Studying confluence of influence operations, disinfo, truth decay, information integrity & policies addressing online harms. Many thoughts, sometimes prayers.
Good to see Google act. This should never have been released in the first place. bsky.app/profile/en.a...
Dr Sanjana HattotuwaOh look - a plane's crashed into Parliament House in Wellington... This is like N₂O to truth decay. #WhatTheFuckWasGoogleThinking
What could possibly go wrong.
Arestovich's Classic FacepalmALT: Arestovich's Classic Facepalmstatic.klipy.comEliot HigginsGoogle Earth, a tool often used as a source of satellite imagery to verify photos and videos, has added a feature that allows you to alter satellite imagery with AI, for reasons. blog.google/products-and...
A Once Outlawed Māori Art Form Is Alive and in the Flesh www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/w... (Gift link) #nzpol
A Once Outlawed Māori Art Form Is Alive and in the Flesh (Gift Article)Young Māori in New Zealand are embracing tā moko, the ritual tattoos that were banned under British colonial rule and became an act of protest in the 1970s.www.nytimes.comThis article resonates with a policy brief I sent last week to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, in the context of a social media ban for U-16s. Evidence-led policy, with strong, independent regulatory bodies, & platform transparency/accountability critical. sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/30/c...
Children, harms, and rights: Policy brief for Prime Minister on proposed social media restrictions for under-16s in Sri LankaOn 26 July 2026, the Sunday Times reported that a draft Online Protection for Children Bill “aimed at tackling social media additional among children” was to be presented to Cabinet. Th…sanjanah.wordpress.comDr. Cassandra MudgwaySome excellent discussion about alternatives to a social media ban for teens that's more likely to hold big tech accountable for harm #nzpol theconversation.com/the-jurys-ou...
Bird flu, and the manufacture of disbelief: A study of commentary from 16-27 July 2026 www.linkedin.com/pulse/bird-f... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/30/b... (WordPress) #nzpol
He’s clearly unwell, and if he were a family member we’d be talking about, & insisting on an urgent (mental) health intervention. With respect to the Greens, this is far more than a distraction - and it’s telling the Speaker didn’t intervene at all. www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361... #nzpol
Winston Peters launches tirade against Chinese-Kiwi Green MP“This is called democracy, unlike what you're used to. So go back to where you come from, you loud mouth, and maybe you'll learn something,” Peters said.www.stuff.co.nzThe far-right's targeting of InternetNZ is a timely, clear signal that they have already animated their networks, and agitated their supporters to vote. So should you. #nzpol
Paul BrislenTime to vote, InternetNZ members. It's a ranked system thing so have a look at the candidates and decide who you want helping steer the ship over the next three years.
New Zealand would also benefit a great deal from an adaptation of this. Media literacy in 60 minutes: how to help older Australians spot misinformation and find facts apo.org.au/node/334919 #nzpol @krveale.bsky.social
Given the toxic masculinity, and outright (kinetic) violence normalised by this cult, esp. by the sermons of its leader week after week, month after month, year after year, this is entirely unsurprising. This is from Feb 2025, www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/domestic-... It's got worse, since. #nzpol
Significant new report from UNESCO highlights the value of strong journalism, & underscores just how much of an economic impact disinformation has. | The value of journalism: global evidence on why media matters to economies, national security and crises unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/p... #nzpol
Dr Sanjana HattotuwaImportantly, this report also establishes a clear policy gap between the Russia Sanctions Register, and the governance of the NZ Domain Name Commission, and @internetnz.nz. This gap is being actively weaponised. #nzpol
Sentencing the symptom, sparing the source: New Zealand Law Commission’s hate crime report www.linkedin.com/pulse/senten... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/23/s... (WordPress) #nzpol
Dr Sanjana HattotuwaThe Law Commission's Hate Crime review is finally out. Has a dozen recommendations. www.lawcom.govt.nz/our-work/hat... #nzpol
Sanctioned, but syndicated: How Russia's RT narratives permeate New Zealand www.linkedin.com/pulse/sancti... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/22/s... (WordPress) #nzpol
Cybersecurity and hybrid threats: Power as code, and reimaginations of security www.linkedin.com/pulse/cybers... (LinkedIn) sanjanah.wordpress.com/2026/07/22/c... (WordPress) #Cybersecurity #AI
The Law Commission's Hate Crime review is finally out. Has a dozen recommendations. www.lawcom.govt.nz/our-work/hat... #nzpol
In which libertarian, and nativist politicians in New Zealand compete on the fastest way to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
RNZ News FeedsShane Jones positions ACT as 'nationalist', continues swipes at migrants
Banning social media misses the real crises newsroom.co.nz/2026/07/17/b... Good piece by Drs Terryann Clark and Sarah Hetrick, underscoring what Dr @legallyfeminist.bsky.social has repeatedly stressed this year. #nzpol
Banning social media misses the real crisesFrom Auckland University - Comment: As governments copy Australia's under-16 social media ban, evidence suggests targeting screen time ignores wider economic drivers of youth distress.newsroom.co.nz[Taxpayers’ Union] claim distorts impact of Greens' tax plan on households www.aap.com.au/factcheck/nz... via @aapfactcheck.bsky.social #nzpol #disinformation
NZ lobby group's claim distorts impact of Greens' tax plan on householdsA Greens Party tax proposal primarily aimed at large companies and a small percentage of wealthy individuals is being misleadingly presented by a lobby group as a cost to every household.www.aap.com.au