Carole Cadwalladr

The Observer view on digital ID cards: a useful tool in i... Britons want Labour to stop the small boat crossings, and digital identification could be the answer

Gosh. And that’s all before I realise Observer dedicated its leader - the single most important message on the single most important issue - to endorsing the need for Digital IDs.

A ‘useful tool’ to ‘stop the small boat crossings’

🤯

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Ha. Read it & you’ll see why

ImperialAI: the empire strikes back An essential conversation with journalist and author, Karen Hao, about OpenAI and its ambition to dominate and conquer all before it

I interviewed the brilliant @karenhao.bsky.social this week who called out the UK government’s AI deals as misguided & dangerous.

I’m just one woman not a newspaper or think tank but thank you to everyone who’s supporting this work🙏

open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

In short, this policy agenda, article, headline & front page placement is, I believe, a crock of shit.

Observer readers, you deserve better than this.

Meanwhile the Observer won’t even disclose who owns it. We have no idea if there’s an agenda being spun or for what reason.

Or if an uncritical article about a billionaire-funded 2 week-old think tank report is simply what the editor believes is *the* most important news article today

It’s also the same Tony Blair Institute that were ‘partners’ with Tortoise Media (now the Observer) on another big tech solutionist project 9 months ago.

Tony Blair thinktank worked with project developing ‘Trump Riviera’ Gaza plan Staff at former UK PM’s institute took part in calls as proposal led by US consulting firm and Israeli business people evolved

Yes, that’s the same Tony Blair Institute who’s been working with Trump on the Gaza Riviera.

It is incomprehensible that anything this organisation is doing gets a free pass in the UK press let alone front page treatment

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The idea of ID cards has been revived – thanks to immigration A once controversial idea is now being seen as a silver bullet for Britain’s illegal immigration problem

I assume the Observer’s new-found appetite for billionaire-funded big tech solutionism is naivety not nefariousness but given the paper is *still* refusing to disclose its investors who knows.

The Telegraph ran this same piece a week ago but with more balance

www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

The Economic Case for a UK Digital ID The Economic Case for a UK Digital ID

This front page framing ‘the real immigration crisis…& the solution’ reads like a report from Tony Blair’s Institute. Because it is.

institute.global/insights/eco...

Digital ID is a Blair obsession. ‘Solving immigration’ is simply the latest spin on it.

But it *is* spin. Blair has taken hundreds of millions of tech money to push a corporate AI agenda on Starmer’s government with huge success. This is part of a vast massively resourced big tech lobbying op
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This is a billionaire-funded Tony Blair lobbying project being funnelled unchallenged onto the front page of a national newspaper.
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I don’t want to start a pile-on. A lot of people would be involved in commissioning & editing this piece. But it’s currently leading site: a major editorial choice that is endorsing what is unarguably access journalism. In a moment in which UK govt ministers have never more needed to be challenged.

‘The world is on edge’: five tumultuous weeks with David Lammy, foreign secretary at a time of crisis His first 12 months at the Foreign Office have been hit by a string of high-stakes international flashpoints, from the unfolding horror in Gaza to regime change in Syria and Trump’s humiliation of Zel...

Journalists ‘embedding’ with serving government ministers raises the exact same issues as when they ‘embed’ with invading armies.

Everything about this feels badly misjudged. But above all the lack of critical questioning on Gaza.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘Empire of AI’ with Karen Hao & Carole Cadwalladr A recording from The Citizens's live video

@carolecadwalla.bsky.social holds a great chat and interview with @karenhao.bsky.social Karen Hao author of "Empire of AI" which is all about the Techbro loonies such as Sam Altman of #OpenAI #AI

citizensreunited.substack.com/p/empire-of-...

Message from Juliet Stevenson 👇
Please help support Palestine health workers.
📆 Auction running until Aug 3, lots of unique donated lots inc celeb meets & memorabilia.
🔗 Visit bidaid.com/auction/palestine
🇵🇸 All proceeds going directly to @healthW4pal
🙏

Generally, the Guardian's been a good resource, but their actions re: the Observer were trash. Reposting this to celebrate independent media and reporting rising from the ashes of those actions.

Both projects were a blast with dream teams that have given me a whole new perspective on journalism. More on that soon.

In meantime, if anyone now fancies giving me a national newspaper & £5m, my DMs are open! 😂
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But mostly, thanks for listening... & in Sergei's case for crowdfunding it. Incredible to be nominated alongside all the big companies for our indie DIY affair. Thanks also to @peterjukes.bsky.social for galvanising & dramaturgy.

And to the BBS for being so punchy in naming Hannah's stalker

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British Podcast Awards 2025: Full list of nominees from David Tennant to Lily Allen David Tennant, Louis Theroux, Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver are all up for prizes at the event in October.

Huge kudos to super producers @ruthabrahams.bsky.social of Sergei & the Westminster Spy Ring & @georgiajcatt.bsky.social & Rob Byrne for Stalked

Plus the brilliant & brave Hannah Mossman-Moore & Sergei Cristo 👏 👏 👏. Both FEARLESS in completely different ways.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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Earlier this year, I lost my beloved job at my beloved Observer when the Guardian, in its great wisdom, gave the newspaper away to a podcast company...who promptly sacked me.

So, forgive my delight today, in being nominated for FIVE awards in the British Podcast Awards!!
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The case was brought by @benbradshaw.bsky.social @carolinelucas.bsky.social & @alynsmith.bsky.social who were all MPs when this began way back in 2020. And crowdfunded by the public with the help of @the-citizens.bsky.social.

The judgement will be handed down at 9am 😬

NEW: Landmark decision on UK's failure to investigate Russian interference to be handed down tomorrow A five-year legal battle in UK and European courts comes to a head: will we finally - learn the truth about the Kremlin & the Brexit vote?

This is a really big deal. Who knows what will happen but this is a really solid case brought by a group of incredible MPs and human rights lawyers.

And all they want is for the UK government to try and find out the truth.
broligarchy.substack.com/p/new-landma...

NEW: Landmark decision on UK's failure to investigate Russian interference to be handed down tomorrow.

A five-year legal battle in UK and European courts comes to a head: will we finally - learn the truth about the Kremlin & the Brexit vote?

Going live in 5 mins. Do join us to understand what it means for us to be under 24-hour digital surveillance...and what we can do about it
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...

Going live today with Washington Post refusenik Jen Rubin & Facebook whistleblower Yael Eisenstat Discussing all things politics & tech at 5pm BST, 12pm ET

We’ll be live on Substack at 5pm BST, 12pm ET. Details here.

broligarchy.substack.com/p/going-live...

Looking forward to this. The Contrarian has been an amazing media success story, co-founded by Washington Post refusenik & ex-columnist @jenrubin.bsky.social. Talking to her today with brilliant Facebook whistleblower & tech advocate @yaeleisenstat.bsky.social Join us!

LIVE SOON: Big Tech & The Democratic Backslide (ft. Jen Rubin, Carole Cadwalladr & Yael Eisenstat) Starting Jul 2 at 12:00 PM EDT

'Big Tech & The Democratic Backslide'

Live ft. @jenrubin.bsky.social from @contrariannews.org, @carolecadwalla.bsky.social & @yaeleisenstat.bsky.social on Citizens Reunited this Wednesday, July 2nd!

12pm ET / 5pm BST

Don’t forget to add it to your calendars!
open.substack.com/live-stream/...

YouTube video by Amanpour and Company “Privacy Is Power:” How to Exist in a World of Tech “Broligarchs” | Amanpour and Company

Understand the broligarchy with @carolecadwalla.bsky.social. She has a substack breaking it down regularly.
She joined me for a chat recently on @amanpourcopbs.bsky.social

youtu.be/6CfUnRiOJTA?...

2073.film:
Genre: Documentary, Sci-Fi
Date: Sunday 15/06/2025
Time: 6:30pm

Event:
Screening of film
Q&A between Director Asif Kapadia & investigative journalist @carolecadwalla.bsky.social

Starring:
Academy Award® nominee Samantha Morton (Minority Report)

genesis.admit-one.co.uk/details/?eve...

Rebecca Solnit & Carole Cadwalladr: No Straight Road Takes You There | London Review Bookshop Rebecca Solnit’s latest essay collection explores subjects as diverse as the climate crisis, toxic masculinity and the rise of the far right with her usual flair and…

Necessary Sunday listening: @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social in conversation with @carolecadwalla.bsky.social @londonreviewbookshop.co.uk www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/podcasts-vid...