6 Terrible New Tech Bills in Congress
While expressing concern for free speech and privacy, lawmakers are seriously threatening both.
Technology
Free Speech on the Internet Continues to Confuse Everyone
Plus: 8chan called before Congress, data privacy bill hits a snag, and more...
How Libertarians Should Respond to Mass Shootings
Plus: the budget deal, GOP retirements, and the latest front in the trade war.
Cloudflare, Not the Government, Should Decide Whether It Wants to Do Business with 8chan
Companies should forced neither to help spread offensive speech nor to suppress it.
A New Front in Trump's War on Amazon
Plus: Thousands of troops leaving Afghanistan, TV networks sue streaming site Locust, Gabbard calls Harris response "pathetic," and more...
Josh Hawley: What Has Technology Done for Us Lately?
The senator leading an anti-tech crusade in Congress is being willfully ignorant of all the ways technology has improved humanity in recent decades.
Josh Hawley Wants to Ban YouTube's Autoplay Feature in the Name of Fighting Social Media Addiction
The Missouri senator thinks wasting time on Instagram is a problem so big that only the federal government can solve it.
Cops Can't Take a Joke? The First Amendment Doesn't Care
Plus: Behind the bipartisan war on internet speech, New York "decriminalizes" pot (but you'll still get fined), and more...
Section 230 Is the Internet's First Amendment. Now Both Republicans and Democrats Want To Take It Away.
From Josh Hawley to Kamala Harris, online free speech is under attack.
Tulsi Gabbard's $50 Million Lawsuit Against Google Is Another Attack on Online Free Speech
The presidential hopeful alleges the company violated her First Amendment rights when it suspended her campaign advertising site for 6 hours.
The Justice Department's 'Big Tech' Antitrust Investigation Is Unnecessary Political Theater
Both Democrats and Republicans are cheerleading for government action against Facebook, Google, Amazon, and the rest, but Americans should be skeptical.
The Erica Thomas Incident Wasn't National News, But That Never Stops Our Outrage-Hungry Media
A trivial encounter between two irate grocery shoppers becomes a viral story, then a hate hoax.
Outraged Politicians and Official Statistics Miss the Benefits of Tech
Many innovations' benefits aren't captured by the GDP.
San Francisco Has Ditched Its Dumb 'IPO Tax' (For Now)
The tax was actually on much more than initial public offerings of stocks, and likely would have driven the next generation of startups to locate somewhere else.
Corey Atchison Freed After Serving 28 Years for a Murder He Didn't Commit
His case reminds us that the misuse of government power is still the biggest threat to liberty.
Dennis Prager, Who Boasts 1 Billion Video Views a Year, Decries YouTube 'Censorship'
The pundit made the claim at a Senate hearing on allegations of tech censorship against conservatives.
The Folly of Government-Imposed Social Media 'Neutrality'
Trump supports a bill that would encourage censorship in the name of free speech.
Before Bashing Big Tech, Politicians Should Visit an Apple Store
One of the best ways to succeed long-term in capitalism is by treating customers well rather than ripping them off. That's something you won't hear Democrats or Republicans admit these days.
Humans Are Building Better Versions of Themselves
From insulin to prosthetics, technology makes this the best moment yet to be living with a disability.
Donald Trump Doesn't Think 'the Mainstream Media Is Free Speech'
At his social media summit on Thursday, the president ranted incoherently about the media's "crooked," "dishonest," and "dangerous" speech.
Trump Is Hosting a Very Weird Social Media Summit at the White House
Plus: Air-launched rockets, the GOP becomes the party of Trump, and Pelosi feuds with AOC.
Google Told Employees to Delete Politically Incorrect Language From Code
"The cost of not doing this is the harm done to other Googlers every time they encounter these terms," says the company's diversity and inclusion team.
Trump To Convene 'Social Media Summit' Over Accusations of Anti-Conservative Bias
The president invited Republican lawmakers as well as social media stars who claim that tech giants are suppressing free speech.
Two Lawsuits Argue That Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Blocking of Twitter Critics, Like Trump's, Violates the First Amendment
The New York congresswoman's use of Twitter seems similar to the president's in constitutionally relevant ways.
'Killer' Walkman, 'Insane' Bicycles, and Novels Will Rot Your Brain: Pessimist Archive's Jason Feifer on 'Why We Resist New Things'
Jason Feifer's podcast explores "why we resist new things" and tells great stories about panics over the novel, the elevator, the waltz, margarine, and more.
The Backlash Over The Little Mermaid Casting a Black Ariel Is Fake News
Few people who tweeted #NotMyAriel were actually upset about Halle Bailey portraying the mermaid princess.
2nd Circuit Agrees That Trump Cannot Constitutionally Block Critics on Twitter
The court says the "interactive space" created by his account is a public forum, meaning that the president's viewpoint discrimination violates the First Amendment.
An Iowa Man Wins His Free Speech Suit After Being Charged for a Facebook Rant Against a Cop
Jon Goldsmith was charged with third-degree harassment after calling Deputy Cory Dorsey a "stupid sum bitch" online.
Because Politicians Are for Sale, They Think Everyone Else Is Too
Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) has proposed a dreadful bill that would give the government control of internet content. He thinks the only reason anyone could be opposed is because they've been bought off.
The Sinister, Unconstitutional Effort to Ban Secure Encryption Is Back
It’s the ‘90s all over again, and the White House is in no mood to humor tech companies right now.
When the Government Says You're Fake News
Countries across the world tackle political misinformation with authoritarian censorship.
Ted Cruz Wants To Punish Google Because Execs Didn't Vote for Trump
Plus: a bipartisan batch of U.S. lawmakers proposes more plans to take over tech, San Francisco bans e-cigs, Tiffany Cabán wins Queens DA primary, and more...
A Social Media Platform Has Banned Support of Trump
It's Ravelry, and it's not just a "knitting site."
Incensed by Warrantless Border Searches of Americans' Tech Devices? These Senators Have the Cure.
Ron Wyden and Rand Paul team up to stop Border Patrol from snooping in your stuff without good reason.
Sen. Ron Wyden: Conservatives Are 'Totally Wrong' About Political Neutrality Under Section 230
"Section 230 has nothing to do with neutrality. Nothing. Zip. There is absolutely no weight to that argument," Wyden says. He oughta know. He wrote the damn thing.
That Story About Kids Growing Horns Because of Smartphones Is Fake News
Researchers made no effort to link the two.
How Europe Censors What Americans Say Online
Stanford Law professor and former Google attorney Daphne Keller says tech giants are facing pressure from governments worldwide to clamp down on content.
Almost No One Digs Josh Hawley's Internet Censorship Proposal, Thank Goodness
Plus: Immigration officials confirm Trump tweets about new raids, Elizabeth Warren talks sex work decriminalization, and more...
Josh Hawley Introduces Bill to Put Washington In Charge of Internet Speech
Hawley is selling it as a way to fight tech-company "bias" against Republicans. Don't believe him.
Can $1 Billion From Google Really Solve the Housing Crisis in the Bay Area?
The tech giant's plan to add 20,000 homes will require lots of government permission slips and other investors' money.
Let God Tweet
I shouted out, who killed online freedom of speech? When after all, it was you and me.
Muscular Content Moderation Is a Really Bad Idea That's Impossible To Implement Well
Be afraid as more journalists and politicians start calling for stronger policing of online speech.
Congress Wants to Help Broker a Better Tech Deal for Big Media
Plus: psychedelics research bill moves forward, big companies push back against abortion bans, and more...
Will Antitrust Action Against Big Tech Resolve Anything?
Being a big company is not a crime. What problem are we trying to fix?
Are Google and YouTube Evil? No, But Don't Let That Get in the Way of Your Feelings.
Despite scant evidence, everyone wants to believe that social media has a unique ability to control our thoughts and actions.
Trump's Mexican Standoff and the New Illiberal Right
When Tucker Carlson and Elizabeth Warren agree on trade, regulation, and social media, it's time to rethink a few things.
Don't Trust the FBI to Properly Use Its Massive Facial Recognition Database
You might consider buying a hat to cover your face—and hoping you’ll be allowed to wear it.
