Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (June 2025)

White logo of Bluesky butterfly on a black stormy sky

We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed reading how expensive NFTs were replaced with errors, Meta adding facial recognition to their glasses regardless and Chrome backtracks on 3rd party cookies plans.

To quote Buckminster Fuller “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

You are seeing aspects of this with the Fediforum’s first unconference for 2025 , Bristol University’s research into better Social media and how a good number of young people would rather grow up in a world without the internet


Jeanine Salla is not your sentient machine therapist!

Ian thinks: 404 media’s coverage about AI chatbots as “licensed therapists” is unhinged. The importance of mental health and therapy is clear but having Gen AI lying they are licensed therapists is a example we need be more careful what we do with AI. This also follows on from related a interview on Brainrot AI and post.

What happens when there are only 2 browser engines?

Ian thinks: Although a short video from Mozilla themselves, the Mozilla CEO’s comes on their own podcast to make clear why Gecko (Firefox’s browser engine) must exist. The points are clear and concise, because Chambers is right. You only have look at the smartphone market to see how bad things can be; another market going through the legal system. Sad news about Pocket too.

Its not just Blueskies but also Blacksky

Ian thinks: A lot of people are aware of Blacktwitter, which has moved on. Where its moved and where its is going is quite something. Shaping the AT protocol and federated social space to suit the community is simply thoughtful, forward thinking and a breath of fresh air.

Will the European ecosystem create the next generation of internet services?

Ian thinks: I found this view a good opportunity to name check the Euro stack, There are sceptics around, especially if you count the previous attempts. But if the Euro stack becomes real, we really could see the next generation of internet services.

Digital Sovereignty in a Time of Rising Fascism

Ian think: Quite a monologue from Paris, but its a clear and thoughtful summary of the giant political changes on technology and the internet now.  Although recorded in New Zealand, there are pointers to the EU and even the UK. Once again putting more weight on the Euro stack as a third way.

Sovereignty and Self hosting?

Ian thinks: I have spotted an up-tick in people talking about self-hosting and sovereignty. Although in different places, both are saying similar words. This link is all about the up-tick in self hosting but you could easily swap a few words out for ownership, control and sovereignty

The Roots of Elon Musk’s War On Empathy

Ian thinks: This more usual conversation with Julia is quite political in nature but a important reminder of the whole movement against empathy. It reminds me of Sinek’s Infinite game book, where he describes people with infinite and finite mindsets. Clearly this war is coming from the finite mindset.

The enshittified ecosystem laid bare

Ian thinks: In this humbling discussion between Rushkoff and Ongweso, I was able to get a sense of the full extent of enshittification. Ongweso’s critiques of the current tech ecosystem are spot on. Its a long listen but worthy of your time.

AI guides actually worth your time

Ian thinks: The Vatican guide to AI and the UK Government digital services (GDS) are actually well written, honest and worth reading. Good practical advice, written from different and fair views.


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Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (April 2025)

Young white boy and older white woman sit opposite each other in a young protections unit
https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/249042-adolescence/images/backdrops

 

We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed reading how DVDs are rotting away, the UK’s first permanent facial recognition camera installed and Meta has never heard of the Streisand effect?

To quote Buckminster Fuller “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

You are seeing aspects of this watching Whittaker’s talk about privacy at SXSW 2025, Apple’s fighting for encryption and the notion of a eurostack is back.


Mozilla Festival global is back for 2025

Ian thinks: Mozfest has been a great festival and the house events have been good but the big global one is back. I have to also say I am involved again as a space wrangler and the theme of unlearning is perfectly timed.

Cybertrucks build for a planned future?

Ian thinks: You may have noticed the backlash against Tesla recently. 404’s podcast got me thinking. The Cybertruck is made for a future which is too dangerous to drive through, its almost like its planned for this future? Not great to think about.

ODI take over SOLID

Ian thinks: During Solid World in February, the ODI took over the Solid project. This video outlines reasons and whats planned for the future. If you want the text summary its also available here.

AMD’s Instella AI, sets a open benchmark?

Ian thinks: I am usually not interested in this type of thing but AMD seem to be releasing their AI LLM model with everything including the training material and its all under a pretty fair licence. Although mainly for research, could this be a benchmark for future open AI models?

The hard truth behind Adolescence

Ian thinks: Lets be honest, if you haven’t seen Adolescence by now, find some time to watch it. For many its cinematography and use of no cuts is great. But deeper down its a clear wake up call for parents, educators and all of us how young people are being manipulated to potentially society harming and lethal scales.

Are you also trimming your online profile?

Ian thinks: This is a on going trend, as people learn more about what personal data means in terms which directly effect them. This is a good thing and certainly highlights all the efforts by activists and organisations shouting about the importance of personal data for decades now.

Tech report SXSW 2025

Ian thinks: Amy Webb’s new insight company FTSG, follows on from Future Today Institute reports of previous years. This years report is a huge 1000 pages and covers so much of the emerging technology bounded around the tech industry. The exec summary is a good place to start a long weekend through this all.

Don’t believe the hype silly rabbit

Ian thinks: This interview of Professor Wajcman, is short but filled with so many good points about the endless lines being fed to us from mainly Silicon Valley. I challenge you to not shake your head in support of at least one point she makes.

The power of hashtags and unique ID’S

Ian thinks: In this interview with Chris Messina, the inventor of the hashtag. We are reminded of the hashtag for connecting communities and how they are still relevant in the next generation of federated social platforms.


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