Tech
The Rise — And Rise — Of Mass Surveillance
Eavesdropping bureaucrats have been replaced by algorithm-driven facial recognition technology. But the real impact of indiscriminate surveillance may be in our minds.
Megha Rajagopalan
Smartphones Transformed India. Now Indians Are Turning Them Against The Modi Government.
Cheap data and inexpensive smartphones brought millions of people online in India this decade. As the country’s government cracks down, protesters are using the internet to resist.
Pranav Dixit
How The 2010s Killed The Celebrity Gossip Machine
In 2010, celebrities were beholden to swarms of paparazzi and the ever-present threat of TMZ. A decade later, they’re back in control.
Anne Helen Petersen
Twitter And Facebook's Race To The Bottom
The two companies had a bad run in the 2010s. It was their own fault.
Alex Kantrowitz
Amazon’s Race To Build A Fast Delivery Network: “The Human Cost Of This Is Too Much”
New documents and interviews reveal how time after time, the e-commerce giant put speed, profit, and explosive growth before public safety.
Ken Bensinger
San Francisco Spent A Decade Being Rich, Important, And Hating Itself.
During an unprecedented tech boom, the Bay Area asked itself who its real enemies were — and nobody liked the answers.
Scott Lucas
Pinterest Will Stop Promoting Posts About Golliwog Dolls
Exclusive: A Pinterest spokesperson says the dolls are "insensitive, offensive and violate our hateful activities policy".
Cameron Wilson
To Prevent Protests Against An Anti-Muslim Law, India’s Government Turned Off The Internet In Its Capital City
A controversial law has drawn thousands to the streets — and a harsh response from the Modi government.
Pranav Dixit
This Teacher Makes $40,000 A Year. This Lawyer Makes $210,000 A Year. That Explains The American Economy.
A decade after the great recession, our politics are different, but our finances are worse.
Venessa Wong
A Data Leak Exposed The Personal Information Of Over 3,000 Ring Users
“This gives a potential attacker access to view cameras in somebody’s home — that’s a real serious potential invasion of privacy right there.”
Caroline Haskins
The 50 Worst Things On The Internet In 2019
People were pretty horny this year.
Ryan Broderick
Facebook Is Not Removing An Ad Falsely Claiming Mitch McConnell Endorses Impeaching Trump
According to Facebook’s ad library, the ad has received over 1,000 impressions and was boosted for a few hundred dollars.
Ryan Broderick
Democratic Senators Are Demanding An Investigation Into The Use Of Facial Recognition In Public Housing
Lawmakers are demanding HUD Secretary Ben Carson investigate the use of facial recognition technology in public housing.
Caroline Haskins
Hackers Are Breaking Into Websites And Adding Links To Game Google
Google made the link a valuable commodity, so hackers are compromising sites and then getting paid to inject links.
Craig Silverman
Facebook Is Still Prioritizing Scale Over Safety
Facebook often uses its vast size as an excuse for its failures. Meanwhile, it’s ordering employees to make it bigger.
Alex Kantrowitz
"A Beautiful Chorus" — Leftists Are Using TikTok To Break Down Socialism For The Next Generation Of Voters
“I want people to get a fuller story of the political situation that’s out there, and jokes and memes have always left me in a place where I’m like, ‘Oh, that made me laugh,’ and then, ‘Why did that make me laugh? Let me investigate what this thing’s about.’”
Ryan Brooks
Facebook Has Banned Groups That Promote Flesh-Eating Fake Cancer Cures
After a BuzzFeed News report about the dangerous health misinformation, Facebook is cracking down.
Katie Notopoulos
Alienated, Alone And Angry: What The Digital Revolution Really Did To Us
We were promised community, civics, and convenience. Instead, we found ourselves dislocated, distrustful, and disengaged.
Joseph Bernstein
TikTok Users Who Posted Videos Of Them Huffing Nitrous Oxide Are Being Temporarily Banned From Posting
"I don't think it was fair at all as no-one was harmed in the video and nothing illegal was happening," said a user who was temporarily banned.
Cameron Wilson
Facebook Is Investigating A Voter Engagement App Used By Italy’s Five Star Movement
Facebook told BuzzFeed News an investigation is ongoing. There is currently no evidence to suggest that data collected through the app was misused.
Alberto Nardelli
This YouTuber's Videos Were Demonetised. He Says It's Because Of His Aussie Accent.
YouTube accidentally transcribed "car" as "cunt", said gaming YouTuber Fynnpire.
Cameron Wilson
Facebook Will Call Some Media “State Controlled." Al Jazeera Said That’s “Dangerous.”
A “step to delegitimize credible journalism," said an Al Jazeera executive.
Otillia Steadman
Bogus Hypothyroid Cures Are Rampant Across Social Media
Hypothyroidism is easily treatable in almost everyone who has it. But social media is rife with bogus cures.
Caroline Haskins
The 100 Memes That Defined The 2010s
From planking to VSCO girls.
Katie Notopoulos
Why Is “Death Stranding” The Video Game People Took Seriously This Year?
Hideo Kojima’s latest release is strange, celebrated by critics, and highlights how hard it is for any video game to achieve mainstream legitimacy without a vast budget.
Steven Scaife
Venmo Users Are Being Inundated With Payment Requests From Strangers
Spammers are targeting Venmo users who show up in the app’s public feed and flooding them with dozens of payment requests.
Nicole Nguyen
The Infowars News Director Said He’s “Proud” The Site Called The Sandy Hook Shooting A Hoax
"I am proud of that."
Brianna Sacks
Facebook The Plaintiff: Why The Company Is Suddenly Suing So Many Bad Actors
The social media giant is trying to prove it can be trusted to police itself.
Craig Silverman
Sydney's Air Quality Has Hit Hazardous Levels. Food Delivery Companies Are Still Letting Their Riders Work.
"I can't afford to not deliver," one rider told BuzzFeed News.
Cameron Wilson
Exclusive: Facebook Fired A Contractor Who Was Paid Thousands In Bribes To Reactivate Banned Ad Accounts
"This behavior is absolutely prohibited under our policies and the individual is no longer working with Facebook."
Craig Silverman
