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Cake day: August 17th, 2023

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  • Can’t speak specifically to Cuba, but at least some of the countries glorified by tankies are nice only for a privileged foreigner on a short vacation. It’s not like they’d protest against the government there to get arrested, and if they do, their country will be very focused on getting them out. They likely won’t speak the language to understand what’s being said in the media day to day. They also wouldn’t live the life of the average citizen able to feel the weight of lower incomes and other quality of life issues associated with the government taking too much for itself and leaving little for the people. If they’re a minority and they can keep it to themselves, they probably will “out of respect”, thus no consequences. It also doesn’t help when they’re a tankie who thinks there’s no problem with China or Russia isolating themselves from the rest of the internet for example, but even so, it’s relatively easy when it’s brief, not something you inescapably put up with every year.

    Edit: I’m also reminded of Hasan visiting China but then comically asking “can I be out with this Chinese flag?” or something like that, as if his subconscious was telling him that even something as trivial in the West could get him in trouble there. It’s evident he was being very careful, if not self-censoring.











  • Regarding that “secret deal” part, an update from Sean Hollister explains it:

    “Why have you jettisoned the very heart of the injunction that you argued so forcefully for?”

    Judge Donato says he just doesn’t get it.

    Here’s Epic’s lead attorney Gary Bornstein to answer:

    “We love those remedies, period, full stop. We like them, we asked for them, we like them the way we asked for them. Now we have another option that’s on the table that’s the result of a negotiation with Google. We got something through this negotiation that was not on the table before.”

    “The only reason Epic is here is because Epic believes this set of remedies in totality will provide longer-term sustainable competition,” says Bornstein. He says holding out for something like this is “the reason Epic didn’t take payoffs back in the day” from Google’s Project Hug and similar.

    And indeed, considering Google opening up the store globally isn’t a deal offered only to Epic, this is consistent with Sweeney previously saying they don’t want that kind of deal.















  • It would be weird if it were the only time he’s called out the Google and Apple monopolies and their control over apps, but it’s been a running theme for him (and his legal battles). Two examples from a quick lookup:

    • His tweet where he calls out Apple for removing privacy apps at the request of Russia, and for allegedly threatening to remove Twitter in 2024.
    • His tweet on Apple removing the Russian social media app VK following the US sanctions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    Personally, I see no issue with platforms removing content they deem to be problematic, and I’m sure Sweeney agrees, given that the Epic store prohibits pornography for example. However, as he’s said repeatedly, Apple in particular is unique in that it removing an app means there’s practically no way for an iPhone user to access it, since there’s no sideloading.

    If it were an app dedicated to CSAM, I don’t think anyone would take issue, but his argument is that removing the app would deplatform all of its 500M users, most of whom are probably not pedos. I’m critical of people being on X, but it’s also undeniable that despite the far-right leaning and CEO, there are still leftists and people belonging to minority groups who are on it, for whatever reason. Are they pedophile and Nazi enablers too? I’m inclined to say yes, but I don’t know how many people would agree.

    Edit: Format and details.