🌎 Sebastian Smart
@sebasmartl.bsky.social
Human rights, technology and extractivism. Senior Research Fellow at ARU
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
Americans Are Starting to Really Hate Data Centers—and It’s Making the Tech Industry Nervous gizmodo.com/americans-ar...
Americans Are Starting to Really Hate Data Centers—and It's Making the Tech Industry Nervous
A recent survey shows a dramatic swing against new data center construction.
gizmodo.com
June 3, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Americans Are Starting to Really Hate Data Centers—and It’s Making the Tech Industry Nervous gizmodo.com/americans-ar...
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
SpaceX wins tax exemption for $55bn AI chip plant despite local backlash ft.trib.al/KWocswW
SpaceX wins tax exemption for $55bn AI chip plant despite local backlash
Elon Musk’s Terafab plant sparks fierce opposition and threat of legal action from residents of Texas county
ft.trib.al
June 3, 2026 at 9:24 PM
SpaceX wins tax exemption for $55bn AI chip plant despite local backlash ft.trib.al/KWocswW
Terrible decisión del gob de Zambia. Solidaridad con las organizaciones que llevaban más de un año organizando este RightsCon. Nos quedamos con las ganas.
April 29, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Terrible decisión del gob de Zambia. Solidaridad con las organizaciones que llevaban más de un año organizando este RightsCon. Nos quedamos con las ganas.
Join me for a thought-provoking session on "The Hidden Costs of AI: Energy, Resources and Environmental Injustice" at the ClientEarth Summit 2026. Registration is free.
📢The ClientEarth Summit 2026 is open for registrations! 📢
3 days of thought-provoking conversations on the role of the law in shaping our future.
Hear from us & our inspiring partners, peers, communities & experts.
📅 24-26th March 2026
🌍 Online
👀 Register here 👀 events.zoom.us/ev/AoABITLxs...
3 days of thought-provoking conversations on the role of the law in shaping our future.
Hear from us & our inspiring partners, peers, communities & experts.
📅 24-26th March 2026
🌍 Online
👀 Register here 👀 events.zoom.us/ev/AoABITLxs...
ClientEarth Summit 2026
events.zoom.us
March 3, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Join me for a thought-provoking session on "The Hidden Costs of AI: Energy, Resources and Environmental Injustice" at the ClientEarth Summit 2026. Registration is free.
Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK’s net emissions www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK’s net emissions
Campaign groups write to technology secretary amid concerns that sites could double overall electricity demand
www.theguardian.com
March 2, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK’s net emissions www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
New research is here!
@harvard-carr-ryan.bsky.social 2024-2025 fellow @sebasmartl.bsky.social reviews AI legislation in Latin America, uncovering significant gaps in rights-based safeguards.
Read the full publication: www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr...
#AI #HumanRights #LatinAmerica #TechLaw
@harvard-carr-ryan.bsky.social 2024-2025 fellow @sebasmartl.bsky.social reviews AI legislation in Latin America, uncovering significant gaps in rights-based safeguards.
Read the full publication: www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr...
#AI #HumanRights #LatinAmerica #TechLaw
Analyzing a Charter of Rights and Institutions to Tackle Surveillance Capitalism in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: The Case of Latin America
Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, sparking global concern over its risks, from misinformatio
www.hks.harvard.edu
October 16, 2025 at 7:51 AM
New research is here!
@harvard-carr-ryan.bsky.social 2024-2025 fellow @sebasmartl.bsky.social reviews AI legislation in Latin America, uncovering significant gaps in rights-based safeguards.
Read the full publication: www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr...
#AI #HumanRights #LatinAmerica #TechLaw
@harvard-carr-ryan.bsky.social 2024-2025 fellow @sebasmartl.bsky.social reviews AI legislation in Latin America, uncovering significant gaps in rights-based safeguards.
Read the full publication: www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr...
#AI #HumanRights #LatinAmerica #TechLaw
New publication out now!
Business, Human Rights, Technology, and Transitional Justice in Latin America: Tracing Connections explores how Latin America’s transitional justice experience can inform debates on tech, rights, and accountability.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Business, Human Rights, Technology, and Transitional Justice in Latin America: Tracing Connections explores how Latin America’s transitional justice experience can inform debates on tech, rights, and accountability.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
September 2, 2025 at 4:14 PM
New publication out now!
Business, Human Rights, Technology, and Transitional Justice in Latin America: Tracing Connections explores how Latin America’s transitional justice experience can inform debates on tech, rights, and accountability.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Business, Human Rights, Technology, and Transitional Justice in Latin America: Tracing Connections explores how Latin America’s transitional justice experience can inform debates on tech, rights, and accountability.
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
Very useful resource for researchers - on the Plan Condor website
Links to state archives relating to Southern Cone dictatorships, which have been declassified
plancondor.org/en/archives
@slaslatam.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social @sebasmartl.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social
Links to state archives relating to Southern Cone dictatorships, which have been declassified
plancondor.org/en/archives
@slaslatam.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social @sebasmartl.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social
April 14, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Very useful resource for researchers - on the Plan Condor website
Links to state archives relating to Southern Cone dictatorships, which have been declassified
plancondor.org/en/archives
@slaslatam.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social @sebasmartl.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social
Links to state archives relating to Southern Cone dictatorships, which have been declassified
plancondor.org/en/archives
@slaslatam.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social @sebasmartl.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
Operation Condor - 50 years on
Join us for two roundtables @slaslatam.bsky.social
🗓️ April 11
⏰ 11-12:30 & 13:30-15
With brilliant Francesca Lessa, @sebasmartl.bsky.social @mollyavery.bsky.social @thomasrath.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social Karinna Fernandez
Join us for two roundtables @slaslatam.bsky.social
🗓️ April 11
⏰ 11-12:30 & 13:30-15
With brilliant Francesca Lessa, @sebasmartl.bsky.social @mollyavery.bsky.social @thomasrath.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social Karinna Fernandez
April 8, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Operation Condor - 50 years on
Join us for two roundtables @slaslatam.bsky.social
🗓️ April 11
⏰ 11-12:30 & 13:30-15
With brilliant Francesca Lessa, @sebasmartl.bsky.social @mollyavery.bsky.social @thomasrath.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social Karinna Fernandez
Join us for two roundtables @slaslatam.bsky.social
🗓️ April 11
⏰ 11-12:30 & 13:30-15
With brilliant Francesca Lessa, @sebasmartl.bsky.social @mollyavery.bsky.social @thomasrath.bsky.social @john-mcevoy.bsky.social @paulodrinot.bsky.social Karinna Fernandez
Mothers demand justice as London case over Brazil dam collapse concludes www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Mothers demand justice as London case over Brazil dam collapse concludes
Nineteen people died in the Mariana disaster, prompting a claim of up to £36bn claim against the mining firm BHP
www.theguardian.com
March 13, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Mothers demand justice as London case over Brazil dam collapse concludes www.theguardian.com/business/202...
I have just published a piece on how Latin American governments are dealing with Musk, Zuckerberg and others theconversation.com/latin-americ...
Latin America is moving fast to protect democracy from excesses of big tech
Latin American nations are at the forefront of a movement to create restrictions on global technology firms to prevent misinformation or misuse.
theconversation.com
February 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I have just published a piece on how Latin American governments are dealing with Musk, Zuckerberg and others theconversation.com/latin-americ...
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
Call to make tech firms report data centre energy use as AI booms
Call to make tech firms report data centre energy use as AI booms
Experts say mandatory reporting on energy and water use is needed to avoid irreparable damage to environment
Tech companies should be required by law to report the energy and water consumption for their data centres, as the boom in AI risks causing…
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Call to make tech firms report data centre energy use as AI booms
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
www.404media.co/email/d8f4c3... Zuck happy to let rightwing propaganda fly while censoring stories about FB that don't flatter the company's supposed commitment to absolutist free speech.
Facebook Censors Stories About Facebook Censorship
Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are removing 404 Media stories for “nudity” as the company is paid to put ads with explicit pornography in front of its users.
www.404media.co
January 8, 2025 at 3:11 PM
www.404media.co/email/d8f4c3... Zuck happy to let rightwing propaganda fly while censoring stories about FB that don't flatter the company's supposed commitment to absolutist free speech.
Curious about human rights cases? Discover:
1️⃣ One of the current most significant human rights investigations in Chile.
2️⃣ How lawyers used technologies, including AI, in their litigation strategy.
Join us!
1️⃣ One of the current most significant human rights investigations in Chile.
2️⃣ How lawyers used technologies, including AI, in their litigation strategy.
Join us!
🚨 Upcoming Event! 🚨
Join us for a seminar on AI in Human Rights Litigation. Explore the case against Chilean Police Command for 2019 protest abuses.
📅 11 Dec 2024
⏰ 1 PM UK | 10 AM Chile
🌐 Online (Spanish/English available)
🔗 Register: forms.office.com/e/jskRGa8XuJ
#HumanRights #AI #Justice #Chile
Join us for a seminar on AI in Human Rights Litigation. Explore the case against Chilean Police Command for 2019 protest abuses.
📅 11 Dec 2024
⏰ 1 PM UK | 10 AM Chile
🌐 Online (Spanish/English available)
🔗 Register: forms.office.com/e/jskRGa8XuJ
#HumanRights #AI #Justice #Chile
November 28, 2024 at 4:46 PM
Curious about human rights cases? Discover:
1️⃣ One of the current most significant human rights investigations in Chile.
2️⃣ How lawyers used technologies, including AI, in their litigation strategy.
Join us!
1️⃣ One of the current most significant human rights investigations in Chile.
2️⃣ How lawyers used technologies, including AI, in their litigation strategy.
Join us!
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
BREAKING: #ExxonMobil lobbyist investigated over hacking of American nonprofits.
Hacked material fed PR campaigns & lawsuits against environmental advocacy orgs.
Latest chapter in sprawling #infosec & #cybersecurity tale 1/
By @raphae.li & @chrisbing.bsky.social
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Hacked material fed PR campaigns & lawsuits against environmental advocacy orgs.
Latest chapter in sprawling #infosec & #cybersecurity tale 1/
By @raphae.li & @chrisbing.bsky.social
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
November 27, 2024 at 6:47 PM
BREAKING: #ExxonMobil lobbyist investigated over hacking of American nonprofits.
Hacked material fed PR campaigns & lawsuits against environmental advocacy orgs.
Latest chapter in sprawling #infosec & #cybersecurity tale 1/
By @raphae.li & @chrisbing.bsky.social
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Hacked material fed PR campaigns & lawsuits against environmental advocacy orgs.
Latest chapter in sprawling #infosec & #cybersecurity tale 1/
By @raphae.li & @chrisbing.bsky.social
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Major U.S. tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, have incubated Chinese startups that later provided surveillance tools to Chinese law enforcement agencies.
Ex. LLVision, supply smart glasses to police & Tophant, developed tech to detect anti-gov content
restofworld.org/2024/microso...
Ex. LLVision, supply smart glasses to police & Tophant, developed tech to detect anti-gov content
restofworld.org/2024/microso...
Chinese startups supported by Microsoft and Google incubator programs worked with police
Documents reviewed by Rest of World show several companies backed by U.S. tech giants provided policing or censorship tools to Chinese law enforcement.
restofworld.org
November 27, 2024 at 1:17 PM
Major U.S. tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, have incubated Chinese startups that later provided surveillance tools to Chinese law enforcement agencies.
Ex. LLVision, supply smart glasses to police & Tophant, developed tech to detect anti-gov content
restofworld.org/2024/microso...
Ex. LLVision, supply smart glasses to police & Tophant, developed tech to detect anti-gov content
restofworld.org/2024/microso...
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
"Your Boss is Probably Spying on You: New Data on Workplace Surveillance" by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
lpeproject.org/blog/your-bo...
lpeproject.org/blog/your-bo...
Your Boss is Probably Spying on You: New Data on Workplace Surveillance
New research reveals that more than two-thirds of U.S. workers are subject to electronic monitoring, and that more intensive productivity monitoring is associated with higher levels of anxiety…
lpeproject.org
November 25, 2024 at 6:36 PM
"Your Boss is Probably Spying on You: New Data on Workplace Surveillance" by Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
lpeproject.org/blog/your-bo...
lpeproject.org/blog/your-bo...
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
DSA systemic risk assessment and audit report for @wikimedia.bsky.social!
foundation.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:E...
ht @ramshajahangir.bsky.social
foundation.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:E...
ht @ramshajahangir.bsky.social
Legal:EU Compliance/DSA Publication Archive - Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki
foundation.m.wikimedia.org
November 25, 2024 at 3:36 PM
DSA systemic risk assessment and audit report for @wikimedia.bsky.social!
foundation.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:E...
ht @ramshajahangir.bsky.social
foundation.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Legal:E...
ht @ramshajahangir.bsky.social
Reposted by 🌎 Sebastian Smart
Que desolador. Una misión sin financiamiento es otro ejemplo mas del poco compromiso de los paises
“El Estado se ha derrumbado por completo”
www.nytimes.com/es/2024/11/2...
“El Estado se ha derrumbado por completo”
www.nytimes.com/es/2024/11/2...
En Haití, un sombrío barómetro: los trabajadores de la ONU se van
El aumento de la violencia en las dos últimas semanas ha llevado a las organizaciones internacionales de ayuda a replantearse la presencia de su personal en el país.
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2024 at 6:55 PM
Que desolador. Una misión sin financiamiento es otro ejemplo mas del poco compromiso de los paises
“El Estado se ha derrumbado por completo”
www.nytimes.com/es/2024/11/2...
“El Estado se ha derrumbado por completo”
www.nytimes.com/es/2024/11/2...
US justice department plans to push Google to sell off Chrome browser www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
November 19, 2024 at 9:18 PM
US justice department plans to push Google to sell off Chrome browser www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Solve the climate crisis with... energy and water-hungry tech
The logic here isn’t purely environmental—it’s deeply tied to Big Tech's negotiating power news.un.org/en/story/202...
The logic here isn’t purely environmental—it’s deeply tied to Big Tech's negotiating power news.un.org/en/story/202...
COP29: Digital tech and AI can boost climate action, but curbing the sector’s emissions is key
Leaders in technology and the environment at COP29 in Baku endorsed on Saturday a declaration pledging to use digital technologies to accelerate climate action while reducing the carbon and pollution ...
news.un.org
November 18, 2024 at 7:32 PM
Solve the climate crisis with... energy and water-hungry tech
The logic here isn’t purely environmental—it’s deeply tied to Big Tech's negotiating power news.un.org/en/story/202...
The logic here isn’t purely environmental—it’s deeply tied to Big Tech's negotiating power news.un.org/en/story/202...
"whether computer programmes are owed similar welfare rights as humans or animals."
Applying a rights frameworks to AI, demands a whole new way of thinking. To prepare for 2035, we first need to regulate AI's impact on human rights now.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Applying a rights frameworks to AI, demands a whole new way of thinking. To prepare for 2035, we first need to regulate AI's impact on human rights now.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
AI could cause ‘social ruptures’ between people who disagree on its sentience
Leading philosopher says issue is ‘no longer one for sci-fi’ as dawn of AI consciousness is predicted for 2035
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2024 at 7:25 PM
"whether computer programmes are owed similar welfare rights as humans or animals."
Applying a rights frameworks to AI, demands a whole new way of thinking. To prepare for 2035, we first need to regulate AI's impact on human rights now.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Applying a rights frameworks to AI, demands a whole new way of thinking. To prepare for 2035, we first need to regulate AI's impact on human rights now.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
US regulators plan to investigate Microsoft’s cloud business on.ft.com/48SbygW
US regulators plan to investigate Microsoft’s cloud business
FTC chair Lina Khan continues to pursue Big Tech in final days of Biden presidency
on.ft.com
November 16, 2024 at 10:35 PM
US regulators plan to investigate Microsoft’s cloud business on.ft.com/48SbygW