Robin Berjontweets archive

September 2022

286 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @matthewstoller

Newspapers are insanely valuable, and so is their independence. Entrenching (and making it in the media's interest to entrench) a system that challenges that isn't good. It's also hard to tell that it works without the ability to measure the longer-term impact.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I can certainly hear that media needs money and needs it yesterday. A better way of structuring that would be to establish the funding now (as reparations for AMP, etc.), but put it on a decreasing schedule and enshrine collective negotiation over how indexing should work.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BuggeErik and @garjoh_canuck, @Iwillleavenow

Not just for whom, but studies that look at cookies vs no-cookies don't actually support profile-based targeting. The loss from the lack of attribution or from DSP optimising away when there is no cookie even if they could make a sale. These are at best high-powered anecdotes.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
They also completely fail to test the purported counterfactual of a world in which third-party targeting isn't available. The reason being that you can't test for that using the current system.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Iwillleavenow

Hey — I'm only seeing this now (somehow people don't invite me to the fun parties) but I think that answering this requires some nuance (which most studies don't seem to have). There can be value in targeting without there being value in *third-party* targeting.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Third-party data is usually abysmally low quality. So using surveillance to target isn't necessarily effective. Likewise, there can be value in *broad* targeting (age range, gender, industry, income bracket) and little in specific targeting (blue lightbulb intenders).
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
These things are very hard to tease apart in part because marketers aren't necessarily rational and in part because the system is so opaque that measurements are very noisy. See the ISBA study: they couldn't figure out where *15%* of the money goes at all. isba.org.uk/knowledge/digi…

Read the whole thread: 7 tweets →

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BuggeErik and @Iwillleavenow

Agreed! There's an industry habit that contextual targeting isn't considered targeting. It's right there in the name!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @RobertJBateman

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @matthew_d_green

"Popular cellphone apps such as Waze" — Waze is a Google property, so Google is doing the selling there it would seem.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @LMSacasas

All. The. Time.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @LMSacasas

But in a good way, too, I find. Back when this was all text, I would love going to conferences to meet people I had been talking with very regularly but only knew from their IRC/email demeanour. Folks were always disconcertingly different!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Brutally searing and exactly right.
Quoting a tweet by @henrymance ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I'd love to see a list of the deceptive tricks in @GoogleAds (this is not the only one...) and an estimation of how much it has cost businesses over the years.
Quoting a tweet by @andrewamann ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AureliePols and @FTC

Yes, this would be a beautiful case, lots of material for deceptive pattern experts, and really good for small businesses.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope

It's nowhere near as famous a franchise, so I'm not sure if a push would work. Also, it needs a lot less help than The Rings of Power. It could be more of a retention play, too.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @marcosc, @WHATWG, @w3c

You're mailing me one, right?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @plhw3org and @marcosc, @WHATWG, @w3c

No pin can beat the TPAC tee with Unicode errors on it. Perfect.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The best damn data governancers in the business.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope and @swodinsky, @montezumachavez, @RobertJBateman, @dmarti, @alextcone, @Ryanbarwick, @aexm, @atgrote, @cwarzel

I have disagreements with Zuboff, but on this I think she isn't entirely wrong. There's a sense in which more of the same really is different. It's entirely true that Google or FB aren't Internet companies, rather they're the epitome of what an 18C corporation wanted to be.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
In that sense we are still living in very much the same old colonial exploitative system. Reading "Reconsidering Reparations" made that brutally clear to me.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
But the totalising nature of data exploitation makes things different. It used to be that school, prison, asylum were the only total institutions in which everything is built and controlling. Now, everything digital is that. I think it's true that it makes things different.

Thread of 3 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @swodinsky and @aliceafung, @k_johnsn, @megan__goyette, @MaxGendler

Oooooh
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope and @dmarti, @swodinsky, @montezumachavez, @RobertJBateman, @alextcone, @Ryanbarwick, @aexm, @atgrote, @cwarzel

Harvard Business School rediscovering Marx is a whole vibe.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope and @swodinsky, @montezumachavez, @RobertJBateman, @dmarti, @alextcone, @Ryanbarwick, @aexm, @atgrote, @cwarzel

Yes - but I think that the fact that everywhere has become a company town makes things different. You know you're in a company town, but you just swim in digital. Also, the worst company town only reached so far into your life.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ShwangsNarayan

I just buy more books than usual 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @fran_mady, @aliceafung, @k_johnsn, @megan__goyette, @MaxGendler

Next time, with you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
And the next step is: why would you need a designer when you can find the truth with just A/B testing.
Quoting a tweet by @jarango ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
That's one hell of a line-up.
Quoting a tweet by @Collective_CI ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @MissIG_Geek and @heartofprivacy, @Iwillleavenow, @TrialByTruth, @PrivacyMatters, @WebDevLaw, @IvanaBartoletti, @PrivaCat, @alexanderhanff, @SalingerPrivacy

Wow, you are too kind. Right back!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hypervisible and @s_m_i, @daniellecitron

Do you have any plans to put the stickers on a shop like the tees? I've been dying to have one since before the dawn of time 🥹
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
We badly need #ADPPA, both for people's safety and to support publishers' sustainability in the face of unethical ad networks and big tech. But it needs a simple fix, which this excellent piece explains very clearly.
Quoting a tweet by @DanielSolove ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I can't believe I've been using convoluted phrasing like "nudges that learn from data" when hypernudging was there all along!
Quoting a tweet by @stuart_mmills ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I would have loved to read Jane Jacobs tearing apart Nextdoor.
Quoting a tweet by @NomeDaBarbarian ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @catthekin

The very same!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @peligrietzer

A lot of good thoughts to walk away with here. I'm torn between wanting to see this in longer form and liking the straightforward thread unfolding.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
If you need proof that big tech companies are lying when they claim to care about fighting disinformation, hate, and harassment: @CheckMyAdsHQ is being way more effective at this with only three full-time and four part-time people.
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Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @blakereid, @ProfFionasm, @matthewstoller, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890, @doctorow

The part that worries me is that it seems unlikely that an interop mandate on its own will create competition on aspects that can be hard for people to gauge such as privacy, disinfo management, or recommendation quality.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
There are smaller digital domains in which there is relatively more competition and in which you would *think* that there should be competition on that kind of aspect (eg. fertility or dating) but all tend to be more or less bad.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Making social networks interoperable without fixing other parts of the stack — such as how to produce privacy-preserving advertising that supports products — seems very likely to produce the same outcome.

Thread of 3 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @doctorow and @blakereid, @ProfFionasm, @matthewstoller, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

You're not going to get a lot of disagreement from me concerning privacy and competition: berjon.com/competition-pr… Beyond that, the "how" of interoperability is indeed key. It's something that I might well focus on next.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @matthewstoller and @doctorow, @blakereid, @ProfFionasm, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

You're wrong about that, though, Matt!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mattecapu

If the point is to understand yourself based on how you observe the world, having them talk about the world inside us would seem to defeat the practice? The immanence is the point. (Had never considered that and it's excellent, thank you.)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Send pictures @w3c TPAC friends, I am sad that I can't join you.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @w3c, @alextcone

He better! Someone also needs to fill my role of dancing shirtless, and I think he is a worthy candidate for this responsibility.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @blakereid, @doctorow, @ProfFionasm, @matthewstoller, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

I know, but we do have potentially better standards methods today that can ground the mandate (we know more about making complicated things interop) and there is interesting work on governance/enforcement. I don't claim that it's solved, but tools are improving.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mattecapu

If you are considering the world inside, you are perceiving yourself from the outside looking, in a sense investigating your structure from a perspective that doesn't exist, detached from yourself. It seems likely to be deceptive.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Conversely, by considering the world as you observe it, from your situated, immanent perspective (which is a perspective that exists), you can understand your relative position in the world and therefore yourself.

Thread of 3 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @matthewstoller and @blakereid, @doctorow, @ProfFionasm, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

Yup. One thing I would love a legal opinion on is the applicability of the Economic Espionage Act. A lot of those companies are taking valuable trade secrets - audience data - and monetising it, building substitutive products.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @blakereid, @doctorow, @ProfFionasm, @matthewstoller, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

It's been quite a while, but I remember it putting a very optimistic amount of faith in the prospect that NIST could produce a social networking interop standard inside of six months. Also, not addressing search interop (which is a lot easier!) is a mistake IMHO.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @blakereid, @matthewstoller, @doctorow, @ProfFionasm, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

Yeees. I know I'm preaching in the desert but I think that we need to get regulators and SDOs working together on this.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @DanMunro and @matthewstoller, @blakereid, @doctorow, @ProfFionasm, @musharbash_b, @Sherman1890

I know nothing of healthcare standards, but "some developers (...) didn’t adhere to critical security specifications that are clearly outlined in the FHIR blueprint" reads like either those parts weren't testable assertions or there was no (good) test suite.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @daniellecitron

Sweet dreams!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @btsavage and @w3c

And so it begins!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Trying to think of a name that says "trouble" loud enough for this small furball.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @FunnyNora

Ha, he was found with his sibs behind a liquor store, so the shelter people gave them all wine names and his is Noir :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @perigrin

Fair.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @innovimax

Pas con!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @MissIG_Geek

I considered that, but it has to work in both French and English, and that's a bit hard in French.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @juanof9

You say that like it would be a bad thing :-D
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @natashanyt

Ha! Bulgakov was exactly where my mind went first! But Behemoth didn't carry familial adhesion…
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @juanof9

I know that this is an issue that warrants deeper and more nuanced treatment than just "muahaha, let's watch the fuckers writhe!" But it's not obvious to me that this would be a bad shock to the system (and I don't think that trees is the right metaphor).
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I don't think that it would reduce the breadth of global knowledge. It might reduce speed of propagation, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It would be a forcing function for interop bit from one geographic mandate but in order to solve a direct problem.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Also, we haven't figured out the governance for this global thing yet. I don't think that states make a good boundary for this, but it's a boundary. It could give us some breathing room as we figure out global governance for digital infrastructure.

Thread of 3 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @andreisambra

Hahaha, excellent point. But he has two eyes!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @juanof9

You make good points, but isn't working on a ban a great way to map that out? • Announce a ban on the high-level services (G Search, FB, Insta…) with 6mo notice to give small businesses time to migrate. • Ban integration tier (identity, GA) one a 1yr deadline.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
• Then more basic infra like cloud stuff, give it 3yrs. This is very coarse to fit into Twitter, but I think a path can be devised.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @MChrisRiley

I tried, but my 13yo has a reading of Norse mythology that sees Loki as too much of a bad person. We got closer to consensus with Ragnarök!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
That's just *this year*.
Quoting a tweet by @arpitrage ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Iwillleavenow

Please make "Become Unlearnable" stickers.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @MadronaCitizen

KPI stands for "Killed but Prove It!"
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hober and @w3c, @w3ctag

Ἐν ἀρχῇ — chaos or logos?

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The real reason why the @w3c should shut down the Verifiable Credentials WG is because it'll ruin games of Werewolf. Can't have that happen.
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @MaxGendler and @w3c

That's not what a villager would say.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @gloupin and @isislovecruft

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Paging privacy people!
Quoting a tweet by @cyberdees ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @charleswlogan

To go a bit deeper into @natashanyt's suggestion: • What risks did you identify during the data protection impact assessment and how are they mitigated? • How much liability does the vendor take on if the tool is used in ways that harm the children?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
• What are the rights to use and reuse the data collected through this process, who holds them, and under what conditions can the data terms be changed by the vendor? If they can change them unilaterally, what is your review process to ensure they remain aligned with principles?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
• What data is collected? • How long is the data retained for and where? • Are there identifiers used in the data? If you consider the data to be "anonymous," what is the anonymising method? What processes are in place to avoid reidentification? • Does the vendor use vendors?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
• Does the system use machine learning, and if so what algorithmic audits has it undergone? • Are the children profiled in the process (even if "anonymously" or "pseudonymously")? • What data is inferred in the process? I can think of more but that's a start I reckon :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This made me think: we should develop a common questionnaire for parents to send superintendents systematically when this happens. I'm not an edu privacy expert, but I'm a parent and privacy nerd, and would love to help.

Thread of 5 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @charleswlogan and @natashanyt

Yes please!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Ridiculously excited to start reading @benharnett's "The Happy Valley"!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Gkellogg and @w3c

That's fair, and accountability in that game tends to be quite bloody 🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_alastair

Thinly veiled?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @_alastair

Impressive. Veil so think I don't even see it!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Really enjoying David Krakauer's critique of "Noise" by Kahneman, Sibony, & Sunstein. He notably points out that the book's argument assumes optimisation to a single optimum.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
There is interesting convergence between an ontology in which noise is a problem and political belief in legibility, optimisation, and nudging.

Thread of 4 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This is awesome for kids privacy! Privacy folks, who wants to weigh in?
Quoting a tweet by @charleswlogan ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Master of Purrrrppets
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @EtheHerring

The piaf jokes in the replies, too.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Great thread on the relevance of causal theories of reference to privacy. It has implications for the understanding of privacy with federated learning, on-device processing, etc.
Quoting a tweet by @RDBinns ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
One of the reasons we know that the aggressive concentration and privatised infrastructure we can see building up in tech today is bad, is because we can see the devastating effect it is having elsewhere.
Quoting a tweet by @MorePerfectUS ↗
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Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @fran_mady

Helping people change their dietary habits to help with climate goals by demonstrating adherence to more echo-friendly meals. There was a lot more to it 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @fran_mady

I mean, the title is basically the mechanism for that.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @andyhafenbrack

Looking at your pubs at andyhafenbrack.com, are there 1-3 you would recommend on this topic? I'm very interested, I'm fine with academic, but I struggle with video. Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @andyhafenbrack and @INSEADKnowledge

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @RobertJBateman

Not just the bottom line but also the growth prospects. If they can't minors interested, they lose pretty much all hope of growth.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I know I repeat myself but if you want to do privacy that's good for your users and good for your business, you could do a lot worse than this team. ♥
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Reminder that, yes indeed the #JCPA might have flaws, but whenever you say "link tax" all you're doing is telling the world that you don't know how search works today. Things have changed since the 90s, you might want to update a bit.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
If search were just about linking we'd be living in a different world. AMP (which is still very much required despite assurances to the contrary) and the host of other schemes like Instant Articles or Showcase aren't links and they hurt publishers.

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Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @RebeccaSpang

Simply bots? I think everyone gets sudden drops like that, I always reckon it's fake accounts getting purged. Can't explain the Princeton thing though 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annbass

You'd love them! They're wonderful people. That wasn't the dancing night 😉🤭
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @stimpee

Alcohol!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @libshipwreck

I'd suggest that we go a bit further and stop kneecapping ourselves by stating it as old fashioned. It's not! It's informed by very recent experience.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tim_libert

I'll pass it along, but can you do the same on your side? One of the reasons driving people into apps is so attractive is because stuff like CWV or Chrome Sync make the Web unappealing outside top-of-funnel readers.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @briankardell and @etportis, @davatron5000, @davidbaron

Mobile browsers that show an infinity sign instead of the count drive me mad for that reason. That said, the Firefox thing where it moves older tabs to an archive where they can be found but not clutter the list is nice.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @arainert

Thanks, I thought I was the only one remembering it as a train wreck.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
‘They Are Watching’: Inside Russia’s Vast Surveillance State nyti.ms/3DL2ZqK
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I am delighted, honoured, and humbled to announce that I have been elected to the @w3c's first Board of Directors. Many thanks to those who organised a clean and effective election, to the Membership for voting, and to all candidates for a respectful, caring campaign!
Quoting a tweet by @w3c ↗
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Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I was heartened to see that we had an embarrassment of excellent people in the running even if I am saddened that not all could make the cut. I hope that those who did not get elected will be able to work with the Board — we're going to need all the help we can get.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Like many of you I want in-depth reform of digital governance, so that those who build and rely on the Web have a voice in how it runs. But I have to be frank: before we can get there we need to eat our greens and get the Consortium on sure footing. We *will* get there though!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I'll close by saying that the @w3c has a duty to the whole Web community. All Web problems are W3C problems. So if you have an issue, don't hesitate to bring it to the Board!

Thread of 5 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @stevefaulkner and @w3c, @LeonieWatson

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @reidmore_online and @wendy_a_reid, @w3c

Thank you Wendy!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @WebDevLaw

Thank you Heather, such kind words! 💕
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @publictorsten and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @alextcone and @w3c

Thank you! More on that to follow :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mariafarrell and @w3c

Thanks Maria!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @w3c

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @wjmaggos, @w3c

I agree, but we need more than protocols — we need protocols that are governed and sustainable. I think that ActivityPub is part of the future, but only one piece of the puzzle.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @kkomaitis and @w3c

Thank you! Please send advice, we're going to need all the help we can get.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @nhoizey, @w3c

Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @al3xbrown and @w3c

LOL, maybe a little!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ewlamy and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @dauwhe, @w3c

Thanks Dave, coming from you that means a lot.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @taubeneck and @w3c

Thank you! Let's fix this stuff :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @RobertJBateman and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @fborgesius and @w3c

Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @macsym and @w3c

Thanks Max!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @julien51 and @w3c

Thank you! You'll be interested to hear that at each campaign event I said that I thought we should spend more time on the good parts of web3 and people still voted for me!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @IsabelleDeSilva and @w3c

Merci Isabelle! J'espère pouvoir en faire quelque chose de bien.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @roessler and @w3c

Merci Thomas!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @janiswong_ and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @anssik and @w3c

Many thanks Anssi — I'm excited to get started too, even if it's going to be hard especially at first!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @coolharsh55 and @w3c

Thanks a lot :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @MadronaCitizen, @w3c

Hahahahaha
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @pixeldetracking, @w3c

Merci!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @wjmaggos, @w3c

I don't think there is an overall view, I hope to write some bits of it soonish.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope and @w3c

Thank you Aram!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @djweitzner and @mnot, @LeonieWatson, @w3c

Thanks Danny, I hope that we can do some good.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Rich_Harris and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @arthuredelstein and @w3c

Thanks Arthur!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoavweiss and @w3c

Thanks Yoav!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rdeltour and @w3c

Hahaha, thank you Romain! Next TPAC ;)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @gdiazc, @w3c

Thank you Gonzalo! There's a lot to do, I hope we'll figure some of it out.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tim_libert and @w3c

Thanks Tim :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I don't think that I ever got any of my feelings neatly detangled, sorted, and labelled, but even by my chaotic standards it is very much with mixed feelings that I share these news: Next week, after precisely fives years on the job, I will be leaving the @nytimes.
↺ 8
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
It has been a humbling journey and I am infinitely grateful for the amazing colleagues who have so patiently taught me just how complex the inner workings of this magnificent beast are. Rarely have I been given the privilege to learn so much in such a short span of time.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Everyone loves to complain about @nytimes (and as a reader, I too have opinions!) but it is a sensational place all the same. I have worked with the kindest, smartest, most supportive, most dedicated people. If you get a chance to work there, you should!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
I know I repeat myself but if you want to do privacy that's good for your users and good for your business, you could do a lot worse than this team. ♥

Read the whole thread: 7 tweets →

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @goldbergaetan and @w3c

Merci :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @fran_mady, @w3c

Merci Fran!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annbass and @w3c, @mnot, @LeonieWatson

Me too — it's long overdue. Hahaha, I think that of all people you know that "transitional challenges" is a hell of a euphemism for it :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @avadacatavra, @nytimes

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @swodinsky and @nytimes

Shoshana!!! You too saw the typo in that first tweet??!!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @annbass and @w3c, @mnot, @LeonieWatson

Whenever things get crazy I think of those who came before and had to deal with skunks to get us an RF policy. 😉 That was painful, but also extremely impactful!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @swodinsky and @nytimes

I can tell from the tone.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Ryanbarwick and @nytimes

Thank you Ryan! That's very kind.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @anthonykatsur and @nytimes, @IABTechLab

Thanks Tony! I almost went to an adtech company that is near and dear to my heart, but not this time. I think that what I'll be working on could help with privacy-preserving shared ad infrastructure, so we might well be talking ;)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @vkw and @w3c

Thank you!!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @stormhur and @nytimes

Thanks Storm!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ashleyboyd

Thank you! I try not to manifesto too much BUT I CAN'T HELP IT.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @slayser8 and @anthonykatsur, @nytimes, @IABTechLab

Steph! Always happy to talk :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @nandoodles and @nytimes

Big fan right back!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BuggeErik and @nytimes

Thanks a lot Erik, that means a lot!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @julien51 and @nytimes

A hell of a ride indeed! Something tells me the next one isn't going to be a ride too :)

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @fgeorges and @w3c

Merci Florent, c'est trop sympa, j'en fais part à @BrobinBerjon 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BrettFrischmann

Thanks Brett, I might very well need some help from someone who's interested in, I don't know, infrastructure, commons, governance, that kind of stuff.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @shane_m5 and @w3c

Thanks a lot Shane ❤️ Note that this job may be a punishment, so this could be true in more ways than one 😂
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Iwillleavenow and @nytimes

Thank you!!! I will still be on this lovely hellsite, I'll just be worrying a different Comms/Legal team!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

And I can't wait to hear about what you're doing at The Times! Also, I'd love to get a feed of your twitter names. One of the most underrated parts of this site.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @wayneblodwell

I'll share when it's official, in a couple of weeks.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Gkellogg and @w3c

Thank you! I hope we don't screw it up, we certainly have our work cut out.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @blakereid

That's super kind, Blake, I love your takes too! I wasn't planning on stopping 😉
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @jeremybowers and @nytimes

That, dear Jeremy, was my plan all along.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @yoavweiss

Thanks! I didn't mean to make it sound important but it's certainly something stuff I'm passionate about!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @lmrlaurent and @w3c

Merci!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @neilmrichards and @nytimes, @hartzog

Neil, there is nothing that would make me happier than to talk to either or both of you. My impression so far has been that you two write brilliant things faster than I can think, but if there's any little bit that I can help with please email me any time!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hartzog

Thank you! That means a lot. Is there any chance that you might come talk at CITP again now that it's in person?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @oatesmeal and @nytimes

Ha, thank you for saying that and putting it this way, "mournful breakup manifesto" is the vibe I didn't know I wanted!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

Do the thing! Please! Do you have an archive?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @g_sullivan and @nytimes

Thank you Gavin! I'd love to catch up and hear what you're up to now.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hober and @w3c

Merci Tess ❤️!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope

Thank you! We might be in different industries for a little while, but I'm pretty sure that we'll have just as many reasons to talk!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @gabrielazanfir and @nytimes

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @RanuDhillon

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @msdixon

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @k_johnsn

I'll miss you terribly, but I promise to send the occasional mediocre dad joke ❤️
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ariezrawaldman and @nytimes

Thanks Ari!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @megangrA

It really has been. I think I have about a week off 😉 (I owe you an email, haven't forgotten, just... stuff has been going on.)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @r2rothenberg, @nytimes

Thanks Randall 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @AureliePols and @w3c

Merci!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @epc_angela and @w3c

Thank you Angela! And we need to have a chat about browsers too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @PrivacyMatters

Thanks Pat! I know the DG team has wanted to have drinks with you, I hope we can do that sooner rather than later.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mariafarrell and @nytimes

Thanks, me too! And we need to chat about the thing, too. Sorry I've been so under water.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @alexanderdanilo and @w3c

I wish we could drink together, it's been too long!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @matthewstoller and @nytimes

Yeah.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @johnwilander and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @shails and @w3c

Thanks!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @durple and @nytimes

It was a pleasure to work with you too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @daniellecitron

Thank you Danielle! I hope it can make myself useful.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @emilydelgreco and @nytimes

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ShiraOvide

Thank you for yours! Is there any chance you'll be at the mothership next week?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @minabird

Either that or I plan to rule with an iron fist 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @alexmilowski

Thank you Alex, it's been too long since we've managed to hang out!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @balbonipaolo

Thank you, and much agreed!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @koubaak and @w3c

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @hsivonen and @w3c

Thanks Henri!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @salome_viljoen_ and @nytimes

Thanks a lot Salomé!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @trekonomics

Manu, pics on this site have a trigger warning feature, please use it.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
An excellent thread from Aram as always. This point stands out: it's not even good for marketers. In my experience, two groups defend the system: * Fraudster intermediaries that live off it. * People (often lawyers) who think they're defending business but don't understand data.
Quoting a tweet by @Chronotope ↗
↺ 12
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @MadronaCitizen

Part of the problem is that many people can't admit that the system is broken without admitting that they haven't been doing a great job.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @MadronaCitizen

Until you make money raising the bar and then everyone agreed with you from the start.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @mariafarrell

OMG this is all so adorable (including the high-pitched squealing!)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @LewisDaleUK, @slightlylate

Not that this is defensible, but IIRC browsers typically load the ranges they need rather than the whole thing.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
This is a super interesting study, great angle.
Quoting a tweet by @SoheilHuman ↗
↺ 5
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
What worries me about this is that it's an attempt to seek escalation. It's worryingly desperate.
Quoting a tweet by @spectatorindex ↗
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @leonor_de_b

Putain.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
La sobriété énergétique via une réduction de l'exercice du cerveau.
Quoting a tweet by @BFMTV ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @salome_viljoen_ and @internetdaniel, @dlicornelltech

I can't make the DLI event either, might I also be able to read it?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @alextcone and @montezumachavez

It might not be accurate but I'll talk about it 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @alextcone

The moderators didn't show up (we weren't sure if there were supposed to be any) so we just started chatting — we had a great time!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ANderagakura and @alextcone, @montezumachavez

Awwwww. I mean, I'm always up for chatting with you smart people. It gives me stuff to repeat to other smart folks :)
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @Law_Privacy, @alextcone

Yeah, that's a bug, will fix.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @TrialByTruth, @EvanSelinger, @hartzog

That's awfully kind. I have to point out that many of my insights are stolen straight from @EvanSelinger, @hartzog, or their co-conspirators :) This is *such* a good question though. Totally agreed on consent for sure. I need to go feed the small humans, but quick notes:
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Convenience! I still need to find a good articulation for this, but convenience is a key component of the domestication of humans (by humans). Domestication (of animals, plants, etc.) can be seen as the exchange of convenience for pliability.
↺ 1
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
The idea that you can build for everyone without building by everyone. It's not even a question of "values" or of being democratic: it just plain doesn't work. Related: the idea that "democratisation" is making available to a lot of people without giving rights over the thing.
↺ 1

Read the whole thread: 7 tweets →

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @Law_Privacy, @alextcone

No — user agent is a piece of software that acts on your behalf, like a browser. See papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Brilliant questions, lots of great answers.
Quoting a tweet by @EvanSelinger ↗
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @EvanSelinger and @TrialByTruth, @hartzog, @salome_viljoen_

Yessss. Much goodness in there. I'm seeing growing interest in the notion, Katrina Ligett also brought it up in a presentation she gave about privacy at CITP last week.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rasmus_kleis

I don't think he's making that argument as a publisher, just as a conservative.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @sleepyfox and @TrialByTruth, @EvanSelinger, @hartzog

I'm more with the ABBA testing crowd.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @TrialByTruth, @sleepyfox, @EvanSelinger, @hartzog

There is nothing we can doooooooo. Oh dear, that's in my head for the day now!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @rasmus_kleis

I know, in France we have those who want to "civilise the Internet" (in the same way that they "civilised" colonies).
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @Chronotope and @rasmus_kleis

I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason that guy is angry at big tech is because he doesn't get to be big tech.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tobie and @rasmus_kleis

Isn't that the conservative perspective on every issue?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @dmarti and @Chronotope, @rasmus_kleis

That's not what we normally call bikeshedding, but I agree with the description nevertheless!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BuggeErik and @montezumachavez, @Chronotope, @alextcone, @FascinatingTech, @btsavage, @taubeneck

Apple's terms of service for apps under ATT are similar to GPC/DNS though I wouldn't say they're the same.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @coolharsh55 and @FascinatingTech, @montezumachavez, @Chronotope, @alextcone, @btsavage, @taubeneck, @emax

AppChoices also has a dedicated notice & choice app 😁
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @BuggeErik, @Chronotope, @alextcone, @FascinatingTech, @btsavage, @taubeneck

It could, but I don't know that it would count as a signal in the legal sense.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
And just like that, it's over. It was an incredibly good five years, @nytimes friends, I owe you deeply for how much I learned, for how patient you were with my questions, my badgering, and the occasional antics! ❤️💕
↺ 2
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BuggeErik and @montezumachavez, @Chronotope, @alextcone, @FascinatingTech, @btsavage, @taubeneck

We have to distinguish technical measures from legal measures. Withholding the IDFA is good, but if they did only that then people could use other things like fingerprinting or UID2. The App Store terms however prevent at least some of that. That's enforceable by Apple.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·
Treating ATT as a GPC signal would also make that enforceable in California, so it's better. I don't know if what's forbidden is equivalent under both but I think they're close.

Thread of 2 tweets

Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @montezumachavez and @nytimes

Thank you my friend!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @paulduplantis, @nytimes

Thank you!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @coolharsh55 and @FascinatingTech, @montezumachavez, @Chronotope, @alextcone, @btsavage, @taubeneck, @emax

I mean, it's AdChoices for apps...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @anablzk and @nytimes

Merci!!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @struthious and @nytimes

Same as we do every night, saving the Internet 😉
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @tim_libert and @nytimes

LOL. I know they say never say never, but...
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @theseniorbarn and @s__ballesteros, @nytimes

Saving the world Sebastian, what's the other job?
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @BuggeErik and @nytimes

Thank you, you're too kind!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @aldengolab and @nytimes

Yes! No more tiny pic taken using a 1992 webcam from the security station on your first day!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benlikestocode, @aldengolab, @nytimes

😂 The best was for people who'd been there twenty years, some of those pics were wild.
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @null and @benlikestocode, @nytimes

Thanks - and you too!
Robin Berjon @robinberjon ·

Replying to @ourmaninjapan and @nytimes

ARE YOU CALLING ME OLD