Tech
The Pandemic Is Ending, And The Optimized, Ever-Distant Future Is Probably Coming Back
Because there was no end in sight, the pandemic paused the idea of a future where the tech disruption would end, the economy would level out, and we'd ascend to our final post–social media forms. And some things looked ridiculous inside.
Katherine Miller
The US Labor Board Isn’t Strong Enough To Protect Workers From Amazon. Some Union Organizers Want To Go Around It.
In the lead-up to the biggest union vote in Amazon’s history, the company has already shown it can break the rules and get away with it.
Caroline O'Donovan
What The Past Three Months Have Been Like For QAnon Believers
A millennial stay-at-home mom from South Carolina, a gay couple from Texas, and a social worker in New York believed in QAnon. Now that Biden is president, they’re not sure where to go from here.
Scaachi Koul
Welcome To Hell: Slack Is Letting Anyone Join Your Workspace
Cross-Slack messaging is here — with some glaring privacy loopholes.
Katie Notopoulos
Hundreds Of Far-Right Militias Are Still Organizing, Recruiting, And Promoting Violence On Facebook
A new report identified more than 200 militia pages and groups on Facebook as of March 18, more than two months after the insurrection at the Capitol.
Christopher Miller
Brands Are Cutting Ties With David Dobrik Following Allegations Of Misconduct Against The Vlog Squad
DoorDash, HelloFresh, and EA Sports are among the companies to announce they will no longer work with the YouTuber.
Ellie Bate
Facebook Is Building An Instagram For Kids Under The Age Of 13
“We have identified youth work as a priority for Instagram and have added it to our H1 priority list,” reads an internal Instagram post obtained by BuzzFeed News.
Ryan Mac
Facebook Is Reading Your Brain Waves (Sort Of)
“I cannot emphasize this enough: This cannot read your brain,” Facebook exec Andrew Bosworth told BuzzFeed News.
Katie Notopoulos
Amazon Is Pushing Readers Down A "Rabbit Hole" Of Conspiracy Theories About The Coronavirus
Amazon is promoting COVID conspiracy books around the world.
Craig Silverman
Facebook Created An Employee “Playbook” To Respond To Accusations Of Polarization
In a Thursday presentation, Facebook executives told employees the company isn’t to blame for social division in the country. One researcher said some polarization can be a good thing, citing the civil rights movement.
Ryan Mac
Democrats And Republicans Alike Are Talking About Breaking Down Big Tech Monopolies
Politicians in Congress are talking about returning to the days of robust anti-monopoly enforcement.
Paul McLeod
Our Technological Dystopian Future Is Here, And I Hate It
For decades, many of us have been building a future where we could be connected while apart. COVID made that necessary. Turns out I hate it.
Scaachi Koul
A Twitter Bug May Have Kept You From Muting "WandaVision"
If Twitter muting stopped working for you, you’re not alone.
Caroline Haskins
NYT Columnist David Brooks Resigns From Nonprofit After More Evidence Of Conflicts Emerges
His resignation comes amid new revelations of entanglements with Nextdoor and the Walton Foundation.
Craig Silverman
Influencers' Mirror Pictures Might Not Be Mirror Pictures At All
A theory circulating on TikTok argues someone is just taking a picture of influencers holding up their phones.
Caroline Haskins
These Maps On Zillow Seem To Accidentally Show The Invisible Legacy Of "Slum Clearance"
Ghost boxes in Zillow's maps of cities like Chicago and Cincinnati appear to mark the homes bulldozed to build freeways — and the neighborhoods that were displaced in the process.
Caroline Haskins
Facebook Helped Fund David Brooks’s Second Job. Nobody Told The Readers Of The New York Times.
The New York Times columnist has been using his perch to promote the Weave Project — without disclosing his potential conflicts of interest to his readers.
Craig Silverman
Instagram Has Launched Live "Rooms"
The livestream feature has expanded from two to four people at once.
Katie Notopoulos
New York Times Columnist David Brooks Blogged For Facebook's Corporate Site
Brooks also appeared in a Facebook-produced video panel used to promote an NYU study of Facebook Groups funded by the social media giant.
Craig Silverman
Facebook Is Considering Facial Recognition For Its Upcoming Smart Glasses
Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth told employees that the company is evaluating the legal and privacy issues around facial recognition for its upcoming wearable gadget.
Ryan Mac
India Has Its Own Alternative To Twitter. It's Filled With Hate.
Embraced by India's right-wing government, Koo has given a platform to anti-Muslim hostility.
Pranav Dixit
"Mark Changed The Rules": How Facebook Went Easy On Alex Jones And Other Right-Wing Figures
Facebook’s rules to combat misinformation and hate speech are subject to the whims and political considerations of its CEO and his policy team leader.
Ryan Mac
Parler, A Social Media Platform That Stands For Free Speech, Temporarily Blocked Its Founder
“I know it’s a ban because I know how the architecture works. I can’t log in anymore.”
Ryan Mac
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Has Landed On Mars To Search For Signs Of Ancient Life
“Based on everything we know about Mars in the past, it absolutely should have been capable of supporting ancient life," one NASA scientist said.
Zahra Hirji
Here's How To Show You Are Medically Eligible For The COVID Vaccine
Fifteen states have opened up vaccinations to people with certain health conditions. Here's how you can prove you are eligible.
Caroline Haskins
A Clearview AI Patent Application Describes Facial Recognition For Dating, And Identifying Drug Users And Homeless People
A patent unveiled on Thursday describes several potential uses for Clearview AI, such as creating networks for people in industries like real estate or retail to “share headshots of high-risk individuals.”
Caroline Haskins
Twitter Says It Won’t Block Journalists, Activists, And Politicians In India To Protect Free Speech
Defying the Indian government could put Twitter officials in jail. But not doing so would mean enabling a crackdown against free speech.
Pranav Dixit
“The Tweets Must Continue To Flow,” Twitter Says Amid Standoff With India
The government has reportedly ordered the company to take down access to nearly 1,200 additional accounts.
Pranav Dixit
A Search For “Dog” On Instagram Surfaces An Emoji For A Chinese Takeout Box
“How are the emoji’s being recommended in this and can we remove this so this doesn’t perpetuate Asian racial stereotypes?”
Ryan Mac
Parler Wanted Donald Trump On Its Site. Trump’s Company Wanted A Stake.
Documents seen by BuzzFeed News show that Parler offered Trump 40% of the company if he posted exclusively to the platform. The deal was never finalized.
Ryan Mac
