As former head of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection, David Vladeck had a front-row seat at some of the landmark lawsuits against Big Tech. He’s in a great position to explain why it’s so hard for the U.S. government — any government — to balance Big Tech’s power. “It’s [Keep reading]
If Big Tech is “Too Big to Sue” — tech firms can do whatever the Hell they want without fear of legal repercussions — how do we fix that? Haven’t we tried already? Today Duke University released part two of our docu-podcast, “Defending Democracy (and us) from Big Tech.” This [Keep reading]
Image courtesy https://www.top10vpn.com There are many tech angles to the war in Ukraine. Many threats that have until now been theoretical – like creation of a “Ru-net” as an alternative to the Internet – are becoming a reality. Tech firms are making very hard decisions. Is it better to cut [Keep reading]
As war rages in Ukraine, big technology companies are struggling to keep up. Thousands of small decisions are being made at breakneck speed. Think, for just a moment, about the overwhelming task of sifting through propaganda-spewing social media accounts. Make yourself a tech exec right now. What’s free speech? What’s [Keep reading]
There is a historic tendency for tech enthusiasts to overstate the importance of the latest digital wizardry during major global conflicts. Remember Iran’s “Twitter Revolution?” That’s not to ignore tech’s impact. Scholars will debate the role of disinformation during our time for decades. I find Carole Cadwaller’s discussion of the [Keep reading]
After years of fighting to beat back identity thieves, last November, the IRS launched a new authentication system the agency hoped would start to turn the tide. The tool was designed for a limited set of taxpayers — those who wanted to access past tax returns online, or get access [Keep reading]
Hate pop-ups that interrupt your web browsing — and probably come with consequences you don’t fully understand? Well, there’s hope. When Europe passed its ambitious law designed to protect consumer privacy, known as GDPR, many Internet users noticed only one impact — annoying pop-ups jammed with mini-privacy policies. To any [Keep reading]
Ever sit in a coffee shop, staring idly into space, when you get the weird sensation that someone is staring at you? How did you know? What a strange skill to have. Our innate desire for privacy is indeed powerful. It’s also primal. Privacy is a human right, at least [Keep reading]
I’ve been thinking a lot about distraction lately. We are all living lives of grand distractions these days, with one eye over our shoulder keeping track of Covid and its consequences. The constant drumbeat of cases and science and conspiracy and bickering never ends. If you are lucky enough that [Keep reading]
Day after day, week after week, month after month, the strangers came knocking and asked one question: Where’s my puppy? Rochelle Dallons couldn’t help them. She had recently purchased her dream home, in charming Leesburg, Virginia, outside Washington D.C. But criminals took a liking to her home address — the [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan