Sarah Sobieraj

X's new location feature sparks controversy, but is the data reliable? The new location feature suggested that some influencer accounts are based thousands of miles away from the countries they weigh in on. But X has explained very little about the data and how it works.

The new location feature suggested that some influencer accounts are based thousands of miles away from the countries they weigh in on. But X has explained very little about the data and how it works. n.pr/4p1jeoa

Perfect.

The Late Show Pitched Zohran Mamdani a ‘Game’ About Palestine Zohran Mamdani says the ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ producers pitched a ‘thumbs-up or thumbs-down’ segment with prompts like ‘Thumbs-up or thumbs-down: a Palestinian state.’ ‘I just couldn’t believe what was happening,’ Mamdani recalled.

Zohran Mamdani says the ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ producers pitched a ‘thumbs-up or thumbs-down’ segment with prompts like ‘Thumbs-up or thumbs-down: a Palestinian state.’ ‘I just couldn’t believe what was happening,’ Mamdani recalled.

ScamGPT: GenAI and the Automation of Fraud This collaboration between Lana Swartz, Alice E. Marwick, and Kate Larson maps generative AI's role in scams, the communities most at risk, and the broader economic and cultural shifts at play.

Great primer on generative AI-enhanced scams and prevention by @lanaschwartz.bsky.social @alicetiara.bsky.social & Kate Larson at @datasociety.bsky.social datasociety.net/library/scam...

Did Amazon Trick Customers Into Prime? A Jury Will Decide.

Did Amazon Trick Customers Into Prime? A Jury Will Decide. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/t...

US justice department removes study finding far-right extremists commit ‘far more’ violence Report finding rightwing extremists have killed more Americans than other domestic terrorist groups vanished from DoJ website

We need this information.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, has died after being shot Wednesday at a Utah college event, President Donald Trump says.

Deeply shocked to read that Charlie Kirk has been killed while speaking at a campus event, & worried about what it forebodes. Universities shouldn't be places where people settle things with guns; they're places to settle disagreements with words & ideas.

apnews.com/article/char...

Live updates: Charlie Kirk has died after being shot at an event in Utah, President Trump says Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said.

It's true. apnews.com/live/utah-va...

I Hate My Friend The chatbot-enabled Friend necklace eavesdrops on your life and provides a running commentary that’s snarky and unhelpful. Worse, it can also make the people around you uneasy.

For your holiday anti-wishlists courtesy of @wired.com @boone.bsky.social @kylierobison.com

A screenshot reading: "Here's the breakdown: Standard Jigger Volume: A standard jigger holds 1.5 fluid ounces (fl oz). Quarter Cup Volume: A quarter cup is equal to 2 fluid ounces. Calculating: To find how many quarter cups are in a jigger shot, divide the volume of a jigger by the volume of a quarter cup: 1.5 fl oz / 2 fl oz = 0.75 of a quarter cup. Total Quarter Cups: Therefore, a jigger is 0.75 quarter cups, and you would need to divide it by 0.75 (meaning 6) to get the grand total of 6 quarter cups in one jigger."

mixing a cocktail, didn't have a jigger handy; wondered what the ratio was of a quarter-cup to a jigger shot

I googled it and the "AI overview" answer went utterly off the rails

"a jigger shot equals six quarter cups"

man this Old Fashioned is gonna be STRONG but it's what the AI says so *cheers*

Lawyer caught using AI-generated false citations in court case penalised in Australian first Victorian solicitor stripped of his ability to practise as a principal lawyer after acknowledging he did not verify case list

A Victorian solicitor has been stripped of his ability to practise as a principal lawyer after being caught using AI-generated false citations in court case - he has acknowledged he did not verify the case list www.theguardian.com/law/2025/sep...

“A lot of [young people] felt they were cringy. They were forced attempts at humour. And speaking to media and comms people at political parties, many of them didn’t feel necessarily comfortable in producing that kind of content.”

Go Jumbos!

I’ll tell you this. A favorite campus dining spot closed last semester, with almost no notice. It’s been replaced by a fully automated kiosk. The kids are pissed. Asking all the right questions about labor and human contact and sociality.

Some of the kids are alright.

Hey sociologists -- help your far flung colleagues out -- more #ASA2025 #ASA25 posts!

Twins!

Dream team of folks to work with (@nancybaym.bsky.social, @marylgray.bsky.social, Tarleton Gillespie) Principal Researcher position for a social scientist doing critical analysis of tech and society: jobs.careers.microsoft.com/global/en/jo...

👏👏👏

Remember this? Matt Stone and Trey Parker aren't attacking Trump, they are *using* him. They'll keep going until he slaps Paramount with one of his patented defamation lawsuits, then reminisce abt their brutal licensing negotiations amidst and explosion of free publicity (cue maniacal laughter).

F.C.C. Approves Skydance’s $8 Billion Merger With Paramount

Nothing to see here. @onthemedia.bsky.social

“After a few weeks or months, you give up asking,’’ the women told me. I tried many times, and many times I gave up too. We felt horrified, invisible, helpless, and dehumanized.

“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk opens up about her 45 days in a South Louisiana processing facility—and the generous and compassionate women she met.

Grateful for Rümeysa Öztürk's bravery and insights. www.vanityfair.com/news/story/r...

"In the nearly six months of his second term, he has used [the word "evil"] 11 times to describe Democrats or journalists."

Most popular podcasts on YouTube, says YouTube. charts.youtube.com/podcasts

1. Joe Rogan Experience
2. MeidasTouch
10. Tucker Carlson Show
13. Pat McAfee Show
26. Black Conservative Perspective
32. Bulwark Takes
34. 60 Minutes
47. Democracy Now
60. PBS News Hour
64. Call Her Daddy
74. Roland Martin

Online Abuse and US Politics, a Conversation with Moya Bailey and Nina Jankowicz

New Ask a Feminist with @ninajankowicz.com, @moyazb.bsky.social, and @sobieraj.bsky.social! They analyze the harassment and abuse that women—esp. women in politics—face online and how it impedes women’s equal political participation. Check it out FREE on our website or your favorite podcasting app!

Online Abuse and US Politics, a Conversation with Moya Bailey and Nina Jankowicz

Delighted to facilitate this conversation about the way intersectional inequality, technology, and politics intersect with @moyazb.bsky.social and @ninajankowicz.com for @signsjournal.org. Critically important for all of us.

Friendly note for the email marketers out there... there is almost certainly no such thing as a "can't miss webinar."

Understanding the root causes and possible solutions for rising political violence YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

Insights from @milleridriss.bsky.social on @pbsnews.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjMx...

The Box — The World's First Anti-Deepfake Wearable Feel safe in public again. Our elegant, full-size wearable has you covered.

SNL-worthy chuckle (that also stings) courtesy of Nitya Kuthiala and @louisbarclay.bsky.social‬ wearthebox.com #gender #deepfakes

Thanks for this!