The Luddites' Veto
Beware of activists touting "responsible research and innovation." The sensible-sounding slogan masks a reactionary agenda.
Technology
TikTok and How Congress Treats Americans Like 'Unruly Children'
Plus: The editors puzzle over Donald Trump’s latest list describing his vision for America.
TikTok Admits It's as Clueless on Teens as the Rest of Us
A new 60-minute screen time warning on TikTok won’t stop kids from scrolling.
The SAFE TECH Act Is Anything but Safe
The latest bid to amend Section 230 would threaten free speech and creators' ability to monetize content while also subjecting tech companies to a flood of frivolous lawsuits.
The Government Is Subsidizing Microchip Firms—While Making It More Expensive To Produce Microchips
Politicians say they want to subsidize various industries, but they sabotage themselves by weighing the policies down with rules that have nothing to do with the plans.
Copyright Is the Latest Battle in the War Over A.I.
The U.S. Copyright Office determined that images produced by artificial intelligence cannot be copyrighted, even though they are generated by user-written prompts.
Any of These Supreme Courts Cases Could Crush the Internet
The Court’s decisions in Gonzalez and subsequent cases could lead to impossible, incompatible consequences.
Social Media Making Kids Depressed? Send Them Outside To Play
When society criminalizes outdoor independence, it makes smart phone addiction more likely.
The FDA Will Let the Soy Boys Have Their Milk
Plus: Google blocks news to Canadian users in advance of pending media law, Arizona considers zoning reform bill, and more...
The Answer to Population Decline Is More Immigration
Politicians' go-to fixes like child tax credits and federal paid leave are known for creating disincentives to work without much impact on fertility.
Did Biden Just Commit America to Another Forever War in Ukraine?
Plus: the editors field a listener question on intellectual property.
Google Supreme Court Case Tests Whether Tech Firms Are Liable for User Content
Section 230 helped the internet flourish. Now its scope is under scrutiny.
District Court Halts New York Law Forcing Online Platforms To 'Respond' to 'Hateful' Speech
"Today's decision is a victory for the First Amendment that should be celebrated by everyone who hopes to see the internet continue as a place where even difficult and contentious issues can be debated and discussed freely," said one attorney.
Section 230 and the Curse of Politics
Gonzalez v. Google presents the Supreme Court’s first opportunity to weigh in on Section 230.
Dave Cicirelli: Does Selfie Culture Destroy Real Individualism?
The "interactive artist" inspired by Jack Kirby and Barry Goldwater challenges social media and intellectual conformity.
Lawmakers Use Kid Safety as Excuse To Violate Adults' Rights
Plus: New York "hate speech" law is likely unconstitutional, FTC Commissioner quits because of chair Lina Khan's antics, and more...
Sex, Lies, and Social Media
Artist Dave Cicirelli challenges his audience to create meaning.
Can the Feds Prosecute Douglass Mackey for His Twitter Trolling?
Because of a series of misleading memes, a troll has been charged with conspiracy "to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate one or more persons in the free exercise and enjoyment of a right and privilege secured to them by the Constitution and laws of the United States."
Biden's Foolish Rush To Regulate How Kids Use Tech
Instead of empowering the government to intervene, we should look more holistically at the experience of young people online.
House Oversight Committee Is Fighting Twitter Censorship the Wrong Way
Congress should set its sights on bad government actors who pressured social media companies.
The FTC's Antitrust Radicals Are Rebuked Again in Federal Court
The FTC is trying to seize new powers to regulate the economy.
Marc Andreessen: What the World Needs Most Is More Elon Musks
The Netscape co-founder and legendary venture capitalist talks about the future, innovation, and your next beach read.
A New Federal Bill Could Require You To Show Facebook and Twitter Your Government ID
The age verification proposal is a disaster for both children and adults.
5 Technologies That 5 Billion Will Use by 2050
Possibly changing the way we live just as profoundly as the internet did.
Don't Expect Government To Save You From the Terminator
As artificial intelligence advances, how worried should we be about the rise of the machines?
More Cracks in the FTC's Aggressive Antitrust Plans, as Court Refuses To Ban Meta From Buying V.R. Fitness App
Plus: Trump teases new avenues of authoritarianism, interest rates raised again, and more...
Utah Lawmakers Want To Give Parents Access to Their Kids' Social Media Accounts
Plus: Sex workers in popular media, stadium subsidies still don't work, and more...
Twitter Files: Employees Knew the Media's Favorite Russian Bots List Was Fake
"I think we need to just call this out on the bullshit it is."
That Time We Tried To Make Sense of a Statistic in a New York Times Story on Deepfakes
Deepfakes aren't nearly as dangerous as the tried-and-true technique of saying something misleading with the imprimatur of authority.
TikTok Is Not a National Security Threat
Bipartisan efforts to ban the app in America would be a great blow to our economy and our liberty.
Today's Tech Giants Show That Market Dominance Is Transitory
Market forces have historically disrupted the tech sector and will continue to do so.
DOJ Antitrust Suit Seeks To End Google Ad Dominance. The Market Is Already Taking Care of That.
Plus: Journalism versus qualified immunity, Mississippi bill would end civil asset forfeiture, and more...
If We Can't Abolish the No-Fly List, Can We at Least Keep It Safe?
Reviewing and improving the federal government’s data security and digital defenses should be a priority.
ChatGPT Isn't Coming for Your Job (Yet)
Content-generating A.I. will probably enhance human labor rather than make it obsolete.
Don't Let Disney Monopolize A.I.-Generated Art
The indie artists suing Stable Diffusion may not realize it, but they're doing the Mouse's dirty work.
Inside the CDC's Campaign To Police COVID Speech
Plus: FOSTA in court, challenges to Illinois' assault weapon ban, and more...
Mark P. Mills: Get Ready for the Roaring 2020s!
Pessimism is everywhere, but the author of The Cloud Revolution says we're entering a golden age of abundant, ubiquitous, and liberating technology.
Appeals Court Panel Seems Skeptical That FOSTA Doesn't Violate the First Amendment
The 2018 law criminalizes websites that "promote or facilitate" prostitution. Two of three judges on the panel pushed back against government claims that this doesn't criminalize speech.
FEC Finds Google Isn't Deliberately Biased Against Republicans
Plus: DEI trainings don't work, a case for compensating organ donors, and more...
Britain Wants To Jail Social Media Managers Who Don't Censor to the Government's Liking
Tech firm operators may face criminal charges if children who use their platforms encounter too much “harmful content.”
Google's Brief to the Supreme Court Explains Why We Need Section 230
There's a good reason why algorithms are still protected by Section 230.
Review: Time Meddling Becomes Altruism in Amazon's The Peripheral
It's the story of a distant future where rich denizens meddle in the affairs of the past.
Will We Get Private Flying Cars Before the Pentagon Manages To Get This New Jet Off the Ground?
A Swedish company will soon be delivering electric single-person aircraft that can take off and land vertically, which the F-35B struggles with despite billions in funding.
Seattle School District Sues Google, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok for Causing Teen 'Mental Health Crisis'
It's hard to believe its arguments will hold up in court.
China Is Scaling Back Its Failed Semiconductor Industrial Policies. America Should Do the Same.
The warning signs are flashing "don't be like China."
House Republicans To Probe White House Pressure on Social Media Companies
Plus: House votes to rescind IRS funding, the FDA is putting unnecessary strings on pharmacies filling abortion pill prescriptions, and more...
Did 'Every Conspiracy Theory' About Twitter Turn Out To Be True?
The internal company documents offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the federal agencies distorted the public debate on one of the world's largest social media platforms.
