Dispatches from the Empire


Tesla lawyers claim Elon Musk’s past statements about self-driving safety could just be deepfakes.

“Their position is that because Mr. Musk is famous and might be more of a target for deep fakes, his public statements are immune,” wrote Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Evette D. Pennypacker. “In other words, Mr. Musk, and others in his position, can simply say whatever they like in the public domain, then hide behind the potential for their recorded statements being a deep fake to avoid taking ownership of what they did actually say and do.”

Utah governor signs new laws requiring parental consent for under–18s to use social media.

I mean, this is both insane…and also kinda reasonable?

I don’t love the idea of the state getting between us and the internet. But social media is absolutely designed to be addictive. The state steps in between young people and cigarettes, young people and alcohol, young people and drugs. Is social media any different? And haven’t we proven that social media in its current form is more destructive to mental health as most of those things?

You’re pointing the camera the wrong way.

Enshittification.