Both. Yes, authoritarians have co-opted tech. But the story is far from over.
Author: Zeynep Tufekci
All I Ever Wanted Was a One-Trick Pony
Our devices do way too much—and not always on our behalf.
Altruism Still Fuels the Web. Businesses Love to Exploit It
How open source projects reveal technology's free rider problem.
The Internet Has Made Dupes—and Cynics—of Us All
The typical response to the onslaught of falsehood is to say, lol, nothing matters. But when…
We Are Tenants on Our Own Devices
It's time to assert our sovereignty over our own stuff.
How Recommendation Algorithms Run the World
Companies use recommendation engines to tell you what to buy, read, and watch. But those algorithms…
Machines Shouldn’t Have to Spy On Us to Learn
We need a breakthrough that allows us to reap the benefits of AI without savaging data…
The Imperfect Truth About Finding Facts in a World of Fakes
It used to make sense to believe something until it was debunked; now, it makes sense…
Shouldn’t We All Have Seamless Micropayments By Now?
The web’s founders fully expected some form of digital payment to be integral to its functioning.…
Yes, Big Platforms Could Change Their Business Models
The ad-driven, surveillance-happy status quo isn't just corrosive. It's avoidable.