Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights

 Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights

Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights
External chargers can spontaneously combust, creating flames that are tough to put out.
BY ECE YILDIRIMPUBLISHED APRIL 12, 2026, 4:58 PM ET

READING TIME 2 MINUTES

External chargers aren't so handy when they're on fire, are they? © Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
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Southwest Airlines will soon start capping how many portable chargers and power banks you can bring on a flight, according to an internal message obtained by the New York Times.

According to the report, starting April 20th, passengers will only be able to bring one lithium battery-powered portable charger per person to a flight, and they won’t be allowed to charge those portable chargers using in-seat power, nor will they be able to store them in the overhead bins. Instead, passengers will be asked to hold their portable chargers throughout the flight or store them in a carry-on bag under their seats.

Lithium batteries power much of the technology we use in our day-to-day lives, from phones to laptops to e-cigarettes. They are also found in portable chargers and power banks.

Most of the time, they work fine, but if they are damaged, overcharged, or overheated, then the batteries can catch fire. Due to the chemicals inside these batteries, the flames they can create could be very tough to extinguish.


Due to this risk, portable chargers were long banned from checked baggage, with airlines requiring passengers to put portable chargers and any other lithium battery-powered devices inside their carry-on bags instead.

But still, there were 97 lithium battery-related incidents in aviation in 2025, and there have already been 14 accidents this year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The majority of the lithium battery-related air incidents that involved smoke, fire or extreme heat stemmed from portable chargers. The second biggest culprit was e-cigarettes, according to the FAA data.

The most high-profile recent incident was in January 2025, when an Airbus plane went up in flames on the tarmac at an airport in Busan, South Korea. Everyone on board had to evacuate, and the fire took roughly an hour to extinguish. Authorities later concluded that a power bank stored in an overhead bin may have been the culprit. A few months later, an Air China flight had to make an emergency landing when a lithium battery in an overhead bin spontaneously combusted mid-flight.

Chinese regulators have banned portable batteries from flights altogether, except if the device is clearly marked with a Chinese safety certification and has not been subject to recalls. Many airlines internationally have also since banned passengers from using or charging portable chargers, but Southwest is so far the only major American airline to come out with an even stricter set of rules for portable chargers.

One way that you can protect yourself against these spontaneous fires is to keep a close eye on product recalls. Anker, one of the world’s leading power bank makers, has issued several recalls over the past year due to potential fire risks.

  

You might not be going anywhere this summer

Bertrand Guay/Getty Images

Lizzie McGuire would be closing out her class trip at the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati in this economy. Americans are sitting in limbo for summer travel plans as potential jet fuel shortages stemming from the Iran war put pressure on airlines to cut flights and raise airfares. As the most famous strait (aside from George) remains closed to much of the world’s oil, the global travel industry is bracing for a potentially chaotic summer. Delta said that jet fuel costs ballooned by $400 million in March alone. Alaska Air, American, and United have repeated similar warnings: Average global airfares jumped 24% to $465 on the week beginning March 9, compared with the same time last year, according to airfare tracker OAG. Transatlantic flight tickets 20 days out already cost $200 more on average than they did a month ago, a Deutsche Bank AG analysis found. United said it’s cutting ~5% of its flights in “off-peak periods” during the next two quarters to offset rising expenses. As a result, the share of Americans planning international trips over the next six months fell to 17%—the lowest it’s been since 2022, per the Conference Board. Not even Spirit can save you. Budget airlines with thinner margins are the highest risk when industry costs surge, so budget trips could also face steep fare hikes. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary refused to rule out price increases, saying the UK is more vulnerable to jet fuel shortages than other European countries because it relies on Kuwait for nearly 25% of its supply. What about a road tip? A cruise? Unless you were planning on biking, no form of summer travel is immune to rising oil prices. Gas topped $4 a gallon this week for the first time in two years, and cruises face similar fuel crunches. Analysts worry that Carnival, the only US cruise line that does not hedge fuel, could take a huge hit to its profits this year.

 

Image: Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

 

Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO

 

Tim Cook, who joined Apple all the way back in 1998 and succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011, is stepping down from his CEO role at the tech titan. Cook will transition into the role of Apple’s executive chairman. “For the past 15 years I’ve started just about every morning the same way. I open my email and I read notes I received the day before from Apple’s users all over the world,” Cook wrote in a community letter. Hardware veteran John Ternus is stepping in as the next chief, while silicon expert Johny Srouji is now the company’s hardware chief.

Maine is poised to freeze large data-center construction

 

Maine Is About to Become the First State to Ban New Data Centers

Legislation that could be enacted this spring would pause construction of large new data centers until November 2027

By 

Will Parker

April 2, 2026 5:30 am ET

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At the site of an old paper mill in Jay, Maine—seen here in 2020—construction of a data center is expected to get under way in July. ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP

Maine is poised to freeze large data-center construction, which would make it the first state to enact such a measure as communities across the U.S. grapple with fallout from the boom in artificial intelligence.

The Maine bill calls for a ban on major new data-center construction until November 2027, so the state can assess the impact of such development on the environment and electricity grid.

The freeze would apply to data-center projects of at least 20 megawatts, which is enough energy to power more than 15,000 homes.

The bill passed a floor vote in the Democratic-controlled Maine House of Representatives last month, collecting a handful of Republican votes. It is expected to pass in the Senate, which is also majority Democratic. Gov. Janet Mills said she supports a freeze.

Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said she supports a moratorium if it includes an exception for the project already planned in Jay. ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP

Maine has some of the country’s highest residential electricity prices, and elected officials are concerned that a surge in data-center power demand might further inflate costs. The AI build-out is driving up electricity costs for consumers in some parts of the country, and at the same time generating large tax revenues for local governments that continue to court developers.

The bill’s momentum will be watched closely by lawmakers in at least 10 other states that are advancing similar policies over concerns about straining local power sources and the cost. The effects of the artificial-intelligence race on the economy, energy costs and the environment is emerging as a major issue ahead of this year’s midterm elections. In Maine, a U.S. senate seat is up for grabs in November.

“I think Maine is the canary in the coal mine,” said Anirban Basu, chief economist for the Associated Builders and Contractors, a construction trade group that counts members who work on data centers. “Maine will be the first of many states to have such moratoria.”

Legislators have introduced measures to temporarily ban or restrict data centers in New York, South Carolina, Oklahoma and other states. In Ohio, one of the top states for data-center development, a group of rural activists is collecting signatures to put a statewide ban of large data centers on a November ballot.

Many other municipalities and counties, especially small ones in Michigan and Indiana, already have imposed their own temporary pauses. Denver and Detroit are among major cities considering such bans.

Data-center developers are growing increasingly wary of community and political opposition as they hunt for powered land across the country. Proposed local laws restricting data centers are “a red flag,” said Tracey Hyatt Bosman, a site selection consultant at BLS & Co. who works with data-center developers. “They do limit where we are looking,” she said.

Tony McDonald, who is developing a data center in the western Maine town of Jay, said he is scheduled to begin construction in July. “All of a sudden we’ve been caught in this dragnet,” he said.

Maine hasn’t been a magnet for Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft or other companies building hyperscale facilities for artificial intelligence. Recent data-center proposals in the Maine towns of Wiscasset and Lewiston were paused or failed at the local level, following resident opposition.

Some data-center developments in Maine have targeted defunct industrial sites, such as closed mills. One company recently proposed to build a $415 million underwater data center off Maine’s coast.

While it is possible the Maine moratorium bill could stumble in the amendment process, that a version of it eventually becomes law is a foregone conclusion among some state political operatives.

“That’s the political reality,” said Tony Buxton, a climate and energy attorney at Preti Flaherty, a legal and lobbying firm in Maine. “There is a very strong voter fear of data centers and AI.” 

Buxton’s firm has placed ads on social media advocating exemptions in the bill that would allow two already planned data-center projects to move forward in Jay and in Sanford, which is in southern Maine. These exemptions are being considered in the House.

Gov. Mills, a Democrat who is running for U.S. Senate in a highly publicized primary race against Iraq war veteran Graham Platner, said she supports the data moratorium if it includes an exception for the project already planned in Jay.

“The project is expected to bring much-needed jobs, economic activity and tax revenue to the region,” a spokesman for Mills said in a statement.

In the U.S. Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) last month unveiled legislative proposals to temporarily pause data-center construction nationwide.

Proton is now hiring

 

We’re hiring!

Help us build an internet that respects your privacy. Here are a few new roles: Software Engineer (Linux Desktop) Senior Frontend Engineer (Pass) Senior Frontend Engineer (Accounts) Senior R&D Engineer (Proton VPN) Senior Community Manager (US Remote) E-commerce & Merchandise Manager (Barcelona) Proton is always seeking talented individuals interested in building a free and open internet. We’re now hiring in Geneva, Zurich, Paris, London, Barcelona, Taipei, Skopje, Vilnius, and Prague. You can find all open positions here.

Carney’s $3.8B Nature Plan Calls for Additional Private Capital, Drawing Criticism

Carney’s $3.8B Nature Plan Calls for Additional Private Capital, Drawing Criticism
April 1, 2026
Reading time: 3 minutes

Full Story: The Energy Mix

Chris Bonasia




Pierre Grey's Lakes, Grande Cache, Alberta/Jody MacPherson

Nature conservation groups are weighing in with mixed reactions to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s $3.8-billion nature protection strategy unveiled on Tuesday, with some calling it pragmatic and others criticizing its reliance on market mechanisms.

Carney announced the new plan, A Force of Nature, in Wakefield, Quebec, replacing the previous five-year, $2.3-billion Nature Legacy Fund that expired the same day. The strategy sets out to protect 30% of land and 28% of ocean area by 2030, support infrastructure projects that “work with nature rather than against it,” and deploy “finance tools to fund conservation.” The strategy emphasizes a role for Indigenous leadership, allocating $231 million over five years to enhance Indigenous Guardians programs, and includes the creation of two new national protected areas and expanded conservation action.

Some of the conserved areas highlighted in the strategy are the Seal River Watershed National Park Reserve in Manitoba and the Wiinipaakw Indigenous Protected Area and National Marine Conservation Area in Eastern James Bay. Working landscapes—which the strategy describes as delivering conservation and biodiversity results “while meeting other primary objectives”—include the Salt Spring Island Natural Cemetery in British Columbia, Canadian Forces Base Shilo in south-central Manitoba, and the Queen’s University Biological Station in southeastern Ontario.

The plan also relies in part on private investment. “We can’t do it with public money alone,” Carney said in Wakefield.

The new strategy was kept under wraps until the last minute, leaving conservation groups anxious and guessing, The Hill Times reported.

“Frankly, it did feel before the last 24 hours that maybe nature was literally going to fall through the cracks,” Sierra Club Canada Executive Director Gretchen Fitzgerald told The Energy Mix.

The Sierra Club said in a release it was “cautiously pleased” with the new plan, but also raised concerns about its reliance on market-based approaches, cuts to other environmental initiatives, and the federal government’s potential billion-dollar involvement in the Bay du Nord offshore oil project, which could undermine nature protection.

The Wilderness Committee said the strategy was an attempt to fit conservation commitments into Carney’s “larger push to fast-track resource extraction and large industrial developments.” The group said the government plans to map biodiversity hotspots specifically to “accelerate permitting,” adding that “zero additional detail” was provided on how Ottawa plans to mobilize private capital and financing tools.

Other organizations said entangling the strategy with private investment opens the door to greenwashing. Andrew Van Iterson, manager of the Green Budget Coalition, told The Globe and Mail that while “private sector funds provide an important opportunity,” the Coalition is “very wary and concerned” that the government may be overestimating its role.

But Teika Newton, executive director of the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, told The Mix that while there are various conservation approaches the government could take, “this seems like the most pragmatic path forward” at this time. “I welcome the focus of attention on nature and the environment, at last.”

Newton highlighted investments for enhanced monitoring and data collection that she said will be important for tracking success. But she also cautioned against relying on regional impact assessments for major projects, pointing to examples such as Ontario’s Bill 5, which streamlined environmental reviews while weakening oversight.

Fitzgerald too expressed support for the strategy’s new level of investment. The plan to establish new urban parks is exciting as an approach for “connecting people to nature in their community,” as well as co-benefits for livable, walkable, breathable communities, she added.

But she cautioned against the government’s Bay du Nord commitment while also warning that the new strategy could come into conflict with priorities of the Building Canada Act.

“I’m just a bit concerned that we’re not having a comprehensive approach here with climate and nature, and the two are very interrelated,” Fitzgerald told The Mix.

Privacy watch and updates

  

Privacy watch

News and updates about online privacy

• Google, Apple, and Meta shared data from more than 3.5 million user accounts with US authorities over the past decade through routine requests alone, a 770% increase since reporting began. When FISA disclosures are included, the total rises to roughly 6.7 million. See the details of the investigation.
• Another Proton study found that nearly one in four small and medium businesses suffered a cyberattack in the past 12 months. Cyber risk is shaped by human error, inconsistent use of security tools, and giving more data to cloud and AI platforms. See our recommendations for businesses.
• Apple’s latest iPhone update in the UK introduces age verification at the operating-system level, requiring some people to prove they are over 18 with a credit card or government-issued ID. The move comes after pressure from regulators under the Online Safety Act to do more to protect children online. What it means beyond the UK.
• The Trump administration is poised to renew a surveillance law known as Section 702 that gives the government the power to spy on people without a warrant. The law is especially controversial in the US because it can be used to target American citizens, who would normally be protected from warrantless surveillance by the Constitution.
• Instagram is dropping end-to-end encryption for chats, despite years of Meta presenting it as the future of private messaging. Uncertainty remains around what happens to currently encrypted chats.
• Google has settled a $68 million lawsuit alleging that Google Assistant improperly recorded private conversations after false activations and used that data for targeted ads. It is one more entry in the long line of privacy cases Google has chosen to settle rather than fight in court and risk admitting wrongdoing.

Europe’s planes are about to run out of fuel

 Europe’s planes are about to run out of fuel

Davide Bonaldo/Getty Images

Mac Miller lyrics that European airlines cannot relate to right now: “I never run out of jet fuel.” The Strait of Hormuz’s closure has disrupted oil supplies so drastically that Europe has “maybe six weeks” of jet fuel left, with flight cancellations coming “soon” unless the waterway reopens, the head of the International Energy Agency told the Associated Press yesterday. This is “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. His comments follow an even bleaker warning from the trade group that represents European airports, ACI Europe, which said last week that fuel shortages could commence in as little as three weeks. European airlines are fastening their oxygen masks: Europe’s largest carrier, Ryanair, suggested this week that it’s on track for fuel shortages by June, while the region’s second-largest airline, easyJet, said it currently has 70% of its summertime jet fuel covered. To counter elevated jet fuel costs, which have roughly doubled since the Iran war began, German carrier Lufthansa will cut some long-haul flights and take up to 40 planes out of rotation. Around the world, airlines are clawing back cash by raising ticket prices. All major US airlines have hiked baggage fees in recent weeks. US travel may be better protected (for now) Europe’s oil refineries have been dwindling for decades, and the continent is the biggest recipient of jet fuel that passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Across the pond, however, the US reigns as the world’s largest net exporter of jet fuel, and it produces most of the juice its airlines need in-house. Still, major US airlines (even Delta, which has its own oil refinery) project billions of dollars in added costs if fuel prices don’t return to normal. The price spike could reportedly sink Spirit Airlines entirely. Looking ahead…if the US and Iran reach an agreement to reopen the strait, it could take “up to two years to come back where we were before the war,” Birol said of global oil flow.

 

Beauty brands turn celebs into billionaires

Illustration: Morning Brew Design, Photos: Getty Images

For celebrities, hawking tinted creams and lip plumping oil aren’t just side projects. Celeb beauty brands are helping your favorite singer/actor/nepo baby evolve into a full-on business mogul. Last year, Elf Beauty bought Hailey Bieber’s Rhode for $1 billion. Founded just four years ago, the brand’s sleekly packaged goos seem to go viral every time a new one drops. Rare Beauty, the brand Selena Gomez launched during the pandemic, is reportedly hovering around a $2.7 billion valuation, with its blush accounting for over 26% of all category sales at Sephora, per YipItData. Kylie Jenner, meanwhile, sold a majority stake in Kylie Cosmetics to CoverGirl owner Coty in 2019 for $600 million, but reportedly explored buying back the brand in 2023. (Nothing materialized.) Rihanna is a businesswoman first. The hardest pivot came when pop superstar Rihanna revolutionized the beauty industry by launching Fenty Beauty in 2017. She released 40 shades of foundation (compared to the industry standard of ~20 to match lighter skintones) and brought in $100 million in global revenue in the first two months. Her 50% stake in Fenty Beauty is now worth around $700 million.

Getting started with VoIP.ms

 

Our long-term customers know this by heart, but if you're just getting started with VoIP.ms, your first step will be adding a DID (a.k.a. phone number). Here’s how to do it step by step: Log in to your VoIP.ms portal Go to the DID Numbers section and select “Order DID.” Search for a number Choose your country, region, then browse available options. Select and configure Pick your number and assign it to a destination (SIP account, IVR, or call forwarding). Confirm your order Review pricing and complete the purchase. Your DID is ready to use right away! Test your setup Make a quick test call to confirm routing is working as expected. That’s it! You now have a live number ready for inbound calls.

'Buy Canadian' policy flagged by U.S

American booze bans, 'Buy Canadian' policy flagged by U.S. as trade irritants: report
U.S. wants its alcohol returned to all markets after being pulled from shelves in several provinces
The Canadian Press · Posted: Mar 31, 2026 6:22 PM PDT | Last Updated: March 31


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Several provinces pulled American booze from liquor stores last year in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canada. (Ed White/Reuters)

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Provincial rules around alcohol and the federal government's "Buy Canadian" policy have been flagged in a new report citing several trade irritants between Canada and the U.S.

The annual document prepared by the Office of the United States Trade Representative said market access barriers imposed by provincial liquor control boards "greatly hamper" exports of U.S. wine, beer and spirits to Canada.

Several Canadian provinces pulled American booze from shelves last year after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs, and the document said the U.S. wants its alcohol to "immediately and permanently" return to all markets.

The document also raised concerns about the federal government's "Buy Canadian" procurement policy that aims to ensure Canadian products and workers are prioritized in contracts worth $25 million or more.

The report says U.S. companies have reported concerns about barriers in competing for contracts, including being forced to share information about their boards of directors or prove their Canadian subsidiary's independence from a U.S. parent company.
How a good old-fashioned boycott got Canada to trade Kentucky bourbon for Canadian whiskyTransport Canada certifies some jets at centre of Trump's aviation tariff threat

Other issues listed in the report include delays with aircraft validation in Canada and high tariffs on U.S. dairy products.

The report said U.S. imports above quota levels are subject to "prohibitively high tariffs," including 245 per cent for cheese and 298 per cent for butter.

The report said U.S. goods exports to Canada totalled $336.5 billion US in 2025, down almost down four per cent from 2024. It also said Canada was the second-largest U.S. goods export market last year.
Trade talks lagging

Trade talks with Canada ahead of the mandatory review of the continental trade pact are lagging behind those with Mexico, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said last month.

Greer told Fox Business that talks are moving ahead with his Mexican counterparts as the Trump administration negotiates changes to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA.

CUSMA — which was negotiated during the first Trump administration to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement — has shielded Canada and Mexico from the worst impacts of Trump's tariffs. His worldwide 10 per cent duty does not apply to goods that comply with the trade agreement.
WATCH | Canada-U.S. trade talks resume:




Canada-U.S. trade talks restart, ending months-long freeze
March 6|
Duration1:47:09In the first high-level trade meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump called off negotiations with Canada in October, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Friday. CBC's Kate McKenna reports the few details we've received surrounding the meeting, and former prime minister Justin Trudeau's deputy chief of staff Brian Clow previews what to expect from the CUSMA talks with Trump this month. Plus, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield led one of the lawsuits that saw the U.S. Supreme Court strike down Trump's broadest tariffs, and explains his argument as he leads a 24-state lawsuit against the tariffs Trump used to replace them.

Canada is still being slammed by Trump's separate tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, autos, lumber and cabinets.

The Trump administration has launched investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 of a long list of countries, including Canada, citing forced labour in supply chains. It was seen as a move to restore Trump's higher tariffs following a U.S Supreme Court ruling that reined in the president's tariff powers.

The report on foreign trade barriers said that while Canada has adopted measures intended to stop the importation of products produced using forced labour, "it does not appear that Canada is effectively enforcing its forced labour import prohibition, meaning goods made with forced labour may be able to enter and compete in Canada's market."
Which Trump tariffs affect Canada now?Trump administration expands trade investigations to Canada, dozens of other countries

"This issue may artificially suppress costs, including labour costs, which may give certain goods from and within Canada an unfair advantage," the report said.

Greer has complained that Canadians maintain barriers that make it difficult to hold bilateral trade talks, citing provincial bans on U.S. alcohol.

The relationship between Canada and the United States has been upended during the second Trump administration by the president's tariffs and threats of annexation.
Future of CUSMA in limbo

CUSMA is up for review this year but the future of the continental trade agreement has been left in doubt by Trump. He has called CUSMA irrelevant and has said it may have served its purpose.

Greer also has floated the idea of abandoning the trade pact in favour of two separate bilateral agreements with America's closest neighbours.
Canada-U.S. trade talks have restarted. Here's what's at stake

The CUSMA review sets up a three-way choice for each country to make in July. They can renew the deal for another 16 years, withdraw from it or signal both non-renewal and non-withdrawal — which would trigger an annual review that could keep negotiations going for up to a decade.

Ottawa and Mexico City have both said the priority is to maintain an agreement between all three countries.

LeBlanc led a large trade mission to Mexico last month and a Mexican trade delegation is set to travel to Canada in May.

Bluesky Users Respond With Overwhelming Disgust to Platform’s New AI

 Bluesky Users Respond With Overwhelming Disgust to Platform’s New AI

Futurism · 3 days ago
by Victor Tangermann · Artificial Intelligence


In its early days, Twitter alternative Bluesky tried to paint itself as a safe haven from the onslaught of AI, promising in November 2024 that it had “no intention” of scraping user-generated posts to train AI models.

It was a shot across the bow, clearly aimed at its rival X-formerly-Twitter, which had recently changed its terms of service to allow just that. And since then, backlash to AI slop and relentless AI integrations has grown to new heights.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Bluesky’s abrupt foray into AI isn’t sitting well with its notoriously anti-AI user base.

Specifically, the company’s chief innovation officer Jay Graber, who stepped down as CEO earlier this month to focus on “exploring new ideas” at the company, announced a new AI app called Attie at a conference over the weekend.

Attie, which interim CEO Toni Schneider referred to as a “new product” that’s “not part of the Bluesky app” in an interview with TechCrunch, allows users to essentially vibe code their own custom feed using natural language prompts — or even build their own Bluesky app alternative on top of the service’s Atmosphere protocol, an ecosystem of interoperable social applications.

“You control it, you shape it, without having to write code or know how to set up these feeds,” Schneider enthused.

The CEO seemed well aware of the headwinds against launching consumer-facing AI products in 2026.

“It is an AI product, but it’s an AI product that’s very people-focused,” he told TechCrunch. “We think AI is a very powerful technology, but we want to make sure that we use it to build things that really benefit people.”

“We think AI should serve people, not platforms,” Graber told audiences at this weekend’s announcement. “An open protocol puts this power directly in users’ hands.”

However, given the immediate reactions to the new app, it may struggle to catch on.

“Thanks, we’re good, no need to explain it further,” one user replied to Graber after she announced it in a Saturday post.

“Cool!” another added. “How do we block it?”

“Me, looking for who the f*** wants this,” reads the caption of a meme a different user posted, showing a woman standing on a ladder and gazing into the distance.

Graber appeared to be aware of the inflood of hatred for the idea. When a user told her that “we don’t want it,” she replied with a curt: “then don’t use it — it’s a separate app.”

Graber also reshared a post by a different user who claimed people “on the left” were being “shortsighted” by being willfully blind about AI, and that the argument “‘hope it goes away’ doesn’t have a great track record as a strategy for contesting control of new political domains and technologies.” The implication: Bluesky users are wrong about their resentment over AI and should instead embrace it.

Schneider told TechCrunch that the company is still considering how to monetize its latest feature, and that a fee for using Attie, which is currently in private beta, is on the table.

But considering the outrage the app’s announcement has wrought, it’s unclear at best if any serious numbers of users are jumping to use it — even if it’s free, which could turn Attie into an expensive distraction and a largely ineffective way to draw new users in.