Zoom Is Keeping Pandemic-Stricken America Connected. Cue Congress's Tech Panic.
Plus: Court upholds Texas abortion ban, Americans say they're choosing to stay at home, a doctor's view on hydroxychloroquine, and more...
Technology policy
The EARN IT Act Is the New FOSTA
The new bill takes aim at internet freedom and privacy under the pretense of saving kids.
Senators Push Sneaky Anti-Privacy Bill
The EARN IT is an attack on encryption masquerading as a blow against underage porn.
Newspaper Lobbyists and Encryption Foes Join the Chorus Against Section 230
How the press learned to stop worrying and love censorship.
Elizabeth Warren Absolutely Wants the Government To Punish Facebook for Spreading Disinformation
"We need to stop this generation of big tech companies from profiting off of lies to the American people," the candidate told PEN America.
Feds Ground 800 Drones Over Fears About Chinese-Made Tech
But without specifying an actual cybersecurity risk, the policy comes off looking like a wasteful protectionist maneuver that will likely put human pilots back in riskier situations.
Trump and Comey Are United Against Encrypted Communications
Don’t worry—America’s ruling factions still disagree over who should be in charge of the snooping.
Massachusetts Police Test Out Robot Dogs. Is Dystopia on Its Way?
Don’t be afraid of the robopups, but make sure we leash law enforcement to keep officers from misusing them.
How Can Our Dumb Infrastructure Accommodate Smart Cars?
We’re going to need a lot more sensing equipment—and fast. Here’s how to do it.
Regulators on Both the Right and Left Are Wrong About Big Tech
People need to stop blaming their problems on Facebook and Twitter.
Aaron Sorkin, Mark Zuckerberg Feud Over Political Ads. Here's Why Sorkin's Wrong.
Plus: The ACLU sues the FBI, divorce rates are at 40-year low, and more...
'Data Portability' Bill Would Risk User Privacy and Crush Social Media Startups
Plus: Court says scraping social media profiles is not hacking, and more...
The Big Tech Boogeyman Took Another Unfair Beating in the Democratic Debate
"I’m not willing to give up and let a handful of monopolistic companies dominate our democracy," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Should the Government Regulate Deepfakes? We Asked People on Venice Beach
Deepfakes don't pose a novel threat, and they have many exciting applications that would be stymied by legal restrictions.
Should You Be Able To Leave Facebook With All of Your Connections?
When online privacy faces off against portability
Josh Hawley Says Libertarians Who Defend Tech Are Enamored with Power. He Should Look in the Mirror.
The populist senator's campaign against social media addiction is unscientific and anti-freedom.
6 Terrible New Tech Bills in Congress
While expressing concern for free speech and privacy, lawmakers are seriously threatening both.
Free Speech on the Internet Continues to Confuse Everyone
Plus: 8chan called before Congress, data privacy bill hits a snag, 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.
Outraged Politicians and Official Statistics Miss the Benefits of Tech
Many innovations' benefits aren't captured by the GDP.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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?
Now Microsoft Supports an American GDPR. Which Tech Giant Wouldn't?
Government-mandated privacy regulations will allow the most powerful companies to game it to their advantage.
Internet Censorship Is Only for the Little People, French Edition
Censorship continues to be about empowering those in charge.
The EU's Ironic Dependence on Big Tech
Europeans want the best of America's online services, even as the government keeps soaking them for billions.
Facebook Had Every Right to Reject Elizabeth Warren's Crappy Ad
Nobody in the media should be supporting an elected official trying to control what speech online platforms allow.
Elizabeth Warren Wants to Make Your Life More Annoying and More Expensive
The Massachusetts Democrat is running for president, but sometimes it seems like she's running for America's super-CEO.
4 Cases That Show the Scope of Services, Speech, and Conduct Protected by Section 230
Gun buyers, gay lovers, cannabis customers, and Yelp users are just a few of the groups that benefit from this federal law.
Donald Trump Wants to Choke Chinese Tech Growth. An Import Ban Could Do the Opposite.
Attempts to control how artificial intelligence develops and is used could backfire.
Sundar Pichai: Google Supports an American Data Privacy Law
The tech giant actually stands to gain by legally hamstringing competition with tough regulations.
Australians Should Defy Their Government's Poorly Considered Surveillance State
Australians who want to protect their data from surveillance now need to turn to extra-legal means.
New York City Wants to Make It Illegal to Send a Sexy Pic Without Affirmative Consent
It's been dubbed "NYC's Anti-Airdrop Dick Pic Law," but the bill is much broader than that.
Expect More Conservative Purges on Social Media If Republicans Target Section 230
Killing Section 230 would only lead web platforms to ban even more speech.
Facebook and Big Tech Discover That Political Friends Are Fickle Friends
As Facebook's supposed ideological allies unfriend the social media giant, the tech industry is learning that there are no permanent allegiances in politics.
Laws That Are 'Impossible' to Follow Can Still Be Constitutional, Says California Court
Just because you cannot comply doesn't mean the law cannot exist.
Europe's New Data Privacy Rules Will Make Facebook and Google More Powerful
The EU's GDPR should serve as a cautionary tale for Americans eager to reign in tech titans
Supreme Court Lets Stand 7th Circuit Victory for Rights of Rideshare Customers and Drivers
By declining to take up the case Illinois Transportation Trade Association v. Chicago, the Supreme Court allows customers of Uber, Lyft, and similar e-hailing services to breathe easier.
Why We Don't Need a Department of Technology Policy
Let's focus on overturning existing government policies that undermine security.
How the IRS Could Cripple Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency startup Coinbase has been scrupulously compliant with government demands, until the IRS asked for millions of innocent customers' records.
A Tech Agenda for the Trump Administration
How Donald Trump can make America innovate again
Yelp Refuses to Remove Reviews Ruled Defamatory—With Good Reason. Will California Supreme Court Agree?
The precedent-setting case could have major implications for all sorts of online publishers.
Most Scientific Findings Are Wrong or Useless
"Science isn't self-correcting, it's self-destructing."
Most Research Results Are Wrong or Useless: New at Reason
"Science, the pride of modernity, our one source of objective knowledge, is in deep trouble."