Technology

A case for holding tech companies responsible for their algorithms

4:56pm October 10, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with former Facebook data scientist Roddy Lindsay, who recently wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times about ways to regulate the media giant's algorithms.

Health & Safety

Teens say Facebook's addictive Instagram app makes them anxious

8:12am October 10, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

Instagram and Facebook are under scrutiny after being accused of harmful body-image messages. We hear from teenagers who say Instagram can be a stresser — but it's hard to quit.

A Viasat internet satellite dish is seen in the yard of a house in Madison, Va., on March 31.

More than 1 in 3 rural Black southerners lack home internet access, a new study finds

7:11pm October 06, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The research shows that across 152 counties, 38% of Black residents in the rural South have no home internet access, compared to 23% of white residents.

Illustration of young people holding their cell phones up to their face

Facebook's own data is not as conclusive as you think about teens and mental health

7:03pm October 06, 2021

by Anya Kamenetz

It's grabbed a lot of headlines, but the evidence on social media and teen mental health — including that Facebook and Instagram research — is far from a smoking gun.

Business

New program offers grants to Forsyth County companies that create tech jobs

6:51pm October 06, 2021

by April Laissle

A local economic development nonprofit is giving out grants to companies that create new technology jobs in Forsyth County.

More than social media: The WhatsApp outage affected small businesses worldwide

5:03pm October 06, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Ayman El Tarabishy, professor at George Washington University, about how Facebook's outage earlier this week halted work for businesses who rely on WhatsApp worldwide.

Politics & Government

Ex-Facebook employee Frances Haugen testifies before Senate panel

7:21am October 06, 2021

Democrats and Republicans vow to work together to strengthen online child-privacy laws after Haugen testified about Instagram and Facebook dangers for young users. Facebook rejects her portrayal.

Health & Safety

Hearing about Facebook was billed as focusing on protecting kids online

7:21am October 06, 2021

It's grabbed a lot of headlines, but the evidence on social media and teen mental health — including that Facebook and Instagram research — is far from a smoking gun.

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen speaks during a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday.

Politics & Government

Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill

9:53pm October 05, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen electrified Washington on Tuesday with testimony about what she says were as the harms the company knew about and decided to hide.

Facebook whistleblower testifies before a Senate panel

4:51pm October 05, 2021

by Shannon Bond

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen is testifying before a Senate Commerce subcommittee about why she copied and leaked thousands of pages of sensitive internal research.