Internet
Lawsuits Targeting Social Media Are an Attack on Free Speech
Tech companies that create social media apps should not be blamed for the complex mental issues of everyone who might use them.
The Rise of the Information State
Jacob Siegel discusses how the internet reshaped political power, the rise of technocratic rule, and why information control keeps failing.
Sex Educators Say They're Being Harmed by Age Verification Laws
Plus: Wisconsin governor vetoes porn age-check bill, more charges for penis protester, the Komodo dragon theory of social media, and more...
Social Media Is Not Tobacco
Plus: Hollywood is over, the war in Iran is not, Democrats are fighting about affordability, and more...
You're Wrong About Social Media Being Addictive
Plus: The Pentagon prepares for possible ground troops in Iran, a listener asks how libertarians should answer the appeal of collectivism, and ICE descends on airports.
Taylor Lorenz: Is Social Media Responsible for Bad Parenting?
Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz discusses the Meta trial, the moral panic around social media, and the risks of regulating online speech.
#Addiction
Plus: Meta and Google found liable, what the verdict means, an OnlyFans-style campaign website, and more...
Unanimous Supreme Court Says Internet Service Provider Not Liable for Internet Users' Illegal Downloads
Plus: What George Orwell thought about Friedrich Hayek.
FCC Bans Nearly All Wireless Routers Sold in the U.S.
The government says foreign-made routers pose a national security risk, but since basically all routers are made overseas, this amounts to a near-total ban.
A Jury Hit Meta With a $375 Million Verdict. The Open Internet May Pay the Price.
Meta's loss in a New Mexico "product design" case could also be a blow against Section 230, free speech, and online privacy.
Facebook Guilty
Plus: Trump declares victory over Iran again, Afroman trial reflections, and more...
4chan Sends Hilarious, Hamster-Filled Reminder That U.S. Companies Need Not Follow British Speech Regulations
"We are not in the mood to discuss the matter further, and have not been in the mood for 250 years."
Section 230's Legal Protections for Internet Speech Face New Challenge
This week, senators heard testimony over the foundation for modern online conversations.
Social Media Panic Lands Joseph Gordon-Levitt a U.N. Gig
The actor previously pushed to repeal Section 230. Now, he is taking his advocacy to the global stage.
Facing a Budget Squeeze, New Jersey Decides To Go After Big Tech
Gov. Mikie Sherrill called Big Tech worse than Big Tobacco before proposing measures to regulate social media platforms.
Police Investigate German Historian for Hitler-Putin Meme
Germany’s law against Nazi symbolism "is being misused to silence people with dissenting views," Rainer Zitelmann tells Reason.
Computer Scientists Caution Against Internet Age-Verification Mandates
An open letter warns of censorship, centralized power, and loss of privacy.
The Government Wants Your Posts Before It Grants You Papers
The Trump administration will start collecting social media account information on immigration forms.
Epstein Files Fuel Online Outrage at Figures With No Criminal Allegations
"My wife and I have received many threatening and malicious emails, texts, and voicemails the past several days."
A 'Goldilocks' Effect for Online Teens? Moderate Social Media Users Fare Better Than Abstainers or Heavy Users
“Both abstinence and excessive use can be problematic,” researchers suggest.
No, AI Isn't Plotting Humanity's Downfall on Moltbook
Viral posts about devious chatbots on a robot Reddit haven't held up under scrutiny.
How Americans Are Fighting a British Censorship Invasion
A new bill in Wyoming aims to defend Americans against the U.K.’s online regulators.
Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial Starts Today in California
In the first social media addiction case to reach a jury, K.G.M. claims TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms are responsible for her depression, anxiety, and poor self esteem.
Your Wi-Fi Router Was Probably Made in China. Does That Mean It's a National Security Threat?
The Trump administration is reportedly moving to ban TP-Link routers, but experts say they're no less secure than other devices.
How To Build Your Own Internet in 2026
AI slop and enshittification are making the public social commons unbearable. The alternative pathways are more accessible than you think.
Rand Paul Turns Against Section 230, Citing YouTube Video Accusing Him of Taking Money From Maduro
After Google refused to take down a video of him, the Kentucky senator suggested upending the legal framework undergirding the internet for three decades.
Florida Governor Candidate Proposes 50 Percent Tax on OnlyFans Creator Revenue
"I will not allow a generation of smart and capable young women to sell their bodies online," said Republican gubernatorial hopeful James Fishback.
Study: Short-Form Video Isn't Rotting Your Brain
A recent meta-analysis concerning short-form video, mental health, and attention spawned a lot of tech panic. Did critics even read the study?
The TRUMP AMERICA AI Act Is Every Bit As Bad As You Would Expect. Maybe Worse.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s latest is an anti-tech omnibus, combining years' worth of dangerous policy ideas into one big, bad bill.
Deplatforming Backfired
Progressive censors failed to suppress our political demons. It's finally time to confront them.
Shein Can't Sell Sex Toys Unless It Checks IDs, French Court Says
Laws requiring porn platforms to age-check visitors are becoming "a Swiss army knife for the government."
Porn Sites Must Block VPNs To Comply With Indiana's Age-Verification Law, State Suggests in New Lawsuit
It's an insane—and frighteningly dystopian—interpretation of the law.
Did the Internet Break Our Sense of Reality?
Katherine Dee examines how living online reshapes attention and behavior and makes the case for a more grounded, realistic way of using digital tools.
Nepal's Socialist Government Banned Social Media, So Activists Plotted a Revolution—on Discord.
The country's transition leader was selected not at the ballot box but on a 100,000-person Discord chat.
The Free Market Can Connect Rural America Faster Than the Government
Private innovation is connecting rural America faster than Washington’s $42 billion broadband program.
X Gets Fined
Plus: Netflix buys Warner Bros., the tradlife really can be yours, baby slop on YouTube, gender insanity in Oklahoma, and more...
SCOTUS Tackles Illegal File Sharing, Internet Music Piracy, and Copyright Law
Plus: It’s webathon time.
Lawmakers To Consider 19 Bills for Childproofing the Internet
KOSA is back, along with more than a dozen other bills that will erode free speech and privacy in the name of protecting kids.
People Like Having Too Much Content, Says Swiss Study on Information Abundance
Plus: FTC loses Facebook case, building a fertility abundance agenda, ICE staffer arrested in underage sex sting, and more...
Moral Panic About Rough Sex Gives Way to Censorship in the UK
British regulators and lawmakers are hot on a measure that would make possessing or publishing strangulation porn a crime.
'Genes Matter,' Says Scientist Studying Social Media and Mental Health
The study found only small links between social media use and users' well-being.
The CHAT Act Won't Protect Kids, But it Might Break the Internet.
By forcing government ID verification for AI tools, Congress risks censoring everyday digital services and driving young Americans to unsafe overseas platforms.
This Company Makes 65 Percent of the Wi-Fi Routers in U.S. Homes. The Government Wants To Ban Them.
Just like with TikTok, lawmakers may soon ban a popular consumer product over fears of what it could potentially be used for.
Congress Investigates TeaOnHer App for Letting Men Post About Women Without Their Consent
It sounds like something niche feminist bloggers might have taken up 10 years ago. But this is being led by Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
Can Eating More Protein Fix Our Digital Malaise?
As digital life overtakes culture, physical bodies are becoming more important than ever.
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Propose Titty Tax
Plus: It's not illegal to protest while dressed as a giant penis. DHS seeks OpenAI data. And more...