Wyden And Cruz Team Up On A Bill To Stop Government Jawboning. It’s… Actually Pretty Good? | Techdirt Techdirt is off for the holiday! We'll be back with our regular posts this weekend. https://www.techdirt.com/ Free Speech (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/freespeech/) • • Sign In (https://www.techdirt.com/my-account/) • Register (https://www.techdirt.com/register/) • Preferences (https://www.techdirt.com/preferences/) Techdirt - [x] • TechDirt (https://www.techdirt.com/) • GreenHouse (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/greenhouse/) • Free Speech (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/freespeech/) • Error 402 (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/webmonetization/) • Ctrl-Alt-Speech (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/ctrlaltspeech/) • Deals (https://deals.techdirt.com/) • Jobs (https://jobs.techdirt.com/) • Support Techdirt (https://www.techdirt.com/support/) https://www.techdirt.com/blog/podcast/ Surveillance Is Good Because I Want Drivers I Don’t Like To Be Punished: Cleveland Columnist (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/surveillance-is-good-because-i-want-drivers-i-dont-like-to-be-punished-cleveland-columnist/) Congress Just Rushed Through A Disastrous Copyright Office Overhaul (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/congress-just-rushed-through-a-disastrous-copyright-office-overhaul/) You Have Less Than A Week To Tell The FCC That Carr’s Censorial Attack On ABC Is Nonsense (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/17/you-have-less-than-a-week-to-tell-the-fcc-that-carrs-censorial-attack-on-abc-is-nonsense/) Wyden And Cruz Team Up On A Bill To Stop Government Jawboning. It’s… Actually Pretty Good? https://www.techdirt.com/?s&topic=freespeech Free Speech (https://www.techdirt.com/?s&topic=freespeech) from the free-speech-is-a-good-thing dept Thu, Jun 18th 2026 01:06pm - Mike Masnick (https://www.techdirt.com/user/mmasnick/) Senators Ron Wyden and Ted Cruz have released the JAWBONE Act (https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-cruz-introduce-legislation-toguard-first-amendment-speech-rights-against-government-jawboning) (“Justice Against Weaponized Bureaucratic Overreach to Networked Expression Act”) as a way to prevent government suppression of speech. While some of the premises behind it are silly and nonsensical, the actual law is not bad. Of course, if it became law, the Trump admin would face a bunch of lawsuits over it, but we’ll leave that aside for now. For much of the Biden administration there were misleading (and often downright false) claims that administration officials were pressuring social media companies to suppress content online, which has been generally called jawboning (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/jawboning/) (for historical reasons not worth getting into). It can be a real issue, as government officials across the political spectrum often do seem eager to silence speech they dislike. And while the First Amendment should prevent that, there are limited remedies for those who are victims of it. However, in the legal sense, jawboning, dating back to the famous Bantam Books (https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/372/58/) case and evolving through the Murthy vs. Missouri (https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-411_3dq3.pdf) case, has tended to focus on the important distinction between the government trying to persuade intermediaries to allow or suppress certain speech vs. attempts to coerce. The coercive version crosses the First Amendment boundary. The persuasive version is allowed, as it involves political speech on its own. I still think one of the best efforts to lay out this distinction was not at the Supreme Court, but by Judge Richard Posner in Backpage v. Dart (https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/15-3047/15-3047-2015-11-30.html). That was the case where Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart sent letters on his official letterhead telling credit card companies they needed to stop working with Backpage or else. Backpage sued, and Dart tried to argue that he was just using his personal First Amendment rights to express his opinion to the credit card companies. Judge Posner pointed out that this was nonsense, and the clear intent in the letters was to threaten them with legal consequences as a government law enforcement agent. Posner highlights that Dart not only sent the letter on his sheriff’s letterhead, but opened by identifying himself as “the Sheriff of Cook County,” used the legal language of “cease and desist,” and later suggested that the credit card companies “willfully play a central role” in criminal activity by allowing Backpage to use their services. As Posner notes, this is not just an official expressing their personal opinion. There’s a clear coercive threat involved: And here’s the kicker: “Within the next week, please provide me with contact information for an individual within your organization that I can work with [harass, pester] on this issue.” The “I” is Sheriff Dart, not private citizen Dart— the letter was signed by “Thomas Dart, Cook County Sheriff.” And the letter was not merely an expression of Sheriff Dart’s opinion. It was designed to compel the credit card companies to act by inserting Dart into the discussion; he’ll be chatting them up. Further insight into the purpose and likely effect of such a letter is provided by a strategy memo written by a member of the sheriff’s staff in advance of the letter. The memo suggested approaching the credit card companies (whether by phone, mail, email, or a visit in person) with threats in the form of “reminders” of “their own potential liability for allowing suspected illegal transactions to continue to take place” and their potential susceptibility to “money laundering prosecutions … and/or hefty fines.” Allusion to that “susceptibility” was the culminating and most ominous threat in the letter. That’s what coercion looks like. And despite what MAGA folks (including Ted Cruz) insist, none of that was present in the Biden admin requests regarding social media. There were certainly a few instances that appeared to get pretty close to the line (https://www.techdirt.com/2021/07/16/no-white-house-isnt-colluding-with-facebook-to-silence-dissent-it-sure-could-have-handled-things-better/), but even the very conservative MAGA-pilled Supreme Court repeatedly pointed out that there was “no evidence” they could find of the administration crossing that line against the plaintiffs in Murthy, and thus they had no standing to sue (https://www.techdirt.com/2024/06/26/supreme-court-sees-through-the-nonsense-rejects-lower-courts-rulings-regarding-social-media-moderation/). Of course, if you look at the level of jawboning happening now (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/04/20/court-to-bondi-demanding-platforms-censor-speech-and-bragging-about-it-on-fox-news-is-in-fact-a-first-amendment-violation/) in the Trump administration, it’s quite incredible and way beyond even what they (falsely) accused Biden of doing. Almost every day (https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/25/jim-jordan-celebrates-google-caving-to-his-pressure-in-letter-that-says-caving-to-government-pressure-is-wrong/) we see yet another story (https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/17/cowardly-disney-caves-to-brendan-carrs-bogus-censorial-threats-pulling-jimmy-kimmel/) of someone in the Trump admin threatening intermediaries to suppress speech. So, given that backdrop, the JAWBONE Act (silly backronym aside) comes at an interesting time. While in theory the First Amendment already protects against such activities, it’s quite difficult to get your full day in court. So the new bill gives apparent victims of jawboning a direct cause of action, allows for early discovery to try to prove that they were targets, and allows cases to live on after officials involved are out of office. It also would require “transparency” regarding certain government communications with media companies. The good part of the law is that it makes it clear this is about coercion: Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for an agency, or an officer or employee of the United States under color or pretense of office or employment, to coerce or attempt to coerce a broadcaster, a provider of an interactive computer service, or a provider of an artificial intelligence system within the United States (including the territories of the United States) for the purpose of, or if a reasonable person would understand the coercion or attempted coercion to be for the purpose of, incentivizing the broadcaster or provider to take a content action. Because Cruz and the MAGA crew are absolutely certain that the Murthy case would have gone differently if only the government had been forced to share details, it includes a “pre-trial motion for limited discovery.” Of course, in Murthy there was a ton of discovery… which turned up absolutely nothing (hence the Supreme Court ruling). So, if anything, this will allow for any crackpot to sue government officials claiming they were censored and require the government to go through extra discovery. But, well, it’s the government. They can handle that. The requirement for making communications between government officials and covered platforms available isn’t bad, per se, but seems like it may be a compliance headache. Though it would also show that most communication between platforms and government is not some cloak and dagger censorship nonsense but pretty standard information exchanges. And we already know how some of this will go, since whenever there is communication with an agency like the FCC it’s supposed to be publicly reported, leading to a flood of pointless filings almost no one reads any time anyone meets with an FCC Commissioner. It’s fine, but it’s just more paperwork. Of course, the likelihood of this ever becoming law is slim, given that the impact would be a ton of lawsuits against the Trump administration and its many officials who seem to think their only purpose is to jawbone in pursuit of suppressing any speech critical of MAGA. On the whole, though, it’s a reasonable bill, even if Cruz’s support is based on a total misreading of what happened in the Murthy case. The government shouldn’t be in the business of coercing intermediaries into suppressing speech, and if a bill like this helps make that a reality, so much the better. That said, even if this did become law, given how eager the courts have been (throughout modern history) to make it close to impossible to sue government employees for any violation of rights, I do wonder how much good it would do. Filed Under: 1st amendment (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/1st-amendment/), discovery (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/discovery/), free speech (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/free-speech/), jawbone act (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/jawbone-act/), jawboning (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/jawboning/), ron wyden (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/ron-wyden/), ted cruz (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/ted-cruz/) https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Fwyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good%2F&title=Wyden%20And%20Cruz%20Team%20Up%20On%20A%20Bill%20To%20Stop%20Government%20Jawboning.%20It%26%238217%3Bs%26%238230%3B%20Actually%20Pretty%20Good%3Fhttps://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Fwyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good%2F&text=Wyden%20And%20Cruz%20Team%20Up%20On%20A%20Bill%20To%20Stop%20Government%20Jawboning.%20It%26%238217%3Bs%26%238230%3B%20Actually%20Pretty%20Good%3F&via=Techdirthttps://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Fwyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good%2F&t=Wyden%20And%20Cruz%20Team%20Up%20On%20A%20Bill%20To%20Stop%20Government%20Jawboning.%20It%26%238217%3Bs%26%238230%3B%20Actually%20Pretty%20Good%3Fhttps://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&ro=false&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Fwyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good%2F&title=Wyden%20And%20Cruz%20Team%20Up%20On%20A%20Bill%20To%20Stop%20Government%20Jawboning.%20It%26%238217%3Bs%26%238230%3B%20Actually%20Pretty%20Good%3F 7 Comments (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comments)Leave a Comment (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comments) If you liked this post, you may also be interested in... • Opposition Mounts To Trump FCC Plan To Kill Burner Phone Anonymity, Ramp Up Surveillance (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/15/opposition-mounts-to-trump-fcc-plan-to-kill-burner-phone-anonymity-ramp-up-surveillance/) • American Diabetes Association Fucked Up Real Bad Trying To Placate Trump Administration (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/12/american-diabetes-association-fucked-up-real-bad-trying-to-placate-trump-administration/) • Bill Introduced That Would Codify The Right To Record Federal Law Enforcement Officers (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/12/bill-introduced-that-would-codify-the-right-to-record-federal-law-enforcement-officers/) • Apparently One Dismissed Speech-Suppressing SLAPP Suit Wasn't Enough For Matt Taibbi (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/11/apparently-one-dismissed-speech-suppressing-slapp-suit-wasnt-enough-for-matt-taibbi/) • ICE Officers Break Cameras. 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It’s… Actually Pretty Good?” Subscribe: RSS (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/comments/feed/)Leave a comment (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#respond) • Filter comments in by Time • Filter comments as Threaded • Filter only comments rated Insightful • Filter only comments rated funny LOL • Filter only comments that are Unread 7 Comments Collapse all replies This comment is new since your last visit. Anonymous Coward says: June 18, 2026 at 1:36 pm (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5408849) Sounds more like another attempt to prevent Democrats from doing anything that MAGA wouldn’t fully accept (or to be more precise, that MAGA wants to be the only one to do) but as long as it doesn’t pass, Cruz could still pretend it would never target MAGA. Now, it would be ironic if the Congress turns blue and votes for it. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5408849#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408849)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408849) This comment is new since your last visit. The Phule says: June 18, 2026 at 1:45 pm (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5408861) Yes, yes, they’re taking away a weapon that the government can use against fascists with media control. And we’re expected to praise it. Collapse replies (2)Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5408861#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408861)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408861) This comment is new since your last visit. Threaded [2] Mike Masnick(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/mmasnick/)says: June 18, 2026 at 10:04 pm (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5409660) Re: That weapon being… what, exactly? The unconstitutional use of government power to suppress speech? You are actually supporting the idea that Trump should be able to control and suppress speech. Are you that stupid? Collapse replies (1)Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5409660#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5409660)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5409660) This comment is new since your last visit. Threaded [3] Stephen T. Stone(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/regularstone/)says: June 19, 2026 at 5:29 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5410494) Re: Re: Yes. Yes, he is. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5410494#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5410494)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5410494) This comment is new since your last visit. Arianity(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/arianity/)says: June 18, 2026 at 11:06 pm (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5409770) While in theory the First Amendment already protects against such activities, it’s quite difficult to get your full day in court. So the new bill gives apparent victims of jawboning a direct cause of action, allows for early discovery to try to prove that they were targets, and allows cases to live on after officials involved are out of office As usual, I’m a bit torn. If it’s that hard to get a First Amendment case through in practice, that suggests fixing the entire process for 1A cases, not bandaiding a single type. Also not really a big fan of handing it to Cruz, especially when requires essentially saying his criticisms of Murthy are correct. (Also, weren’t we supposed to take Republicans saying they’re going to abuse a new law seriously?) So, if anything, this will allow for any crackpot to sue government officials claiming they were censored and require the government to go through extra discovery. But, well, it’s the government. They can handle that. This seems like it’s potentially setting up individuals for harassment, as well. This seems like it could be a real headache if it’s weaponized against someone like a Peter Strzok/Fauci, especially if the government throws them under the bus on defense. (That said, you really do want some personal skin in the game when it comes to violating rights, so I don’t know how you balance that) Not to mention political hay for anyone crawling through public comments. Which is probably fine, but worth considering. That said, even if this did become law, given how eager the courts have been (throughout modern history) to make it close to impossible to sue government employees for any violation of rights, I dunno if it was that bad, until after Bivens got killed by a thousand cuts? Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5409770#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5409770)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5409770) This comment is new since your last visit. Ninja(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/ninja/)says: June 19, 2026 at 3:26 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5410279) I used to be against laws that were already codified into the Constitution (in my country) but sometimes it takes a law to narrowly define some practices that are already barred in the document but only under some big umbrella like freedom of speech. Makes it easier and more straightforward to identify, properly punish and assess economic damage than the broad wording of the Constitution. Hopefully this will make into law because the Trump administration has shown very clearly that you need to narrowly define stuff to prevent tyrannical assholes from abusing every breach, loophole and lack of definition in the system to advance their evil intentions. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5410279#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5410279)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5410279) This comment is new since your last visit. That One Guy(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/thatoneguy/)says: June 19, 2026 at 9:10 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#comment-5410929) Sometimes it's a right headache having those... Damnit principles, now you have me agreeing with Ted Cruz of all people, even if only for a second? Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/?replytocom=5410929#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5410929)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5410929) Close • says: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/# Add Your Comment Cancel reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#respond) Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked * Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now (https://www.techdirt.com/my-account/?redirect_to=https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/wyden-and-cruz-team-up-on-a-bill-to-stop-government-jawboning-its-actually-pretty-good/#respond). Want one? 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(https://.../?utm_source=&utm_medium=js-dealfeed&utm_content=&utm_campaign=) Techdirt Insider Discord The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel... • Leah Abram:(I don't know if Mr. C. Doctorow would agree with my usage of that term, though) • John Roddy:They already started rolling it back • Leah Abram:Wait, what? BlueSky disenshittified themselves? • John Roddy:They seemed to be genuinely shocked by the backlash. • I don't understand how • Leah Abram:So Trumpy rolled back his $1.8B IRS scam and BlueSky walked back their enshittifying changes? • Am I feeling…pride? • [[gifv]https://klipy.com/gifs/what-nani-1](https://klipy.com/gifs/what-nani-1) • John Roddy:Mamdani suspended bedtimes • candescence:Must've been a well-intentioned change that the staff really did not think through • But they really should stop with these sudden changes without community input • John Roddy:That's what gets me. BlueSky is one of the very few startups that genuinely took moderation and trust& safety serious from day one • How did they walk into such an obvious backlash like this? • aabsurdity:There were reports that one of the people affected was given a 22 day timer, shown on posts. Because your entire post history dissolves into chastity after 22 days somehow, I guess? • Bluesky moderation has stepped on a few rakes, but this really scared the whole artist community, given all the NSFW and SFW creators whose lives and livelihoods were decimated by PayPal in recent months. • https://bsky.app/profile/safety....https://bsky.app/profile/safety.bsky.app/post/3mnb7cza5yc2g (https://bsky.app/profile/safety.bsky.app/post/3mnb7cza5yc2g) I really could do without the idea that the concept of humans having bodies is inherently harmful to people until they turn 18. • Generations of kids have been taught how to deal with being on fire, but nobody wants to have a talk with their kids about other people because it's icky. • benv0727:Today, I joined @IJM to call for the Senate to immediately hold a vote on my STOP CSAM Act—which advanced unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Children need protections from predators on the internet, and this bill is an essential first step. There is no more time for delay. • https://x.com/i/status/206185715...https://x.com/i/status/2061857154957468115 (https://x.com/i/status/2061857154957468115) • aabsurdity:If you're quoting someone, it's generally accepted that you will use quote marks to indicate this. • BentFranklin:Microsoft CEO: We’re moving from OS and apps to agents instead • https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/02/m...https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/02/microsoft-ceo-were-moving-from-os-and-apps-to-agents-instead/ (https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/02/microsoft-ceo-were-moving-from-os-and-apps-to-agents-instead/) • . • Mike Masnick:at some point i'm going to write something about this, but an agentic-first computing paradigm really would fuck up all the efforts to age gate the internet... so I get why people don't like it for the AI of it all, but there are some interesting side effects • John Roddy:I know it usually misses the point to investigate how it would break once it's been established that the break is inevitable. But hey, that's still fascinating to weirdos like me. • Also, Matt Taibbi is appealing his defamation loss to the 2nd Circus. • Get in, losers. We're going losing! • candescence:https://bsky.app/profile/yashara...https://bsky.app/profile/yasharali.bsky.social/post/3mndxlp273d2g (https://bsky.app/profile/yasharali.bsky.social/post/3mndxlp273d2g) • https://bsky.app/profile/justinb...https://bsky.app/profile/justinbaragona.bsky.social/post/3mndxll2mvk2l (https://bsky.app/profile/justinbaragona.bsky.social/post/3mndxll2mvk2l) • Nick Bilton is a thin-skinned stooge. • Mike Masnick:meanwhile... [[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jxNeV5L1Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jxNeV5L1Q) • aabsurdity:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3...https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3fS5NyKzygU (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3fS5NyKzygU) • Seems to be a decent summary. • Leah Abram:I concur. • imatool13:@Mike Masnick with the prolifieration of Agents is MCP (mixed with skills) protocol above platform? Seems a whole lot of companies open themselves up to AI Agents more than just integrations, curious your thoughts. • BentFranklin:I didn't think we were ever going to get the Musk versus Zuckerberg slapfight we were promised, but now that we will have a cage right there, it would be wasteful not to use it at least a few more times before dismantling it. • aabsurdity:Especially now that Trump wants to keep it forever as a commemoration of his bestest and happiest birthday, like the Eiffel Tower. • intelati:What the [[article]https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/03/trump-ufc-arena-white-house-claw-permanent/90387950007/](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/03/trump-ufc-arena-white-house-claw-permanent/90387950007/) I hate this timeline • aabsurdity:It's amazing how Trump does not, and never has, and never will, have any class whatsoever. He genuinely cannot see the difference between the engineering marvel of the Eiffel Tower, and a commonplace (though still a significant technical achievement in its way) lighting scaffold. They're both made of metal. • BentFranklin:How long until his ballroom guests mosey over after dinner to watch gladiators fight to the death with Trump having the final say with or ? • aabsurdity:I can't imagine he'd be interested. He'd have to be able to care if people other than himself are alive or dead. • intelati:Not this bout. The next one is a 50/50 shot. And increasing therein • BentFranklin:You know how mobsters will make you do a crime before they can trust you? So they will always have something on you? I think about that whenever someone says "I was just Epstein's lawyer," or broker, or anything significant. • John Roddy:I someone describe the BAM article as "climbing Mount Masnick" • And my brain immediately did the movie trailer guy voice for "from the makers of Driving Ms Daisy" • Leah Abram:Maybe it’s because of where I live but when I see “BAM” I think “Brooklyn Academy of Music” • aabsurdity:[[link]https://fxbsky.app/profile/presidentkelly.blacksky.app/post/3mnkf25iyjs2s](https://fxbsky.app/profile/presidentkelly.blacksky.app/post/3mnkf25iyjs2s)[[article]https://fxbsky.app/profile/yeti-detective.bsky.social/post/3mnkhrida222h](https://fxbsky.app/profile/yeti-detective.bsky.social/post/3mnkhrida222h) AI hiring screeners apparently retaining their rejection score for applicants across multiple different jobs, at all the companies they service, for nearly a year. So, get rejected for one job, basically you're unhireable by any company that also uses that tool, for any position, for the next 330 days. That's... Pretty dang bad if true... • BentFranklin:The Smart TV in Your Living Room Is a Node in the AI Scraping Economy • [[article]https://blog.includesecurity.com/2026/06/the-smart-tv-in-your-livingroom-is-a-node-in-the-aiscraping-economy/](https://blog.includesecurity.com/2026/06/the-smart-tv-in-your-livingroom-is-a-node-in-the-aiscraping-economy/) • Leah Abram:This is why Dumb TVs are a smart option! • I want a TV dumber than Pete Hegseth! • tomacamot:Or simply don't connect your TV to the Internet • candescence:Scott Pelley is now free to shit on his former bosses and tell the world how much of a propaganda rag CBS is becoming: https://youtu.be/ePqdmbgQ4BI?si=...https://youtu.be/ePqdmbgQ4BI?si=DZq7rY81Ur9IcKUt (https://youtu.be/ePqdmbgQ4BI?si=DZq7rY81Ur9IcKUt) • Quotes include "Bari Weiss Emailed my Boss and asked 'Can you make the protestors look more violent?'" and "Can you describe Renee Good as 'driving at the officer'?" • This is why you don't fire people who know where the bodies are buried. • aabsurdity:Someone said something today that I genuinely hadn't considered, which was the idea that this isn't an anti-journalism conservative deliberately torching a journalistic institution because the money they're spending doesn't mean anything any more, or that the death of CBS is simply advantageous, and instead that this is a project someone believes in and thinks it's going to work. And I have to admit that I didn't even see that as a possibility, but now that I have, that might make it worse. • Mike Masnick:Oh, they absolutely believe it's going to work. The Bari Weisses of the world believe fully that their view of the world has a silent majority behind them who were just waiting to have what The Free Press was delivering to the world... • aabsurdity:Genuinely baffling. • intelati:https://bsky.app/profile/cdelawa...https://bsky.app/profile/cdelawalla.bsky.social/post/3mnrigweehc2t (https://bsky.app/profile/cdelawalla.bsky.social/post/3mnrigweehc2t) • candescence:It looks like Microsoft and Sony's gaming divisions have almost entirely reverted back to exclusivity • Leah Abram:The golden age is over. This is like when Comedy Specials went from DRM-free video files to being included with streaming services • candescence:Sony's pulling back from single-player PC releases is a bit more questionable since low sales there are kinda self-inflicted due to late but overpriced releases, but the Xbox division has a new boss and it seems she's decided that multiplatform releases simply aren't working and are hurting the brand • timothygeigner:Trust me, the exclusivity thing is on my radar. I definitely have things to say about it. • Though why Microsoft won't just admit that they lost the console wars is beyond me. • John Roddy:My favorite was the clarification that the new Gears of War would be exclusive to Xbox. • And PC. • The ol' Ubisoft-style definition of exclusive. • aabsurdity:As a PC gamer... • BentFranklin:Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers • [[article]https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/](https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/) • aabsurdity:> First I came for the Communists > And I laughed > Because I was not a Communist > Then I came for the Socialists > And I laughed > Because I was not a Socialist > Then I came for the trade unionists > And I laughed > Because I was not a trade unionist > Then I came for the Jews > And I laughed > Because I was not a Jew > Then they came for me > “If he would do that to me, he would do that to anybody,” I said > “There’s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100 percent, you know, slavish adherence to whatever he wants.“ • BentFranklin:Extinction-level capitalism a citizen’s thoughts on AI risk • [[article]https://matthewbutterick.com/extinction-level-capitalism.html](https://matthewbutterick.com/extinction-level-capitalism.html) • bode000:yeah they definitely want it to work. I see that "they want to destroy it" claim all the time. They don't want to really destroy it, they want to repurpose it for propaganda. Like Twitter. Or Newsweek. Or the Baltimore Sun. All bought by right wingers to seed bullshit in the electorate. And they want it to make money. The problem for them is they aren't competent. • John Roddy:The people taking over might be nepo babies, but they're not stupid. They see exactly what damage is being done to these once-successful brands. • aabsurdity:A while ago I heard the phrase "ownership is not a skill"... • It comes in handy for so many things... • John Roddy:That isn't a side effect. It's not even the goal. Just a bonus. • bode000:I think they want to leverage the credibility of existing brands to convert them into propaganda and confuse the electorate with bullshit. I also think they're ok if the patient dies on the table during that procedure. • not to say that sometimes they don't just want to kill an outlet outright, like gawker • John Roddy:Even then, Gawker was already dying when thiel got involved. • bode000:the only thing that could save us (in a country without any useful media reform policies or a working opposition party) is these folks have no idea what they're doing. • John Roddy:I think that highlights how much this has escalated since then • bode000:it's just wild now. I'm seeing people actually interested in conversations about media consolidation now. • everybody's eyes used to glaze over when I brought it up • John Roddy:And then one of those people explains how the fairness doctrine would've prevented this, and that's why I went on the rampage, your honor. • bode000:I see that exchange 50 times a day (you know the fairness doctrine only covered broadcast and was neither well crafted nor enforced, right?) • Leah Abram:Far too many liberals think the fairness doctrine is a panacea. • bode000:and Republicans spent 40 years whining about it only to engage in far, far worse. great stuff! • John Roddy:And today's existential horror is titled "Europe attempts to integrate American tech policy, but ends up only grabbing the Fifth Circuit Court instead" • Mike Masnick:and a week after the EU laid out its plan for building a local internet. and the cjeu jumps in with "lol, good luck" • BentFranklin:If people really want the Iran war to end, maybe stop rubbing Trump's failure in his face. It's schadenfreudtastic as all hell and really all most of us can do, but note that the Iranians seem to have stopped taunting him. • Also it's really nice to see Netanyahu on the outside for once. Maybe this war will get some regime change after all. And maybe Bibi can drag down Lindsay Graham with him. • timothygeigner:I'm very excited to find out Friday just how much Trump capitulated in whatever this "deal" is. The fact that they won't release the text until after signing is, well, quite transparent. • John Roddy:"Iran agrees to purchase Ninja Theory and Compulsion Studios" • timothygeigner:And to never vaccinate against anything ever again. All my worlds colliding at once. • John Roddy:The US agrees to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. • Leah Abram:My new BlueSky handle is ironcurtain.northsky.social • Mike Masnick:The Northsky folks are great • Leah Abram:Thank you, Mr. Masnick! Become an Insider! 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