Cambridge Analytica Was Doing Marketing, Not Black Magic
There's no reason for alarm (yet) over a Facebook data "breach" that benefited a firm with ties to Trump's campaign.
Social Media
5 Reasons Not to Feed the Russian Troll Hysteria
"If voters are making [stupid] decisions," says Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, "that's not the Russians' fault."
Facebook Bans Nationalist Anti-Muslim Group Britain First
"We do not do this lightly, but they have repeatedly posted content designed to incite animosity and hatred against minority groups."
Judge Tells Trump to Pretend to Listen to Twitter Haters
A lawsuit leads to a suggestion that the president engage in a kinder, gentler ignoring.
A Jailed Model Claims to Have Evidence of Russian Meddling in U.S. Elections. Her Story Is Even Weirder Than You Think.
Rybka has spent the past several years as a protegee of pickup artist and seduction coach Alex Lesley-and picked up a plausible claim to 2016 election dirt along the way.
Stone Age Statue Was Too Racy for Facebook
How can a company be expected to arbitrate "fake news" when it can't even tell ancient artifacts from porn?
House Passes 'Anti Sex-Trafficking' Bill Opposed by Both DOJ and Trafficking Survivors
The bill makes "promoting prostitution" a federal crime, holds websites legally liable for user-posted content, and lets states retroactively prosecute offenders.
'Crisis Actors,' Conspiracy Theories, and the Fear of Social Media
Yes, kooky rumors can spread quickly online. In this case, the angry reactions to those rumors may be spreading even faster.
Don't Feed the Russian Troll Hysteria
The "information warfare" described in Friday's indictment is not an existential threat to American democracy.
Feds Announce Indictments of Russian Nationals for Attempting to Influence American Elections
Thirteen individuals and three companies accused of conspiracy against the U.S., wire fraud, and identity theft.
No, Russians Bots Aren't Responsible for #ReleaseTheMemo
But partisan Democrats tried to use a fake news scare to quash it anyway.
Tomi Lahren Thinks Tons of Teens Really Are Eating Tide Pods, Blames Liberals
Parents aren't neglecting to keep their kids safe from laundry detergent. If anything, teens are overprotected.
Dianne Feinstein Ignores GOP Lawmakers, Blames #ReleaseTheMemo on Russians and Social Media Instead
Any excuse to try to censor the internet
Regulations Prevent Some People from Using Google Arts & Culture's Portrait-Matching Feature
Illinois and Texas think biometric identifiers are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Government Will Protect Us From Bad Speech? That's the Fakest News of All.
When government officials suppress critics, they do so only to help themselves.
Your Social Media Post Does Not Have To Be Socially Useful
Critics of free speech use the same old arguments on new technologies.
Playboy Sues Boing Boing Over Link to Playboy Centerfolds
Boing Boing has filed a motion to dismiss.
Breaking News Before Local Cops Do Lands Laredo Vlogger With Felony Charges
Sharing arrest and accident info on Facebook before cops can tell "official" media is not OK, say Laredo police-and nevermind that one of their own was the source.
Government Is the Cause of—Not the Solution to—Online Censorship
As people worry about the net neutrality vote, public officials threaten our rights to free speech.
Posting or Hosting Sex Ads Could Mean 25 Years in Federal Prison Under New Republican Proposal
A related measure would open digital platforms to liability for past crimes committed by users.
You Don't Lose Your Right to Anonymity Just Because You Lost a Lawsuit
An appeals court defends anonymous speech.
Cops Brag That They Bullied a Woman Out of Town After a Neighbor Said She Sells Sex
An investigation would've taken months, so Larksville Police decided to skip that part.
Markets Deliver Social Justice Better Than Government Does
Elizabeth Nolan Brown argues in The New York Times that we can thank "feminism, but also free markets" for the ongoing purge of predatory men.
Twitter Cracking Down on Promoting Violence—With a Major Exception
The government is regularly excluded when we use the word "violence."
Government Protection From Russian Misinformation Would Be 'Cure' Far Worse Than Disease
Information-and, yes, misinformation-flows more easily and cheaply than ever, making access nearly universal. That's a good thing.
Sen. Feinstein's Threat to 'Do Something' to Social Media Companies Is a Bigger Danger to Democracy Than Russia
Do not ignore the self-interest of elected officials in controlling online political messaging.
The Never-Ending Search for Foreign Subversives
Stop scapegoating Russia for America's divisions—and stop using Moscow as an excuse to call for restrictions on speech.
Social Media Executives Echo Politicians' Hysteria About 'Russian Disinformation'
If our democracy cannot survive another 43 hours of political videos on YouTube, it is already doomed.
Politicians—Unsurprisingly—Want to Regulate Political Ads on Facebook
Russian panic is the excuse to try to control online speech.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS Wants to Collect Social Media Handles and Other Info from Immigrants, Naturalized Citizens
Government's thirst to know more about you is unquenchable.
Feminist Group Loses Fight to Declare Yik Yak App a Civil-Rights Violation
Court rejects Title IX complaint against University of Mary Washington over failure to ban the social-media platform from its campus
Shove Your Manufactured 'Bodega' Vending Machine Outrage
The day everybody got angry at the equivalent of an upgraded hotel mini-bar
U.K. Expands Hate Crime Law Enforcement with Vague Online Crackdown
What exactly does it mean to treat 'online' crimes the same as those committed in person?
The First Amendment Protects Social-Media Speculation About Bear Killers
"Words must do more than offend, cause indignation, or anger" to be illegal, says judge in bear-hunter harassment case.
Move Over, Millennial 'Narcissists,' There's a New Generation for the Olds to Get Wrong
Techno-panic finds a new target in Jean Twenge's "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?"
Top U.K. Official: Give Up Your Tech Freedoms or the Terrorists Will Win
What happens when you think privacy and speech are just tools of the enemy
Ruling Against Facebook Ban Suggests Trump's Twitter Blocks Are Unconstitutional
A federal judge says personal pages used for public purposes implicate the First Amendment.
Social Media Users Encounter More, Not Less, Political Diversity
Our media consumption is increasingly personalized. But personalized does not mean isolated.
Getting to the Truth of the Link Between Porn and Rape
Studies showing an ostensible link between watching porn and committing rape are full of flaws.
Gawker Documentary Fails to Make Case for Publishing Sex Tape
Film favors martyrdom over careful analysis.
Theresa May's Call for Internet Censorship Isn't Limited to Fighting Terrorism
Using fear of terrorists to try to control what you can see online
The European Union Wants to Censor Hate Speech on Social Media
The rules would apply only to videos-for now.
Is Offering a "Pill Cosby" Cocktail an Artifact of "Rape Culture" or a Critique of it?
Washington, D.C. bar pulls drink named for TV star after "highly predictable outcry."
