Democrats Hike Taxes on Vaping, but Not Tobacco, in Latest Version of 'Build Back Better' Bill
Plus: America's mayors want to be paid in bitcoin, Democrats want to subsidize local journalists, and more...
Science & Technology
Are Kids Stealing Because TikTok Made It Seem Cool, or Is the 'Devious Licks' Freakout Yet Another Adult-Led Moral Panic?
TikTok's "devious licks" trend has earned the company and its teen users plenty of scorn. But what's actually going on?
Welcome to the Metaverse
Facebook's rebrand signals that the widely scrutinized company retains lofty ambitions.
TSA Owes $100 Million for Patent Infringement on Plastic Security Bins
When overly broad patents and the TSA clash, there are no heroes.
If You Think Facebook Is Full of Dubious Outrage-Bait, Wait Til You See the Company's Critics
A business model where outrage is exploited for clicks describes both social media and the news media.
The U.S. May Stand Alone as a Haven for Free Speech
The First Amendment shields Americans from censorship, but authoritarian legislation in Britain and Canada warns of what could be in store if that protection fails.
Netflix Says Algorithm Is Protected by First Amendment in 13 Reasons Why Suicide Lawsuit
Is a required content warning or algorithm change a violation of the First Amendment?
The Facebook Papers Are a Big Fat Nothingburger
The mainstream media's fear of Mark Zuckerberg is not supported by the documents.
Your Cell Phone Is Spying on You
An FBI document reminds us: Your cell phone provider knows where you've been—and will tell the feds.
Whistleblower Absurdly Attacks Facebook's Privacy-Protecting Encryption Efforts
When "protecting users' safety" actually means the opposite
Appeals Court Rules Social Media Companies Not Liable for Pulse Nightclub Shooter's Radicalization
"The plaintiffs failed to make out a plausible claim that the Pulse massacre was an act of 'international terrorism' as that term is defined in the ATA."
Restrictive Zoning Laws Worsened the Supply Chain Crisis
Plus: America's crackdown on Big Tech gives cover to Russia's crackdown on Big Tech, high inflation likely to continue into next year, and more...
How the Government Seized a Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album (and a DAO Bought It Back)
Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, formerly owned by Martin Shkreli, was auctioned off by the government and bought by the blockchain/art enthusiasts at PleasrDAO.
There Would Be a Lot More Good News if Government Would Get Out of the Way
"The quality of life we have even during COVID is so much higher than anything humanity experienced, and it's only going to get better."
Federal Regulators Greenlight Trading of Bitcoin-Linked Securities, Delighting Investors and Infuriating Cryptocurrency Critics
Plus: Cuba violates the rights of peaceful protesters, New Zealand leads the world in zoning reform, and more...
Social Media Isn't To Blame for the Deadly Stabbing of a British Member of Parliament
Attempts by British lawmakers to erase online anonymity would lead to radical speech being pushed underground.
The Biden White House Is Lying About the Democrats' Spending Bill
For Biden, "build back better’" apparently means eyes on everything in the economy.
Steven Pinker: Rationality Saves Lives
The Harvard linguist says Enlightenment reasoning is central to both material and moral progress.
The Last Duel Is More Than a Medieval #MeToo
Ridley Scott's jousting film is also a slyly subversive take on cultural perspectives.
Facebook's Blacklists Are Another Way To Constrain Competition
Upstart competitors can’t hope to match the resources required to compile a list of banned individuals and organizations.
Can Antibiotic Goop and an Army of Divers Save Florida's Ailing Coral Reefs?
How an innovative collaboration could help bring back America's only barrier reef from the brink of destruction.
Steven Pinker: Rationality Has Made Us Richer, Kinder, and More Free
The Harvard linguist says Enlightenment reasoning and critical thinking are behind massive increases in material and moral progress.
After Becoming the Oldest Man To Visit Space, William Shatner Makes an Emotional Case for Private Space Tourism
Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule carried the 90-year-old former Star Trek actor and three crewmembers 66 miles above the Earth's surface.
Facebook Welcomes Regulations, Specifically Those That Hurt Its Competition
Tech giants expressing openness to amending Section 230 are doing so out of naked self-interest, not the goodness of their hearts.
Ted Henken on How Internet Access Is Changing Cuba
"A key part of the control in Cuba is keeping people afraid, keeping them isolated from one another," says Henken. The internet has mitigated this.
The Government's Secret 'Google Search' Warrant Trap
With “keyword warrants,” anyone who queries certain terms on search engines will get caught in the surveillance dragnet.
The New York Times Spreads Misinformation About COVID-19
Patiently waiting for senators and whistleblowers to freak out over this
With Ports Clogged, Some Retailers Are Looking for Alternative Supply Chains
Plus: Columbus Day vs. Indigenous Peoples Day, the Biden administration prepares to regulate cryptocurrencies by executive fiat, and more...
Governments Want To Control Crypto So They Can Control Us
The push for central bank digital currencies is an assault on privacy and freedom.
Banks and Trade Groups Reject Saule Omarova, Biden's New Currency Comptroller Pick
Omarova's starry-eyed view of the Soviet Union and interest in giving far more power to the Federal Reserve should not inspire confidence.
The First Semiconductor Trade War
What Reagan's tariffs in the '80s can teach us about today's foreign-made semiconductors
Instagram's Effect on Teens Gives Congress the Latest Pretext To Put Tech on Trial
Plus: California can't limit private prisons, Yellen dismisses bank privacy concerns, and more...
AOC Uses Facebook Outage To Make the (Unrelated) Case for Antitrust
"Maybe one billionaire with a penchant for destroying democracies shouldn’t be allowed to own so much of the internet," says the representative from New York.
As Facebook Crumbles, the Case for Breaking It Up Is Weaker Than Ever
The site is clearly in trouble and the government doesn't need to step in.
FDA Vaccine Approval Delays Are Deadly
The vaccines seem to be working well, but the FDA isn't.
Richard Blumenthal Pressures Facebook To End Finsta, Has No Idea What That Is
"We don't actually do finsta," Antigone Davis, Facebook's head of security, explained.
Karla Vermeulen: Inside the Mind of 'Generation Disaster'
Young people who came of age after 9/11 aren't snowflakes despite being exposed to a series of catastrophic events and apocalyptic news narratives.
CNN Shuts Down Access to Facebook Pages in Australia After Court Ruling Holding Media Outlets Liable for Commenters
This is where government demands to moderate what users say will ultimately lead.
Report: Facebook, Twitter Still Not Responsible for Radicalizing People
Political polarization drives social media use, rather than the other way around.
People Have Been Panicking About New Media Since Before the Printing Press
Politicians and activists claim social media is turning us into zombies. But new technologies have been greeted with skepticism since the dawn of time.
The Texas Social Media Law Is Blatantly Unconstitutional
Government restrictions on private editorial discretion violate the First Amendment.
Everybody Is Wrong About Big Tech
Robby Soave doesn't like it when social media deplatforms users, but the far bigger threat comes from lawmakers on a mission.
ACLU Issues Weak Apology for Erasing 'Women' From RBG Abortion Quote
"It was a mistake among the digital team," says executive director Anthony Romero.
Viral Video of White Woman Allegedly Telling Black Couple To 'Stay in Your Hood' Was Recorded by a Known Fabulist
Emma Sarley's employer might come to regret instantly firing her.
Judge Explains First Amendment Basics to Wisconsin Sheriff Who Threatened Teen with Jail for Instagramming Her COVID Infection
No, law enforcement and school officials cannot order students to remove posts about exposure to the coronavirus.
China Expands Crypto Crackdown, Targeting Mining and Overseas Platforms
Though domestic crypto transactions were banned back in 2017, today's move signals that Chinese authorities are making good on their threats from earlier this year.
Regulators Threaten Coinbase and Cryptocurrency Innovation
Innovation should be more important than regulation.
Robby Soave: Today's Bipartisan Tech Panic Is Yesteryear's Freakout Over Video Games
The Reason senior editor argues that attempts to break up tech giants and rein in social media are based on flawed arguments.
