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Ben Farrand

@benfarrand

Prof in Law & Emerging Technologies. Interactions between law, geopolitics and technology governance. Currently writing about EU Digital Sovereignty. Probably just here to post synthwave and talk about microchips.

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25.08.2023
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Latest posts by Ben Farrand @benfarrand

Preview
Opening the Black Box of EU Digital Sovereignty: A Macro‐Level Analysis of the Concept's Development Digital sovereignty has emerged as a central organizing principle in European Union governance, yet systematic understanding of its conceptual evolution remains limited. This article provides the fir....

Digital sovereignty is a strategically flexible concept, and if you are interested in its development and evolution, check our new article in @govjournal.bsky.social: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

1/8

22.01.2026 07:01 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Happy to give virtual or in-person talks for anyone who may be interested!

16.01.2026 08:26 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
"Geopolitical Union: Europe's Attempt to Take Back Control of Technology Regulation" by Benjamin Farrand

"Geopolitical Union: Europe's Attempt to Take Back Control of Technology Regulation" by Benjamin Farrand

Examines the European Commission’s concerns around the economic power of the US and China, its own security vulnerabilities, and how dependent it is upon technologies produced outside of its territory.

'Geopolitical Union' by Benjamin Farrand, Coming Soon

#LawSky #EU

https://cup.org/49d4mO9

14.01.2026 18:47 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

CJEI: no, no, don’t you see, surveillance IS privacy!

02.12.2025 15:03 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The Court has just provided the ammunition the Commission is looking for to justify scaling back on the areas identified as structurally blocking growth in technology…

02.12.2025 14:57 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

In the same ways that The Beatles were a death metal band, maybe.

25.11.2025 13:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
WHEN IN TIME DO WE NEED "ABANDONED MALL MUSIC" IF NOT NOW, WHEN DO WE NEED TO HEAR DA RUINS OF AMERICAN CULTURE FLOAT IN A CLOUD OF REVERB IF NOT NOW, WHEN SHOULD SLOWED DOWN MUSIC BE A BALM FOR DA EAR'S OF DA WORKING PERSON IF NOT NOW, AND DA TEXT  : "I MISS VAPOR WAVE ,ALL MUSIC SHOULD BE OTHER MUSIC THATS SLOWED DOWN, ALL MUSIC SHOULD BE ABLOUT DOLPHINS AND STATUE'S, ALL MUSIC SHOULD SOUND LIKE SHIT " - DASHARE.ZONE ADMIN

WHEN IN TIME DO WE NEED "ABANDONED MALL MUSIC" IF NOT NOW, WHEN DO WE NEED TO HEAR DA RUINS OF AMERICAN CULTURE FLOAT IN A CLOUD OF REVERB IF NOT NOW, WHEN SHOULD SLOWED DOWN MUSIC BE A BALM FOR DA EAR'S OF DA WORKING PERSON IF NOT NOW, AND DA TEXT : "I MISS VAPOR WAVE ,ALL MUSIC SHOULD BE OTHER MUSIC THATS SLOWED DOWN, ALL MUSIC SHOULD BE ABLOUT DOLPHINS AND STATUE'S, ALL MUSIC SHOULD SOUND LIKE SHIT " - DASHARE.ZONE ADMIN

BRING IT BACK - dashare.zone ADMIN

25.10.2025 21:06 πŸ‘ 542 πŸ” 103 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 17
Preview
UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

🧡🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

1/11

09.10.2025 15:47 πŸ‘ 736 πŸ” 451 πŸ’¬ 22 πŸ“Œ 65
Preview
a blurred image of a person with # mutant fam written in red letters Alt: Pinhead from Hellraiser walking up to another person and declaring β€˜we have such sights to show you.’
07.10.2025 06:19 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

But if people know what we’re interested in, then we might have to actually do those things! 😬

07.10.2025 06:16 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Thrilled to share my new short-form piece with the BISA ISET WG πŸš€

My piece explores how AI governance needs to move past rigid, one-size-fits-all frameworks and embrace more adaptive, context-sensitive pathways.

Grateful to @mybisa.bsky.social and @benfarrand.bsky.social for this opportunity

02.10.2025 15:02 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Close-up of a glowing AI microchip embedded on a circuit board.

Close-up of a glowing AI microchip embedded on a circuit board.

Out now! A fantastic new BISA International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group short-form article πŸŽ‰

'Beyond frameworks: Alternative pathways for AI governance in a fragmented world' by Alp Cenk Arslan, PhD πŸ“š

Read here πŸ‘‰ https://ow.ly/uzcN50X5sVi

Ben Farrand

02.10.2025 13:01 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
a man in a blue sweater is reading a book called sensible chuckle ALT: a man in a blue sweater is reading a book called sensible chuckle
28.09.2025 11:13 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What does the von der Leyen II Commission hold for EU digital sovereignty?- International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group (ISET) | BISA - International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group (ISET) Working Group

Last chance to sign up! ⏰
Sign up to join the new International Studies and Emerging Technologies WG convenors as they introduce themselves, give a short presentation and set the agenda for this year! πŸŽ‰

Register here πŸ‘‰ buff.ly/4nl02IH

@benfarrand.bsky.social

23.09.2025 16:00 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

True, a lot of it also depends on how β€˜lawful access’ is defined. Some arguing it means β€˜without breaching TPMs to access’. That would be my reading based on measure 1.2 of the copyright chapter of the general purpose AI Code of Practice

06.09.2025 19:47 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Is the issue that they think there could possibly be value chain liability, maybe?

06.09.2025 19:33 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Commission published a Code of Practice which is more detailed here: ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae.... Seems to suggest they view it as falling within the TDM exception unless rights are specifically reserved.

06.09.2025 19:31 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

From my reading of Article 53(1)(c), it’s for GEN AI providers that place the product on the market. AI providers are defined under Article 3 as those putting the product on the market, so arguably it wouldn’t apply to independent researchers. Just my reading though!

06.09.2025 16:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The UN Cybercrime Convention under Article 14 maybe? I think the US is likely to adopt it unless something changes (which wouldn’t surprise me).

06.09.2025 16:27 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
What does the von der Leyen II Commission hold for EU digital sovereignty?- International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group (ISET) | BISA - International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group (ISET) Working Group

Make sure you sign up to join the new International Studies and Emerging Technologies WG convenors as they introduce themselves, give a short presentation and set the agenda for this year! πŸŽ‰

Register here πŸ‘‰ buff.ly/qBpUNff

@benfarrand.bsky.social

04.09.2025 12:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Clean Industrial Deal… or Dirty Industrial Deal? The so-called #CID may sound green β€” but it’s not clean and definitely not climate-friendly. Born out of heavy polluter lobbying, it weakens rules and funnels public money to big industry, while ignoring real climate solutions.

26.08.2025 16:08 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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New conveners and call for expressions of interest- International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group (ISET) | BISA - International Studies and Emerging Technologies Working Group (ISET) Working Group

@benfarrand.bsky.social & Dr Mike Bourne are the new International Studies and Emerging Technologies WG conveners! 🌟

They are calling for expressions of interest! Presenting work, writing small articles and discussing your work-in-progress πŸŽ‰

Find out more here πŸ‘‰

20.08.2025 14:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Slightly diminish a band:

Jane’s Craving

13.08.2025 09:59 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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a bald man is laying down with his head resting on his hand and a gif-finder.com logo in the lower right corner ALT: a bald man is laying down with his head resting on his hand and a gif-finder.com logo in the lower right corner

β€˜But how can we profit unless we turn games into services you have to pay monthly for?

04.08.2025 16:02 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

β€˜I’m not owned, I’m not owned’ I continue to insist as I slowly shrink tariffs on corncobs.

09.04.2025 18:43 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

You’re charging me $5 dollars for drinking the coffee I bought? No, you’re paying ME $5 dollars so I can drink that coffee. Also I’m charging you for that mug.

09.04.2025 05:21 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Oh absolutely, it’s just the EU wasn’t particularly vocal about it until maybe the past 10-12 years. Also, EU’s commitment to its own values is occasionally pretty shaky.

07.04.2025 07:49 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah, you can see this in various ways during the 2nd Obama Administration, before a clearer divergence in values starts getting more explicit in 2016.

07.04.2025 07:28 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I think a bit like Fukuyama, Angell’s argument was somewhat misunderstood/misrepresented by critics immediately after WWI. Angell never said it couldn’t happen, only that it would be economically ruinous.

07.04.2025 06:03 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0