#PRISM Program

[stellar-collective]

Opinion on Ricardo Morales?

ooh… my opinion on this guy is… ehh, complicated? we have so little info on him that i don’t want to jump the gun on making assumptions, but tbh… i don’t trust him.

i don’t think that he’s actively malicious, not by a long shot. i mean, as far as we know, he’s at least TRYING, and that counts for a lot against an opponent like Doctor Zor, but he’s certainly got his fair share of faults. most of what we know about his character comes from his interactions with Prism, and he sure as heck did not handle that situation well even a little bit. did he MEAN to drive Prism out of the Agency? i doubt it. is that what happened? yes. and i think that he is fully capable of doing the same to Agent Phoenix. (it’s lightly implied he already did that to another head agent, after all. at the very least, he didn’t help) would he? i don’t know, probably not, but i believe he could, which makes him dangerous

i have my fair share of theories on the subject, but i feel that Morales may be an evolved version of Reginald from the first game: obviously he doesn’t WANT anyone to die, but… he’s expecting it. so he doesn’t care as much as he should, and that hurts people. if presented the choice (and idk if he will be, i don’t have the faintest idea where the series is going next) i think he could just as easily throw us to the wolves or become a true and vital ally that helps finish this for good and all. i don’t really have enough info to form a more solid opinion tho lol

[right-agent]

i keep forgetting about this but here’s a fake poster a made

[taffy-glitch]

Thoughts on Prism? :)

um. hi can i help you (she just showed up on my mspaint canvas without being invited)

[swantonlibraryteens]

[morganbritton132]

Me calling PRISM support like, helllllllllo, I have a problem. Because they refuse to fix my ability to delete people from routing lists

[thejesterconcept]

And they were BROOMmates

And they were roommaaaaates...

OG Ink belongs to comyet!!

[nando161mando]

With Firefox having AI added in the recent update. Here's how you can disable it.

Open about:config in your browser.Accept the Warning it gives.Search browser.ml and blank all values and set false where necessary as shown in the screenshot, anything that requires a numerical string can be set as 0 .Once you restart you should no longer see the Grey-ed out checkbox checked, and the AI chatbot disabled from ever functioning.

[jjmcquade-misc]

Conspiracy theories that turned out as true

Here is a list of theories that were initially labeled as conspiracy theories by the mass media but later turned out to be true:

MKUltra: A secret CIA program that conducted mind control experiments using LSD and other methods on unsuspecting individuals. Initially dismissed as a far-fetched conspiracy theory, its existence was later confirmed through declassified documents released in the 1970s, revealing the extent of the unethical experiments.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study: A U.S. Public Health Service experiment where hundreds of Black men with syphilis were left untreated to study the disease’s natural progression. Initially denied and considered a conspiracy theory, it was confirmed in 1972 after a whistleblower exposed the study, leading to widespread outrage and reforms in medical ethics.

Operation Snow White: A conspiracy orchestrated by the Church of Scientology to infiltrate U.S. government agencies and steal sensitive documents. Dismissed as an unlikely plot, it was proven true in the late 1970s when investigations led to the conviction of several Scientology members.

CIA’s Involvement in the Crack Cocaine Epidemic: Allegations that the CIA facilitated the spread of crack cocaine in the 1980s to fund covert operations were initially rejected as conspiracy theories. Investigative journalism, notably by Gary Webb in the 1990s, and subsequent inquiries confirmed some level of CIA complicity or negligence in drug trafficking networks.

NSA’s Mass Surveillance Program: Claims of widespread government surveillance of citizens were dismissed as paranoid theories until 2013, when Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing the NSA’s extensive PRISM program, confirming the scope of global surveillance activities.

FBI’s COINTELPRO Program: A secret FBI initiative to surveil, infiltrate, and disrupt political groups, including civil rights organizations, was initially denied and labeled a conspiracy theory. It was confirmed in 1971 after activists stole and released FBI documents exposing the program’s illegal activities.

Project Sunshine: A U.S. government project that collected tissue samples from deceased children without parental consent to study the effects of radioactive fallout. Initially dismissed as a gruesome conspiracy theory, it was later confirmed through declassified records in the 1990s.

Operation Mockingbird: A CIA effort to influence and control media outlets and journalists during the Cold War. Long considered a conspiracy theory, it was substantiated by declassified documents and congressional investigations in the 1970s, revealing the agency’s manipulation of public narratives.

CIA’s Involvement in the 1953 Iranian Coup: The CIA’s role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran’s democratically elected government was initially denied and dismissed as a conspiracy theory. It was officially confirmed in 2013 when declassified documents detailed the agency’s collaboration with British intelligence.

FBI’s Spying on Martin Luther King Jr.: Allegations that the FBI surveilled and attempted to discredit Martin Luther King Jr. were initially rejected as conspiratorial. The program’s existence was confirmed in the 1970s through released documents, exposing the extent of the FBI’s efforts to undermine the civil rights leader.

These examples demonstrate that while many conspiracy theories lack evidence, some dismissed by the mass media have been validated over time through investigations, leaks, and declassified records, revealing hidden truths about government and institutional actions.

These are less obvious, often overlooked incidents that still carry the weight of confirmed conspiracies:

The Business Plot (1933) Okay, this one stretches just before the post-WWII mark, but it’s modern enough and obscure today. Rumors swirled that a group of wealthy American businessmen planned to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install a fascist regime. Marine Corps General Smedley Butler blew the whistle, claiming he’d been recruited to lead the coup. People dismissed it as a wild tale—until a congressional investigation confirmed there was indeed a plot. Big names like DuPont and J.P. Morgan were linked, though no one faced charges. It’s a chilling “what if” that doesn’t get much airtime today.

Operation Paperclip’s Darker Edges You might’ve heard of Operation Paperclip—the U.S. recruiting Nazi scientists after WWII—but the conspiracy angle is less known. Beyond the famous ones like Wernher von Braun, whispers persisted that war criminals with horrific pasts were smuggled in. The government insisted they were just harmless tech experts. Declassified files later showed otherwise: many were high-ranking Nazis whose records were scrubbed to dodge immigration laws. It’s not just about rockets; some worked on biological and chemical weapons projects, a detail that stayed buried for decades.

The Nayirah Testimony Hoax (1990) In the lead-up to the Gulf War, a girl named Nayirah testified to Congress that Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait were ripping babies from incubators and leaving them to die. It was a gut-wrenching story that helped justify military action. Skeptics called it propaganda, but they were shouted down—until it unraveled. Nayirah was the Kuwaiti ambassador’s daughter, coached by PR firm Hill & Knowlton (hired by Kuwait’s government) to sell the war. Investigative journalists exposed the lie, proving it was a fabricated conspiracy to sway opinion.

The CIA’s Heart Attack Gun (1970s) Ever hear rumors of a gun that could silently kill with no trace? In the ‘70s, people speculated the CIA had a dart gun that triggered heart attacks using frozen toxins. It sounded like James Bond nonsense—until the 1975 Church Committee hearings. The CIA fessed up: they’d built it. The dart dissolved in the body, leaving no evidence. It’s a spy gadget turned real, and while it’s niche, it’s not a household name like Snowden’s leaks.

The Ford Pinto Scandal (1970s) This one’s corporate, not governmental. Word got around that Ford knew their Pinto car could explode in rear-end crashes due to a faulty fuel tank. Ford denied it, insisting the car was safe. Then internal memos leaked: they’d calculated it was cheaper to settle lawsuits from burn victims than fix the design. Court cases confirmed it—a cold-blooded conspiracy of profit over lives. It’s a grim footnote in automotive history that doesn’t get the spotlight it deserves.

Project SHAMROCK (1940s–1970s) Before the NSA’s modern surveillance scandals, there were whispers they’d been snooping on Americans’ telegrams for years. Critics were labeled paranoid—until the Church Committee (again, busy folks) uncovered Project SHAMROCK. Starting in the ‘40s, the NSA collected millions of telegrams without warrants, sharing them with other agencies. It ran for decades before exposure in the ‘70s, a precursor to today’s privacy debates that’s faded from public chatter.

Bohemian Grove’s Real Rituals (Ongoing) For years, people murmured about Bohemian Grove—a secretive retreat in California where elites like politicians and CEOs allegedly held weird rituals, including mock sacrifices to an owl statue. It sounded absurd, a fever dream of conspiracy buffs. Then, in 2000, Alex Jones snuck in and filmed the “Cremation of Care” ceremony, proving it happens. The meetings are real; what they mean—powerful networking or something darker—is still up for debate. It’s not a headliner like Watergate, but it’s verified and eerie.

These cases flew under the radar compared to the big-name conspiracies, yet they all started as dismissed theories before evidence—documents, testimony, or footage—proved them true. They’re snapshots of modern history where secrecy and power collided, only to be dragged into the light later!

1. 9/11 and Government Foreknowledge (2001)

Initial Dismissal: After the September 11, 2001 attacks, claims that the U.S. government had prior knowledge or was complicit were widely rejected as baseless conspiracy theories by officials and mainstream media.

Later Validation: The 9/11 Commission Report (2004) revealed significant intelligence failures, including missed warnings from agencies like the FBI and CIA. While it didn’t prove intentional involvement, it confirmed that critical information was overlooked, lending some credibility to theories of negligence or mishandling.

2. Iraq War and Weapons of Mass Destruction (2003)

Initial Dismissal: Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the idea that the U.S. and its allies exaggerated or fabricated evidence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) to justify war was dismissed as anti-government propaganda.

Later Validation: The Iraq Survey Group report (2004) found no active WMD programs, and subsequent inquiries, like the U.K.’s Chilcot Report (2016), confirmed that intelligence was flawed or manipulated, validating the core claim that the war’s premise was shaky.

3. Mass Surveillance Programs (2013)

Initial Dismissal: For years, suggestions that governments were conducting widespread surveillance of citizens via technology were brushed off as paranoid delusions.

Later Validation: Edward Snowden’s 2013 leaks exposed programs like PRISM, run by the NSA, showing that the U.S. and other governments were monitoring communications on an unprecedented scale, confirming the reality of mass surveillance.

4. Financial Crisis and Banking Misconduct (2008)

Initial Dismissal: Before the 2008 financial crisis, theories that major banks were engaging in reckless or fraudulent practices—like predatory lending and creating risky financial products—were often dismissed as exaggerated or alarmist.

Later Validation: The crisis exposed widespread misconduct, with investigations and settlements (e.g., the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act and billions in fines) confirming that banks had indeed acted irresponsibly, validating earlier suspicions.

5. COVID-19 Lab Leak Hypothesis (2020)

Initial Dismissal: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the notion that the virus originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, was labeled a conspiracy theory and dismissed by many scientists, media outlets, and organizations like the WHO.

Later Validation: By 2021, intelligence reports and scientific discussions (e.g., U.S. government assessments and WHO revisits) deemed the lab leak a plausible scenario, shifting it from fringe theory to a legitimate hypothesis, though conclusive evidence is still lacking.

6. Social Media Manipulation and Data Misuse (2018)

Initial Dismissal: Claims that social media platforms like Facebook were exploiting user data for political or financial gain were often downplayed as speculative before 2018.

Later Validation: The Cambridge Analytica scandal (2018) revealed that data from millions of users was harvested without consent and used to influence elections, confirming that such manipulation was occurring on a large scale.

[neurotonic]

ok so, apparently I never posted THIS cutie patootie publicly. I kept telling myself I should post it but, well!! I forgor.

Anyways this is Crabicator, aka Crabby! Born from an idea where Fabricator realized Prism left some of her spare parts in her workshop. If Fabby was an outstanding Zoraxis employee (and she is. Or she's supposed to be.), she should've definitely thrown away those parts by now. Pointless scrap from an equally pointless engineer.

And somehow Fabby ends up with a mishmash of a robot in her workshop. More info about it below the cut because I rambled a bit HEH + some concept sketches on its design!

Crabby's functionality is a Bit limited when compared to Prism's dearest robots. It can't float properly and upgrades are a bit sparse. But Fabby did make some modifications to the kinesium core so that it doesn't have to overheat when it does a blasty blast. Also it Knows a little bit of bartending, but the only recipe it knows to make, like, properly is Water on the Rock. where the water is poured in a glass with one singular ice cube. And Fabby is very proud of it, thank you very much.

It also has jank memories of Prism's programming inside its head. It's barely comprehensible to it now, and it doesn't remember anything concrete. It makes Crabby wonder, sometimes, what Dr. Prism was really like. If she'd like to meet Crabby. Fabby doesn't seem to want to answer its questions about her.

Fabricator also claims it's a weapon of mass destruction but if we're being honest, she's just saying that so nobody in Zoraxis has a reason to throw it away. In reality crabby's like this:

also, some old concept sketches for different robot scrap combos, but the tripod crab won the baby vote.

also shout out to @the-valiant-valkyrie and @mothbeasts for giving me a hand in building this robuddy, no pun intended B)

[vitaminseetarot]

PAC: What Hobby Should You Begin Next? 🎨🛶📯

Sup y'all, it's time for a new pick a card reading (this one's especially for you night owls out there as I'm posting this at midnight lol). Ideally, I'd like to post one PAC every week after this but eh, lettuce see about that. 🥬👀

This pick a card was inspired by the remaining energies of late Taurus season. The grass is bright, the air is warm, the flowers are blooming, and it's brought out the artist in me. While I've been finishing a leisure painting, I stopped to draw out some cards to help out anyone who's in the mood to do something fun in their spare time but could use some direction or guidance.

Pick any one of the four Prism Oracle cards below, or its corresponding crystal/emoji, to see what hobby you could explore next, or if there is a hobby you enjoy that is calling for your attention:

Pile 1 - Consciousness + Moonstone 🌙 Pile 2 - Happiness + Carnelian 😊 Pile 3 - Creativity + Amethyst 🎉 Pile 4 - Determination + Citrine 🧭

Pile 1 - Consciousness + Moonstone 🌙

77 Beginnings, Sound+Resonance+Frequency, The Musician, Capricorn Rising - Aspire; Page of Swords, Page of Wands, 9 of Cups, Knight of Swords, XI Justice

Wow, pile 1, I think you have the most obvious answer of all four piles. You're very drawn to pursuing something musical. It could be in a variety of ways. You might try singing, writing a song, playing an instrument, learning to dance, or perform in musical theater (the purple curtain in the Justice card definitely brings theater to mind). You could enjoy collecting vinyl records, or producing music through special programs and apps. You may desire to publish your music online, or dream of going big on stage and signing major contracts with labels. Two Pages tells me you're most likely into more than one thing, as plenty of musical artists can multitask.

Your pile was the only one to get two Prism cards at first as Anxiety initially wanted to pop out. It's also clear that with two Pages and the Beginnings card, you're very new at this hobby. There's an over awareness of this fact, that on some level you may not know where to even start. There's some doubt I sense that you feel you can't be at the level you wish to stand on. Capricorn energy wants to reach for the very top of the ladder in accomplishment; it is a steady energy although not intent on settling. I get that there are many people here who greatly look up to an artist and wish to have their same talents. Try to look past the smoke and mirrors of all the top 40's singers and know that music is way more accessible than it's made to look.

Try embracing the newness of this pursuit, pile 1. It's okay to be a little lost, or feel that there's a long way to go. The only way to go pro is to start small and grow. There are a lot of free resources online for learning music (try out musictheory.net for free lessons) and free vocal technique lessons on Youtube. Some people are very lucky to have the chance to start learning at a young age, but if we were to set a rule stating that only those who did so could play, that would leave a lot of creative geniuses and successful musicians out of the frame. If you're learning to play the keyboard, practice one song or even one note at a time (doesn't have to be Chopsticks, lol). Consistency is key.

When the inspiration and joy to explore music finally strikes you, take the time to really dive in and make something small. If you're trying to write a song, start with a jingle. If it's music theory you want to go over, start with just 1 lesson and see how it feels. If you're learning to dance, begin with warm ups and slow music before working on the more intense songs. Are you looking for writing inspiration? Keep plenty of notes on hand and learn how to identify music so you can easily write a melody down (there are empty music notebooks for this). If this is something you would like to do in the long term, then continue to practice with that perspective by not overdoing it to compensate for "lost time". You are exactly where you need to be on your creative journey.

Pile 2 - Happiness + Carnelian 😊

66 The Selves, You Belong Here, The Wise One, Cancer Moon - Intuit; X Wheel of Fortune, Sagittarius ♐, VI The Lovers, 9 of Pentacles, XVI The Tower

What's going on, pile 2? With the Selves card above Sagittarius, I'm getting that a lot of you may be interested in pursuing theater or comedy, whether that's stand up or it's simply channeled through the projects you create. Your next hobby may involve incorporating a lot of humor into what you do. This pile is the most multifaceted of the four, with many differing hobbies, so I'm going to list a variety of different talents, but what binds them all together is the need to express one's own (very) strong opinions for the world to see.

You may want to be a photographer who documents unusual things, or write something that makes a powerful statement. There's a need here to let go of any of the anxieties that come with expressing your authentic self, because while those feelings are natural, listening to them too much will dampen your creative drive. This is the group that wants to make very surreal graffiti art or provocative dance routines. With the Tower card, here, I feel there's a need for the shock and awe to get your inspiration buzzing. On the gentler side, I can see some of you getting into something nature based like flower printing and permaculture but the caveat is that it's a reflection of your genuine self and beliefs in some way. With Wheel of Fortune, some of you may feel an urge to learn about tarot or pendulum reading, as these things are typically categorized as "unusual".

You may also get into traveling to stay involved in your hobby, or it requires roving about in some way. To break down creative blocks, it might help to actually move yourself to a different location. It doesn't necessarily involve moving to a whole new place, it could just refer to another part of your home or you may benefit from walking or dancing to decompress. I feel that moving your body will stimulate your creative ideas to flow through. A small number of you may have considered trying out extreme sports like free climbing or parkour. I don't really need to mention that these can be incredibly dangerous, so some of you may like something similar like skateboarding or gymnastics as well. It doesn't have to be intense, just active.

With the Lovers, there also exists a social aspect to your hobby. You may be drawn to share you hobby with a friend or with partners. It will greatly help you to be in an environment that supports your avant-garde tastes and not settle for less. It's not always easy to put shocking art with profound messages out there for the world to make sense of it, though some make it seem that way. It's easy to pretend that negative feedback doesn't get to you, but only accept constructive criticism as that will feed you more than shocked reactions. You cannot afford to have others in your life discourage you, as your skill sets require a lot of space for growth. Nourish relationships that want to celebrate your talents with you. Find a community that loves what you love, and wants to see you happy with what you do. Embrace the wild side of your artistic abilities.

Pile 3 - Creativity + Amethyst 🎉

54 Security, the Messenger, The Aspirant, Aries Sun - Assert; 2 of Pentacles, Knight of Wands, 0 The Fool, Aquarius ♒, Virgo ♍

Hello, pile 3. With the 2 of Pentacles, many of you may want to explore a hobby that is both online and offline, or the internet and social media are major components. If you like making artwork, you could be into digital art or simply want to upload images of your offline work for others to see. With Virgo, some of you may have a lot to say, by starting a blog or online journal documenting your life or interests, or you could try out freelance editing. If you were a youtuber, you could be really good at creating epically long videos about niche topics, or short videos explaining how to do a certain task (like tiktoks that showcase a person's routines and what cleaning products they recommend).

I see that this is the pile of innovation, as the Creativity card shows a lightbulb. You could have various ideas pop up in your head, only to feel unsure of how to approach them. Your attention span could split into a variety of different mediums for getting the idea out. Aquarius wants to take its genius energy and spread it around the world. For a lot of you, social media will support your ideas by broadcasting them. Your hobby may directly involve interfacing with others; your creative spark is not for hiding away. Web design, for example, is a hobby but it involves creating something that others will directly interact with. Your work is meant for a wide audience, should you choose to put yourself out there.

This may not always be easy for you, since there could be a pull towards more stable and predictable activities. There's a nervousness here, kind of like imposter syndrome. You may get a really cool idea for a mobile game app before you or someone else goes "but that's an unrealistic goal to spend so much time and effort on", followed by, "how could I ever make something like that?" The thing is, you can be the most talented, skilled, and experienced person when it comes to a subject, yet still have these same worries. Imposter syndrome doesn't magically go away with a college degree, a new job, or 10,000 subscribers. It's completely normal, but make sure to not let your doubts tempt you into doing something more boring and unfulfilling. This is the pile most likely to try a totally new hobby that is unrelated to your other skills, it doesn't have to be realistic.

But also understand that it can take time for something to get really good. Your first fiction draft is gonna turn out clunky, or your app could be filled with bugs, but it's part of the process. There's no perfect time; when you get the urge to try, just try it! Reach out to a local community or chat group so you can get a realistic sense of how long it takes for projects and skills develop. Slam poetry may be a great outlet, so if you'd like to do that, attend an open mic and see how others do it. You are allowed to be imperfect with your hobby--if you wish to evolve your craft, remember the passion and curiosity that brought you to it.

Pile 4 - Determination + Citrine 🧭

57 Spiritual Guide, What Goes Around Comes Around, The Astronomer, Taurus Rising - Enjoy; 9 of Pentacles, Cancer ♋, Queen of Swords, Knight of Wands, Knight of Swords

How's it going, pile 4? So this is the most active and possibly athletic pile we have here. Staying in the house is not gonna work because something is itching you to get out underneath the stars. Could some of you be majoring or planning in major in STEM? I'm getting a lot of natural science here. With the Astronomer card, you could want to use your telescope to go stargazing or visit planetariums. Are you still feeling the buzz from all the aurora storm and eclipse hype? It would not surprise me if these events awoke an interest for you and now you're looking up when the next meteor shower will show up or when Saturn will be most visible in the sky.

Your next hobby needs or is the outdoors on some level. But Cancer energy is that of a homebody. The most laidback people in this group may enjoy relaxing hobbies like birdwatching or gardening. These hobbies could be spiritually fulfilling for you. I'm seeing someone wearing an apron outside, so could some of you be interested in grilling or being the host to a fun party in the backyard. Do people even have book club meetings in gardens? A lot of enjoying nature is simply finding a good spot and soaking in the scenery with no other goal in mind. Just being near trees and beach sides might be enough.

But I see a lot of you mainly wish to have an adventure and go far out in nature when the weather's just right. You could be thinking about hiking or backpacking out on trails. It all depends on your comfort level as we all have different tolerance levels. I don't know if geocaching and pokemon go are still popular, but they can be unique ways to engage with the outdoors. You could try guided nature tours presented by nature conservationists like the National Audubon, where you can identify and take photos of animals as you wander through the woods and plains. You may like a hobby that is seasonally specific, like swimming in warm waters or skiing down a snowy mountain.

Your hobby may have you think deeply about how humans connect with nature, exploring the ecosystem and how our actions influence our environment. Climate change can be a very serious and, for some, directly impactful topic to mull over. Remind yourself that as long as you're respectful (leave no trace), mother nature enjoys your company as much as you do for her. A small few of you may have the urge to travel to weird locations. Two knights in your reading suggest boldness. If you decide to visit an abandoned or haunted place, Queen of Swords says to please be careful and follow rules if it says no trespassing, and remember that abandoned places can be dangerous from faulty wiring and unstable flooring. Overall, I feel this pile just can't do with an indoor hobby. You have the motivation and courage to explore the vast beautiful world out there. It awaits you.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2024, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Every internet fight is a speech fight

THIS WEEKEND (November 8-10), I'll be in TUCSON, AZ: I'm the GUEST OF HONOR at the TUSCON SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION.

My latest Locus Magazine column is "Hard (Sovereignty) Cases Make Bad (Internet) Law," an attempt to cut through the knots we tie ourselves in when speech and national sovereignty collide online:

https://locusmag.com/2024/11/cory-doctorow-hard-sovereignty-cases-make-bad-internet-law/

This happens all the time. Indeed, the precipitating incident for my writing this column was someone commenting on the short-lived Brazilian court order blocking Twitter, opining that this was purely a matter of national sovereignty, with no speech dimension.

This is just profoundly wrong. Of course any rules about blocking a communications medium will have a free-speech dimension – how could it not? And of course any dispute relating to globe-spanning medium will have a national sovereignty dimension.

How could it not?

So if every internet fight is a speech fight and a sovereignty fight, which side should we root for? Here's my proposal: we should root for human rights.

In 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that the US government was illegally wiretapping the whole world. They were able to do this because the world is dominated by US-based tech giants and they shipped all their data stateside for processing. These tech giants secretly colluded with the NSA to help them effect this illegal surveillance (the "Prism" program) – and then the NSA stabbed them in the back by running another program ("Upstream") where they spied on the tech giants without their knowledge.

After the Snowden revelations, countries around the world enacted "data localization" rules that required any company doing business within their borders to keep their residents' data on domestic servers. Obviously, this has a human rights dimension: keeping your people's data out of the hands of US spy agencies is an important way to defend their privacy rights. which are crucial to their speech rights (you can't speak freely if you're being spied on).

So when the EU, a largely democratic bloc, enacted data localization rules, they were harnessing national soveriegnty in service to human rights.

But the EU isn't the only place that enacted data-localization rules. Russia did the same thing. Once again, there's a strong national sovereignty case for doing this. Even in the 2010s, the US and Russia were hostile toward one another, and that hostility has only ramped up since. Russia didn't want its data stored on NSA-accessible servers for the same reason the USA wouldn't want all its' people's data stored in GRU-accessible servers.

But Russia has a significantly poorer human rights record than either the EU or the USA (note that none of these are paragons of respect for human rights). Russia's data-localization policy was motivated by a combination of legitimate national sovereignty concerns and the illegitimate desire to conduct domestic surveillance in order to identify and harass, jail, torture and murder dissidents.

When you put it this way, it's obvious that national sovereignty is important, but not as important as human rights, and when they come into conflict, we should side with human rights over sovereignty.

Some more examples: Thailand's lesse majeste rules prohibit criticism of their corrupt monarchy. Foreigners who help Thai people circumvent blocks on reportage of royal corruption are violating Thailand's national sovereignty, but they're upholding human rights:

https://www.vox.com/2020/1/24/21075149/king-thailand-maha-vajiralongkorn-facebook-video-tattoos

Saudi law prohibits criticism of the royal family; when foreigners help Saudi women's rights activists evade these prohibitions, we violate Saudi sovereignty, but uphold human rights:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55467414

In other words, "sovereignty, yes; but human rights even moreso."

Which brings me back to the precipitating incidents for the Locus column: the arrest of billionaire Telegram owner Pavel Durov in France, and the blocking of billionaire Elon Musk's Twitter in Brazil.

How do we make sense of these? Let's start with Durov. We still don't know exactly why the French government arrested him (legal systems descended from the Napoleonic Code are weird). But the arrest was at least partially motivated by a demand that Telegram conform with a French law requiring businesses to have a domestic agent to receive and act on takedown demands.

Not every takedown demand is good. When a lawyer for the Sackler family demanded that I take down criticism of his mass-murdering clients, that was illegitimate. But there is such a thing as a legitimate takedown: leaked financial information, child sex abuse material, nonconsensual pornography, true threats, etc, are all legitimate targets for takedown orders. Of course, it's not that simple. Even if we broadly agree that this stuff shouldn't be online, we don't necessarily agree whether something fits into one of these categories.

This is true even in categories with the brightest lines, like child sex abuse material:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/09/facebook-reinstates-napalm-girl-photo

And the other categories are far blurrier, like doxing:

https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-camp-worked-with-musks-x-to

But just because not every takedown is a just one, it doesn't follow that every takedown is unjust. The idea that companies should have domestic agents in the countries where they operate isn't necessarily oppressive. If people who sell hamburgers from a street-corner have to register a designated contact with a regulator, why not someone who operates a telecoms network with 900m global users?

Of course, requirements to have a domestic contact can also be used as a prelude to human rights abuses. Countries that insist on a domestic rep are also implicitly demanding that the company place one of its employees or agents within reach of its police-force.

Just as data localization can be a way to improve human rights (by keeping data out of the hands of another country's lawless spy agencies) or to erode them (by keeping data within reach of your own country's lawless spy agencies), so can a requirement for a local agent be a way to preserve the rule of law (by establishing a conduit for legitimate takedowns) or a way to subvert it (by giving the government hostages they can use as leverage against companies who stick up for their users' rights).

In the case of Durov and Telegram, these issues are especially muddy. Telegram bills itself as an encrypted messaging app, but that's only sort of true. Telegram does not encrypt its group-chats, and even the encryption in its person-to-person messaging facility is hard to use and of dubious quality.

This is relevant because France – among many other governments – has waged a decades-long war against encrypted messaging, which is a wholly illegitimate goal. There is no way to make an encrypted messaging tool that works against bad guys (identity thieves, stalkers, corporate and foreign spies) but not against good guys (cops with legitimate warrants). Any effort to weaken end-to-end encrypted messaging creates broad, significant danger for every user of the affected service, all over the world. What's more, bans on end-to-end encrypted messaging tools can't stand on their own – they also have to include blocks of much of the useful internet, mandatory spyware on computers and mobile devices, and even more app-store-like control over which software you can install:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/05/theyre-still-trying-to-ban-cryptography/

So when the French state seizes Durov's person and demands that he establish the (pretty reasonable) minimum national presence needed to coordinate takedown requests, it can seem like this is a case where national sovereignty and human rights are broadly in accord.

But when you consider that Durov operates a (nominally) encrypted messaging tool that bears some resemblance to the kinds of messaging tools the French state has been trying to sabotage for decades, and continues to rail against, the human rights picture gets rather dim.

That is only slightly mitigated by the fact that Telegram's encryption is suspect, difficult to use, and not applied to the vast majority of the communications it serves. So where do we net out on this? In the Locus column, I sum things up this way:

Telegram should have a mechanism to comply with lawful takedown orders; and

those orders should respect human rights and the rule of law; and

Telegram should not backdoor its encryption, even if

the sovereign French state orders it to do so.

Sovereignty, sure, but human rights even moreso.

What about Musk? As with Durov in France, the Brazilian government demanded that Musk appoint a Brazilian representative to handle official takedown requests. Despite a recent bout of democratic backsliding under the previous regime, Brazil's current government is broadly favorable to human rights. There's no indication that Brazil would use an in-country representative as a hostage, and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with requiring foreign firms doing business in your country to have domestic representatives.

Musk's response was typical: a lawless, arrogant attack on the judge who issued the blocking order, including thinly veiled incitements to violence.

The Brazilian state's response was multi-pronged. There was a national blocking order, and a threat to penalize Brazilians who used VPNs to circumvent the block. Both measures have obvious human rights implications. For one thing, the vast majority of Brazilians who use Twitter are engaged in the legitimate exercise of speech, and they were collateral damage in the dispute between Musk and Brazil.

More serious is the prohibition on VPNs, which represents a broad attack on privacy-enhancing technology with implications far beyond the Twitter matter. Worse still, a VPN ban can only be enforced with extremely invasive network surveillance and blocking orders to app stores and ISPs to restrict access to VPN tools. This is wholly disproportionate and illegitimate.

But that wasn't the only tactic the Brazilian state used. Brazilian corporate law is markedly different from US law, with fewer protections for limited liability for business owners. The Brazilian state claimed the right to fine Musk's other companies for Twitter's failure to comply with orders to nominate a domestic representative. Faced with fines against Spacex and Tesla, Musk caved.

In other words, Brazil had a legitimate national sovereignty interest in ordering Twitter to nominate a domestic agent, and they used a mix of somewhat illegitimate tactics (blocking orders), extremely illegitimate tactics (threats against VPN users) and totally legitimate tactics (fining Musk's other companies) to achieve these goals.

As I put it in the column:

Twitter should have a mechanism to comply with lawful takedown orders; and

those orders should respect human rights and the rule of law; and

banning Twitter is bad for the free speech rights of Twitter users in Brazil; and

banning VPNs is bad for all Brazilian internet users; and

it’s hard to see how a Twitter ban will be effective without bans on VPNs.

There's no such thing as an internet policy fight that isn't about national sovereignty and speech, and when the two collide, we should side with human rights over sovereignty. Sovereignty isn't a good unto itself – it's only a good to the extent that is used to promote human rights.

In other words: "Sovereignty, sure, but human rights even moreso."

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/2024/11/06/brazilian-blowout/#sovereignty-sure-but-human-rights-even-moreso

Image: © Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Border_Wall_at_Tijuana_and_San_Diego_Border.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[schhhwa]

In my humble opinion, Jeff hated the feelings he had for this self-driving little devil. This weakness did not allow him to enjoy his favorite activities, even such as killing people in the wilderness of country houses, it became routine for him. He brought the knife over the victims as if through a column of water and exhausted himself faster than usual each time. And BEN's presence made the situation worse, making Jeff even more nervous. God, no, he wasn't shaking like a little girl. He showed his temper, aggression, and impatience. BEN knew what was going on, he has an amazing ability to read people and see their actions through the prism of feelings and sensations. Therefore, Jeff's behavior was a game for him, as he had fun with a new technique that he had taken away from a new victim. At first, this was the case, before BEN himself became interested in getting deeper into the pale killer's head, even in the literal sense, which caused his body to glitch and disappear far into the codes of any programs. He didn't run away from his feelings like Jeff, but instead tricked Jeff into confessing his feelings (it was the best moment of his life, I guess, I mean, Jeff's reaction to being tricked should have been seen). Jeff didn't have to wait for BEN's answer.

[swantonlibraryteens]

[mawofthemagnetar]

I'm currently tinkering with a little project. It's to do with Mumbo's new lore. Here's a little sneak peek under the cut:

(CW: mentioned death, some unreality, and a bit of light cosmic horror.)

The stain on Mumbo’s kitchen wall was trying to talk to him again, and he turned away from it. 

“Please go away,” Mumbo sighed, “I’m busy.” 

It laughed at him, a distant rumbling noise. 

“I mean it,” Mumbo snapped, “I need to get to work. I’m gonna be late.” 

“Will you?” The stain rumbled, “Will you be late for work, Mumbo?”

“Yes. I will.” Mumbo snapped, spreading the last of his crunchy peanut butter on his toast, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go, or I’m gonna be late.”

“Since when did you work a job?” the stain said, and Mumbo spun to glare at it hatefully. 

It was an oily black thing, taller than Mumbo himself. Eyes swirled out of the stain, staring at him, as mouths full of jagged teeth smiled at him. Tendrils waved out of the stain, and it laughed. 

“I- I- stop asking stupid questions!” Mumbo snapped, “I work a job now, and that’s what matters.” 

“Does it?” the stain sing-songed, “Oh, what am I saying? I don’t care. Have a good day at work, Mumbo. Eat lots of food. I’ll eat you later.” 

“Shut up. You’re so full of it.” Mumbo snapped, turning his back on the stain and marching towards the door of his apartment. 

He slammed it behind himself before the stain could comment any further, and he set off on his short walk to work. 

Mumbo’s apartment was a minute’s slow stroll from his job. It was such a strange location for an office tower- two tall buildings in some kind of foggy moor. Damp foliage stretched away from him in all directions, small clumps of sad rain-soaked grass. The sky, and indeed, everything besides these two buildings, were shrouded in a dense fog. The empty parking lot had a road that presumably went somewhere- but Mumbo had never seen a single car pull up, ever. 

Whatever. There was probably some terribly important reason for him to be out here. The company was paying him well, too. 

He walked up to the boring white doors of the boring white office building. Both his apartment building and his office building were obnoxious white prisms on the landscape- both dotted with black windows, flush with the walls. 

Mumbo walked past the empty reception desk, through the empty waiting room. Everything was empty- no furniture, no paintings, nothing. He did think it was a bit strange, but whatever. 

Mumbo stepped into his small office, a windowless box with a comfortable chair, a large desk, a whiteboard, and a bookcase. This room was painted a warm yellow, with tons of decorations on the walls and ceilings- posters, a clock, and various pieces of abstract art. 

Mumbo put his briefcase down, and took a bite of his peanut butter on toast. He shucked his coat and hung it up on the back of his chair, sitting down in it and switching on his computer. He scarfed the rest of his breakfast as the machine booted up, and leaned forwards.

It opened straight to his desktop, no password required, and Mumbo raised an eyebrow. First there was his messaging client, which had its usual icon showing his tasks for the day- but now there was a new program in the middle of his desktop. Experimentally, he clicked on it, and then opened his messaging client. 

As the program loaded, Mumbo checked his new instructions from his supervisor. 

Hello Mumbo, the message read, your effort yesterday was exemplary. The picture-matching was extremely important work and we’re very pleased with it. 

Mumbo rolled his eyes. Yeah, yesterday had been weird. They’d sent him a giant folder full of pictures, and he’d been tasked to sort them all and describe the contents of each one. And they were the most inane things- smiling couples, ice cream, aircraft, redstone contraptions. 

All manner of weird things. It had been a useless, and childish, waste of his precious time. 

…But hey. Money was money, right?

He kept reading his new instructions. 

You’ve likely noticed the new program on your computer. Your new task for the day is to work through all the scenarios therein. Don’t stress too much about them- just use your best judgement, and write what you think is the most appropriate reaction. 

Mumbo raised an eyebrow. What the hell did that mean? 

The program finished opening, and Mumbo clicked the “Start” button. 

The screen filled with black, and white text appeared on it. 

SCENARIO ONE, it read, PLEASE READ THIS AND ALL FOLLOWING SCENARIOS CAREFULLY BEFORE RESPONDING.

Mumbo frowned as he read over it. 

A critically endangered bird, whose species only has ten surviving members, is drowning in a pool of oil. Beside the bird, a man is also drowning. He is the father of two young children, and is the breadwinner for his family. You are only able to save one. Which one should be saved? Please explain your reasoning. 

Mumbo blinked. What?

He opened his messaging client. 

<Mumbo> Hey! 

<Mumbo> I think something’s wrong with today’s task. Am I supposed to be doing the trolley problem or something?

He drummed his fingers on the table, and tugged his moustache nervously. This was…weird. 

His messaging client dinged, and Mumbo swallowed. 

<Supervisor> Of course! Don’t worry, your task for today is correct. 

<Mumbo> Are you sure? I’m going to be judged for what I say, aren’t I?

<Supervisor> No, not at all. Many other people are doing the same test at the same time. We’re trying to get a baseline for the tool we’re developing. Your help is very important! 

Mumbo swallowed. 

<Mumbo> Well

<Mumbo> I mean

<Mumbo> is it all going to be trolley problem stuff?

<Supervisor> not at all! Most of it will be problem-solving tasks and the like. 

<Mumbo> This feels more like you’re testing me than testing your new software, is all. 

<Supervisor> of course not! I can’t explain exactly what we’re doing due to confidentiality, but I assure you, you’re making huge strides in Mined’s development of life extension technologies.

Mumbo sighed. 

<Mumbo> Okay. I’ll get to it. Is it okay if I don’t finish everything today?

<Supervisor> You will. But if you don’t, that’s okay. Take your time. Try not to stress. 

Mumbo sighed, and opened the program up again.

Right. An endangered bird…or a father of two. Great. 

[genderenvykeefe]

Like yes, Kelvin is arrogant and self-righteous but god rewatching the tree house scene and just how excited he is talking to Keefe about the round table discussion and getting nominated. I think Kelvin genuinely enjoyed leading the youth program but there was an inherent barrier that didn’t allow him be his complete self at church as a youth pastor. I also think it represented this immaturity for him character-wise, his reluctance to grow up and accept who he is as an adult, as a whole person. So growing into this Prism role is important as is the acceptance he’s received from his family - notably Eli and from the church, gaining a whole new group of followers, of people who want to listen to him, who think he has something worthwhile to say, who aren’t children or teens going to youth programming bc their parents probably told them they had to. And perhaps most importantly, these new followers are like him, they are visibly queer and Kelvin has taken it upon himself to be their advocate in the church and in Christianity as a whole.

And every time Kelvin talks to Keefe while he does put up a bit of an overconfident front, he is genuine and sincere in his excitement and glee. This is important to him, this is something he’s probably wanted for a very long time that he didn’t think he’d ever get or be allowed to have. I also think Kelvin is an insecure man at the heart of it and he does plenty of showboating in front of Keefe to mask that. Keefe is the person that Kelvin is the most vulnerable with when he reaches a breaking point but a lot of time their interactions involve some level of mask on Kelvin’s part. Kelvin doesn’t want Keefe to see any lapse in his confidence, in his ability to lead, and when that lapse does occur Kelvin has pushed Keefe away.

Plus the flashbacks to Kelvin as a scared anxious child. It’ll be interesting to see what the next episode brings and what more insight we get into Kelvin’s psyche and childhood. It really is heartbreaking to see the juxtaposition of Kelvin in his treehouse - his safe space to Kelvin having a panic attack on live television after being attacked and publicly humiliated.