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Articles by Tim Bernard
Another Week of Lawsuits Piling Up at OpenAI
A finger is poised to tap the ChatGPT app icon displayed on a smartphone screen in Creteil, France, on October 1, 2026, as OpenAI begins rolling out Dots in ChatGPT, its new system of autonomous AI agents. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via AP) August’s landmark settlement with Meta may have only whetted the appetite of state attorneys general to take on Big Tech.
Who Participates in Politics on Social Media, and Why?
Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash A central question of the last decade is what the emergence of social media as a primary locus of communication has meant for political discourse across the world. What social movements owe their existence and power to social media? What are the affordances and mechanisms by which they are able to spread? Is the public becoming more informed through social media, or led astray by misinformation? And whose voices are and are not heard on these platforms?
Data Center Discontent Drives State Legislation Surge
A yard sign expressing opposition to the construction of a data center is seen outside of a home in Mifflinville, Pa. on July 3, 2026. (Photo by Paul Weaver/Sipa USA via AP Images) Over the last year, fights between communities and data center developers have broken out of their local arenas and hit the national media. As awareness of the environmental and quality-of-life toll of data centers converged with a broader AI backlash, activists have been speaking up.
How to Use Your Community’s Data Center Moratorium
Authors Dean Jackson Dean Jackson is a Contributing Editor at Tech Policy Press and principal of Public Circle LLC. He was the analyst responsible for the January 6th Committee’s investigation into the role of large social media platforms in the insurrection. As a freelance writer and researcher, he covers the intersect... Tim Bernard Tim Bernard is a tech policy analyst and writer, specializing in trust & safety and content moderation.
Researchers Detail How AI Systems Can Enable Authoritarianism
Flock Safety camera at the intersection of West Sylvania Avenue and Homeville Circle in Toledo, Ohio. The ubiquity of Flock surveillance systems in the United States raises questions about privacy and data security. (Photo by Stephen Zenner / Sipa via AP Images) Technologies cannot typically be accurately described as intrinsically authoritarian. However, as many Tech Policy Press readers know, technology can, and is, used to advance authoritarian goals. The various forms of AI are no exception.
Bipartisan Smorgasbord of Children’s Online Safety Legislation Passes the House
The Capitol is seen in Washington, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) On Monday, the United States House of Representatives passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, a sprawling collection of measures aimed at mitigating online harms to minors in a 267-117 vote. The bill, H.R. 7757, will now head to the Senate, where it reportedly faces long odds.
How OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic Plan to Handle the 2026 US Midterms
As the performance of generative AI models continues to improve significantly year-on-year, each new election season brings novel AI risks: AI-generated images are now all but impossible to discern from genuine ones; generated copy is less stilted and obvious; increasingly autonomous agents could potentially collapse the costs of running deceptive campaigns; and new model capabilities raise fears of cyber attacks on campaigns and election infrastructure. That concern prompted Sen.
Researchers Embrace Complexity in Social Media and Teen Mental Health
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves after testifying in a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles.
New Study Examines Features and Policies for 29 AI ‘Undressing’ Apps
Analysis Tim Bernard / Dec 23, 2025 With advances in generative AI over the last few years, many harms have become apparent, from the environmental impact of model training to disinformation to job losses. One of the most tangible and widespread negative impacts has been the proliferation of undressing (or “nudify”) apps, which enable unskilled users to generate non-consensual intimate images (NCII) of victims rapidly, cheaply, and often with just one photo of the subject’s face.
Platforms Report to EU Regulators Under DSA With an Eye on US Politics
As the European Commission prepared to issue its first fine against a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), most VLOPs publicly released their 2025 reports on assessing and mitigating systemic risk, as required by Articles 34 and 35 of the DSA. These reports land at a moment of growing tension between EU regulators and US-based platforms, as political shifts on both sides of the Atlantic put new pressure on the DSA’s enforcement and legitimacy.
Who Will Own TikTok in the US and Why it Matters for Democracy
President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Gimhae International Airport terminal, Thursday, October 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea. (Official White House photo by Daniel Torok) Despite the TikTok sale-or-ban law coming into force the day before United States President Donald Trump’s inauguration this past January, TikTok remains available to US users.
Researchers Explore the Use of LLMs for Content Moderation
AI in content moderation is far from a recent innovation: machine learning (ML) classifiers have been used for content moderation since around 2016. But since the technological advances of LLMs, platforms are accelerating the transition to AI for content moderation, laying off trust and safety workers and outsourced moderators in favor of automated systems.
Through 300+ Bills, US Lawmakers Juggle Data Center Priorities
At last month’s National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit, participants in a session entitled “AI and the Grid: A Love-Hate Relationship” discussed the pressures on energy generation and transmission that are emerging from the AI boom.
Legal and Policy Responses to Spyware: A Primer
On May 6, a federal jury in California determined that NSO Group, developer of the notorious Pegasus spyware, must pay Meta’s WhatsApp a total of $167,696,000 in punitive and compensatory damages for its use of WhatsApp systems while infecting targets’ devices. This may well represent the largest damages award yet made in a spyware case.
A TikTok Ban Timeline: From Rapid Passage to Truce With Trump
Tim Bernard / Apr 1, 2025 Last April, Congress passed legislation forcing TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest from the app or face a US ban. The companies asked the courts to strike down the law, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. But the Supreme Court upheld the measure on January 17, just two days before the ban was set to take effect and three days prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president.
What the Supreme Court Got Right in the TikTok Decision
Tim Bernard / Jan 29, 2025 On Friday, January 17, the United States Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the law that requires China's ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban on the app. The Court deferred to the US government in its assessment that China’s potential access to user data presents a national security risk to the US.
A Guide to the Supreme Court Oral Arguments on the TikTok Case
Tim Bernard / Jan 9, 2025 On Friday, January 10, 2025, the US Supreme Court will hold oral arguments to decide whether to uphold or reverse a District Court decision declining to block the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act from going into effect. If the Supreme Court upholds the decision, the app stores will be required to block access to TikTok for US users by January 19, just over a week later.
A Guide to Social Media Moderation Policies for the Post-Election Period
The final ballots in the 2024 US presidential election will be cast on Tuesday. The post-election period may be volatile, particularly if the outcome is disputed. Social media platforms will be scrutinized for their handling of mis- and disinformation, false claims of victory, and potential incitements to violence.
The Science of Social Media's Role in January 6
A version of this article was previously published as a component of a report about how social media facilitates political intimidation and violence produced by Paul Barrett at the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. These are the final days of the 2024 election, and the long shadow of the January 6th insurrection darkens them.
Oversight Board Trust Launches EU Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement Service
As the rollout of Europe’s sprawling Digital Services Act (DSA) continues, its sometimes-innovative legal concepts are becoming tangible operating institutions. For instance, of the DSA sets out a mechanism by which users of social media platforms can resolve disputes over content moderation and other platform policy decisions through certified “Out-of-Court Dispute Settlement“ (ODS) bodies.
Poll Indicates Broad Support for Regulating AI-Generated Media Related to Elections
There is overwhelming support for regulating the use of generative AI in political advertising amongst US registered voters, which seems to be an issue of increasing salience, according to a new Tech Policy Press/YouGov poll. The poll was fielded to an online sample of 1,118 voters from August 26 to August 28, 2024. Identifying AI-Generated Political Content 58% of respondents reported seeing political content in their social media feeds that they believed was the product of generative AI.
Eight Notable Themes from US Court of Appeals Oral Arguments In Challenge to TikTok Law
The United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit held two hours of oral arguments on Monday morning before a panel of three judges. They are tasked with deciding whether or not to grant TikTok’s request for an injunction blocking the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act from going into effect.
Civil Unrest and Social Media Regulation in the UK
Social media has been widely implicated as a key factor of the anti-immigrant riots that spread throughout the United Kingdom in late July and early August. Far-right agitators and opportunist conspiracy theorists appear to have deliberately appropriated the tragedy of a stabbing at a children’s dance class, spreading misinformation about the identity of the attacker online and encouraging and organizing violent attacks.
Considering New York's Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act
Last Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two bills into New York State law, both aimed at the protection of children from online harms. These bills are amongst hundreds considered—and several passed—by US states over the last few years, including age-appropriate design codes, laws requiring parental approval for use of social media, and legislation governing access to pornographic websites.
Age Verification in the United States: Insights from the Open Technology Institute
Over the last few years, dozens of pieces of legislation requiring age assurance measures, whether explicitly or implicitly, have been passed, both in US states and around the world Federal bills in the US including such measures have gained significant momentum, but their passage is still not a done deal. Developments in the last few months, as detailed in a timeline from the CEO of a leading vendor, have pushed the conversation about age assurance forward apace.
How Does the American Privacy Rights Act Protect Children?
In the most significant step towards a comprehensive US data protection policy in quite some time, a discussion draft of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) was released last Sunday. Many federal legislative proposals in recent years have been bipartisan, but the fact that this is also bicameral improves its chances of making it to the finish line.
Eight Questions to Ask About Children’s Online Harms Legislation (and Beyond)
Tim Bernard / Apr 1, 2024 Almost every week, it seems, there is news on legislative efforts to protect children from online harms in the United States and around the world. Despite legal challenges and to enacting such laws, the issue remains salient for advocates and lawmakers, who appear ready for a long fight.
Trust & Safety for Investors: Revisiting the Trust & Safety Vendor Ecosystem
Last summer, I wrote an article for Tech Policy Press describing the growing ecosystem of vendors serving the trust and safety sector. Since then, journalists at WIRED and CNBC have also published explorations of the topic, recognizing its potential importance as some large platforms have significantly cut back their internal spending on trust and safety.
Constructing Transparency Reporting for AI Foundation Models
Last fall, a group of researchers at Stanford’s Center for Research on Foundation Models published the Foundation Model Transparency Index (FMTI) to measure the transparency of the foundation models that are increasingly finding their way into countless business and consumer applications.
Generative AI, Free Speech, & Public Discourse: Why the Academy Must Step Forward
On Tuesday, Columbia Engineering and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University co-hosted a well-attended symposium, “Generative AI, Free Speech, & Public Discourse.” The event combined presentations about technical research relevant to the subject with addresses and panels discussing the implications of AI for democracy and civil society.
Study Suggests We Should Worry About Political Microtargeting Powered by Generative AI
Tim Bernard on the findings of "The persuasive effects of political microtargeting in the age of generative AI," a new paper from Almog Simchon, Matthew Edwards, Stephan Lewandowsky published in PNAS Nexus.
The Online Safety Act: Royal Assent Was Only the Beginning
Tim Bernard is a tech policy analyst and writer, specializing in trust & safety and content moderation. The genesis of the UK Online Safety Act can be dated to 2017, and so when Parliament finally approved the bill in September and it received royal assent last month, it may have felt like the end of a very long road for the legislation. That “end” would have been a mirage.
UK Online Safety Bill Enters Final Stages
Tim Bernard is a tech policy analyst and writer, specializing in trust & safety and content moderation. On September 6, the House of Lords held the third reading of the UK Online Safety Bill, the first draft of which was published in May 2021. It’s been a long time coming—the original white paper that preceded the bill was published in 2019, with a preceding strategy paper dating back to 2017.
Government Supports Trail Expansion, Upgrades
Nova Scotians can enjoy smoother, more accessible recreational trails across the province thanks to a government investment of close to $1 million through the Recreational Trail Expansion Fund. “Local trails are hidden gems in communities throughout the province,” said Pat Dunn, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. “They offer accessible opportunities for active and healthy living, connect us with nature and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
The Evolving Trust and Safety Vendor Ecosystem
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector.
What is Secure? An Analysis of Popular Messaging Apps
Justin Hendrix, Cooper Quintin, Caroline Sinders, Leila Wylie Wagner, Tim Bernard, and Ami Mehta. In a world where privacy and security are increasingly under threat, particularly in countries swept up in a global wave of autocratization and erosion of rights, encrypted messaging apps are an increasingly popular—and necessary—way to share information, organize and engage with one another, and do business.
Divergence and Uncertainty in Responses to EU Regulation on Child Sexual Abuse
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector. WIRED recently published a leaked document containing feedback solicited by the European Council from EU member states regarding proposed Child Sexual Abuse regulation.
144 State Bills Aim to Secure Child Online Safety As Congress Flounders
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector.
Can Tech Promote Social Cohesion?
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector. There is arguably a broad consensus that social media presents a challenge to democracy and social cohesion, even if the degree and precise mechanics of that challenge are still contested.
Social Cohesion Technologies and Online Projects
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector.
What Should We Know About Government Influence on Content Moderation?
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector. Governments across the world have varied and complex relationships with social media companies.
Inside the White House Roadmap for Information Integrity Research
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector.
ChatGPT, Safety in Artificial Intelligence, and Elon Musk
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector. Since November 30, it’s been hard to avoid screenshots of text generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT system. ChatGPT’s outputs are sometimes wrong despite sounding incredibly confident, but that hardly precludes the text from reading as if it was written by a person.
Considering KOSA: A Bill to Protect Children from Online Harms
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector. On November 15, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), met with a group of parents whose children were harmed after exposure to social media content. The parents shared their stories and lobbied the senators to take prompt legislative action.
The UK’s Online Safety Bill: Where is it Now?
Tim Bernard recently completed an MBA at Cornell Tech, focusing on tech policy and trust & safety issues. He previously led the content moderation team at Seeking Alpha, and worked in various capacities in the education sector.
תפלה בעד הממשׁלה | A Prayer for the Government by Louis Ginzberg (1927)
2010-08-07 – 28 Av 5770 via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license Nusaḥ Masorti, Conservative, United States אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ קַבֵּל נָא בְּרַחַמִים אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ בְּעַד אַרְצֵֽנוּ וּמֶמְשַׁלְתָּהּ. הָרֵק אֶת־בּרְכָתְךָ ע֚ל הָאָֽרֶץ הַזֺּאת עַל נְשִׂיאָהּ שׁוֹפְטֶֽיהָ שׁוֹטְרֶֽיהָ וּפְקִידֶֽהָ הָעוֹסְקִים בְצָרְכֵי צִבּוּר בֶּאֱמוּנָה.
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