Notices by Dan Gillmor (dangillmor@mastodon.social)

Social Security Administration is "melting down" amid Trump/Musk mandated chaos. And we haven't seen anything close to the low point.

The plain-as-day goal is to destroy Social Security (and Medicare/Medicaid), and then privatize what's left. Has Dem leadership noticed yet?

https://wapo.st/4hM5MAn

California residents: If you (naively IMO) signed up for the "23andMe" genetic testing service, please understand that your data may soon be sold to an even more untrustworthy company -- but you can still order it deleted before it's too late.

https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-urgently-issues-consumer-alert-23andme-customers

If you still have Pokémon Go on your phone, delete it now that the beyond-repressive Saudi government has bought it.

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/saudi-arabia-buys-pokemon-go-maker-for-usd3-5-billion-with-a-b

Is ALL the location data the company collected about you included in the deal? If so, you're screwed.

Privacy? What's that?

Musk's latest amplification of fascist contempt for humanity is a reminder that if you are still on his evil platform -- especially if you're posting there -- you are supporting his vile business.

https://meidasnews.com/news/elon-musk-retweet-hitler-didnt-murder-millions-of-people-public-sector-workers-did

This goes 10x for journalists, who mock their craft and demonstrate a special kind of indifference to ethics and morality by sticking around.

Stop pretending otherwise.

This is an absolute must-read from Wired, which has been far ahead of Big Journalism on the Musk-Trump takeover of your most personal data -- to be used for their corrupt takeover of, well, everything they can grab.

https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-digital-coup-doge-data-ai/?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=wired&utm_mailing=WIR_PaywallSubs_031325_Special_PoliticsWebinar_Invite&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&utm_content=WIR_PaywallSubs_031325_Special_PoliticsWebinar_Invite&bxid=5d38a1c8fc942d282359db8f&cndid=33481107&hasha=a57d3949484051fd7c962b7dd3735412&hashb=ded1d3a30a8645a4b9beaa77e199c322b54507f6&hashc=0db074aa21cbd7773ea150f5e7576a96e30aa98a3b747089e1874287c721e2fc&esrc=OIDC_SELECT_ACCOUNT_&utm_term=WIR_PaywallSubs_Active

Wired has an inexpensive paywall and is worth every dime.

I don't know how much of the new tell-all book about Meta/Facebook is true, but the company's hardline panic suggests there's plenty of meat on those bones. https://www.reuters.com/legal/meta-wins-halt-promotion-careless-people-tell-all-book-by-former-employee-2025-03-13/

You may not know that it was funded by Trump supporters and is run by people who have no problem helping right-wing extremists spread and monetize their bile.

If you're thinking of starting a newsletter, by the way, there are many fine alternatives including Ghost (what I use), Buttondown, Beehiv, WordPress Medium and more.

And please ask your friends who use Substack to look at the alternatives as well.
2/2

Please stop calling newsletters "Substacks" --

The vast majority of blogs are created using WordPress software. No one calls their blog a "WordPress" for the very good reason that there are other ways to create and publish blogs.

So if you've been gaslighted into calling someone's newsletter their "Substack' just because they use that platform, please stop. You're just doing PR for a company that manifestly doesn't deserve it.

Why is that?
1/2

All corruption, all the time in Trump-Musk world, Exhibit 38,556: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/is-elon-regulating-his-own-rockets-now/sharetoken/59a093b9-378e-4d99-b6a0-eb0c7b75bce9

An evil (former) dictator is arrested for his crimes.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/03/philippines-former-president-dutertes-arrest-a-monumental-step-for-justice/

See, it can happen.

So-called "private equity" and "hedge funds" -- they are nothing but economic looters -- should be burned to the ground. Here's the latest example of why: rank abuse of government programs intended to help regular folks.

https://www.levernews.com/the-looting-of-americas-affordable-housing-fund/

The Electronic Frontier Foundation posts a reminder that "Yes, You Have the Right to Film ICE" -- https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/yes-you-have-right-film-ice

At this point, we arguably have a duty to film ICE.

Trump regime ICE didn't merely "detain" Khalil for daring to exercise freedom of expression. It kidnapped him.

Everything about this situation is straight out of Kafka -- and that's the point.

Please read this -- and ask your members of Congress to read it, too. https://thebulletin.org/2025/03/for-this-french-senator-trump-is-a-traitor-and-europe-is-now-alone/amp/

If you publish your anti-extremist, pro-democracy newsletter on Substack -- a platform that was funded in large part by Trump-loving VCs and is run by people who have no problem helping right-wing extremists spread and monetize their bile -- you are not just missing the point. You are helping the people you say you oppose.

There are excellent alternatives: Ghost (which I use), Buttondown, Beehiv, WordPress, Medium, et al.

Please use one of those, and walk your talk.

Did Zelensky shout at anyone during that Oval Office ambush?

I ask because journalists are routinely referring to what happened as a "shouting match" even though the abuse came from Trump and Vance, as far as I can tell.

"Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)" is perhaps Mike Masnick's most important TechDirt post -- which is saying something given how long he's been publishing this essential-reading blog.

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/why-techdirt-is-now-a-democracy-blog-whether-we-like-it-or-not/

If you want to know why I hold the New York Times in almost pure contempt at this point, look at this headline praising the entertainment value in Trump's performance -- a speech that contained almost nothing but lies, vile provocations, and worse.

Yet more evidence that Google has contempt for privacy. https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/04/google_android/

Regrettably, I have every reason to believe that our "mainstream" journalism organizations will report the upcoming Trump recession exactly the way his regime wants them to: quoting "both sides" when it is COMPLETELY clear that this is being entirely engineered by Trump and his cult.

Just watch.