A small town perspective on what it might mean to unsubscribe from #Apple (or wait to buy new gear until #TimCook retires), #Amazon, #ATandT, and #OpenAI.

By the way, despite my deep engagement with #ChatGPT, I'm unsubscribing from OpenAI's services today.

https://markmcelroy.com/mississippi-maga-and-making-nice/

The corporate enablers of the #ICECrackdown

How #Amazon, AT&T, and #CitizensBank are profiting from the administration’s mass deportation campaign.
Judd Legum
Jan 26, 2026

Excerpts: "#AmazonWebServices (#AWS) hosts the database, known as Investigative Case Management (#ICM), that ICE uses to target and deport #immigrants. ICM, which was created by #Palantir, 'integrates a vast ecosystem of public and private data to track down immigrants and, in many cases, deport them.' The data includes 'a person’s immigration history, family relationships, personal connections, addresses, phone records, biometric traits, and other information.' Through Palantir, AWS receives millions of dollars annually from the federal government to host ICM. Last April, the Trump administration awarded Palantir a new $30 million contract to create '#ImmigrationOS,' which is 'a new tool to provide [ICE] with enhanced capabilities to support deportation efforts.' ImmigrationOS is likely hosted on AWS, which has a strategic partnership with Palantir."

[...]

"Numerous financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, SunTrust, BNP Paribas, and Fifth Third Bancorp, pledged in 2019 to stop working with the #PrivatePrisonIndustry. (#BankOfAmerica and SunTrust have since 'softened their policy statements to allow financing again for detention companies in some circumstances.') But #CitizensFinancialGroup, which operates #CitizensBank, has continued to provide financing for private prison construction. In July 2025, Citizens provided a $450 million revolving credit line to #GEOGroup. Earlier, in March 2025, Citizens underwrote $500 million in bonds for #CoreCivic."

[...]

"In September 2024, AT&T inked a 10-year, $147 million contract with ICE’s parent agency, #DHS, to 'provide mission-critical communications services.' The agreement provides ICE and other DHS subdivisions with 'end-to-end voice priority over the AT&T commercial wireless network.' In August, the Trump administration awarded AT&T an $11 million no-bid contract to provide ICE with 'data analytics and support services.' "

Full article:
https://popular.info/p/the-corporate-enablers-of-the-ice

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/FBV5L

#ATandT #AT&T #USPol #ICESucks #AbolishICE #BorderPatrol #CBP #DepartmentOfHomelandInsecurity

Going back & forth with smartphone carrier considerations - #tmobile seems to have much wider acceptance of different #smartphones so odds are whichever phone I end up getting for longer term use, my main considerations being degooglable, durability of the device, price & physical keyboard (if the device is cheap enough that getting a physical keyboard which would work with it & it combined are cheaper than an all in one device that would work but if it's close I'd rather get just one device) ....but supposedly that network coverage stinks & they are a little more expensive than #ATandT

Part of why though I keep wondering if the network really matters to me, at least for how I am now, is that most known deadzones are places I'd be driving through & not really to, so I wouldn't be trying to reach anyone in those places anyways & if I'm well enough to get out & use a phone I can also move to where I'd get better reception.

5 #carriers you should sign up for instead of #ATandT

https://www.androidauthority.com/att-alternatives-3575806/

Comcast Xfinity notified me that they changed my unlimited Internet plan to $25 per 50 GB unless I upgrade my plan. I was already paying $138 per month for 1 Gb download and ~100 Mb upload.

I just switched to EarthLink, which is a wrapper around local AT&T fiber optics. I'm now paying $80 per month for a symmetric 1 Gb optical connection with an option to upgrade to symmetric 5 Gb for $200 per month.

I'm grateful I have options here in Santa Cruz, CA, USA.

#internet #isp #monopoly #utilities #comcast #xfinity #earthlink #atandt #santacruz #santacruzca #santacruzcausa

There's this idea about why the #internet needs to be widespread and accessible to all, when it is actually artificially limited based upon the interests of media conglomerates and network providers.

An apt example of this is the giant #Google being smacked down for over a decade by the central actor in control over lines known as #ATandT, who artificially controlled the expansion of broadband in order to maintain bottlenecks as a status quo.

The conflict of interest stinks to high heaven.

I’m old enough to remember ‘party lines’. My very first phone number as a kid (and now I’m really dating myself) was Kimberly 72297, shortened to KI-72297. #Telecommunications #telephones #ATandT #Landlines #Telecom #TelecomIndustry

From: @knittingknots2
https://mstdn.social/@knittingknots2/113772012964687691