Amelia Vance

FTC Removes Posts Critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI Companies Business-guidance content published during the Biden administration has been removed from the Federal Trade Commission website.

SCOOP: The FTC has removed content critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI companies published during the Biden administration from its website.

Case 1:25-cv-00240-ACR Document 88 Filed 03/18/25 Page 1 of 3 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NICOLAS TALBOTT, et al, Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, et al, Defendants. Civil Action No. 25-cv-00240 (ACR) ORDER For the reasons set forth in the accompanying Memorandum Opinion, the Court hereby: GRANTS Plaintiffs' [72] Renewed Application for Preliminary Injunction; it further ORDERS that Defendants Peter B. Hegseth, in his official capacity as Secretary of Defense; the United States Department of the Army; Daniel P. Driscoll in his official capacity as Secretary of the Army; the United States Department of the Navy; Terence G. Emmert in his official capacity as Acting Secretary of the Navy; the United States Department of the Air Force; Gary A. Ashworth in his official capacity as Acting Secretary of the Air Force; the Defense Health Agency; Telita Crosland in her official capacity as Director of the Defense Health Agency, are preliminarily enjoined, pending further order of this Court, from implementing Executive Order No. 14183; as well as "Additional Guidance on Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness," Dkt. 63-1; and any other memorandums, guidance, policies, or actions issued pursuant to Executive Order 14183 or the Additional Guidance on Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness. The effect of the Court's Order is to maintain the status quo of military policy regarding transgender service that existed immediately before President Donald J. Trump issued Executive

Order 14183, e.g., the policies described in Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6130.03, Volume 1, "Medical Standards for Military Service: Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction," change 5, May 28, 2024; DoDI 6130.03, Volume 2, "Medical Standards for Military Service: Retention," change 1, June 6, 2022; and DoDI 1300.28, "In-Service Transition for Transgender Service Members," change 1, December 20, 2022. The Court also ORDERS that, pending further order of this Court, Defendants shall maintain and continue Plaintiffs' military statuses; it further ORDERS Defendants to take all steps necessary to effectuate this Order; it further ORDERS Defendants to provide written notice of this Order by 5:00 pm eastern on March 21, 2025, to all branches of the Department of Defense and to any other entity responsible for implementing military policy; it further ORDERS Defendants to file with the Court confirmation by 6:00 pm eastern on March 21, 2025, that it has provided the written notice of the Order as the Court has directed; it further ORDERS the parties to file a joint status report by March 31, 2025, that informs the Court of Defendants' compliance with this Order. Finally, on its own motion, the Court STAYS the effect of this Order until March 21, 2025, at 10:00 am eastern. This Order will automatically go into effect, unless stayed by an appellate court, on March 21, 2025, at 10:01 am eastern.

If the parties, at any time, have questions about the scope of this injunction, they should jointly reach out to Chambers. The Court will move expeditiously to address any issues. SO ORDERED. Date: March 18, 2025 ANA C. REYES United States District Court Judge

BREAKING: Judge Ana Reyes blocks Trump’s anti-trans military ban EO and the orders implementing it. She stays her order until 10a March 21 to allow the government to seek a stay from the DC Circuit. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Our university’s NIH CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Award) was just cancelled for having some keywords that just mean it will serve ALL people in Utah. This funds research that moves discovery science into clinical therapies. This is literally the mandate of the NIH! 😰 🧪

Screenshot of Lawfare Trump litigation tracker, available at https://www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-series/trumps-first-100-days/tracking-trump-administration-litigation The post says that Lawfare is now tracking 125 cases

Our incredible editorial team (@annahickey.bsky.social et al.) have been diligently tracking the lawsuits brought against the Trump administration.

The @lawfare.bsky.social litigation tracker now includes 125 cases and counting.

🫡 🫡 🫡

www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-ser...

Science friends!

Many of you, alarmed by grant funding cuts that make expensive field ecology research difficult or impossible, have been thinking about what to do instead. Great idea.

Some of you have been saying "I'll just do some social science surveys," without learning how. Bad idea! 🧵🧪

Under Trump, AI Scientists Are Told to Remove ‘Ideological Bias’ From Powerful Models A directive from the National Institute of Standards and Technology eliminates mention of “AI safety” and “AI fairness.”

Scientists that partner with the US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute received new instructions that eliminate mention of “AI safety,” “responsible AI,” and “AI fairness” in the skills it expects of members @willknight.bsky.social www.wired.com/story/ai-saf...

Trump administration ends "segregated facilities" ban in federal contracts The Civil Rights Act of 1964 still outlaws segregation in business, but the move is symbolic.

The Trump administration has announced the federal government will no longer unequivocally prohibit contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms and drinking fountains.

Alexa is getting creepier. Take this one step to improve your privacy. Amazon is ditching an option to opt out of sending Alexa voice commands to the company. It highlights the growing hunger for our personal data in the AI age.

Says author: “I’ll walk you through what Amazon is changing and help you evaluate how to live with an Alexa device without losing complete control of your privacy.”
Ambitious effort
But WHY?
Why live with an alexa? It’s a #privacy disaster. Full stop
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Exclusive: Trump fires both Democratic commissioners at FTC, sources say President Donald Trump fired the two Democratic commissioners at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the situation said, in another major test of the independence of regulatory agencies.

Just so we’re all clear, the Supreme Court *expressly ruled* that the president cannot fire FTC commissioners without cause in 1935’s Humphrey’s Executor. Trump’s action here is brazenly illegal under any interpretation of the law as it stands. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

Exclusive: Trump fires both Democratic commissioners at FTC, sources say President Donald Trump fired the two Democratic commissioners at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the situation said, in another major test of the independence of regulatory agencies.

The two Democratic commissioners at the FTC said they were illegally fired by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, in another major test of the independence of regulatory agencies. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

After President Trump's inauguration last month, he has steadily signed a slate of executive orders to keep these education promises: combatting critical race theory, DEl, gender ideology extremism, and discrimination in admissions. President Trump has also been focused on eliminating wasteful bureaucracy and harmful programs in the federal government. To that end, today he signed [Executive Order XYZ, entitled "Eliminating the Department of Education,] which has given us a clear and final mission. We are to identify which of the Department's functions, programs, and offices are not mandated by statute, and eliminate them. This reorganization will impact staff, budgets, reporting, and more —and in coming months, we will determine how it can be accomplished with minimal delay and disruption. The President further tasked us with creating a plan to reallocate and reassign functions of the Department of Education that would be more effectively managed by other agencies. This plan will offer Congress a road map toward fulfilling the expectations of the President and the American people. The new vision—which I hope each of you will embrace going forward—can be expressed as four main convictions: Parents are the primary decision makers in their children's education. Students deserve to be protected from physical violence, racial discrimination, medical tyranny, and gender extremism ideology on campus. Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs. Taxpayer-funded education should refocus on meaningful learning: proficiency in math, reading, and core subjects, and patriotism in American history and civics. As we move to reduce the Department's middleman role in education, these four convictions must guide us toward conscientious and pragmatic action. The elimination of bureaucracy should free us, not limit us, in our pursuit of these goals Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make th

SCOOP: Now that Linda McMahon is confirmed/sworn in as secretary, Trump will be imminently issuing an executive order eliminating the Department of Education.

I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.

Here is a portion:

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Decoding the New COPPA Rule: Impacts and Implications. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. The FTC just dropped the final COPPA Rule today, and it's a game-changer for anyone working with children's data. Join our webinar next Tuesday, where an expert panel will discuss the major changes to...

Webinar: Decoding the New COPPA Rule TODAY at 1pm ET! FTC dropped the final Rule last week and there is A LOT to unpack! Join our experts IAPP's @cobun.bsky.social, SIIA's Sara Kloek, Senior Advisor for Common Sense Media Ariel Fox Johnson, & me to ask questions & learn more. Register bit.ly/40lLTcF

State Privacy & AI News - 1/10 Welcome to The Patchwork Dispatch, a fortnightly newsletter that brings you the top 5 recent developments in consumer privacy and AI legislation, regulation, and enforcement from across the U.S.

New year, new bills, same analysis of state privacy and AI legislative developments.

Don't miss the latest edition of The Patchwork Dispatch!
www.linkedin.com/pulse/state-...

Honestly, you can never go wrong by giving the credit to others that they have merited. It acknowledges who has been important to your successes and how, and it reminds people that successes of one person almost never happen without the work of others.

Samsung’s smart fridges will use AI to suggest groceries to buy on Instacart More milk, please.

Samsung’s smart fridges will use AI to suggest groceries to buy on Instacart

“Through the screen, I found something unexpected: the chance for technology to offer a different — and sometimes deeper — interaction with patients.”
—@helenouyang.bsky.social
@nytopinion.nytimes.com
gift link www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/o...

The huge stakes in a new Supreme Court case about pornography Texas asks the justices to abandon longstanding First Amendment protections for sexual speech.

For those who don't understand what's at stake in FSC v Paxton, this article is a good place to start.

Apple contractors 'regularly hear confidential details' on Siri recordings Workers hear drug deals, medical details and people having sex, says whistleblower

As far as Siri recording conversations in error, that came out five years ago. It's wrong, and Apple should be held accountable, but it doesn't mean they've admitted to using it for ad targeting.

I'm no Apple defender but it seems like this is quite a key point. Yes, there were recordings. No, there is no evidence they were sold to advertisers. Apple is just paying to make this go away. You can choose to believe it is doing so so that it isn't forced to reveal it's evil plan, but 🤷

Siri “unintentionally” recorded private convos; Apple agrees to pay $95M Apple users may get $20 each for up to five Siri-enabled devices.

Stupidest hill to die on, but: people are concluding from this story that Apple is serving ads based on overheard conversations, and that is *not* what the article or the settlement say.

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness? The evidence is equivocal on whether screen time is to blame for rising levels of teen depression and anxiety — and rising hysteria could distract us from tackling the real causes.

Thank you @natureportfolio.bsky.social for making my review of the Anxious Generation open access for parents, policy-makers, and the public. The story told in this book runs counter science and is leading to poor policy decisions that will ultimately fail our kids. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

5 actually good things that happened in technology this year This best-of technology list for 2024 has zero gadgets or AI chatbots.

I made a list of 5 actually GOOD THINGS that happened in tech this year.

None involve AI chatbots or tech gadgets.

Progress on privacy (really)! Whole Olympics memes! AI that is designed for the public good!

wapo.st/4gJjl3l

📌

A start on who to follow for the science on social media and adolescent mental health! Who else is here?

go.bsky.app/2PqckAy

Bye-bye 2024, I won't miss you. Well, it's been one heck of a year. ::shaking head:: Although I love getting those end-of-year postcards from folks, I've never managed to make them. Instead of recounting my familial adventures and e...

Bye bye 2024, I won't miss you. But I am proud of or excited by some of what occurred this year, so I attempted to document that. made-not-found-by-danah-boyd.ghost.io/bye-bye-2024...

AI Company That Made Robots For Kids Goes Under, Robots Die - Aftermath Embodied, maker of the AI robot called Moxie, is shuttering. With their closing, parents have to explain to their kids that Moxie is dead.

An AI company that made a robot called Moxie to socialize children with special needs went under and so now parents have to explain to their kids that their robots are dying. For @aftermath.site aftermath.site/moxie-robot-...

Punchbowl's @benbrodydc.bsky.social got a copy of FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson's pitch to be chair under Trump: