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Meta’s addictive design
Recently, the European Commission concluded in preliminary findings that Meta’s platforms Instagram and Facebook contain addictive design. It’s important that these preliminary findings are followed up quickly, so that the Big Tech company stops using addictive design.
A big shout out to our volunteers for translating our articles into English!
The intelligence services want more power, but time and again show they can’t handle it
The oversight body for the intelligence services concludes in its latest report that the services don’t have their data management in order. They’re not complying with the law. That’s highly problematic, because they collect data not only on so-called targets, but also on millions of ordinary citizens like you and me.
A big shout out to our volunteers for translating our articles into English!
Protect our freedom of expression
Dutch Justice and Security Minister David van Weel is pressing ahead with his attempt to criminalize the “glorification” of terrorism, having sent his bill to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer). With its vague definitions, this proposal opens the door to abuse and puts (online) freedom of expression and the right to protest at risk.
A big shout out to our volunteers for translating our articles into English!
Are You Dead? Shifting ideas about loneliness
Earlier this year, the app Are You Dead? went viral in China. Are we more lonely in our technology rich society, or has technology changed our idea of what loneliness means? Evelyn wrote the following blog about this, that was also the introduction to our monthly newsletter.
Letter to Meta: stop arbitrary account suspensions
Today, and together with organisations from the broad LGBTQIA+ community, we sent a demand letter to Meta. In it, we demand that Meta stops blocking accounts without offering proper reasoning and without offering the opportunity to challenge those decisions. By neglecting to do so, Meta is in breach of the law.
Faulty police IT-infrastructure; everyone loses out
The police regularly and structurally break the laws. They should receive fines for that.
Karin Spaink, co-founder of Bits of Freedom, passed away
Karin leaves a unique Karin-sized hole behind, but most of all an enormous richness of ideas and inspiration, and an implicit instruction to everyone to live with courage and on their own terms.
The Netherlands should remind the European Commission which side they are one
We shared our position with the Commision for Digital Affairs from the Dutch House of Representatives and the Commision for Digitalisation from the Dutch Senate.
Do not prioritize profit over the health of TikTok and Instagram users
TikTok and Meta deliberately prioritize extreme content on their platforms in order to retain users. This came to light through the BBC documentary Inside the Rage Machine, based on leaked internal documents and whistleblower accounts. For years, we have been arguing that Big Tech’s sensationalist algorithms must be regulated. These revelations provide compelling evidence in support of that demand.
We filed a request for enforcement with regards to Snapchat
Bits of Freedom has filed a request for enforcement with the Authority on Consumers and Markets (ACM) centred around manipulative design in notifications sent by Snapchat.
We are not our data, but we are treated as if we are
Data are a translation of our complex reality into numerical values. That is a necessarily simplification of the world. It makes the abstract concrete, the intangible tangible. At least, that is the idea. And it is a valuable idea, because data allow us to do calculations and make the complex world intelligible.
Court again rules in favor of Bits of Freedom: freedom of choice for Instagram and Facebook users remains intact
Today, the court ruled on Meta’s appeal against an earlier ruling in a lawsuit brought by Bits of Freedom. The Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the digital human rights organization. This is good news for Facebook and Instagram users: the freedom of choice they have been given over the information on their feed will remain intact.
Where do we stand in our legal fight for your choice of freedom in Meta’s apps?
Since the beginning of this year, most Facebook and Instagram users in the Netherlands have been able to choose between two feeds. Do you want the feed curated by Meta, based on the profile they have built on you, or do you want to see posts from the accounts you follow in chronological order? This choice is a direct result of our lawsuit against Meta – which we won!
Bye Bye Big Tech: Extra tips
Leaving Big Tech might not always seem easy at first. Where do you begin, and what are actually good alternatives? To help you on your way, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide with alternatives. Here you can find all the steps.
Finally, the ability to choose on Instagram and Facebook
It took some time, but from now on (most) users (in the Netherlands) can choose which timeline they see on Instagram and Facebook. The one Meta wants you to see, or one with just the posts of your friends and the organizations you follow, in chronological order.