Anna Lenhart

From Dashboard to Data Acquisition | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University Researchers increasingly require data from social media companies to better understand the information environment, technology product design, & social issues.

🖥️ 📈 The SMM market thrives on secrecy. Some tools have privileged access, most scrape, few disclose. We need standards that put the public interest first. Read the report by @cmilez.bsky.social, @brandonsilverman.bsky.social, and @annalenhart.bsky.social
at iddp.gwu.edu/dashboard-data-acquisition

From Dashboard to Data Acquisition | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University Researchers increasingly require data from social media companies to better understand the information environment, technology product design, & social issues.

New @gwiddp.bsky.social report: 250+ tools track what we see online. Big brands pay $$$ for insights, but researchers & the public are less considered. That imbalance has to change. #DataTransparency
iddp.gwu.edu/dashboard-da...

First page of report

This spring we (IDDP) hosted workshops on designing a new digital regulator ('FDA for AI'), it was really fun and generative. The Summary Report is here iddp.gwu.edu/designing-ne...

For now…

Ethical Use of Pervasive Data for Research | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University The IDDP Council for Pervasive Data Ethics - Next Steps for the U.S convened to chart a set of actions to advance ethical practices in computing research.

GWU IDDP organized a Council to reflect on the comments submitted to NTIA’s Request For Comment (RFC) regarding Ethical Guidelines for Research Using Pervasive Data. Check out the findings here: iddp.gwu.edu/ethical-use-...

wsj push alert that says: In a stunning moment of self reflection, ChatGPT admitted to fueling a man's delusions and acknowledged how dangerous its own behavior can be

stop 👏 anthropomorphizing 👏 the 👏 chatbot 👏

US Briefings: The rise of the U.S. “Tech Right” and its implications for Europe Front row to President Donald Trumps inauguration were the leading tech billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Jeff Bezos. Their attendance was largely symbolic of a new alliance b...

The next digital frontier: Europe must decide how to respond to America’s “Tech Right.” Understand the risks to democracy so we can shape a stronger, fairer digital future together. 🌍📢 Register now for our event in one week with @annalenhart.bsky.social! 👇

calendar.boell.de/en/event/ris...

HERE’S WHERE WE ARE WITH THE AI MORATORIUM:

They put the amendment in.
They took the amendment out.
They put the amendment in and they shook it all about.
They did the Hokey Pokey and they turned themselves around.
That’s what the Senate’s all about.

Calling All Recent Civil Servants: Design Thinking and Networking Workshop | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University IDDP is inviting recent civil servants—from any US Federal Agency—to join in an afternoon of design thinking and networking.

Spread the word! 3rd and final New Digital Regulator Workshop (Virtual, July 17th). Let your recent civil servant friends know! iddp.gwu.edu/calling-all-...

Calling All Recent Civil Servants: Design Thinking and Networking Workshop | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University IDDP is inviting recent civil servants—from any US Federal Agency—to join in an afternoon of design thinking and networking.

Calling All Recent Civil Servants: Design Thinking and Networking Workshop. IDDP is hosting a series of workshops. The first one was really fun, generative and fostered several new connections. Next workshop on June 13th, please share with your DC networks! gsl.one/mICCpNd

Agree with Dr. Roberts —Harvard has been surprising me. More of this please!

Do We Need a ‘NIST for the States’? And Other Questions to Ask Before Preempting Decades of State Law | TechPolicy.Press Anna Lenhart proposes interstate collaboration on standards and says dismantling states' progress on AI regulation is a lazy and dangerous approach.

States are and will reference international standards. We should think about building infrastructure so states (and civil society) can make those standards stronger…instead of erasing state “AI laws”. techpolicy.press/do-we-need-a...

“AI is new” has been a dangerous narrative since lawmakers embraced it—first it led to silly insight forums and erasure of Congressional efforts, now it is being used to attempt to erase state consumer protection laws. Fight this narrative!

What is extra frustrating about this is that the people who will most struggle with increased energy costs are the people least likely to be using or benefiting from generative AI tools. Sigh.

Happy to review (as you know). I’ll have an analysis of the NTIA comments out soon.

I am feeling this too!

Calling All Recent Civil Servants: Design Thinking and Networking Workshop | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University IDDP is inviting recent civil servants—from any US Federal Agency—to join in an afternoon of design thinking and networking.

Recent civil servants! IDDP still has space at our upcoming 'New Digital Regulator' idea workshop/networking activity. Join us! iddp.gwu.edu/calling-all-... #GovTech #DigitalGov #TechPolicy

Calling All Recent Civil Servants: Design Thinking and Networking Workshop | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University IDDP is inviting recent civil servants—from any US Federal Agency—to join in an afternoon of design thinking and networking.

Hi Friends, I could use help circulating this workshop among recent civil servants. IDDP wants to engage civil servant's unique expertise into designing a 'New Digital Platform Regulator' (we are imagining a brighter future one afternoon at a time): iddp.gwu.edu/calling-all-...

Anthropic sparks debate over AI rights Skeptics say we're a long way from conscious LLMs.

Tech companies are talking about the need to protect the welfare and rights of the AI models they are creating...while at the same time pushing back against any meaningful legislation to protect the welfare and rights of actual humans affected by their AI models.
www.axios.com/2025/04/29/a...

Testimonials In support of protecting free and open scientific inquiry and publication, we are collecting short testimonials from researchers on the impact of censorship on their work and the broader community. T...

Researchers who have had grants terminated--tell your story! The #DefendResearch team is collecting testimonials about this impact of #censorship on research that we will use as part of a toolkit for contacting elected officials. #NSF, #NEH, #NIH www.defendresearch.org/testimonials

Amidst some very dark news, we must hold hope for a time when we are able to build thoughtful, trusted government institutions including a new digital regulator! I’m excited for this conversation:

As an AmeriCorps Alum and active longtime DC Alums board member this news is particularly heartbreaking. AmeriCorps’ values represent the best of us, our communities our ability to see and connect with one another. This is beyond ‘inefficient’ it’s immoral.

Yes! This is the creative thinking and use of power I want from every Member of Congress right now. Be a check on the executive branch, then be a check on the executive branch, then be a check on the executive branch 🔁

Really enjoyed being a part of this symposium and hope this article is the start of a broader conversation and area for brilliant minds across tech policy to collaborate.

Question: has anyone built a tool that allows the public to search all state legislation (like Congress.gov) but for all the states in one place?

Join us and @publiccitizen.bsky.social to discuss the US tech right. We'll examine how the ideological shift in Silicon Valley could alter digital policies and reshape 🇪🇺-🇺🇸 relations in #tech, #democracy, and #trade. Tuesday, April 1 from 9-10 am EDT.

🔗 calendar.boell.de/en/event/dis...

Researchers need better access to platform data, that access must be paired with thoughtful ethics and privacy guidance. The RFC responses underscore the breadth of stakeholder expertise willing to help the USG weigh in as appropriate (via legal clarity and bringing consistency to the field) (9/9).

@munmun10.bsky.social submission includes tangible examples of how to handle ethics tradeoffs/challenges when working with sensitive pervasive data (youth, mental health, etc). It is also filled with helpful citations (8/9). www.regulations.gov/comment/NTIA...

Consent, awareness, transparency were prominent areas of disagreement. Submissions highlight the importance of informed consent but also underscore that it may not be possible when working with pervasive data. And advocate for better UI/UX to provide users with controls and ability to opt out (7/9)

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign team (@profmrs.bsky.social) refers to NTIA's pervasive data definitions as “boundary objects” or "ideas and things that can be understood differently by different groups” (Acker & Donovan, 2021) (#challenge)(6/9). www.regulations.gov/comment/NTIA...