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Mark Zuckerberg y su equipo están rebautizando a Facebook como “Meta” y reorientando a la empresa hacia el desarrollo de un “metaverso”. Por un lado, es probable que este movimiento sea exactamente lo que parece: un intento de desviar la atención de las múltiples crisis legales, regulatorias, y políticas que enfrenta la compañía. Al mismo tiempo, es importante recordar que ser una empresa ágil y disruptiva está en el ADN de Facebook/Meta. Tomando en cuenta el control personal que ejerce Zuckerberg sobre la empresa, su continua inversión creativa en productos e ingeniería, así como el reciente ascenso del jefe de hardware/Oculus, Andrew Bosworth, a director de tecnología, vale la pena tomarse un momento para ir más allá de la jerga mercadológica y preguntarse: ¿Qué realmente es un metaverso? “Podemos considerar el metaverso como un internet personificado”, explicó Zuckerberg recientemente, “donde en lugar de únicamente ver el contenido, formas parte de él”. Solo le faltaba decir: “el metaverso eres tú”. ¿En ese contexto, qué ocurre con un internet abierto, con la libertad de expresión y la privacidad?

This is a long ambient track that goes out to all the kids at the Denny’s at 2 a.m. Performed live with analog synth and piano.

Stream or download free here.

Mark Zuckerberg and team are rebranding Facebook the company as “Meta” and refocusing it delivering an envisioned “metaverse.” At one level, this move is likely exactly what it appears to be: an attempt to reclaim attention from the company’s manifold legal, regulatory, and political crises. At the same time, it’s important to remember that Facebook/Meta is, in its DNA, the company that moves fast and breaks things. Given Zuckerberg’s unprecedented personal control of the company, his continuing creative investment in product and engineering, and the recent elevation of hardware/Oculus lead Andrew Bosworth to chief technology officer, it’s worth taking a moment to cut through the marketing speak and wonder: What the hell is a metaverse? “You can think about the metaverse as an embodied internet,” Zuckerberg recently explained, “where instead of just viewing content—you are in it.” He might as well have said, “you are it.” What happens—to an open internet, to free expression, to privacy—in that context?

As tech giants come under rightful scrutiny for their lack of transparency and unchecked power over free expression online, politicians in the United States and around the world are exploiting the moment. They are using the pretense of supposed censorship by platforms to issue laws that outlaw or hobble content moderation. Whether it’s in Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Brazil, Poland, or Hungary, politicians are proposing “anti-censorship” laws that are actually designed to let those with political power arbitrate what can be said and to open up the spigots of disinformation, trolling, and abuse. “Fake news,” meet Fake Censorship.

Coping Strategies Worksheet is a collection of songs I started writing just before the pandemic hit and finished up in the summer of 2021. I used modular synths, piano, guitar, code, and a houseplant and it ranges in genre from ambient to surf rock to weird IDM/demoscene inspired stuff. I’m...

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Without the need to deploy new networks of closed-circuit cameras or sophisticated internet monitoring tools, the Taliban are already identifying perceived enemies from their social media accounts and conducting reprisals against them, their families, and their communities. In response, Afghans are rushing to delete their accounts and posts, photos and data, often irrevocably. The cultural archive and personal memories of an entire generation of Afghans are at risk.

Oh yes, I am pretty happy with how this track turned out. 4am Mirror Slouch is headphones after dark music. It goes with the 4:01 Error visuals. Made with analog synth + feelings.

Stream or download free here.

These are images I created using Processing to accompany a new song, 4am Mirror Slouch. The images and the song are about related to insomnia, self, and maybe even second sleep is in there too. Idk. If you can’t sleep you know what I mean. Charles...

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No Excuse For Abuse is a new report that I co-authored with my colleagues Viktorya Vilk and Elodie Vialle. It builds on their work with journalists and writers and in particular those who identify as women, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and other groups who experience online harassment and abuse. Rather than regulation (also desperately needed), we focus on immediate product fixes the social media platforms need to put in place to empower those who are being targeted and limit the trauma entailed in just doing their jobs.

Facebook now has a Corporate Human Rights Policy. I wrote about what it might or might not mean, and how we can hold Facebook accountable.