“Academic researchers have been set a deadline of the end of the month to delete data they obtained under historic contracts to study Twitter, unless the pay a new $42,000-a-month contract”
https://inews.co.uk/news/twitter-researchers-delete-data-unless-pay-2364535
Pay attention to this. As AI chat and image generators become popular, we need to watch out for their potential to enable censorship and shut down free speech.
AI image generator Midjourney lets users make satirical images of Biden, Putin, and other leaders. But not Xi Jinping… https://www.techdirt.com/2023/03/31/midjourney-ceo-says-political-satire-in-china-is-pretty-not-okay-but-apparently-silencing-satire-about-xi-jinping-is-pretty-okay/
As a rule, it’s a good idea to be particularly suspicious of defenses of censorship that — coincidentally — materially benefit the people espousing them. In this case, the argument in favor of cens…
I truly wonder how academic community will react to the end of (monetarily) free #api access to #Twitter, particularly the PhDs and Masters students who are embarking on the data collection phase of their research. Considering these projects are bound by a tight schedule, creating a #scraper may not be totally feasible.
The question will be then will institutions be willing to pay for the api access if it’s to be doomed. The dilemma is pressing, but at the same time bowing down to the platform sounds even more dystopian to me.
Happy to know more about what you think about the potential plans of institutions will be.
Douyin Bans Pro-LGBT Content
Douyin, China's version of TikTok, censors pro-LGBT content, prohibiting "unhealthy and non-mainstream views on marriage and love" and taking down images of gay couples. In contrast, TikTok says it 'celebrates' the LGBT community and explicitly bans anti-LGBT discrimination—which Douyin does not.
A good year starts with an amazing view at #Chamonix.
Hope all of you are enjoying your new year day with your loved ones :)
Fabrizio Gilardi 💬
Tiffany Li
Seda Gürses
Charles Mok
Mark Boukes