Are We Still Living in 1999?
A new book argues that late-20th-century lowbrow culture created the modern world.
Internet
Fewer People Support Censoring False Information Online
Support for suppressing "violent content" has also dropped.
Study: Kids With Smartphones Are Less Depressed, Anxious, Bullied Than Peers Without Them
A large new study finds smartphone ownership positively correlated with multiple measures of well being in 11- to 13-year-old kids.
Can Trump Broker a TikTok Sale Before the April 5 Deadline?
The president seems optimistic. It's not clear why.
Don't Count on Quitting Social Media To Make Your Life Better
A new meta-analysis finds “no significant effects of social media abstinence interventions on positive affect, negative affect, or life satisfaction.”
Signal Chat Controversy Is an Endorsement of Encryption Software
Popular encryption apps are probably secure if government officials rely on them.
Federal Judge Tosses Defamation Lawsuit Against NewsGuard
The self-styled watchdog site ranks news outlets' reliability, which has rankled those on both the right and left.
The Truth About Brazil's Rumble Ban
Justice Alexandre de Moraes has shut down Rumble in Brazil, using the same dubious legal arguments that led to the blocking of X and Telegram.
The Cold War Broadcasting Apparatus Should Shut Down
Dissidents resisting authoritarian regimes should be independent of the United States—and so should their media sources.
Georgia Antidoxing Bill Could Criminalize Everyday Criticism
The bill is a "law against criticism of any kind," according to a lawyer who testified against it.
Study: Age-Verification Laws Don't Work
At least not if the goal is keeping minors from viewing porn.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr Wants More Control Over Social Media
Carr advocates greater control over social media by federal regulators, despite a reputation for supporting free speech.
Google Is Big. Does That Make It a Monopoly?
To understand the federal government's case against Google Search, you need to understand the different visions over monopoly and government power.
How the FCC's 'Warrior for Free Speech' Became Our Censor in Chief
Brendan Carr has a clear record of threatening to suppress constitutionally protected speech.
Age Verification Laws Meet VPNs and Lawsuits in a War Over Speech and Privacy
A new crop of restrictive laws faces a friendly reception in the courts but ongoing public resistance.
TikTok or Not, Americans Still Have a Right To Receive Communist Propaganda
A unanimous Supreme Court decision established as much in 1965.
President Donald Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht
Fulfilling a campaign promise to libertarians and the bitcoin community, the Silk Road founder's life sentence without parole is now over.
Why Donald Trump Made a Deal To Free Ross Ulbricht
A second chance for the creator of the dark web drug site the Silk Road might be coming…from an unlikely savior.
Biden's Legacy: He Didn't Build That
After four years, the president leaves behind a long, expensive record of non-accomplishment.
The Future of Online Porn Is At Stake Today
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a Texas case that could have major ramifications across the country—including, perhaps, the end of anonymity online.
Yes, Mark Zuckerberg, You Can Shout 'Fire' in a Crowded Theater
Anyone discussing free speech should at least try to get this right.
Influencers Are Here To Stay—Now It's Time To Modernize Labor Laws
A TikTok ban could devastate thousands of independent workers, but the real challenge lies in modernizing labor laws to support the new economy.
CPS Is Investigating an Influencer Because Her Son Flinched in a Video
Hannah Hiatt isn't the first parent to face child welfare investigations sparked by an internet mob.
Control Freaks Use Brian Thompson Murder To Peddle 'Ghost Gun' Bans
More laws couldn’t have stopped the crime and won’t stop people from making their own weapons.
Which Way, FCC—Build or Stagnate?
Marc Andreessen’s call to build clashed with Washington’s regulatory mindset.
D.C. Circuit Court Upholds TikTok Ban, Prioritizing 'National Security' Over Free Speech
The popular but beleaguered social media app will have until January 19 to find an American buyer or be banned.
Are Humans Abandoning the Physical World in Favor of Smartphones?
The Extinction of Experience condemns digital technology but the book is full of contradictions and cherry-picked examples.
Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Beef With NewsGuard Is Legally Dubious and Empirically Shaky
The company, which says it takes an "apolitical approach" to rating news outlets, faces regulatory threats and a congressional probe because of its perceived bias against conservatives.
The New FCC Chairman's Agenda Contradicts Conservative Principles
Brendan Carr’s plans for "reining in Big Tech" are a threat to limited government, free speech, free markets, and the rule of law.
Trump's Pick To Run the FCC Wants To Restrict the Editorial Discretion of Social Media Platforms
"Reining in Big Tech," Brendan Carr says, requires scrapping liability protections and restricting moderation decisions.
Texas Bill Takes Aim at Online Speech About Abortion Pills
Abortion battles are becoming tech policy battles.
Courts Are Coming for Digital Libraries
A federal court recently said the Internet Archive is not protected by fair use doctrine.
A Bad Election for Sex and for Tech
No matter who wins, we can expect bad policies surrounding sex and especially surrounding technology.
How the Feds Destroyed Backpage.com and Its Founders
By prosecuting the website's founders, the government chilled free speech online and ruined lives.
Montana's Porn Age Verification Law Is Headed to Court
"Invoking the innocence of children is not...a magic incantation sufficient for legislatures to run roughshod over the First Amendment rights of adults."
Chinese Hackers Used U.S. Government-Mandated Wiretap Systems
A backdoor for anybody is a backdoor for everybody.
Watch Now: Classified: The War on Backpage.com
Reason's new documentary is now streaming on the video platform CiVL. I hope you'll watch.
Hillary Clinton Wants To Repeal Section 230
Her comments are a reminder that this free-speech protection is far from safe.
'Yeah, I'm a "Perv" Too!'
Plus: Republicans seem likely to blow another winnable race, New York City's COVID czar attended pandemic raves, and more...
We Still Live in the Physical World
The digital world has not effaced our humanity, no matter what social critics like Christine Rosen say.
Google Goes On Trial (Again) Today
Democrats' aggressive antitrust agenda threatens to upend Google's ad tech business—and make U.S. markets less free.
