Algorithms
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.
California Wants To Punish Social Platforms for Aiding and Abetting the First Amendment
Another entry into the "algorithms are magic" school of imposing liability on tech companies.
California Is Advancing a Bill To Punish Social Media Companies for Not Suppressing Speech
Senate Bill 771 would fine platforms up to $1 million if their algorithms relay hate speech to users.
'Subway Surfing' Death Suit Against TikTok, Meta Further Chips Away at Section 230
Norma Nazario blames her son's death on social media algorithms.
Texas Revs the Growth Machine
Plus: The near death of starter-home reform in Texas, Colorado's pending ban on rent-recommendation software, and a very Catholic story of eminent domain abuse.
Will AI Kill Our Freedom To Think?
Algorithmic systems increasingly shape what we know, see, and question. To preserve free inquiry, we need transparency, competition, and a commitment to timeless principles of open debate.
Life, Liberty, and the Right To Shitpost
Generative AI is a powerful tool for creativity and speech. Efforts to censor, regulate, and control it threaten America's tradition of open discourse.
"Regulation of Algorithms" Panel at Federalist Society Faculty Conference,
featuring Prof. Saurabh Vishnubhakat (Yeshiva), Profs. Gregory Dickinson (Nebraska), Prof. Christina Mulligan (Brooklyn), Dhruva Krishna (Kirkland & Ellis), and me.
Stop Overprotecting the Children, Say Courts in Tennessee and California
Courts block laws regulating algorithms and online porn.
RealPage Conspiracy Theories
The media, state attorneys general, and the Biden administration are blaming rent-recommendation software for rising rents. Normal stories of supply and demand are the more reasonable explanation.
Algorithm Not for Sale
Plus: Kamala Harris' abortion clinic visit, Karl Marx's hypocrisy, CDC data struggles, and more...
YouTube Algorithm Steers People Away From Radical Content
Another blow to the idea that algorithms are driving our political dysfunction.
Lawmakers Want Pause on Federal Funds for Predictive Policing
The dangers inherent in targeting criminals-to-be have yet to be addressed.
Filterworld Is a Confused Critique of Algorithms
It's Super Size Me for internet intellectuals.
Do Social Media Algorithms Polarize Us? Maybe Not.
A series of studies suggest it's not algorithms that are driving political polarization, ignorance, or toxicity online.
Studies Keep Finding That Social Media Algorithms Don't Increase Polarization. Why Is the Press So Skeptical?
New research on Facebook before the 2020 election finds scant evidence to suggest algorithms are shifting our political views.
Child Welfare Algorithm May Unfairly Target Disabled Parents, Complaints to DOJ Allege
"When you have technology designed by humans, the bias is going to show up in the algorithms," said one former child welfare worker.
The Hazards of Holding YouTube Liable for Promoting Terrorism
A Supreme Court case illustrates the potential costs of making it easier to sue social media platforms over user-generated 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.
YouTube Algorithms Don't Turn Unsuspecting Masses Into Extremists, New Study Suggests
A new study casts doubt on the most prominent theories about extremism-by-algorithm.
Elon Musk Buys Twitter, Twitter's Biggest Egos Melt Down
The SpaceX/Tesla founder and billionaire has articulated lofty free speech ideals. Can he make them reality?
Let's Not Have a Bunch of Posturing Politicians Decide How Online Algorithms Should Work
The latest bill to “fight big tech” could turn your online experience into a miserable slog.
Elizabeth Warren Demands That Amazon Crack Down on COVID Misinformation
Amazon's customers are apparently unable to judge the veracity of COVID-related information for themselves.
What Should We Do If YouTube Censors on Behalf of the Chinese Communist Party?
Technological—not political—solutions will secure true freedom of speech online
6 Terrible New Tech Bills in Congress
While expressing concern for free speech and privacy, lawmakers are seriously threatening both.
New Chinese App Lets Users ID Debtors Lurking Nearby
How would you like it if nearby strangers could instantly access your credit score on their phones?
Trump Says His Crummy Google Results May Be a Crime: Reason Roundup
Plus: "Sheriff Joe" Arpaio faces voters again, states go after sexual-assault NDAs, and Louisiana florists fight licensing exams.