Notices by Taylor Lorenz (taylorlorenz@mastodon.social)

"Age verification is is inherently a right-wing effort. While these laws are being supported globally by those on the political right and left, they are very much a right wing effort to suppress disliked speech."
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/04/16/the-right-wing-origins-age-verification-laws-dont-disappear-just-because-theyre-going-bipartisan/

Surf combines Bluesky, Mastodon, RSS, and other content into customizable open feeds on the web. I’ve been using it and love it. Let’s bring back the open web! https://www.theverge.com/tech/905929/flipboard-surf-fediverse-launch

I'm working on a YouTube mini series explaining the Fediverse!!

Who are the most knowledgeable people in this realm who I should definitely talk to?

What do you think is important to include in my series? I want to hear thoughts!!

FBI is buying location data to track US citizens, director confirms https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/fbi-is-buying-location-data-to-track-us-citizens-kash-patel-wyden

I wrote about the House hearing today, how Congress is trying to strip anonymity from the Internet, and the devastating effects that has for journalists, whistleblowers, LGBTQ ppl, immigrants, civil rights activists, abortion providers and anyone challenging power for @theintercept https://theintercept.com/2026/03/05/kosa-online-age-verification-free-speech-privacy/

I have a piece out in The Guardian today on how the internet is becoming a fully surveilled digital panopticon and why we need to fight back
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/02/ban-children-social-media-biometic-data-surveilled

Going live right now on my YouTube channel for my weekly Free Speech Friday livestream! We're discussing:
- KOSA
- Surveillance laws
- Social media "addiction" lawsuits
- VPN bans
- Section 230 choas
- Diary of a CEO guy going redpilled pro-censorship
- AND MORE! join in!
https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenzLivestreams/streams

They're having trouble getting jurors in one of the trials against Elon Musk because "so many people hate him so much" https://www.law360.com/articles/2443845/-hate-for-musk-quickly-narrows-jury-pool-in-twitter-deal-trial

THE FIRST EPISODE OF MY SECTION 230 MINI SERIES IS HERE!!!!! I dive into what the law does, what it actually says, how it works, and how it’s crucial for protecting platforms like Mastodon! https://youtu.be/_eqt8vrtP-U?si=qS5Xm4r2L-34j_ep

I’ve been asked on TV hits and interviews lately to explain why decentralized social media is better, especially re: Mastodon.

How would you explain the benefits of a platform like Mastodon and the fediverse to someone in just a few sentences? How would you make the argument that platforms like Mastodon allow for more free expression than big tech controlled apps?

Would love to hear people’s thoughts! Trying to make my arguments most effective

With all the tiktok drama I have been telling people Mastodon is still here and kicking!! I love this app and I really think the decentralized model is the best for social media.

Still, people don’t want to join! What do you think Mastodon’s biggest barriers are to courting new users? What could be done to improve the product and grow the user base in a positive way?

Sora strangulations, Slurmcore, Bearista breakdowns, a skincare line for 3 yr olds, fitness influencers' hotness problem, MrBeast + Dealbook, Rizzwiches, how far ChatGPT will *really* go, and MORE in today's newsletter https://www.usermag.co/p/right-wing-influencers-earn-higher

This anthropomorphized framing of Grok in the media (claiming that Grok has "apologized") only serves the interests of these tech companies. It gives the appearance that some entity has taken responsibility for what is happening, when in reality no one has. https://www.usermag.co/p/is-anyone-going-to-take-accountability

It would be like if Google (the corporation) did something bad and journalists began quoting headlines that came up in Google search results as an official corporate response.
https://www.usermag.co/p/is-anyone-going-to-take-accountability

Anti-AI Grifters, college football face scanning, The Great Kirkification Pop the Balloon dating, AI childbirth, apocalypse capitalism, Vine 2.0, Trump Clinton shippers, flipping the camera, a Ralph Lauren x-mas, and MORE in today's newsletter https://www.usermag.co/p/anti-ai-grifters-college-football

SCOOP: Substack sent a push alert promoting a Nazi blog. The alert contained a swastika and prompted users to subscribe to newsletter featuring opinions and news important to the "white nationalist community." Another Nazi blog is being promoted in Substack's "Rising in History" list https://www.usermag.co/p/substack-sent-a-push-alert-promoting-nazi-white-supremacist-blog

“We would not be where we are today were it not for the systematic dehumanization of Palestinians by the western media and the suppression of pro-Palestinian speech.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/22/israel-gaza-genocide

The Facebook scam economy, Robot worms, #BootsOnlySummer, X merch drop, James Comey IG drama, high fashion Rizzler, a Palestinian streaming service, immigration reality show, and the biggest dating app faux pas for Gen — all in today’s newsletter!! https://www.usermag.co/p/the-facebook-scam-economy

Please do not come in my mentions claiming that the public isn’t engaging in widespread pandemic denialism when you’re referring to Covid in the past tense. That sort of framing *is* denialism. https://www.salon.com/2024/01/04/leader-says-19-is-still-a-pandemic/

Israeli forces have now dropped more explosives in Gaza than fell on London, Dresden, and Hamburg during the Second World War. The region’s hospitals have not been spared; most are no longer functional. Clayton Dalton writes about the devastation. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/28/hospitals-in-ruins