Apt!

Every sensible government will spend the coming months accelerating the deployment of solar, batteries, heat pumps, and EVs, especially for lower income households. It’ll be a hell of a lot cheaper in the long run than subsidising fossil fuels the next time prices spike, which they will.

Analysis: Court reports can be distressing reading. There’s a good reason for that Press Ombudsman’s recent comments on graphic language in court reports highlight an issue court reporters have been attuned to for years

Isabel Hayes: Court reports can make for distressing reading. There are good reasons for that. Press Ombudsman’s recent comments on graphic language in court reports highlight an issue court reporters have been attuned to for years.

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...

Interested in researching AI and judicial decision making? @brianbarryirl.bsky.social at Trinity College Dublin has two funded PhD vacancies (one in law, one in social sciences).

Ireland's New Surveillance Bill Opens Door to Spyware Abuse Ireland is considering a new bill that would legalize the use of spyware by the police, reports Vas Panagiotopoulos.

“It's our position that this incremental introduction of laws conferring extraordinary powers risks entrenching a durable surveillance architecture in Irish society" - @olgacronin.bsky.social speaking to @techpolicypress.bsky.social about the government's plans.

www.techpolicy.press/irelands-new...

"I grew up across the street from a public library, and it was the only place my mom would let me go on my own. It was my second home, and I read everything that I could get."
~ Tracy Chapman
Chapman by Nicholas Albrecht
#Booksky

Enforce is hiring: AI Expert Work with us at ICCL Enforce. We are hiring an expert in Artificial Intelligence.

We're recruiting an AI expert to help us ensure supervision and enforcement of human rights in the context of AI and automated decision-making systems.

The deadline to apply is next Wed 15 April but we will assess applications on a rolling basis so please apply early.

www.iccl.ie/digital-data...

Life achievement unlocked. “Your Data Will Be Used Against You” in Wired. #BookSky

This is actually Simba-coded to me

Grandma jailed after AI error linked her to crime in state she never visited: lawyer The charges were later dismissed after bank records showed she was in Tennessee at the time

A Tennessee grandmother spent nearly six months behind bars after artificial intelligence facial recognition software wrongly identified her as a suspect in a bank fraud case – in North Dakota – a state she says she had never even visited. #rhizomaticharm www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...

New ICCL report on Privacy-Enhancing Technologies Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) often fall short on their promise of safeguarding privacy without limiting data use

@mariamurphy.bsky.social and I have written a short report on protecting the ‘Privacy’ in Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs)

www.iccl.ie/news/new-icc...

@iccl.bsky.social @maynoothuniversity.ie

Thrilled to share what the great historian @timothysnyder.bsky.social has to say about #PROPHECY!

To pre-order the #book:

US: a.co/d/00PLNpOt
UK: amzn.eu/d/01WcZ4MQ

#BookRecommendation

The Grok AI scandal — what happens now? Plus: why Ireland’s plan to link national ID to social media access is dystopian Podcast Episode · The Big Tech Show · 09/01/2026 · 34m

This weeks discussion with @tjmcintyre.com & @adrianweckler.bsky.social is really worth a listen if you're in Ireland and interested in tech policy or privacy.

podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...

Uruguay’s Renewable Charge: A Small Nation, A Big Lesson For The World Uruguay built a power grid that runs 99% on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. Here’s how its bold energy overhaul became a global model.

“Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.”

I'm very happy to have published a chapter in this excellent, open-access collection, "Being Human in the Digital World:"
www.cambridge.org/core/service...
Kudos to expert editors Beate Roessler and Valerie Steeves, as well as fellow authors Julie Cohen, David Lyon, Helen Nissenbaum, & more!

Delighted to announce that we are the REVEL Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence @maynoothuniversity.ie. We will be organising a host of activities over the next 3 years on "Realising European Values and European Law" (REVEL). Stay tuned (follow us) for more.
www.maynoothuniversity.ie/news-events/...

It's great to see #PROPHECY gathering friends. Thank you so much for everyone who has pre-ordered. It matters. It gets noticed. It's part of being in the conversation. THANK YOU! #Book www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/759692...

Delighted to be a part of this Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence focused on Realising European Values and European Law @maynoothlaw.bsky.social! Excited to lead the work package on digital enforcement! 🇪🇺

Delighted to be part of a wonderful team and leading the new @reveljmce.bsky.social. Lots to come in terms of activities (please follow us!) - for now: thanks to our wonderful colleagues @maynoothlaw.bsky.social; @muresearch.bsky.social for their invaluable support!

And a bit shout out to our wonderful team (who will be doing all the substantive work): Dr Derek Barter, Dr Ollie Bartlett; Dr David Mangan; @orlakelleher.bsky.social; @mariamurphy.bsky.social; @hubertsmekal.bsky.social; @oscharles.bsky.social.

In a similar vein, the Orkney Islands produce an excess of electricity from wind, wave and tide power.

📣 I am hiring a postdoc! aial.ie/hiring/postd...

applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome

pls share with your networks

The "don't worry about facial recognition tech" arguments are not faring well...

Police used Flock cameras to accuse a Denver woman of package theft. She had her own evidence "Like I said, nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing."

denverite.com/2025/10/27/b...

Commission preliminarily finds TikTok and Meta in breach of their transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act Today, the European Commission preliminarily found both TikTok and Meta in breach of their obligation to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

EU Big Tech law

EU Commission - preliminary finding that Meta and TikTok have breached the Digital Services Act ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
concerns content moderation appeals, notice of illegal material, researchers' access to data

NB not a final decision (possibly with fines) yet

It was great to be back at the Irish Parliament yesterday at the Joint Committee on AI. Joe O'Brien and I @iccl.bsky.social are grateful for the invitation from the Committee.

Video: IHREC at minute 20 and ICCL from 1 hr 40 min.

www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachta...

Tory MP George Freeman reports deepfake defection video to police Such political disinformation has the potential to corrupt democracy, says the Mid Norfolk MP.

Tory MP reports deepfake video to police
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Infrastructure x Democracy — what could be more interesting? I'm very excited to be moderating this panel!

This event looks incredible. Really sad I can’t make it to London that evening. Congrats @nniloideain.bsky.social on the book-it’s next in my to read pile!

Denmark aims to ban social media for children under 15, PM says “We have unleashed a monster,” Mette Frederiksen tells Danish lawmakers.

🚨🚨 #Denmark aims to ban #socialmedia for children under 15. PM Mette Frederiksen says "We have unleashed a monster" to Danish lawmakers. 🧵www.politico.eu/article/denmark-mette-fr...