May 2026 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

CFP - Conspiracy Theories in the Wake of Disaster (deadline this Friday)
by Zachary M Loeb 13 May '26

13 May '26

Greetings, I hope you are all doing well! I just wanted to send out a reminder that the deadline for this CFP is Friday. Best, Zachary Conspiracy Theories in the Wake of Disaster deadline for submissions: May 15, 2026 Matthew N. Hannah Associate Professor Department of Communication Arts University of Wisconsin—Madison mhannah2(a)wisc.edu<mailto:mhannah2@wisc.edu> Zachary Loeb Assistant Professor Department of History Purdue University zloeb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:zloeb@purdue.edu> In late September, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the continental United States, churning its way up the Atlantic seaboard. The storm devastated North Carolina with massive rainfall and flooding of towns such as Asheville. All told, the damage from Helene totaled over 50 billion dollars and the loss of entire communities. But Hurricane Helene inadvertently produced another storm in its wake, a deluge of conspiracy theories about the “true” cause of the hurricane and about the response from the Federal government. Even as the Biden administration rushed to respond to the destruction, conspiracy theories began circulating on X.com<http://x.com/> (formerly Twitter) about Biden ignoring the destruction due to senility, about the government using the hurricane as a pretext for nefarious deeds, and, perhaps most bizarre of all, about Federal agencies using secret weather technology to steer the hurricane into conservative parts of the country to dampen electoral turnout. Donald Trump, then candidate for president, circulated some of these conspiracy theories himself on Truth Social, claiming that President Biden steered disaster aid to illegal immigrants, among other lies. (Waldman and Aton, 2024). The spread of these conspiracy theories forced the Federal Emergency Management Agency, long a villain in conspiracy theory discourse, to publish a fact-checking website to deal with public outrage (FEMA.gov<http://fema.gov/>). These false claims hindered disaster relief efforts and impacted the 2024 elections as Americans responded in outrage to perceived incompetence by the Biden administration (Gollom, 2024). The story of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath is not new. Conspiracy theories circulate in the wake of disasters because these events are such traumatic and sensational eruptions in media coverage that alternative narratives about their “true” causes are almost inevitable. If disasters are events that render the unthinkable thinkable (Cerulo, 2006), then conspiracy theories twist this revelatory moment into a warped attempt to think about something else. They provide a context for disaster that provides a distorted simulacrum of an explanation of the destruction and death and loss by offering a convenient villain whose shadowy machinations are to blame for the tragic event. They turn what could be explained as an unfortunate but "normal accident” (Perrow, 1999), into proof of nefarious agents. Shifting the focus from the human role in creating and exacerbating disastrous conditions (Erikson, 1995), to a way of blaming a secretive cabal. And because many disasters are caused by human error or negligence or complicated historical trajectories, conspiracy theories may seem plausible even when they are not. Conspiracism offers a satisfying explanation for the spectacle of destruction, rooted in narratives about evildoers who cause such pain and anguish (Rice, 2020). While at the same time providing a comforting assurance that the skeptics, unlike the supposed experts, are the ones who know the real explanation for what has happened (Murphy, 2006; Buhs, 2009). Such conspiracy theories are detrimental because they produce suspicion, fear, and anger toward the very agencies responsible for responding to these disasters, while undermining efforts to understand the decisions that have been made over decades (if not centuries) that generated the risks that eventually turned into disasters. And in the age of social media, conspiracy theories can circulate with incredible speed and scope, fueled by recommendation algorithms and the attention economy which ensures that the most sensational content is incentivized (Valaskivi, 2022; Popken, 2018). While thinking about worst case scenarios plays an important role in disaster preparedness (Clarke, 2006; Thomas, 2021; Wuthnow, 2010), events such as Hurricane Helene demonstrate that today even as organizations like FEMA try to manage crises on the ground they find themselves bogged down combatting conspiracy theories online. Conspiracy Theories in the Wake of Disaster will combine conspiracy theory research with disaster studies to launch a new horizon for research focused on the relationship between disasters and conspiracy, which we see as an understudied and fruitful area of study. Contributions can include multiple authors from various disciplines and methodological approaches, including work from sociology, history, communications, philosophy, information studies, data science, and other relevant disciplines, and we are especially interested in approaches from science and technology studies, extremism and conspiracism studies, and disaster studies. Abstracts of 250-300 words and biographical statements will be due by May 15th, 2026. Please send materials to both Matthew N. Hannah at matthew.hannah(a)wisc.edu<mailto:matthew.hannah@wisc.edu> and Zachary Loeb at zloeb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:zloeb@purdue.edu>. While we are still working on identifying a press, but we are currently in discussion with editors about publishing the book. Possible topics of interest include: * Hurricanes, conspiracism, and recovery efforts * Wildfire and water/forest management conspiracy theories * Mysterious technologies as cause of disasters * Analysis of social media discussions following disaster (Telegram, X, Truth Social) * Conspiracy theories about Federal disaster agencies such as FEMA or NOAA * Disaster preparedness efforts and public conspiracism * Anthropogenic disasters (Fukushima, 3-Mile Island) and conspiracy theories * False-flag operations and disasters (September 11) * The impact of conspiracism on civil society in the wake of disasters * Geoengineering and disasters * Climate change conspiracy theories References Aton, Scott, and Adam Waldman. 2024. “Trump’s Strategy: Turn Hurricane Lies into Election Victory.” E&E News by POLITICO, October 11. https://www.eenews.net/articles/trumps-strategy-turn-hurricane-lies-into-el…. Buhs, Joshua Blu. Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2009. Cerulo, Karen A. Never Saw it Coming: Cultural Challenges to Envisioning the Worst. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2006. Clarke, Lee. Worst Cases: Terror and Catastrophe in the Popular Imagination. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2006. Gollom, Mark. 2024. “Rampant Conspiracy Theories Are Hindering Hurricane Relief Efforts, Say Officials.” CBC News, October 9. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/hurricane-helene-misinformation-1.7346969<https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/hurricane-helene-misinformation-1.7346969>. Erikson, Kai. A New Species of Trouble: The Human Experience of Modern Disasters. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1995. “Hurricane Rumor Response.” FEMA.Gov. 2025. January 11. https://www.fema.gov/disaster/recover/rumor/hurricane-rumor-response<https://www.fema.gov/disaster/recover/rumor/hurricane-rumor-response>. Murphy, Michelle. SIck Building Syndrome and the Problem of Uncertainty. Durham: Duke University Press, 2006. Perrow, Charles. Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies. Princeton: Princeton University Press,1999. Popken, Ben. 2018. “As Algorithms Take over, YouTube’s Recommendations Highlight a Human Problem.” NBC News. Accessed May 12, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/algorithms-take-over-youtube-s-re…<https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/algorithms-take-over-youtube-s-re…>. Rice, Jenny. Awful Archives: Conspiracy Theory, Rhetoric, and Acts of Evidence. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press, 2020. Thomas, Lindsay. Training for Catastrophe: Fictions of National Security after 9/11. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press, 2021. Valaskivi, Katja. 2022. “Circulation of Conspiracy Theories in the Attention Factory.” Popular Communication 20 (3): 162–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2022.2045996<https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2022.2045996>. Wuthnow, Robert. Be Very Afraid: The Cultural Response to Terror, Pandemics, Environmental Devastation, Nuclear Annihilation, and Other Threats. Oxford: University of Oxford Press, 2010. Zachary Loeb Assistant Professor Purdue University Department of History, Beering Hall 6116 672 Oval Drive West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 zloeb(a)purdue.edu

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Call for contributions: Special Track on “Digital Statecraft: From Principles to Practice” - Deadline: 1 June
by Data for Policy 13 May '26

13 May '26

*Call for Contributions - Deadline: June 1st* *Digital Statecraft: From Principles to Practice* Special Track at Data for Policy 2026, Barcelona, 8-10 September 2026 Track information: https://digitalstatecraft.academy/special-track-digital-statecraft-from-pri… <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digitalstatecraft.acad…> *The Digital Statecraft Academy* <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digitalstatecraft.acad…> invites research and practitioner contributions to this *special track* <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digitalstatecraft.acad…> hosted at *Data for Policy 2026* <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dataforpolicy.org_data…> conference leading to a special collection in the *Data & Policy * <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.cambridge.org_core…>journal published by Cambridge University Press and a companion edited volume. Governing the algorithmic age requires something that does not yet fully exist: institutional forms capable of operating at machine speed, technical architectures designed for legitimacy and accountability, and public leaders who can work across both. The gap between what the state currently is and what it needs to become is the terrain Digital Statecraft occupies. The track is organised around a productive tension: - What governance structures are technically coherent, capable of operating at algorithmic speed and complexity? - What technical architectures are democratically legitimate, contestable, and answerable to public authority? Together, these questions ask what “governing” actually requires — at the level of system architecture, institutional design, democratic legitimacy, and sovereign autonomy — for it to be more than procedural formality. *The Digital Statecraft Manifesto v1.0* <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digitalstatecraft.acad…>provides a working hypothesis for this redesign. This track exists to test, challenge, and extend it: with formal rigour, empirical evidence, and lived experience. We invite contributions from across disciplines and domains, including but not limited to political theory, public administration, law, computer science, systems design, institutional economics, and service innovation. We particularly welcome work that engages across these boundaries—linking technical architectures with institutional design, empirical cases with normative frameworks, or institutional economics and market coordination with questions of algorithmic governance. Submissions may be conceptual, empirical, or practice-based, but should speak to the central problem of governing under conditions of algorithmic decision-making and distributed agency. We welcome submissions across three contribution modes: • *Mode A – Research Papers*: Peer-reviewed empirical, theoretical, or comparative work engaging Digital Statecraft as a new field. Full papers, extended abstracts, and panel proposals accepted. Extended abstracts and panel session proposals to be submitted via Easychair <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__easychair.org_conferen…>and full papers via ScholarOne <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mc.manuscriptcentral.c…> managed by Cambridge University Press. • *Mode B – Practitioner Cases:* Structured cases from practice, mapped to the 10 Principles of Digital Statecraft. *A template* <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_docume…> is provided. Selected contributors will be invited to develop a full paper after the conference. Extended abstracts to be submitted via Easychair <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__easychair.org_conferen…> • *Mode C – Contested Propositions: *Individual or paired submissions arguing for and against a designated proposition, debated live at the conference — with the option to develop the exchange into a joint publication after the conference. Extended abstracts to be submitted via Easychair <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__easychair.org_conferen…> For more detailed information on submission types, the review process, and important dates, please see full *Special Track <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__digitalstatecraft.acad…>* and *Conference information <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dataforpolicy.org_data…>* *.* For any inquiries, please contact *office(a)digitalstatecraft.academy* <office(a)digitalstatecraft.academy> With kind regards, The Digital Statecraft Academy and Data for Policy 2026 – Conference Committee <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dataforpolicy.org_data…>

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Harmful Policing: Reminder to submit your abstract
by Merel Driessen 13 May '26

13 May '26

Dear Internet Research community, On November 10th, Dutch surveillance studies will host a symposium on ‘Harmful Policing’ at Erasmus University Rotterdam. A reminder to still submit your abstract before submissions close on 01/06/2026. We are delighted that Prof. Pete Fussey<https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-fussey-77105b2a/> (University of Southhampton) will join us as a keynote speaker. Fussey's research focuses on the human rights implications of advanced surveillance and other policing technologies. We are still welcoming submissions that explore the way in which policing practices, whether physical or digital, produce harmful experiences. The symposium aims to elucidates the interplay between technology, policing and harm. Scholars, activists, experts by experience and practitioners are welcome to apply. ⏭️ We invite abstracts addressing the following topics (deadline 01/06/26): 1) New definitions of police violence (legal/sociological/criminological); 2) Reflections on how digitization influences the employment of physical force; 3) The mental, social and democratic consequences of harmful policing; 4) Disproportionate policing practices as a result of racial profiling, risk profiling and use of force; 5) Accountability and oversight in digital policing (transparency, audits, bodycams, governance); 6) Effects of digital policing such as loss of privacy, chilling effects, social sorting, etc. Further information and instructions regarding application can be found on our website.<https://dutchsurveillancestudies.org/2026/03/13/call-for-papers-symposium-h…> Warm regards, Jair Schalkwijk Merel Driessen Marc Schuilenburg

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Call for Abstracts: AI Hype, Hope & Humanity Festival
by Majsa Storbeck 13 May '26

13 May '26

Deadline approaching... have you submitted your abstract yet? The call for abstracts for AI Hype, Hope & Humanity is still open and we want your work in the programme! Whether you're a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or working at the intersection of all three, if responsible AI touches your work, this is your stage. We're looking for contributions that go beyond abstract principles such as case studies, empirical research, critical reflections, design practices, policy work, lived experience with AI systems. Oral presentations and posters both welcome. And participation is completely free. De Doelen, Rotterdam 30 September – 2 October 2026 Submission deadline: 5 June 2026 Themes include: AI in health, education, media, safety, defence, sustainability, and the ELSA methods and frameworks that make responsible AI more than a buzzword. Not sure if your work fits? It probably does. We actively welcome contributions from outside academia too. Submit here: https://www.eur.nl/en/events/ai-hype-hope-and-humanity-2026-09-29

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[AoIR HQ] Two weeks left: Nominate for the Nancy Baym Book Award and Dissertation Award
by AoIR Association Coordinator 12 May '26

12 May '26

Nominations for both the 2026 Nancy Baym Annual Book Award and the 2026 Dissertation Award close in two weeks, on May 27. See more info about both below: --- *Nancy Baym Annual Book Award* The award goes to the best scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of networked media published in the 2025 calendar year. Monographs only—edited collections are not eligible. Self-nominations are permitted. To nominate, email bookaward [at] aoir.org with a nomination letter describing how the book draws on or contributes to AoIR scholarship, along with a digital copy. Hard copies may also be mailed; contact bookaward [at] aoir.org for mailing addresses. 2026 committee: Jun Liu, University of Copenhagen (chair); Nancy Baym, Microsoft Research; Giota Alevizou, King's College London; Marco Bastos, University College Dublin; John McNutt, University of Delaware; Gina Sipley, State University of New York, Nassau Community College. --- *Dissertation Award* Eligible dissertations must be in the area of internet research and must have been fully defended, with all edits complete, and filed or published in the 2025 calendar year, with a 2025 copyright. All methods and disciplines are welcome. Self-nominations are permitted. The nominee or their supervisor must be an AoIR member by May 27. To nominate, email dissertationaward [at] aoir.org with a nomination letter explaining why the dissertation deserves the award and how it contributes to internet research, along with a PDF copy of the dissertation. 2026 committee: Jeremy Hunsinger, Wilfrid Laurier University (chair); Alessandro Gandini, University of Milan; Admire Mare, University of Johannesburg; Bjørn Nansen, University of Melbourne; Tanja Oblak Črnič, University of Ljubljana; Lynn Schofield Clark, University of Denver; Guobin Yang, University of Pennsylvania. --- Both award recipients will receive a cash prize and an invitation to present at AoIR2026 in Mexico City in November 2026. The book award winner will be announced in late August or early September; the dissertation award winner will be announced in mid-2026. Best, Emerson *(she/her)* AoIR Communications and Membership Coordinator ac(a)aoir.org *Looking for Michelle? *After nine years, Michelle has officially stepped down from her position at AOIR. I'm Emerson, and I'll be stepping in to continue her work. As I'm sure anyone familiar with Michelle knows, I have big shoes to fill, and I appreciate your patience as I get up to speed!

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UK GDPR Compliant DiscoverText
by Shulman, Stu 12 May '26

12 May '26

We have a new software host in the UK. Email me if you want to receive a free license key for DiscoverText.co.uk. As of last summer, DiscoverText.com moved to a Canadian hosting facility. None of our software or business operations remain in the United States. Texifter is now a new Canadian small business owned and operated by the two Canadians who started working on it in 2007. We are now looking for an EU partner to help us set up an EU GDPR-compliant instance. Please contact me if you have an idea for a possible hosting arrangement. The X/Twitter access update: An open beta test for a new set of tools to use the X API will be available on a rolling basis over the summer on both the Canadian and UK platforms. ~Stu -- Dr. Stuart W. Shulman Founder and CEO, Texifter Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics* ResearchGate Profile <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stuart-Shulman>

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ISOC LIVE - What's On & What's New
by Joly MacFie 12 May '26

12 May '26

Tab to improve Recipients Hatched, matched, and despatched! Thanks to those of you who have Substack subs <https://isoclive.substack.com/>! Here is what is up. Note the WAIGF post has Zoom links to all sessions, including the Youth IGF tomorrow, *Upcoming Events* - MAY 11-15 - The West Africa Internet Governance Forum 2026 <https://isoc.live/20853/> - MAY 13 16:00 UTC - ICANN OCTO ISPCP/SSAC: Implementing DNS Blocking Responsibly <https://isoc.live/20880/> - MAY 13 17:00 UTC - AFRALO UA Regional Day: Advancing UA Through Adoption and Education <https://isoc.live/21068/> - MAY 15 11:00 UTC - AfChix Peering and IXP Mentorship Panel <https://isoc.live/21019/> - MAY 19 12:30 UTC - Ethics in the fight against disinformation: from theory to practice <https://isoc.live/21031/> - MAY 19 17:00 UTC - Responsible Tech Book Talk With Carissa Véliz, Author of Prophecy <https://isoc.live/20992/> - MAY 20 00:00 / 06:00 UTC - Global Expo 2026: From Harm Mitigation to Intentional Design <https://isoc.live/20946/> - MAY 20 16:30 UTC - Folk Tech x Protopian Prize - Storytelling Workshop + Connection Call <https://isoc.live/20905/> - MAY 21 10:30 UTC - ISOC ASG - GAAD 2026: International Conference on Digital Accessibility, Inclusion and Innovation <https://isoc.live/21060/> - MAY 21 12:00 UTC - Book Launch - Platforms and the Planet: Big Tech, Digital Platforms and Environmental Responsibility <https://isoc.live/20973/> - MAY 21 14:00 UTC - GAAD Event - From Access to Agency: Rethinking Digital Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities in the Age of AI <https://isoc.live/21073/> - MAY 21 17:00 UTC - Introduction to Responsible AI Evaluations - A Virtual Workshop <https://isoc.live/20988/> - MAY 21 18:00 UTC - Emerging Threats Through AI Adoption and the Need for Human Risk Management <https://isoc.live/20960/> - MAY 26 08:00 UTC - What Digital Futures Do We (Not) Want? <https://isoc.live/20952/> - MAY 27 12:00 UTC - What Makes a DNS Abuse Complaint to ICANN Actionable: Insights and Common Challenges <https://isoc.live/20671/> - MAY 27 13:30 UTC - ISOC PERU - Más allá del acceso: ¿qué significa 'Internet significativo' en educación? <https://isoc.live/20860/> - MAY 28 12:30 UTC - David vs Goliath in the DSA era: Lessons from Bits of Freedom's victory <https://isoc.live/21036/> - MAY 28 13:00 UTC - CODI Universal Acceptance Day 2026 <https://isoc.live/20439/> - MAY 28 18:00 UTC - Helping Older Adults Stay Safe Online: Tips and Resources <https://isoc.live/20964/> - JUN 02 23:30 UTC - A11yNYC - Scaling Accessibility with Design Systems - Jesse Gardner <https://isoc.live/20976/> *Recaps / Recordings* - MAY 11 - Beyond the Perimeter - Managing Internet Routing as a Supply Chain Risk <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/topdns12> - MAY 05 - Book Talk: Create Your Unicorn Career in STEM <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/unicorn-career-in-stem> - MAY 04 - IGF Best Practice Forum: Securing Access to the Internet and Protecting Core Internet Resources in Contexts of Conflict and Crises <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/gcw2026-igf> - MAY 01 - Unlocking the Safer Internet Initiative <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/isoc-safer-internet> - APR 30 - Social Media And Digital Sovereignty In South Asia <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/saidgi-digital-sovereignty> - APR 29 - Phishing and DNS Abuse - Operational Blindspots <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/icann-emea-phishing> - APR 28 - ICANN Global Public Interest Framework (GPIF) and its Relevance to At-Large <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/at-large-gpif> - APR 28 - ITU Council 2026 State of the Union Address <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/itu-council-sotu> - APR 23 - ISOC Perú - Community-Driven Connectivity Solutions <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/isoc-peru-connectividad> - APR 15 - The Data Center Frontier <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/the-data-center-frontier> - APR 15 - Digital Access Day 2026: Access, Autonomy, and the Open Internet <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/tcis-digital-access-day-2026> - APR 15 - The New gTLD Program 2026 and the Future of the DNS Ecosystem <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ispcp-newgtld> - APR 14 - Effective Youth Participation and Digital Inclusion Action Toward WSIS 2035 <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ecosoc-youth-wsis> - APR 14 - From Spectrum to Service: Building with Unlicensed Fixed Wireless <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/ntia-fixedwireless> - APR 13 - Quantum Technologies, Implications for the Global Digital Divide <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/dc-ddht-quantum> - FEB 26 - At-Large Meets OCTO-SSR <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/at-large-octo-ssr> *Other Report Summaries* - Eighth Circuit Vacates FCC Digital Discrimination Rules (summary) <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/eighth-circuit-vacates-fcc-digital> - Stanford AI Index Report (Summary) <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/stanford-ai-index-report-summary> - Access Now statement on RightsCon "postponement" (summary) <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/access-now-statement-on-rightscon> - FCC to Satellite Operators: Stay in Your Lane <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/fcc-to-satellite-operators-stay-in> - ICANN and the IETF (summary) <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/icann-and-the-ietf-summary> - Age Verification Architecture (summary) <https://isoclive.substack.com/p/age-verification-architecture> -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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Starts in 90 mins: Online book launch of ‘Critical Political Economy and Southern Approaches to AI: A Dialogue’
by Preeti Raghunath 12 May '26

12 May '26

Hi everyone, I hope you are well. This is a reminder about the online book launch of the new collection Critical <https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-14090-6> Political Economy and Southern Approaches to AI: A Dialogue <https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-14090-6> (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026). Details below: Online book launch of ‘Critical Political Economy and Southern Approaches to AI: A Dialogue’, edited by Preeti Raghunath Date: May 12, 2026/Tuesday Meeting time and time zones: Yogyakarta: 8 - 9.30 pm New Delhi: 6.30 - 8 pm São Paulo: 10 - 11.30 am Toronto/Ontario: 9 - 10:30 am Texas: 8 - 9:30 am Sheffield: 2:00 – 3:30pm Google Meet joining info: https://meet.google.com/xhy-vyha-jcd About the book: This book presents a dialogue between two seemingly incompatible bodies of social theories - Critical Political Economy and Southern approaches - to the study of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. In doing so, the book presents scholarly engagement with the ways in which AI is being experienced in sites in the Global South, with authors exploring questions of sociality, further entrenching of inequities along labour and caste lines, socio-legal ramifications of digital IDs, and undesired outcomes such as deepfakes and their integration in the political ecosystem, among others. These perspectives interrogate and provide scholarly vocabulary to understand the various applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in our professional, legal and media spaces. Table of contents 1. Conversing Across Incommensurables?: Critical Political Economy and Southern Approaches to Artificial Intelligence Preeti Raghunath 2. Data, Anthropology and the Surplus Value of Sociality Deepak Prince 3. The Plight of Female Gig Workers in Indonesia Suci Lestari Yuana 4. A Critical Political Economy of Campaign Deepfakes in Indian Elections Sananda Sahoo 5. The Brazilian State and Human Rights: Citizen Identification and Informational Separation of Powers Gabrielle Bezerra Sales Sarlet, Lucas Reckziegel Weschenfelder 6. Caste Bias in Indian Prison Datasets: A Data Feminism Study on Kaggle.com Nishanshi Shukla 7. Epilogue: From Frontier Technologies to Frontier Lives Preeti Raghunath This book is published as part of the Palgrave Global Media Policy and Business Series <https://link.springer.com/series/14699>, which has published over 22 books since its launch in 2012. Concentrating on the social, cultural, political, political-economic, institutional, and technological changes arising from the globalization and digitization of media and communications industries, the series considers the impact of these changes on business practice, regulation and policy, and social outcomes. If you’re interested in pitching to the book series, you can reach the editors and editorial board here <https://link.springer.com/series/14699/editors>. Looking forward to seeing you there! Best, Preeti Dr Preeti Raghunath, SFHEA Lecturer in Digital Media and Society School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations University of Sheffield, UK 🌐preetiraghunath.com

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Real-Time Intelligent Systems 2026
by ijwa＠dline.info 12 May '26

12 May '26

Eighth International Conference on Real-Time Intelligent Systems (RTIS 2026) Bali, Indonesia October 02-04, 2026 https://www.socio.org.uk/rtis The International Conference on Real-time Intelligent Systems (RTIS) has travelled from Beijing, China (2016), to Indonesia. The eighth edition will take place in Indonesia. Over the past few years, real-time intelligent computing has revolutionised everyday life. Research on real-time intelligent systems is multidisciplinary, drawing on concepts from big data processing, computational intelligence, location-based services, recommendation systems, and multimedia processing. In today’s highly dynamic environment, real-time data analysis is essential to understand how systems process data, interpret outputs, and anticipate trends in intelligent computing. To this end, this conference will serve as a platform to manifest the ongoing research in the field. Thus, RTIS welcomes theoretically grounded, methodologically sound papers addressing the following topics. CALL FOR PAPERS (Virtual/Physical) Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining Large-scale transformer architectures (Includes multimodal AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Domain-adaptive LLMs and Autonomous AI agents. Explainable and Trustworthy AI Real-Time AI Pipelines Edge Stream Analytics Stream Mining for Cybersecurity Trace-Based Intelligent Real-Time Services Adaptive Vision Algorithms Location-Based Services (LBS) Intelligent Robotic Systems Collaborative Intelligence Graph and Temporal Data Mining Intelligent Soft Computing Neuro-Symbolic Soft Computing Explainable Fuzzy Deep Learning Evolutionary and Swarm Intelligence Soft Computing for Edge AI Real-Time Multiprocessor Systems AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) Architectures for Intelligence Real-Time Distributed Coding Smart Services and Platforms Real-Time Modelling User Information Needs Intelligent autonomous systems Agentic AI and Autonomous Decision-Making Physical AI and Embodied Intelligence Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) Edge AI and Real-Time Autonomous Systems Autonomous Vehicles and Intelligent Transportation AI-Driven Digital Twins Neuromorphic and Brain-Inspired Computing Swarm Intelligence and Multi-Agent Systems AI-Native Wireless and 6G Autonomous Systems Explainable and Trustworthy Autonomy Autonomous Defense and Security Systems Symbiotic and Collaborative Intelligence Self-Learning and Continual Learning Systems Autonomous AI Infrastructure Real-Time Intelligent Communication 5G Advanced and 6G Communication Systems Edge and Fog Communication Architectures AI-Driven Real-Time Communication Real-Time IoT Communication Real-Time Multimedia Communication Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Communication Satellite and Non-Terrestrial Communication Secure Real-Time Communication Real-Time Collaborative Communication Green and Sustainable Communication Intelligent Information Processing Generative AI and Foundation Models Real-Time Intelligent Information Processing Cognitive and Context-Aware Information Processing Knowledge Graphs and Semantic Intelligence Intelligent Vision and Perception Systems Secure and Privacy-Preserving Information Processing Real-time big data models and processing Streaming Big Data Architectures AI-Driven Real-Time Analytics Edge and Fog Big Data Processing Big Data Models for IoT and Cyber-Physical Systems Real-Time Graph and Network Analytics Intelligent Data Management and Storage Real-Time Multimedia Big Data Processing Real-time intelligence applications in domains Critical Real-time applications Mining and manufacturing Agriculture, healthcare, industry and others Telecommunication Submission, proceedings Papers must be submitted online through OpenConf. Author instructions and LaTex2e (preferred) and Word macro files are available on the submission page. Submitted papers should be at most 14 pages (long papers) and 8 pages (short ones), including figures, tables and references (in the Springer template). Authors of accepted papers are required to transfer their copyrights. For a paper to appear in the proceedings, at least one of the authors MUST register for the conference by the camera-ready submission deadline with a complete registration. Springer’s Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems (LNNS) (https://www.springer.com/series/15179) will publish the accepted papers and be indexed in SCOPUS, EI Compendex, INSPEC, WTI Frankfurt eG, zbMATH, and SCImago. All the papers published in the series are submitted for consideration in the Web of Science. Important Dates Submission of Papers: July 20, 2026 Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: August 15, 2026 Camera-ready: September 15, 2026 Registration: September 15, 2026 Conference Dates: October 02-04, 2026 Post-conference proceedings: January 2027 Program Committee General Chairs Nurdin Laugu, Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia Program Chairs Pit Pichappan, Digital Information Research Labs, India & UK Irvan Muliyadi, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. Indonesia Co-Program Chairs Ricardo Rodriguez-Jorge, Technological Centre Ceit, Spain Tuan Nguyen Minh, Posts and Telecommunication Institute, Vietnam Contact: stm(a)socio.org.uk

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FW: [MCJ] New Issue Now Available: 'twitter', edited by Axel Bruns and Alfred Hermida
by Axel Bruns 12 May '26

12 May '26

G’day ! Delighted to pass on this new issue announcement, which will be of interest to many here: From: Axel Bruns via M/C Journal <mc-journal(a)qut.edu.au> Sent: Tuesday, 12 May 2026 11:39 To: Axel Bruns <editor(a)media-culture.org.au> Subject: [MCJ] New Issue Now Available: 'twitter', edited by Axel Bruns and Alfred Hermida FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 11 May 2026 M/C – Media and Culture is proud to present issue two in volume twenty-nine of M/C Journal http://journal.media-culture.org.au/ ‘twitter’ — Edited by Axel Bruns and Alfred Hermida It started with a bland tweet by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, simply saying, "just setting up my twttr” in March 2006. Twenty years on, the anniversary of Twitter’s launch presents an opportunity to diagnose a platform that has garnered so much scholarly, media, and public attention over the past two decades. Twitter's legacy is best understood as a history of public communication infrastructure and its failures, rather than just as a platform history. This issue treats Twitter as an analytically significant object, even as the platform itself has been rebranded as X and undergone a radical transformation. The name matters because “Twitter” captures more than a single platform under a single owner. It describes a cultural imprint, a set of communication practices, and a body of scholarly work that shaped how we understand social media itself. The tension between commemoration and critique runs through this issue. We are not simply marking a milestone. We seek to examine what remains when a platform mutates beyond recognition. What happens when the object of study changes ownership, governance, and infrastructure while retaining some contested form of continuity? This question of periodisation runs through the various contributions. Twenty Years Later: Twitter, Transformation, and Platform Legacies — Alfred Hermida and Axel Bruns The Death of Twitter and the Decline of Public Debate Online — Axel Bruns Ambient Journalism after Twitter: Algorithmic Curation and the Emergence of Synthetic Ambience — Alfred Hermida How Political Journalists Found—and Lost—a Home on Twitter — Elizabeth Dubois What the Rise and Fall of Twitter Revealed about Collective Behaviour in Natural Hazards Disaster Response — Leysia Palen Truth Markets and the Consensus Trap: Twenty Years of Twitter as Epistemic Infrastructure — Timothy Graham The Emergence of the Shallow State and the Capturing of Twitter — Marisa Duarte and Marco Bastos Building a Digital Media Platform for the European Public Sphere: Plans, Projects, Pitfalls — Christoph Neuberger From the Wild West to the Walled Garden: The Evolution of Twitter/X Data Access for Research — Fabio Giglietto and Cornelius Puschmann Can 20 Years of Twitter Be Preserved? What Is Lost, What Remains, and What Is in Between — Katrin Weller, Yining Wang, Yannik Peters, and Johannes B. Gruber Unbecoming: Twitter and a Better Sociotechnical Future — Breigha Adeyemo and Zizi Papacharissi A Twitter Obituary: Fragile Digital Publics and Their Afterlife — Tanja Bosch ________________________________ Further M/C Journal issues scheduled for 2026: 'immortality': article deadline 17 Apr. 2026, release date 17 June 2026 'embodiment': release date 12 Aug. 2026 'beach': article deadline 21 Aug. 2026, release date 21 Oct. 2026 'extreme': article deadline 25 Sep. 2026, release date 25 Nov. 2026 M/C Journal 29.2 is now online: <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/>. All previous issues of M/C Journal on various topics are also still available. ________________________________ All contributors are available for media contacts: mc(a)media-culture.org.au<mailto:mc@media-culture.org.au>. ________________________________ -- M/C Journal -- http://journal.media-culture.org.au/

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