If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is pushing for broad new regulations on artificial intelligence, including age verification for chatbot access, data ownership rights, and the full repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. While the proposals are framed as efforts to curb corporate overreach in the tech industry, they will ignite concern among digital rights advocates who warn that such measures could undermine online privacy and freedom of expression. Related: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda At the National Conservatism Conference, Hawley accused AI developers of building their systems by collecting and using copyrighted material without permission. “The AI large language models [LLMs] have already trained on enough copyrighted works to fill the Library of Congress 22 times over,” he said. “Let me just put a finer point on that — AI’s LLMs have ingested every published work in every language known to man already.” He claimed that creators were neither consulted nor compensated. In July, Hawley introduced the AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act, which would allow individuals to sue companies that use personal data without consent and would establish property rights over certain categories of digital information. However, two key components of Hawley’s platform are raising some alarm. His call to repeal Section 230 has been criticized for potentially damaging the open internet. Section 230 currently shields online platforms from legal liability for content created by users. Without it, many sites could be forced to preemptively remove user content out of legal risk, resulting in widespread over-moderation and silencing of lawful speech. Critics suggest smaller platforms and startups could be particularly affected, as they often lack the resources to manage large-scale content filtering or litigation. Another proposal would require users to verify their age before interacting with AI chatbots. While promoted as a child safety measure, the implementation of such a requirement could lead to the normalization of digital ID systems. These systems would likely require users to submit personal documents or biometric data to access basic online tools, reducing anonymity and increasing the risk of surveillance or data breaches. Critics argue that requiring identity verification in order to speak or seek information online creates a chilling effect, particularly for those exploring sensitive subjects. Although Hawley’s efforts have drawn interest, similar initiatives have failed to gain traction in the past. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) floated the idea of sunsetting Section 230, but no legislation has advanced. Previous attempts to overhaul the law have also stalled. Hawley warned that unchecked AI development threatens the American workforce and democratic norms, framing his proposals as necessary to protect both economic opportunity and individual dignity. He called for most jobs to remain human-held and stressed the importance of AI being used to assist, not replace, human labor. “AI should serve human beings, not the other way around,” he said. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Josh Hawley Proposes AI Regulations, Section 230 Repeal, and Digital ID Checks for Chatbots appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Judge Amit Mehta has spent years building the case that Google is a monopoly. He wrote it down, plain as day: “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.” That’s not ambiguous. The Supreme Court even left him with instructions: terminate the illegal monopoly. Instead, Mehta decided that terminating was a little too extreme. Become a Member and Keep Reading… Reclaim your digital freedom. Get the latest on censorship, cancel culture, and surveillance, and learn how to fight back. Join Already a supporter? Sign In. (If you’re already logged in but still seeing this, refresh this page to show the post.) Having trouble logging in? Get help here. The post Monopoly Confirmed, Monopoly Preserved appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Trump's National Guard Deployment and the Art of the 80-20 Issue

Last December we tackled the ModRetro Chromatic, a handheld gaming system that plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.The brainchild of tech billionaire and founder of Anduril Industries Palmer Luckey, the Chromatic offered enhanced display and functionality, with the ability to pop in Pokemon games of the past. It came only with Tetris as a bundled launch title, with other games available for separate purchase.Now, a full rerelease of the ModRetro is finally here, and it is beautiful.'We have a generation growing up having never had any need to touch physical media.'Apart from the original sapphire screen cover, purposefully clicky buttons, and enhanced lighting one typically gets from a modified Game Boy, the Chromatic now comes with even more games and a slew of accessories, which are very exciting.Let's say the leaf-green Chromatic is your go-to ($199.99). You're going to want to pick up the matching Koss Porta Pro headphones ($49) because they absolutely stole the show.Yes, stole. Originally released in 1984, these retro-style headphones will shock you with their quality. They feel natively louder, especially when compared to different types of headphones. Tested with the new game Self Simulated ($39.99) — a platformer starring a R.O.B.-esque robot — the Porta Pros outshined a 2020 pair of JBL Live 400BT on-ear wireless headphones, Sony WF-C700N wireless ear buds from 2023, and Sony's 2025 MDREX15AP/B, which are newer but old-school wired headphones.Be warned: Sliding these retro headphones on will certainly induce flashbacks to the back of your family's station wagon.RELATED: Back to the future? Palmer Luckey's Chromatic does nostalgia right Photo by Blaze NewsGamers will be surprised by the rerelease of Sabrina: Zapped! ($39.99), which originally came out for the Game Boy Color in 2000. Why? Because it shows ModRetro is indeed interested in reviving old feelings for different demographics.The Mod Kit ($14.99) is also available for budding engineers (a nice nod from Luckey that I couldn't get my hands on). It offers replacement parts and buttons to style to a user's liking but does not require any complex maneuvering — just a pointy device and desire for change.Replace the directional pad, A, B, or start and select buttons, among others.What the Chromatic offers that no other old handheld can do is streaming. The device can now stream gameplay natively to Discord, Mac, and PC, with no extra hardware required.Return asked Torin Herndon, CEO at ModRetro, why this was such an important feature to include this time around."So many devices require an intermediate dock for streaming video, which drastically reduces the possible convenient use cases," Herndon explained. "We felt that it was essential to open up streaming Game Boy games, simply while using a handheld console with proper button layout."What Herndon and ModRetro did not know, though, is that Return had a secret weapon up its sleeve: a Game Boy Camera.Not only does the Game Boy Camera work on the Chromatic for taking offensively bad pictures that range in color from light green to black, but by simply connecting the Chromatic to a PC via USB-C, gamers worldwide can livestream in sparkling low-res quality through the device.Not many will take up this offer, but this crossover of retro tech was an incredibly satisfying discovery.RELATED: Palmer Luckey-led crypto bank promises startups a capital hoard safe from scheming feds Photo taken by Blaze News via Game Boy Camera on the Chromatic Gamers can also marry a Chromatic to an old Game Boy Color through the Link Cable ($14.99). This can revive decades-old Pokemon trades and rivalries or provide head-to-head match-ups on Mario Golf, for example. (The link will not work with the original Game Boy, alas.)The rechargeable battery pack ($29.99) that 90s babies wished they had as a kid provides about 16 hours of gameplay after charging by USB-C for a few hours. This means you can save those official ModRetro-branded batteries if you are insane about your collecting, which is totally normal. Photo by Blaze News According to Herndon, Return was far from being the only group of gamers excited about the product. The success of the Chromatic is what sparked a second release, with the new games, kit, and even a firmware updater tool."Last year, we had no idea if we would strike a chord with a wider audience or if this device would only appeal to a handful of weirdos like us at ModRetro," Herndon joked. "Since it ended up having broader interest, we wanted to make the experience available to as many people as possible."Why is retro gaming coming back, and how did the company come to realize that not everything has to be frontier-level tech to be desired and important?Herndon replied reflectively. "A lot of frontier tech never stops to ask itself 'why?' At the most basic level, people oscillate between being productive and being entertained. Increased technology can sometimes be correlated with increased entertainment, but generally it is not," he went on. "This is why there are probably games with tens of millions of dollars of development that have fewer play hours than Chromatic Tetris in 160x144 pixels. At ModRetro, we like to think about distilling entertainment into simple forms."The CEO added that if physical media is going to make a comeback, it is going to be through a new generation yearning for it."We have a generation growing up having never had any need to touch physical media. I think it was inevitable that they would become curious about the romance of the physical form of various media formats from their parents' generation."After plugging in that Game Boy Camera, we totally agree.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Over the course of 16 days in 2016, he and the E Street Band set a new record for his longest U.S. gig ever, on four different occasions. The post When Bruce Springsteen Broke His Own Record: 4-Hour Concert appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

Spotted a red USB port on your laptop or PC? It's not just for looks, the color hints at a special function you might not expect.

Spotted a red USB port on your laptop or PC? It's not just for looks, the color hints at a special function you might not expect.

The FBI is investigating a suspected Chinese cyber campaign in which hackers impersonated Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the chair of the House committee on U.S.-China competition, in emails sent to trade groups, law firms, and government agencies.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is ready to move to the second stage of sanctioning Russia, remarks suggesting that he is closer to ramping up sanctions against Moscow or its oil buyers in frustration over the war in Ukraine.Trump has repeatedly threatened Moscow...

The hard-line border czar for President Donald Trump is supporting the bold and decisive military actions of striking narco-terrorists before they reach the U.S. homeland.