Key Insights by Merlin AI Historical Significance of Outlook – Microsoft Outlook has been a cornerstone of professional communication since its launch, with over 450 million users in 2024. – It integrated email, calendar, contacts, and task management, becoming essential for various organizations, including hospitals and government entities. – By the 2010s, Outlook … Read more
I have just finished reading Coding Democracy: How a Growing Hacking Movement Is Disrupting Concentrations of Power, Mass Surveillance, and Authoritarianism. I have recently moved away following hactivist initiatives as the latter also lost steam. I happened to see this book and decided to read it. It does not cover all, but provides a good … Read more
The Impact of Fake Reviews on Consumer Behavior Widespread Influence: Approximately 93% of customers have made purchasing decisions based on online reviews, highlighting their significant role in consumer behavior. Revenue Correlation: A one-star increase in Yelp ratings can lead to a revenue boost of 5% to 9% for restaurants, illustrating how crucial positive reviews … Read more
Key Insights by Merlin AI Tails OS: Privacy and Surveillance Concerns – Tails OS is designed for maximum privacy, erasing all digital traces after each session, making it appealing to journalists and whistleblowers. – Several governments banned Tails due to its ability to make user activity untraceable, posing a challenge to surveillance efforts. – … Read more
Background of Telegram’s Creation – Pavel Durov, influenced by his technology background, co-founded VK, a popular social media platform in Russia, before creating Telegram. – After refusing government demands to censor VK, Durov left Russia to protect his freedom, leading to the development of Telegram in 2013. – Telegram was designed to prioritize user … Read more
A few days ago, I was invited to serve as a panelist at a RESAID project (“Creating Societal Cognitive Resilience Against Information Disorders – RESAID”) event. This EU-funded project has substantive online course content and has developed a few online games related to disinformation issues. The panel was reported by AA as well. Here are … Read more
I am glad to be part of this project. Our report is authored by Anmol Alphonso, Sérgio Barbosa, Cayley Clifford, Kiran Garimella, Elonnai Hickok, Martin Riedl, Erkan Saka, Herman Wasserman, Sahana Udupa. The full policy report is available here. The book, WhatsApp in the World: Disinformation, Encryption and Extreme Speech (New York University Press, 2025), … Read more