Technology

Trump supporters clash with police outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Social media companies are under scrutiny for allowing their platforms to be used to spread falsehoods about the 2020 election and to allow violent extremist groups to organize January

Politics & Government

Trump Is No Longer Tweeting, But Online Disinformation Isn't Going Away

8:57am March 05, 2021

by Miles Parks

While removing former President Trump from social media has led to a significant decrease in election-related disinformation, online falsehoods about the election and vaccines continue to flourish.

What's A Non-Fungible Token? Why Some Collectors Are Spending Millions On Them

7:57am March 05, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

The market for a "non-fungible token" is the talk of Silicon Valley. Collectors spent from $3 to millions for what amounts to digital art: a clip of Lebron dunking; a cat meme; and cartoon CytoPunks.

Queue Listen Now

A Small Choral Group Is Betting Big On Tokenizing Their Art With Blockchain

4:50pm March 04, 2021

by Miguel Perez

A choral group in Dallas hopes to use blockchain to monetize their new recording. Instead of making pennies from streams, they can sell a single copy for thousands of dollars... if they find a bidder.

Queue Listen Now

Kevin Chen, an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, envisions a time when his insect-sized drone could be used as a search and rescue robot — to find survivors in disaster debris that bigger drones couldn't reach.

Science

Don't Swat This Bug. It Might Be A Robot On A Rescue Mission

10:10am March 04, 2021

Scientists are trying to build a tiny drone with the agility of a mosquito. These light but strong flying robots could be used in critical situations, such as finding people in a collapsed building.

Queue Listen Now

Deprogrammers more commonly referred to as "exit counselors" or "de-radicalizers," are helping people caught up in cultic ideologies to reconnect with reality.

'Exit Counselors' Strain To Pull Americans Out Of A Web Of False Conspiracies

3:42pm March 03, 2021

by Tovia Smith

With disinformation spreading on an unprecedented scale, experts in cult deprogramming are turning their focus to those who have fallen down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.

Queue Listen Now

When former Parler CEO John Matze was fired from the company, he was stripped of all of his company shares, according to people familiar with his exit.

Former Parler CEO Matze Stripped Of All Company Shares Upon Firing, Sources Say

11:32pm March 02, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

Former Parler CEO John Matze was stripped of all of his shares in the alternative social media company after a dispute with co-founder Rebekah Mercer. The company was nearing a $1 billion valuation.

A visual representation of the digital Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. The digital currency's meteoric rise has minted millionaires and energized true believers around the world.

Economy

Bitcoin: Mother Of All Bubbles, Or Revolutionary Breakthrough

5:44pm March 02, 2021

by Uri Berliner

From 21st century carmaker Tesla to 170-year-old life insurer MassMutual. From banks to the auction house Christie's. They have all opened their doors to cryptocurrency, bringing it to the mainstream.

Queue Listen Now

How Bellingcat's Online Sleuths Solve Global Crimes Using Open Source Info

1:31pm March 02, 2021

by Terry Gross

Eliot Higgins is the founder of an online collective that picks apart conspiracy theories and investigates war crimes and hate crimes using clues from the Internet. His new book is We Are Bellingcat.

Queue Listen Now

How Printer Companies Are Locking People Into Loyalty

4:53pm February 26, 2021

by Amanda Aronczyk

As printers get smarter and more advanced, companies have more tools and methods to lock you into buying expensive ink, including blocking affordable knockoff options. One consumer fights back.

Facebook is pushing back on new Apple privacy rules for its mobile devices, this time saying the social media giant is standing up for small businesses in television and radio advertisements and full page newspaper ads.

National

Why Is Facebook Launching An All-Out War On Apple's Upcoming iPhone Update?

12:54pm February 26, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Apple's Tim Cook are fighting over iPhone privacy rules. At stake is the future of how iPhone user data is used by data brokers and advertisers.

Queue Listen Now