⚖️ New Legal Corner Article ⚖️

This time, we take an in-depth look at a ruling issued last autumn in Spain. This decision provides a legal precedent that underlines the importance of transparency in source codes and algorithms, and support for the Freedom to Study!

https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260205-01.en.html

Many thanks to @civio for their outstanding work!

#SoftwareFreedom #FreeSoftware #transparency

Google agrees to $135M settlement over collecting Android users' cellular data without consent, even when apps were closed and location was off. 📱
Users may claim up to $100 each; Google will improve data transfer controls and disclosures, though it denies wrongdoing. ⚖️

🔗 https://www.theverge.com/tech/870056/google-cellular-data-lawsuit-settlement

#TechNews #Google #Android #Privacy #Data #Settlement #Lawsuit #ConsumerRights #Mobile #Surveillance #Transparency #CCPA #BigTech #Rights #US #USA #EU #Europe #Smartphone #Samsung #Pixel #Security

Google agrees to $135M settlement over collecting Android users' cellular data without consent, even when apps were closed and location was off. 📱
Users may claim up to $100 each; Google will improve data transfer controls and disclosures, though it denies wrongdoing. ⚖️

🔗 https://www.theverge.com/tech/870056/google-cellular-data-lawsuit-settlement

#TechNews #Google #Android #Privacy #Data #Settlement #Lawsuit #ConsumerRights #Mobile #Surveillance #Transparency #CCPA #BigTech #Rights #US #USA #EU #Europe #Smartphone #Samsung #Pixel #Security

⚖️ New Legal Corner Article ⚖️

This time, we take an in-depth look at a ruling issued last autumn in Spain. This decision provides a legal precedent that underlines the importance of transparency in source codes and algorithms, and support for the Freedom to Study!

https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260205-01.en.html

Many thanks to @civio for their outstanding work!

#SoftwareFreedom #FreeSoftware #transparency

Still have some features to add and code to relink to github but excited to share this guide to finding, watching, transcribing, and ripping #legislative hearings and other federal, state and municipal proceedings. We saw how committed they were in 2025 to avoiding #transparency and this feels like something we can do to give them a run for it. All hands in 2026, chat.

#Legislation #Blog #PublicHealth #ffmpeg

https://jessk.org/blog/streamripping-democracy

#Palantir #money #politics #transparency

'Palantir Payroll...compiles data from FEC filings to account for the two-way cash flow: from the government to Palantir via contracts, and from company executives to elected officials. '

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/purge-palantir-donation-tracker-ice-congress/

#Palantir #money #politics #transparency

'Palantir Payroll...compiles data from FEC filings to account for the two-way cash flow: from the government to Palantir via contracts, and from company executives to elected officials. '

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/purge-palantir-donation-tracker-ice-congress/

Our chair @kattekrab is talking about all our services at @everythingopen! #EverythingOpen #eo2026 #RightToKnow #PlanningAlerts #Transparency #OpenGovernment #TheyVoteForYou

Our chair @kattekrab is talking about all our services at @everythingopen! #EverythingOpen #eo2026 #RightToKnow #PlanningAlerts #Transparency #OpenGovernment #TheyVoteForYou

Nearly a third of social media research has undisclosed ties to industry

https://www.science.org/content/article/nearly-third-social-media-research-has-undisclosed-ties-industry-preprint-claims

#HackerNews #socialmedia #research #industry #ties #transparency #ethics

So much for strict #OpenData policies. Paper published in 2021 in New Phytologist, data matrix: "... is accessible to readers in #Morphobank, project # 3917. We have enabled anonymous login."

https://www.morphobank.org/myprojects/3917/overview

Anonymous login works (first pic), "Project disc usage: 0 bytes". Which happens to be exactly the number of linked matrices under the project (2nd pic)

Deleted the data after review? Avoid anyone else can (mis)use it.

#paleobotany #phylogeny #FightTheFog #transparency in #science

So much for strict #OpenData policies. Paper published in 2021 in New Phytologist, data matrix: "... is accessible to readers in #Morphobank, project # 3917. We have enabled anonymous login."

https://www.morphobank.org/myprojects/3917/overview

Anonymous login works (first pic), "Project disc usage: 0 bytes". Which happens to be exactly the number of linked matrices under the project (2nd pic)

Deleted the data after review? Avoid anyone else can (mis)use it.

#paleobotany #phylogeny #FightTheFog #transparency in #science

Police Invested Millions in Shadowy Phone-Tracking Software Won't Say How Used

https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-police-invest-tangles-sheriff-surveillance/

#HackerNews #Police #Surveillance #PhoneTracking #Transparency #PrivacyTech

@fsfe
Unfortunately, there are still massive potholes along the way...
Commercial(!) users should be REQUIRED to disclose their use of #FOSS and, ideally, also be required to donate to it.
Unfortunately, current developments in the GPL do not take this into account.
Because no matter what #Stallman says, commons MUST ALSO BE FINANCED! And to do that, we first need more #transparency about how it is used.
#GPL4

Still have some features to add and code to relink to github but excited to share this guide to finding, watching, transcribing, and ripping #legislative hearings and other federal, state and municipal proceedings. We saw how committed they were in 2025 to avoiding #transparency and this feels like something we can do to give them a run for it. All hands in 2026, chat.

#Legislation #Blog #PublicHealth #ffmpeg

https://jessk.org/blog/streamripping-democracy

Did you know? Every year, the Supreme Court’s nine justices fill out a form that discloses their financial connections to companies and people.

Our database allows you to search for organizations and people that have paid them, reimbursed them for travel and given them gifts.
https://projects.propublica.org/supreme-connections/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#Journalism #SCOTUS #Law #Ethics #Transparency #Research #Data