Tech
Facebook Helped Fund David Brooks’s Second Job. Nobody Told The Readers Of The New York Times.
The New York Times columnist has been using his perch to promote the Weave Project — without disclosing his potential conflicts of interest to his readers.
Craig Silverman
Instagram Has Launched Live "Rooms"
The livestream feature has expanded from two to four people at once.
Katie Notopoulos
New York Times Columnist David Brooks Blogged For Facebook's Corporate Site
Brooks also appeared in a Facebook-produced video panel used to promote an NYU study of Facebook Groups funded by the social media giant.
Craig Silverman
Facebook Is Considering Facial Recognition For Its Upcoming Smart Glasses
Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth told employees that the company is evaluating the legal and privacy issues around facial recognition for its upcoming wearable gadget.
Ryan Mac
India Has Its Own Alternative To Twitter. It's Filled With Hate.
Embraced by India's right-wing government, Koo has given a platform to anti-Muslim hostility.
Pranav Dixit
"Mark Changed The Rules": How Facebook Went Easy On Alex Jones And Other Right-Wing Figures
Facebook’s rules to combat misinformation and hate speech are subject to the whims and political considerations of its CEO and his policy team leader.
Ryan Mac
Parler, A Social Media Platform That Stands For Free Speech, Temporarily Blocked Its Founder
“I know it’s a ban because I know how the architecture works. I can’t log in anymore.”
Ryan Mac
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Has Landed On Mars To Search For Signs Of Ancient Life
“Based on everything we know about Mars in the past, it absolutely should have been capable of supporting ancient life," one NASA scientist said.
Zahra Hirji
Here's How To Show You Are Medically Eligible For The COVID Vaccine
Fifteen states have opened up vaccinations to people with certain health conditions. Here's how you can prove you are eligible.
Caroline Haskins
A Clearview AI Patent Application Describes Facial Recognition For Dating, And Identifying Drug Users And Homeless People
A patent unveiled on Thursday describes several potential uses for Clearview AI, such as creating networks for people in industries like real estate or retail to “share headshots of high-risk individuals.”
Caroline Haskins
Twitter Says It Won’t Block Journalists, Activists, And Politicians In India To Protect Free Speech
Defying the Indian government could put Twitter officials in jail. But not doing so would mean enabling a crackdown against free speech.
Pranav Dixit
“The Tweets Must Continue To Flow,” Twitter Says Amid Standoff With India
The government has reportedly ordered the company to take down access to nearly 1,200 additional accounts.
Pranav Dixit
A Search For “Dog” On Instagram Surfaces An Emoji For A Chinese Takeout Box
“How are the emoji’s being recommended in this and can we remove this so this doesn’t perpetuate Asian racial stereotypes?”
Ryan Mac
Parler Wanted Donald Trump On Its Site. Trump’s Company Wanted A Stake.
Documents seen by BuzzFeed News show that Parler offered Trump 40% of the company if he posted exclusively to the platform. The deal was never finalized.
Ryan Mac
Google And Apple Have Caved To Pakistani Pressure To Take Down Apps Made By This Persecuted Religious Minority
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has used anti-blasphemy rules to target members of the Ahmadiyya community.
Megha Rajagopalan
Twitter Unblocked Accounts That Criticized India’s Government. Now, Its Employees Are Being Threatened With Jail Time Unless It Blocks Them Again.
The social media company is refusing an order to take down accounts the government wants gone.
Pranav Dixit
Mexican Influencers Are Getting Called Out For Promoting Abuse. Has the Country’s #MeToo Movement Finally Turned a Corner?
Some of Mexico's most popular influencers are being accused of sexual assault — but many of the women who speak out are getting victim-blamed.
Karla Zabludovsky
After Defending Its Low-Cost Internet Offering, Comcast Agrees To Increase Speeds
The company faced criticism from families who said its low-cost internet plan was too slow for online learning.
Caroline O'Donovan
After Fueling A Genocide, Facebook Is Taking A Stand Against A Myanmar Coup
In an internal post, the company outlined how it will try to protect people opposing Myanmar’s military coup.
Tasneem Nashrulla
After 27 Years, Jeff Bezos Will Step Down As CEO Of Amazon
He will be replaced by Andy Jassy, who is currently CEO of Amazon Web Services.
Caroline Haskins
The Government Wants To Protect Troops From Microwave Weapons, Which Trump Officials Considered Using On Immigrants
A December request for contract proposals calls microwave weapons “a growing threat on the battlefield.”
Dan Vergano
Yes, This PE Teacher Really Danced Through The Coup In Myanmar
The viral video looked too absurd to be real, but online sleuths were able to quickly verify its location.
Jane Lytvynenko
Twitter Temporarily Blocked Accounts Critical Of The Indian Government
The government order to block included a movie star, a political commentator, and a prominent magazine. Their accounts have all been restored.
Pranav Dixit
For Black People Trying To Make It In Entertainment, Clubhouse Is The Place To Be
The audio-based app has become popular with the Black entertainment industry — for better and for worse.
Michael Blackmon
A Former Comcast Employee Explains Why Low-Income WiFi Packages Aren't Helping Students
A viral tweet by a former Comcast employee supports high school students’ claims that the company’s low-cost internet plan isn’t always fast enough for remote learning.
Caroline O'Donovan
Two Wall Street Firms Took Huge GameStop Losses After Admitting Defeat To Redditors
"We have been called boomers many times over the past week," said the head of one hedge fund.
Amber Jamieson
The Racist Guy Behind One Of The Most Influential Pro-Trump Twitter Accounts Was Arrested For Election Interference
Douglass Mackey, a white nationalist troll who ran a Trump-boosting Twitter account as “Ricky Vaughn,” is accused of using memes to spread misinformation and disenfranchise voters during the 2016 election.
Tasneem Nashrulla
An “Angry Mob” On Reddit Is Pushing Up GameStop's Stock Price And Pissing Off A Bunch Of Wall Street Firms
One financial industry expert told BuzzFeed News the redditors were engaged in a “coordinated attack.”
Amber Jamieson
Kellyanne Conway's Twitter Account Posted A Nude Photo Of Her Underage Daughter Claudia. Twitter Won't Say If It's Banning Her.
Local police are “looking into concerns” around the incident.
Caroline Haskins
Violent Protests Erupted In India. Then Calls For Police To Shoot The Protesters Went Viral On Twitter.
Twitter did not take “Shoot” off its trending topics for at least a couple of hours — after there was public outcry and after BuzzFeed News emailed asking for comment.
Pranav Dixit
