Technology

The Wikipedia War That Shows How Ugly This Election Will Be

An editing battle over Kamala Harris’s race is a sign of what’s to come.

The Return of Anonymous

The infamous hacker group reemerges from the shadows.

For Whom the Tok Tiks

TikTok could persist in many ways in America. None is good.

What a Doctor Learns From Watching You on Video Chat

Patients and doctors are rediscovering the unexpected virtues and hidden pitfalls of homebound care.

The End of the Fictional Cop

Television and film helped naturalize police violence. Noir offers a way out.

Facebook’s Looted-Artifact Problem

The Islamic State turned the social platform into a global marketplace for stolen relics—until a group of vigilante archaeologists took matters into their own hands.

Even Facebook Is Pining for the Internet It Destroyed

The tech giant’s new oddball social-media app is a testament to its power.

The Tech Companies Already Won

Antitrust could break up the big players. It wouldn’t change everyday life.

The Panopticon Is Already Here

Xi Jinping is using artificial intelligence to enhance his government’s totalitarian control—and he’s exporting this technology to regimes around the globe.

The End of Open-Plan Everything

Personal space is finally back in style, but re-creating it after two decades of its destruction is hardly a straightforward task.

So Much for the Decentralized Internet

A recent Twitter hack probably didn’t scare you. Here’s why it should.

The App of the Summer Is Just a Random-Number Generator

TikTok is on the chopping block. Instagram is pointless in lockdown. The best we can do is a hokey piece of software that takes us somewhere unexpected.

The Struggle for the Urban Soundscape

The quiet of lockdown and the noise of protest restage the political conflicts of sonic life in the city.

Facebook’s Pandemic Feuds Are Getting Ugly

Two North Carolina groups are locked in a battle full of name-calling, conspiracy theories, and morbid memes.

How a Fake Baby Is Born

For years, women on the internet have been writing conspiracy theories about celebrity pregnancies. What sparks them?

The Ripple Effects of a Space Skirmish

If a conflict breaks out between countries with weapons in orbit, it could threaten space access for everyone.

Defund Facial Recognition

I’m a second-generation Black activist, and I’m tired of being spied on by the police.

The Boogaloo Tipping Point

What happens when a meme becomes a terrorist movement?

Reddit Is Done Pretending The Donald Is Fine

The social platform just banned the president’s most notorious internet fan club, as part of a sitewide purge of forums that “promote hate.”

Twitter’s Least-Bad Option for Dealing With Donald Trump

Every plausible configuration of social media in 2020 is unpalatable.