The Antitrust Case Against Facebook Draws Blood
The latest ruling by a federal judge is a milestone for the effort to regulate Big Tech.
The Humanities Can't Save Big Tech From Itself
Hiring sociocultural workers to correct bias overlooks the limitations of these underappreciated fields.
It Doesn't Make Sense to Treat Facebook Like a Public Utility
It's an American solution to a global problem.
Facebook’s Data Center Plans Rile Residents in the Netherlands
The country has become a magnet for Big Tech facilities, but locals say they will syphon away all their green energy.
How to Delete Your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok
Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it's with one of those oh-so-clingy social networks. Harder yet when there's a deactivation period.
The Kid Surveillance Complex Locks Parents in a Trap
Minute-by-minute, footstep-by-footstep tracking of children is all too easy and enticing. But everyone's a prisoner in the parental panopticon.
I Thought Tech Would Take a Pandemic Hit. I Was Wrong
Plus: Digital forgetting, concerns over TikTok and China, and the prescience of king tides.
Meta Ousts 7 Surveillance-for-Hire Operations From Its Platforms
While NSO Group gets most of the attention, the takedowns underscore how insidious the industry has become.
Big Tech’s Flagships Are Leaking
Plus: The downfall of Yahoo and AOL, a look back at my career, and a concerning convergence in space.
How I Accidentally Hacked a Peruvian Crime Ring
I arrived in paradise. I got a new phone number. Then the eggplant and gun emojis starting pouring in.
Who’s Buying and Selling Artfully Folded Ham on Facebook?
The pandemic has spurred an explosion of home cooks selling dubiously-edible, but Instagram-friendly “graze boxes.”
Facebook Says Its New AI Can Identify More Problems Faster
The “Few-Shot Learner” system doesn’t need to see as many examples to identify troublesome posts, and it works in more than 100 languages.
Meta’s Biggest Encryption Mistake Is What It Promised
The company’s decision to delay the rollout makes sense—because its initial plan never did.
Meta’s Failed Giphy Deal Could End Big Tech’s Spending Spree
There was a time, not so long ago, when Meta’s big-money deal to acquire Giphy would have been waved through. No more.
Facebook Will Force More At-Risk Accounts to Use Two-Factor
The platform joins Google and others in requiring stronger protections for its most vulnerable users.
Whistleblower Frances Haugen Still Believes in Silicon Valley
The face behind the Facebook papers tells how she became Mark Zuckerberg’s nightmare—and thinks people can still make a positive impact at the company.
TikTok’s Next Big Move? To Become Facebook
ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok and Douyin, has global ambitions to challenge Meta’s universe.
How Facebook Could Break Free From the Engagement Trap
Jeff Allen, cofounder of the Integrity Institute and a former data scientist at Facebook, says social media companies need missions beyond "giving everyone a voice."
Facebook Reaches for More Realistic VR With Haptic Gloves
The company has unveiled a new prototype wearable that mimics the feeling of handling real objects in the virtual world.
The Man, the Myth, and the Metaverse
Mark Zuckerberg wants you to believe his metaverse is the final frontier. The misconception comes with over a century of warnings.
‘AR Is Where the Real Metaverse Is Going to Happen’
Facebook might aim to build an all-immersive digital matrix, but Niantic CEO John Hanke tells us that what he plans to do is take reality—and make it better.
The Metaverse Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Mobile Do-Over
Plus: Facebook’s Home flop, the trouble with Covid answers, and good and bad news from Gaia.
The Metaverse Is Simply Big Tech, but Bigger
It’s a rebrand of Silicon Valley's increasing power and reach. And it’s made for companies, not people.
The Facebook Papers Must Be Shared With Outlets Globally
The news consortium exposing the company's worldwide abuses hasn’t included the journalists best equipped to report on them—those in the global south.