of the President regarding that agency’s staffing levels (including any effort to reduce staffing), treatment of probationary employees, contract and grant administration, access to agency information technology systems, or the authority of USDS in relation to that agency.”

And perhaps more importantly, the unanimous rulings that DOGE is an agency may provide a handle for outside litigants and Congress to grab hold of it before it succeeds in decimating the entire federal government. Let the FOIA and APA cases begin!

[reyaint]

futuristic dr | virelia + neovista

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date: may 14 2025. i'm figuring out how to format this from my script so it's probably gonna look like a mess i'm sorry haha. i may edit this to add more info if i feel like it.

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✧˖*°࿐the state

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ virelia ☆ 𓂃 › official title. The Sovereign Technocratic Republic of Virelia ☆ 𓂃 › motto. “precision. progress. perfection.”

virelia represents a paradigm shift in governance — not built on ideological revolution but on technological supremacy. it emerged in the late 21st century after a coalition of corporate leaders, scientists, and futurists proposed a self-regulating state built around data-driven governance and environmental sustainability.

virelia is a beacon of technological advancement, a sprawling self-sustaining state located on the western coast of North America. founded in the late 21st century, it has quickly risen to prominence as a futuristic utopia where human ambition and technology intertwine seamlessly.

this city-state operates with cutting-edge infrastructure, clean energy solutions, and unprecedented levels of automation, making it a model of the future. however, its advancement comes with hidden costs, such as surveillance, control, and the loss of personal freedoms for some citizens.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ location. built on reclaimed land along the coast, the state is positioned near mountains, leveraging its natural terrain for sustainability. this combination of oceanfront and mountainous landscape allows for the development of a beautiful yet highly structured environment. ☆ 𓂃 › climate. Virelia enjoys mild weather and pristine air quality thanks to its advanced environmental control systems. artificial rainfall helps balance the region's climate, ensuring that both agriculture and ecosystems thrive in a sustainable way.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ security. Virelia's government promises safety and order, with AI-driven law enforcement and near-complete surveillance throughout the city. While this has reduced crime, it has also led to a society where privacy is almost nonexistent. there are whispers of corruption and a power struggle between mega-corporations and the state apparatus, but these are rarely seen by the public eye.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ infrastructure. the state boasts hyperloop systems for rapid transportation, vertical farming to maintain food supplies, solar-powered highways, and drone-based delivery networks that make logistics seamless and efficient. the city is powered by renewable energy sources, making it one of the most environmentally friendly cities on Earth.

*ೃ༄government

Virelia operates as a technocratic-republic hybrid, where leadership is shared between elected officials and influential corporate leaders, scientists, and engineers. while democracy is maintained on paper, the wealth and power held by corporations, especially megacorporations like Orbis, have a significant influence over the decision-making process.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ the core assembly. a ruling body made of 50% elected officials and 50% appointed technocrats from approved corporate, scientific, and engineering councils.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ citizen score index (CSI). citizens are ranked via a complex index measuring productivity, compliance, social behavior, and cybernetic compatibility.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ the data purity initiative. Virelia heavily regulates access to public data and surveillance feeds. those who attempt to mask or alter their data trail risk demotion in social status or even imprisonment.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ a controlled utopia. on the surface, Virelia is a utopia, offering its citizens a high standard of living, access to the latest technology, and the promise of a pollution-free environment. however, this idealized world comes at a cost—strict regulations on cybernetics, data privacy, and social freedoms. citizens are encouraged to embrace technology, but those who resist are often marginalized or silenced.

✧˖*°࿐the city

neovista is a megacity — a glittering neon spire among the clouds and an undercity of grit and rebellion. It’s a contradiction: a technological utopia resting on a foundation of exploitation and resistance.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ common mods. ocular overlays, subdermal HUDs, neural ports, smart limbs.

*ೃ༄black market and underground tech

located beneath the official grid of Neovista, in the Vein or the Undervault.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ traders deal in: ☆ 𓂃 › memory-modding tech ☆ 𓂃 › neural firewalls ☆ 𓂃 › blackbox implants ☆ 𓂃 › emotion regulators ☆ 𓂃 › discontinued weapon augmentations

hackclans (like SpiralZero or Echo Drift) operate in these markets, building custom tools to counter HALO’s surveillance net.

while Orbis Corporation and other megacorporations offer cutting-edge cybernetics, there is a thriving black market for illegal modifications and illicit technology. from hacked neural implants to stolen AI software, the underground tech scene is a dangerous place but provides an outlet for those who cannot afford or do not want to abide by the official channels.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ pirates and hackers: groups like The Shattermen exploit these underground markets, seeking to disrupt corporate control by stealing and redistributing technology. they often employ cybernetic pirates who operate outside the law, dealing in anything from illegal AI software to underground body augmentations.

*ೃ༄energy & environmental tech

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ skyharbor towers: pull moisture and solar energy, creating perpetual artificial rainfall and maintaining air quality.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ cryoroot systems: bioengineered roots that store solar power and regulate temperature in city zones.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ ecozones: each district has its own energy quota; exceeding it triggers rolling blackouts in poorer sectors.

virelia is powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and artificial rainfall systems maintain a stable climate. advanced energy storage technology allows the city to operate efficiently even in low-light conditions.

the city uses vertical farming and aquaponics to maintain food production in a way that integrates seamlessly into urban spaces, providing sustenance for its citizens without relying on traditional agricultural methods.

*ೃ༄transportation & infrastructure

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ hyperloop arteries: Connect districts with high-speed magnetized transit tubes.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ skyrails: glass-bottomed tramways suspended between megastructures.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ drone skynet: hundreds of drones transport packages, law enforcement supplies, and emergency aid across the city.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ vertical cities: skyscrapers built as self-contained ecosystems—residential, commercial, medical, and agricultural facilities stacked together.

neovista's transportation system is revolutionary, with hyperloop networks connecting different districts, allowing for ultra-fast travel. drone-based delivery systems handle everything from groceries to medical supplies, and personal autonomous vehicles are common on the roads.

the city has designed solar-powered highways and green rooftops that house both parks and renewable energy infrastructure.

*ೃ༄law enforcement & governance

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ enforcement is done by VEC and HALO drones. there are no beat cops — instead, predictive policing algorithms determine where violence might happen and deploy units in advance.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ citizen compliance officers (CCOs) are citizens elevated by the CSI system, acting as civilian enforcers with surveillance privileges.

most investigations are conducted digitally—by scanning memory logs, personal feeds, and neural output rather than physical clues.

*ೃ༄cybernetics & body augmentations

cybernetic normalization is pervasive in Neovista. while minor enhancements like augmented vision, neural interfaces, and biomechanical limbs are common, full-body conversions are rare and often subject to strict regulations.

body augmentations are not just a physical enhancement but have become part of the culture. the wealthy often choose to augment themselves for beauty or efficiency, while those in the slums might use augmentations to survive or gain an edge in the fight for resources.

*ೃ༄technology in neovista & virelia

neovista represents the pinnacle of technology, where AI and humans coexist, yet there is a deep tension between innovation and freedom. virelia’s citizens enjoy unparalleled access to technology but must constantly navigate the surveillance state and corporate control.

virelia’s technology fosters a sense of constant progress, but this has made the city and its citizens vulnerable to the very forces they sought to escape—power, control, and the erosion of personal freedoms.

*ೃ༄visuals.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣿⠀⠀⢸⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣼⣿⣿⣿⣧⡀⢸⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠰⠶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡶⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⢿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠋⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢿⣿⡿⠀⢰⣿⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⠇⠀⣾⣿⢹⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠈⣿⢀⣼⣿⠃⠀⢻⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣀⣠⣿⣿⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠻⣿⣶⣤⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣴⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣛⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢙⣻⣿⣿⣷⣶⣦⡤ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠉⣿⡟⠿⣿⣷⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣶⣿⡿⠟⠋⠉⠉⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⣿⣧⠀⠀⠙⣿⣷⡄⠀⣰⣿⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠘⣿⣷⢰⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⡿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣤⡀⠘⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠤⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡧⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠉⠙⠻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛⠉⢹⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢻⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⠀⠀⠀⢸⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

✦ ˚ — THE MAIN DISTRCITS

☆. MIRROR DISTRICT —

☆. U DISTRICT —

☆. DREAM DISTRICT —

☆. 127 DISTRICT —

[gwydionmisha]

GSA engineering lead resigns over DOGE ally’s request for access

Script to complain about Elon Musk/DOGE. I also suggest contacting your AG about data privacy. "Introducing Red State Scripts, Vol. 1:" https://homewiththearmadillo.blog/2025/02/10/introducing-red-state-scripts-vol-1/

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Democracy Docket

Friday, April 18

DOGE is still blocked from sensitive Social Security data

A federal judge continued to block DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data from the Social Security Administration, stating that such access likely violates federal law.

“The DOGE Team seeks access to the [personally identifiable information] that millions of Americans entrusted to SSA, and the SSA Defendants have agreed to provide it,” District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander wrote in her order. “For some 90 years, SSA has been guided by the foundational principle of an expectation of privacy with respect to its records. This case exposes a wide fissure in the foundation.”

A judge halted the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency tasked with protecting people from financial fraud

A judge blocked President Donald Trump from firing 90% of the employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the nation’s independent financial fraud protection agency.

During Friday’s hearing, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she's “deeply concerned” that the layoffs violated her earlier order halting attempts to dismantle the bureau.

Congressional Democrats demand answers on election security measures from the nation’s cybersecurity agency

In their third letter to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) demanded answers from senior Trump officials about the status of the agency’s election-related work.

Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration has gutted CISA and laid off much of its staff — including  the agency’s crucial election security staff.

“These staff and funding cuts raise grave concerns about the security and integrity of upcoming elections, where states and localities with limited budgets must protect their systems against foreign nation-states,” the congressmen wrote in their most recent letter.

Voting rights organization continues to challenge provisions of Georgia’s voter suppression law

The voting rights organization Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) appealed a recent court ruling that dismissed a challenge to several provisions of Georgia’s voter suppression law, Senate Bill 202.

The provisions of SB 202 that CGG is challenging include the State Election Board takeover provision, gag rule, photography ban and absentee voting provisions. Last month, a federal judge found that the plaintiffs lacked standing in their challenge.

This is a daily newsletter that provides a quick and easy rundown of the voting and democracy news of the day. If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to our newsletters here. 

Democracy Docket, LLC 

250 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 400

Washington, D.C., 20009

[milfstalin]

There is much concern that Elon Musk’s Starlink intends to provide satellite internet coverage to the United States following the failure of its Red Sea “Operation Prosperity Guardian” alliance to curb Yemen’s pro-Palestinian front.

This conversation has gained traction since the company’s announcement on 18 September that it would launch services in Yemen after months of informal contracts with the Saudi-backed government in Aden. The timing of this announcement raised eyebrows, especially as it coincided with Israel’s terrorist attacks in Lebanon, involving exploding pagers and walkie-talkies.

[...]

The announcement that Yemen would be the first country in West Asia to have full access to its services surprised many – particularly because the US embassy in Yemen was quick to praise the move as an “achievement” that could unlock new opportunities.

[...]

The rival Sanaa government, under which most of Yemen’s population lives, was quick to warn that the Starlink project may threaten Yemen and its national security. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarallah’s political bureau, criticized the US embassy’s stance, which he says:

"Confirms the relationship between the launch of Starlink and the war launched by America on Yemen, which threatens to expand the conflict to the orbits of outer space for the first time in history."

[...]

In March, the Financial Times reported that the US and UK faced intelligence shortfalls in their Red Sea campaign, particularly around the capabilities of the Ansarallah-aligned forces’ arsenal. This intelligence gap underlined the west’s need for a reliable spy network, and Starlink’s role in this context raises serious questions.

A Reuters report revealed that SpaceX had signed secret contracts with the US Department of Defense aimed at developing a spy satellite system capable of detecting global threats in real-time.

[...]

Another concerning aspect is the involvement of Israel. Israel’s spy satellites, OFEK-13 and OFEK-14, are reportedly linked to Starlink’s satellite network. SpaceX, as a third party, may provide critical guidance and intelligence to these satellites, further enhancing Tel Aviv’s surveillance capabilities in the region. This connection between Starlink and Israeli intelligence efforts has heightened fears in Yemen that the satellite network will be used to undermine the country’s security and sovereignty.

Currently, Starlink services are available primarily in Yemeni areas controlled by the Saudi and UAE-led coalition, although roaming packages allow temporary access in other regions. This has prompted concerns about data security, privacy, and the spread of misinformation, as unrestricted satellite internet bypasses local government control.

[...]

Moreover, cybersecurity risks are particularly troubling, as the network might be exploited for dangerous purposes, including facilitating terrorist activities like bombings. The presence of a global satellite internet service that bypasses local regulations raises concerns about its potential to disrupt local internet infrastructure.

Starlink could also introduce unfair competition to local provider Yemen Net, further marginalizing the national telecom provider and hindering local development efforts.

[...]

Dr Youssef al-Hadri, a right-wing political affairs researcher, shared his views with The Cradle on the recent events in Lebanon and the ongoing electronic warfare involving the US and its allies. According to Hadri, intelligence agencies operating in areas under the control of the Sanaa government face challenges in detecting the locations of missiles, drones, and military manufacturing sites.

This shortfall became even more apparent after a major intelligence operation exposed a long-running spy cell in Yemen, with activities spanning across multiple sectors.

From the risk of espionage to the undermining of local telecom providers, the implications of Starlink’s operations extend far beyond providing internet access – they could become a vehicle for foreign influence and control.

[...]

3 Oct 2024

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Violet Miller at Chicago Sun-Times:

In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s reelection, advocates for transgender people in Illinois are scrambling to strengthen the state protections they’ve created, while some trans Midwesterners consider moving to states with shield laws for safe harbor. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy told the Sun-Times there has been a coalition effort of state lawmakers to protect trans and reproductive health care access since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade leaked in 2022. Now, they’re looking closely at Project 2025 — a conservative policy playbook created by the Heritage Foundation — and Trump policy proposals and “evaluating what further protections we can enact in the coming months,” a spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker said. One gap the coalition identified is medical data privacy and the use of geolocators to track people who visit health care facilities, which Cassidy said she’s confident will be fixed before the fall legislative session ends. “There’s a hole in that [legislative] shield, and that’s data privacy, so that’s the top priority,” Cassidy said.

Protections for reproductive rights and gender-affirming care were enshrined in state law in January 2023, putting Illinois on the side of people who risk prosecution by traveling to the state for treatment and also protecting the licenses of Illinois doctors who provide care that’s illegal elsewhere. The Illinois Human Rights Act also protects against discrimination based on gender identity. In July, the Legislature gave Illinois judges the tools to help people change their names and gender markers on out-of-state documents. But many of the threats made by Agenda47, the Trump campaign’s outline for the next four years, and Project 2025 would undermine these by circumventing existing protections.

“If a national ban [on gender-affirming care] passed, that’s our worst-case scenario,” Cassidy told the Sun-Times on Friday. “None of our laws will matter.” The documents outline plans to end civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people, remove doctors who provide gender-affirming care from Medicare and Medicaid coverage, and withhold funds from schools that protect the rights of trans students, among other things.

[...] Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., have shield laws for gender-affirming care, though Minnesota and Illinois are the sole havens for displaced trans people in the Midwest.

With Donald Trump's victory and the toxic Project 2025 and Agenda 47 looming, Illinois is seeking to further strengthen protections for trans people, and that trans people residing in anti-trans states such as Missouri and Indiana are seeking safe harbor from attacks on their identity and expression by moving to Illinois.

[canadianabroadvery]

"... Elon Musk and his team are doing to access the most critical, personal data that this country owns. There are processes in place that protect that data from public disclosure, that make sure that it’s used appropriately and not to engage in retribution or gain competitive advantages. And I think the complaint that Democracy Forward filed on behalf of 4 million workers lays out in great detail the risk and the harm that is already happening...."

[thoughtportal]

This week, Congressional leaders are again trying to quietly and quickly get Congress to approve unconstitutional, warrantless mass surveillance.1

Rather than allowing debate on major privacy protections, some members are trying to jam an extension of a controversial warrantless surveillance power — Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — into a “must-pass” defense authorization bill.1

Section 702 has been abused in ways that violate Americans’ fundamental civil liberties and civil rights. FBI agents have used 702 to search through troves of warrantlessly acquired communications for conversations with tens of thousands of protestors, racial justice activists, journalists, donors to a Congressional campaign, and countless others.2

We must fight for privacy protections and stop Congress from sneaking 702’s extension into “must-pass” legislation!

Warrantless government surveillance of Americans under Section 702 is out of control, and particularly hurts marginalized communities. The large number of documented abuses by agencies like the NSA, CIA, and FBI include searches for: 141 racial justice protestors, two men “of Middle Eastern descent” who were handling cleaning supplies, mosques that were intentionally mislabeled to prevent oversight, and a state court judge who reported civil rights violations to the FBI.2

Even though the Fourth Amendment protects our right to keep our information private, the government is collecting troves of our data without a warrant.

Any extension of Section 702 would allow the government to obtain new year-long Section 702 certifications at the beginning of the year — allowing this unaccountable, abusive government spying to continue into 2025.

Congressional leaders know that mass surveillance is unpopular, which is why they want to quietly slip it into the defensive authorization bill. We need to let them know that we’re watching and won’t let it happen.

Sources:

Brennan Center, "Coalition Letter Urges Congressional Leaders to Keep Reauthorization of Section 702 Out of NDAA," November 21, 2023.

Brennan Center, “FISA Section 702: Civil Rights Abuses,” November 27, 2023.

Click here to sign

[the-rad1o-demon]

Article title: "Let's Talk About The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)"

Article text:

"Back in July, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). COPPA is good legislation focused on the collection of data by web operators from users under the age of 13.

KOSA, on the other hand, is not great. The bill aims to prevent harassment, exploitation, and mental health trauma to minors on the Internet. Doing so will require broad content filtering to limit minors’ access to specific types of online content.

'This bill sets out requirements for covered platforms (i.e., social networks, video streaming services, or other applications that connect to the internet and are likely to be used by minors) to protect minors from online harm, including requirements relating to (1) safeguards to restrict access to the personal data of minors, (2) tools to help parents supervise a minor’s use of a platform, and (3) reporting of harm to minors from using the platform.'

The summary of the bill sounds innocuous enough. There’s a lot hiding below the surface. It was originally introduced in 2022, and its authors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), had to take it back to the drawing board after a coalition of organizations publicly opposed it.

Those critics worry that it will greatly limit access to sex education information and resources for LGBTQ+ youth. It will put significant pressure on online services to over-moderate users and content. It also forces State Attorney Generals to make decisions on what information is 'appropriate.' We’re already witnessing what happens when the 'appropriateness' of content and culture is left to individual states. Book bans, sports bans on transgender students, bans on gender-affirming care, and groups like Moms For Liberty taking over school boards.

Marsha Blackburn has already admitted that her goal for this bill is 'protecting minor children from the transgender in this culture.' That statement alone puts this entire bill in the same category as all of those other state regulations Republicans are trying to push through. It makes any democratic support of the bill unacceptable. Someone needs to call Elizabeth Warren and tell her to rescind her recent co-sponsorship of KOSA.

Even President Biden has voiced misguided support for this bill. Saying, 'We’ve got to hold these platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit.' In the same way we don’t need or want politicians making policies or laws about our bodies, we shouldn’t need or want politicians or web providers making decisions about what is or isn’t appropriate for our children. That’s our job as their parents. Establishing a nanny state isn’t in anyone’s best interests.

KOSA also requires that web platforms enable stricter parental controls. Parental controls are good in theory, and when actual parents enable them. But this bill puts the onus on web providers to make decisions for everyone’s kids. Including older minors who, at the age of 15 or 16, should have some right to privacy and access to information. If you’re a kid who doesn’t feel safe at home for whatever reason, being able to find online mental health resources may mean the difference between life and death.

The other bad part of this bill is that it will require websites and online platforms to collect MORE data from users. If you think The Internet knows too much about you now, just wait. Age verification may require all users to provide much more personally identifiable information (PII). Your IT Guy can tell you this will put your information at significant risk of data breaches and threaten users’ overall privacy.

To some degree, I understand and even support a desire to get Big Tech under control and held accountable for bad actions and platform mismanagement. But The Kids Online Safety Act doesn’t stop there. It’s going to make at-risk communities even more at-risk. It’s going to adversely affect user privacy. And most importantly, at least one of the writers of the bill is prepared to use it to hammer away at trans rights and social acceptance.

Reach out to your Congressional Reps and ask them to vote no on KOSA Resisbot has you covered. Or you can look up contact information for your Congressperson(s) here. If you do make a call, IndivisibleSF has a good script you can use when you leave a message."

-- End Article

[mariacallous]

A new lawsuit filed by more than 100 federal workers today in the US Southern District Court of New York alleges that the Trump administration’s decision to give Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to their sensitive personal data is illegal. The plaintiffs are asking the court for an injunction to cut off DOGE’s access to information from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which functions as the HR department of the United States and houses data on federal workers such as their Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and personnel files. WIRED previously reported that Musk and people with connections to him had taken over OPM.

“OPM defendants gave DOGE defendants and DOGE’s agents—many of whom are under the age of 25 and are or were until recently employees of Musk’s private companies—‘administrative’ access to OPM computer systems, without undergoing any normal, rigorous national-security vetting,” the complaint alleges. The plaintiffs accuse DOGE of violating the Privacy Act, a 1974 law that determines how the government can collect, use, and store personal information.

Elon Musk, the DOGE organization, the Office of Personnel Management, and the OPM’s acting director Charles Ezell are named as defendants in the case. The plaintiffs include over a hundred individual federal workers from across the US government as well as groups that represent them, including AFL-CIO, a coalition of labor unions, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Association of Administrative Law Judges. The AFGE represents over 800,000 federal workers ranging from Social Security Administration employees to border patrol agents.

The plaintiffs are represented by prominent tech industry lawyers, including counsel from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, as well as Mark Lemley, an intellectual property and tech lawyer who recently dropped Meta as a client in its contentious AI copyright lawsuit because he objected to what he alleges is the company’s embrace of “neo-Nazi madness.”

“DOGE's unlawful access to employee records turns out to be the means by which they are trying to accomplish a number of other illegal ends. It is how they got a list of all government employees to make their illegal buyout offer, for instance. It gives them access to information about transgender employees so they can illegally discriminate against those employees. And it lays the groundwork for the illegal firings we have seen across multiple departments,” Lemley told WIRED.

EFF lawyer Victoria Noble says there are heightened concerns about DOGE’s data access because of the political nature of Musk’s project. For example, Noble says, there’s a risk that Musk and his acolytes may use OPM data to target ideological opponents or “people they see as disloyal.”

“There's significant risk that this information could be used to identify employees to essentially terminate based on improper considerations,” Noble told WIRED. “There's medical information, there's disability information, there's information about people's involvement with unions.”

The Office of Personnel Management and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The team behind the lawsuit plans to push even further. “This is just phase one, focused on getting an injunction to stop the continuing violation of the law,” says Lemley. The next phase will include filing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of impacted federal workers.

“Any current or former federal employee who spends or loses even a small amount of money responding to the data breach, for example, by purchasing credit monitoring services, is entitled to a minimum of $1000 in statutory damages,” Lemley says. The complaint specifies that the plaintiffs have already paid for credit monitoring and web monitoring services to protect themselves against DOGE potentially mishandling their data.

The lawsuit is part of a flurry of complaints filed in recent days opposing various executive orders signed by Trump as well as activities conducted by DOGE, which has dispatched a cadre of Musk loyalists to radically overhaul and sometimes effectively dismantle various government agencies.

An earlier lawsuit filed against the Office of Personnel Management on January 27 alleges that DOGE was operating an illegal server at OPM. On Monday, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a privacy-focused nonprofit, brought its own lawsuit against OPM, the US Department of the Treasury, and DOGE, alleging “the largest and most consequential data breach in US history.” Filed in a US District Court in Virginia, it also called for an injunction to halt DOGE’s access to sensitive data.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has similarly characterized DOGE’s data access as potentially illegal in a letter to members of Congress sent last week.

The courts have already taken some limited actions to curb DOGE’s campaign. On Saturday, a federal judge blocked Musk’s lieutenants from accessing Treasury Department records that contained sensitive personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers. The Trump Administration is already aggressively pushing back, calling the order “unprecedented judicial interference.” Today, President Trump reportedly prepared to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to work with DOGE.

[reyaint]

futuristic dr | the villains

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

date: june 6 2025. my dad's birthday is tomorrow. i didn't go in much detail in my script at right now i'm focusing on my teammates lol.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Perfection is compliance.”

✧˖*°࿐orbis corporation

a mega-corporation at the heart of cybernetic augmentation, genetic manipulation, and AI technology, Orbis stands as one of the largest and most powerful entities in Neovista. they’re responsible for illegal experimentation, the creation of bio-hacked soldiers, and are engaged in various nefarious schemes to maintain control over the city. they have a complete monopoly over bioengineering and technology, pushing their influence into the military-industrial complex, governance, and the population's social fabric. the corporation’s influence extends to several key figures in government, law enforcement, and the black market.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ leader. CEO visa "mother" alden

☆ 𓂃 › a charismatic, ruthless leader with a reputation for being able to turn the tide of public opinion in Orbis’s favor with a single press conference. she views the augmentation of humanity as the next step in evolution and is known to silence anyone who disagrees. ☆ 𓂃 › personal goal: complete the integration of mind and machine, creating a fully controlled society under Orbis's influence.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ key figures. ☆ 𓂃 › dr. zane korr : chief scientist in the cybernetics division. He pioneered the technology behind neural dampening and the augmentation programs. korr is cold, calculating, and believes his experiments will lead to the next stage of human evolution.

☆ 𓂃 › the blackwatch division : an elite covert ops team responsible for dealing with dissidents, rogue AIs, and corporate enemies. their tactics are brutal, and they are known to engage in blackmail and extreme surveillance.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ what orbis corp does. ☆ 𓂃 › cybernetic enhancements: they manufacture most of the city’s cyberware, controlling what modifications are “legal.” ☆ 𓂃 › HALO surveillance system: they designed and maintain HALO, the AI overseeing all of Neovista’s security. While it prevents basic crimes, Orbis can manipulate it to erase evidence, frame people, or ignore corruption. ☆ 𓂃 › data privacy & censorship: they monitor citizens' online activity under the guise of “protecting society.” Anyone deemed a threat to stability is blacklisted, disappearing without a trace. ☆ 𓂃 › medical & bioengineering: orbis is pioneering lifespan-enhancing augmentations, organ regrowth, and even neural implants. The catch? only the wealthy and corporate elites can afford them. ☆ 𓂃 › energy & infrastructure: their influence extends to power grids, public transportation, and even the food supply.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ why they're dangerous. ☆ 𓂃 › exploit the working class through cybernetic contracts (where they “own” enhanced workers). ☆ 𓂃 › cover up illegal experiments—testing new cyberware and AI tech on unwilling subjects. ☆ 𓂃 › assassinate or disappear whistleblowers, making sure no one exposes their darker secrets. ☆ 𓂃 › manipulate elections and laws, ensuring they always stay on top.

“Peace through preemptive power.”

✧˖*°࿐VEC (virelia enforcement coalition)

a militarized faction originally formed for citywide peacekeeping and law enforcement, the VEC has since become a corrupt and oppressive organization. its agenda has shifted toward control, suppression, and serving the interests of the elites, particularly Orbis. VEC employs harsh military tactics, surveillance, and a sophisticated AI system called HALO to monitor and control the population. the VEC’s Peacekeeper force is deeply entrenched in the military and corporate alliances, making them a direct force to be reckoned with for GreyRaven.

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ leader. general darius malgrave

☆ 𓂃 › a high-ranking officer in the VEC, known for his unshakable loyalty to the state and his brutal tactics. malgrave is a cold, tactical mind who believes that force is the only way to maintain control over Neovista's increasingly chaotic society. ☆ 𓂃 › personal goal: to preserve the VEC's control over Neovista and to ensure his place as the ultimate authority in the city

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ key figures. ☆ 𓂃 › captain talas korrigan : a former ally of Blade, now a major adversary. korrigan betrayed his fellow soldiers for personal gain, resulting in a rift with Blade’s past. now a VEC captain, he serves as one of Blade’s greatest foes. ☆ 𓂃 › the peacekeeper unit : elite VEC soldiers known for their heavy armor, high-tech weaponry, and precise execution of orders. they are often dispatched to handle uprisings or rebellions, and their presence is a clear signal of the VEC’s oppressive control. think juggernauts but better or the things from cod advanced warfare

დ࿐ ‎˗ˋ what orbis corp does. ☆ 𓂃 › implements "stability laws"—essentially limiting citizen freedoms under the guise of protecting them. ☆ 𓂃 › has a direct partnership with Orbis, making sure their policies align with corporate interests. ☆ 𓂃 › uses "Peacekeepers" instead of police—an elite task force with military-grade cybernetic soldiers trained to eliminate threats without question. ☆ 𓂃 › approves experimental AI programs, creating autonomous war machines and predictive crime algorithms.

✧˖*°࿐other factions

factions i don't have much on and aren't like as major as the two previously stated above. lol

*ೃ༄the shadow council

a secretive group of Neovista’s most powerful individuals, including politicians, corporate executives, and military leaders. they pull the strings behind both Orbis and the VEC, ensuring that the elite retain their control over the city. GreyRaven has been able to strike at them on occasion, but they remain largely untouchable.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ leader: unknown, though rumors persist that visa alden holds significant sway over the council.

*ೃ༄the warden (leader of the blacksite prison network)

the Warden oversees the largest blacksite prison network in Neovista, where political dissidents, activists, and anyone deemed a threat to the powers that be are held in secret. the prisoners are often subjected to horrific experiments in biological and cybernetic augmentations.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ personal goal: to turn Neovista into a city controlled by fear, where every citizen knows that defying the system will result in being disappeared.

*ೃ༄the shattermen

a radical, anarchist group opposed to all forms of control, both corporate and governmental. they believe that chaos is the only true form of freedom and seek to tear down all of Neovista’s power structures. the Shattermen are unpredictable and violent, often committing acts of terrorism to prove their point.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ leader: seraph - an enigmatic leader whose identity is unknown. seraph’s ability to inspire chaos and destruction has made them a dangerous figure in the city’s underworld.

*ೃ༄the augment syndicate

a dangerous underground group that deals in illegal cybernetics and human augmentations. they are primarily concerned with making large profits from people who want to enhance themselves beyond the law. though not inherently evil, the syndicate operates in the grey zone between criminal and corporate, and their actions often have disastrous consequences for their customers.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ leader: vegas - a former Orbis scientist who was expelled after experimenting with illegal augmentations. vegas now runs the Augment Syndicate with a mix of cold business acumen and a twisted obsession with human perfection.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ☆ personal goal: to create the "ultimate human" by pushing the boundaries of cybernetic enhancements and manipulating society to accept augmentation as the norm.

[beardedmrbean]

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a Florida bill prohibiting children under 14 from joining social media.

Parents can sue social media companies for $10k for not promptly deleting an account of a child under 14.

Similar bills signed in other states have faced constitutional challenges from NetChoice LLC.

A new Florida bill could open the floodgates for parents to sue for up to $10,000 if social media companies fail to remove flagged accounts of their underage children in a timely manner.

The new bill, HB3, was signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday. It prohibits children under 14 from being on social media. Children ages 14 and 15 need their parent's consent to join the platform.

The Florida Gov. argued pedophiles are taking advantage of children on the apps. The Speaker of the Florida House, Paul Renner, echoed those concerns and also brought up mental health concerns associated with the platforms.

"You can have a kid in the house safe seemingly and then you have predators that can get right in there into your own home," DeSantis said at the bill signing ceremony. "You can be doing everything right, but they know how to manipulate these different platforms."

The bill requires social media companies to delete already existing accounts that belong to children under 14, by the child's request within five business days, or a parent's request within 10 business days. For 14 or 15-year-old children, the account must be confirmed by a parent. If it isn't, the user has 90 days to file a dispute before being terminated.

Companies that allow minors access after being aware of their age could be responsible for up to $50,000 in penalties or fines per violation if the charges are found to be a "consistent pattern of knowing or reckless conduct."

Parents can also sue companies on behalf of their child if the platform doesn't comply and take down the account, potentially receiving up to $10,000 in damages.

Privacy vs. protection

While the legislation is set to go into place by January 2025, Stacey Lee, a professor of law & ethics at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School said the bill will likely face "significant legal obstacles" related to First Amendment issues.

Lee said regulating social media has become a "hot-button political issue," but these efforts are consistently met with constitutional hurdles, which DeSantis has acknowledged.

The bill's effectiveness in preventing minors from accessing social media also remains questionable, Lee said.

"Regulating the digital landscape for minors without infringing on these principles presents a formidable challenge calling for thoughtful consideration and innovative solutions," Lee said.

Other states with similar bills like California, Utah, Ohio, and Arkansas, have been challenged by tech coalition NetChoice LLC for signing similar laws. Both California and Arkansas received preliminary injunctions and Ohio received a temporary restraining order on its social media law, according to spokesperson Krista Chavez. The case in Utah hasn't had its hearing yet.

NetChoice is a major coalition of social media platforms opposing these restrictions and it includes TikTok, Meta, Google, and X among others. NetChoice has cited privacy concerns in its reasoning against these kinds of laws.

Chavez said NetChoice has repeatedly expressed constitutional concerns with HB3 in public statements, testimony, and in a letter to Gov. DeSantis about the bill.

NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel Carl Szabo referred to HB3 as a "bad policy" in a statement shared with BI.

Szabo said the bill poses a data risk because it forces users to hand over sensitive personal information to websites or lose their access to information channels. It also infringes on First Amendment rights to share and access online speech, he said.

"We're disappointed to see Gov. DeSantis sign onto this route," Szabo said in the statement. "There are better ways to keep Floridians, their families, and their data safe and secure online without violating their freedoms."

Another attempt at regulating social media

DeSantis voted against a more restrictive version of the bill that proposed banning social media for children under 16 and required proof of ID to join social media.

The governor said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he "vetoed HB 1 because the Legislature is about to produce a different, superior bill."

It's not the first time the Florida governor has focused his legislation on protecting children.

DeSantis passed a bill last year that restricted children's use of cellphones in the classroom.

"Being buried in those devices all day is not the best way to grow up," DeSantis said at the signing ceremony. "It's not the best way to get a good education."

The latest bill follows a series of legislative attempts from the government to place restrictions on social media.

An attempt to ban or force a sale of TikTok recently passed the House on March 13 with 352 votes in favor of the bill. It will next be voted on by the Senate, at which point, if it passes, it will end up on the desk of President Joe Biden — who has said he'd sign it.

[sarkos]

federal judge has blocked a Texas law requiring age verification and a health warning for viewing pornographic websites, a day before the law was set to take effect. U.S. District Judge David Ezra found that the law violates First Amendment free speech rights and is too vague, in a ruling on Thursday in favor of the Free Speech Coalition, an adult entertainment industry trade association that filed the lawsuit. Ezra said the age verification component in House Bill 1181, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, "is constitutionally problematic because it deters adults' access to legal sexually explicit material, far beyond the interest of protecting minors." Ezra said age verification also raises privacy concerns. One of the two methods allowed for age verification under the law is through government-issued ID; given the government is not required to delete data regarding access, the ruling said, "People will be particularly concerned about accessing controversial speech when the state government can log and track that access.""In effect, the law risks forcing individuals to divulge specific details of their sexuality to the state government to gain access to certain speech," Ezra added."Given Texas's ongoing criminalization of homosexual intercourse, it is apparent that people who wish to view homosexual material will be profoundly chilled from doing so if they must first affirmatively identify themselves to the state," the ruling said. [...]Social media sites, however, would be exempt from the age restrictions because they likely do not meet the one-third sexual material standard, the ruling said. That leaves minors able to view porn on Reddit communities, Tumblr blogs and Instagram pages, for example, that are dedicated to explicit sexual content, the judge said. Running image searches on search engines also wouldn't be restricted under the law.

Judge strikes down porn age-verification law in Texas : NPR

[greatprinceofabraham]

.@zerohedge

"A coalition of 27 states and the District of Columbia has taken legal action to prevent #23andMe from selling #personalgeneticdata in its possession without customer consent."

#DNA #privacy #propertyrights #medicaldata #bankruptcy #lawsuit

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/multi-state-lawsuit-aims-block-sale-23andme-personal-genetic-data