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‘Every Day That I Don’t Get My TikTok Account Back Is An Opportunity That’s Lost’
I’m Maria, The Markup’s community and social media manager and occasional reporter. In this role, I often think about how social media giants could cut off our access to our audience from one day to the next. But what does this reality mean for people whose personal accounts...
Call for Pitches: Misinformation in Immigrant Communities
The Markup is seeking pitches for stories on how misinformation impacts immigrant communities, especially non-native English speakers, in the United States, as a part of our “Languages of Misinformation” series. We want pitches from people who are:. Already connected to an immigrant community experiencing misinformation. You may be...
A Death Sentence: Native Americans Shut Out of the Nation’s Liver Transplant System
Native Americans are far less likely than other racial groups to gain a spot on the national liver transplant list, despite having the highest rate of death from liver disease, according to an analysis of four years of transplant data by The Markup and The Washington Post. Compared with their...
How We Investigated Racial Disparities in Liver Transplants
Nearly 40 years ago, U.S. policymakers sought to bring order to the growing practice of organ transplantation, convening experts from around the country to weigh in on how to get donated organs to patients in need. The group insisted fairness was essential; the government should ensure organs be allocated equitably regardless of race, wealth, or ability to pay.
How AI Is Helping Us Learn About Birds
Hi everyone, Malena here—I’m an investigative reporter at The Markup, but I’m taking a break from my usual deep diving to talk about something a little more airy and light: birds!. More specifically, I’ve become interested in how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world of ornithology....
Los Angeles Becomes First US City to Outlaw Digital Discrimination
Last week, the city council in Los Angeles, Calif. passed a motion banning “digital discrimination,” which is when internet service providers (ISPs) inequitably deploy high-speed internet connections or disproportionately withhold the best deals for their services from racially or socio-economically marginalized neighborhoods. The legislation, authored by Councilmember Marqueece...
Overwhelmed by Digital Privacy? Reset with These Practical Tips
If thinking about protecting your privacy online makes you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or resigned, you aren’t alone. Nearly 70 percent of Americans felt overwhelmed solely by the number of passwords they have to track, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey. Just over 60 percent aren’t sure that any steps they take when managing their privacy online make a difference, the same survey found.
Be Wary of Email (Like Our Readers)
The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. It’s somehow taken until the end of Gentle January to talk about email. Your email is a critical chokepoint for sensitive communications—commonly used to reset account passwords, to document purchases you’ve made, to remind you of appointments, and to verify your identity.
Fake Your Answers to Security Questions
The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. What’s your mother’s maiden name? What was the name of your first childhood pet? Occasionally you’ll have to answer questions like this to create a login with certain companies—in my experience it’s usually financial institutions and health care conglomerates.
Senators Demand Justice Department Halt Funding to Predictive Policing Programs
A group of seven Democratic members of Congress has issued a public letter demanding the Department of Justice stop issuing grants to fund predictive policing projects, unless the agency “can ensure that grant recipients will not use such systems in ways that have a discriminatory impact.”. “Mounting evidence indicates...
Lie About Your Birthday 🎂
The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. Getting presents on your birthday can be really fun. So I can understand if, when companies have asked you for your date of birth (so they...
How To Handle the Growing Flood of Leaked Data
Hello World is a weekly newsletter—delivered every Saturday morning—that goes deep into our original reporting and the questions we put to big thinkers in the field. Browse the archive here. Hello again, readers. I hope your 2024 is off to a great start. I recently had the pleasure...
Unlock Your Phone Without Using Your Face or Fingerprint
My phone, like most people’s, is a gateway to a massive amount of information about me and people I’m close to. Someone holding it in an unlocked state would be able to see years of call records, chat transcripts, and emails. They could browse through every photo I’ve taken in the last decade and read summaries of my recent doctor visits, including any medications I was prescribed.
How Abortion Ruling Spurred Federal Action Against the Location Data Industry
In 2021, The Markup identified and began reporting on 47 companies in the multi-billion-dollar industry that trades location data from mobile devices. Since then, 11 of the 47 companies on our list have been the subject of Congressional scrutiny or federal regulatory enforcement actions, and there are signs that number will continue to grow.
Use Virtual Machines to Contain Dodgy Stuff
The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. About ten years ago, when National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked classified files, securely handling large quantities of sensitive data suddenly became very important to journalists. Around this time, I began working with a gifted technologist, Micah Lee, who helped teach me and other editors and reporters how to keep incoming leaks secure.
These Reader Tips Are Reminders of the Importance of Analog Privacy
The Gentle January series shares one practical privacy tip a day from a Markup staffer who actually uses the advice in their own life. Through the first three weeks of Gentle January, the privacy tips Markup staff passed along to readers have been almost entirely digital in nature—ways to acquire and configure hardware, software, and services, and ways to behave (or not) on the internet.
How to Run a Public Records Audit with a Team of Students
About the LevelUp series: At The Markup, we’re committed to doing everything we can to protect our readers from digital harm, write about the processes we develop, and share our work. We’re constantly working on improving digital security, respecting reader privacy, creating ethical and responsible user experiences, and making sure our site and tools are accessible.
Keep Your Kid’s Personal Info Off the Internet
These days, children begin making digital footprints before they can walk—voracious tech companies even snap up data before children are born. So when my first child came into the world, my wife and I decided to try to keep our baby’s name, face, and personal details off the internet.
How to Use Sound and AI to Protect the Environment
Hello World is a weekly newsletter—delivered every Saturday morning—that goes deep into our original reporting and the questions we put to big thinkers in the field. Browse the archive here. Hi! I’m Natasha, the new statistical journalist here at The Markup. My journey into journalism has not...
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