The Risks of Public Data
A desire for convenience and openness has left local and state public records easily available for mining, combining, and abuse.
Category: Government
Surveillance and the Limits of Law
Section 215 of the Patriot Act is set to sunset. New legislation would kill it entirely. But how much do intelligence agencies follow the law anyway?
WeChat: From Medium to Mediator
China’s omnipresent app regulates much of society. Will it be a blueprint or cautionary tale?
Cryptocurrency Helps the Poor? Don’t Bank on It
Despite marketing spin, Facebook’s Libra, like any cryptocurrency, would have done nothing to address poverty.
Print Preview: Issue #4 | Fall 2019
Our fourth print issue—covering issues of identity, censorship, Internet infrastructure and more—is about to ship nationally.
Podcast #34: Ben Green on Smart Enough Cities
Data technology researcher and author Ben Green punctures the myth of the smart city.
Talking Trash: Recycling Inches Up, But Problems Remain
With the changes in consumed materials, recycling is running into problems; meanwhile, plastic and overall waste climb.
Natural Birth: The Long Struggle of Dr. Ágnes Geréb
In the final piece in a series on birth and technology, David Reynolds shares the history of Hungary’s tireless natural childbirth advocate.
Podcast #22: Ryan Calo on Technology and the Law
Legal theorist Ryan Calo explores how the law is (or isn’t) evolving in response to technological quandaries like robotics and digital surveillance.
Podcast #21: Betsy Brunner on Circumventing Censorship
Betsy Brunner of Idaho State examines social media and social movements, particularly in China, where she’s looked at the creative ways people get around the limits of surveillance and censorship.