Technology

Group-chat app Discord announced on Monday that in the second half of 2020, it took down more than 2,000 communities dedicated to extremist causes, of which more than 300 focused on the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon.

National

Group-Chat App Discord Says It Banned More Than 2,000 Extremist Communities

1:57pm April 05, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

The popular platform also reported on Monday that it deleted more than 300 communities, known on the site as "servers," that were dedicated to the conspiracy theory QAnon.

The memoir writing students at the DOROT Center found new closeness on Zoom.

National

'So Deep And So Rich': Seniors Stay Connected Via Their New Life On Zoom

2:08pm April 04, 2021

by Gwynne Hogan

When their memoir writing class transitioned to Zoom, these seniors found a closer connection than ever. "There's an intimacy to Zoom that we never would have anticipated," says Adellar Greenhill.

Sinead Boucher, the owner and CEO of New Zealand publisher Stuff, says the decision to quit Facebook has been beneficial for the company.

This News Publisher Quit Facebook. Readership Went Up.

5:00am April 02, 2021

by Shannon Bond

Many media outlets feel they need to be on Facebook to reach people. So why did New Zealand's biggest news publisher decide to go it alone?

Discord chief executive Jason Citron talked to NPR about his chat app and his plans. Discord's active monthly users have doubled in the pandemic and Microsoft is reportedly in talks to buy the company.

National

Why Does Discord Not Use Ads? And Why Is Microsoft Interested? We Asked Discord's CEO

5:05pm April 01, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

The social networking app has exploded in popularity during the pandemic, far outgrowing its gaming roots. Now, Microsoft is in talks to acquire Discord for $10 billion.

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Facebook is stepping up its defenses against claims its algorithms favor inflammatory content.

Facebook Disputes Claims It Fuels Political Polarization And Extremism

5:41am April 01, 2021

by Shannon Bond

Facebook is giving users more control over what they see, as executives, including Nick Clegg, global affairs vice president, defend it from charges that algorithms favor inflammatory content.

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Biden Administration Considers Whether To Continue Trump's Hard Line Against Huawei

4:27pm March 31, 2021

by Jackie Northam

The Biden administration is weighing whether to continue former President Trump's hard line against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. It's part of the broader review of China-related policies.

Group-Chatting Platform Discord Might Change Social Media With Its Business Model

4:27pm March 31, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

The group-chatting platform Discord is growing by leaps and bounds — and it doesn't sell targeted ads. Could it be a model for other social media?

Amazon tractor-trailers line up outside an Amazon Fulfillment Center on Staten Island in New York City in April 2020. The pandemic has been good for the company's bottom line.

Journalist Investigates Amazon Warehouse Life And The Pitfalls Of 'One-Click America'

3:36pm March 31, 2021

by Dave Davies

Alec MacGillis, author of the new book Fulfillment, says a union vote by Amazon workers in Alabama could determine "what life is going to look like for the working class in America in years to come."

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Within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, inmates are asked to "voluntarily" agree to electronic monitoring in order to use the bureau's email system. Above, a prison cell block is seen at the Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno in Oklahoma in 2015.

Politics & Government

When It Comes To Email, Some Prisoners Say Attorney-Client Privilege Has Been Erased

7:22am March 31, 2021

by Carrie Johnson

Within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, inmates are asked to "voluntarily" agree to electronic monitoring in order to use the bureau's email system. But critics say there's nothing voluntary about it.

Vote tally begins in a union election at Amazon's warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., pictured here on Feb. 6.

National

Historic Amazon Union Vote Count Begins This Week For Alabama Warehouse

11:45am March 29, 2021

by Alina Selyukh

The results will determine whether Amazon gets its first U.S. warehouse union. It's been dubbed one of the most consequential union elections in recent history.