Technology

Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail says portraying Elliot (Rami Malek) in a hooded sweatshirt was a deliberate choice: "That hoodie made us closer to who Elliot was."

Arts

'Mr. Robot' Creator Says His Own Anxiety And Hacking Helped Inspire The Show

3:28pm October 30, 2019

by Terry Gross

In college, Sam Esmail shied away from parties and instead took refuge in the the computer lab, where he experimented with hacking. He later built on those experiences to create his hit show.

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Facebook said the influence campaigns targeting people in eight African countries were connected to a Russian businessman tied to meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Facebook Takes Down Accounts Tied To Russian Businessman Behind 'Troll Factory'

3:06pm October 30, 2019

by Shannon Bond

Facebook said the influence campaigns were tied to Yevgeny Prigozhin, an associate of Vladimir Putin who was indicted for running the troll factory that meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Facebook has agreed to pay about $643,000 to a U.K. data protection watchdog for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

World News

Facebook Pays $643,000 Fine For Role In Cambridge Analytica Scandal

1:17pm October 30, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

Facebook paid the fine to the U.K.'s data protection watchdog, but it also made no admission of liability.

Facebook Feels Pressure On Political Ad Policy

5:05am October 30, 2019

by Shannon Bond

Facebook workers are the latest critics urging the social network to change its political advertising policy. They say the company should hold political ads to the same standards as all other ads.

Google is being sued by the Australian consumer watchdog agency, which accuses the tech giant of breaking a consumer protection law.

World News

Australia Accuses Google Of Misleading Consumers Over Location Data

5:15pm October 29, 2019

by Paolo Zialcita

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said that Google purposefully misled Android users into thinking their personal data were not being collected.

Protecting The Voices 'Beyond The Valley'

1:13pm October 29, 2019

Professor Ramesh Srinivasan's new book explains the challenges at the intersection of technology and democracy.

Report: More Than Half Of U.S. Children Now Own A Smartphone By Age 11

6:41am October 29, 2019

by Anya Kamenetz

American teenagers spend 7 hours, 22 minutes per day on average with screen media, not counting schoolwork or homework. That's according to the newly released Common Sense Census.

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Nathaly Sweeney, a neonatologist at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and researcher with Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, attends to a young patient in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.

Health & Safety

Fast DNA Sequencing Can Offer Diagnostic Clues When Newborns Need Intensive Care

7:59pm October 28, 2019

by Richard Harris

Rapid genome decoding and analysis have made it possible to quickly diagnose some baffling rare diseases that make babies sick. Even when there's no cure, the information can help families cope.

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Politics & Government

U.S. Campaign Ads Are Popping Up On Russian Propaganda YouTube Channels

4:54pm October 28, 2019

by Geoff Brumfiel

On YouTube, campaign ads have begun appearing on Russian propaganda channels. But it may be the algorithm, not collusion.

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Politics & Government

Facebook Rolls Out Its News Feature

3:10pm October 27, 2019

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Ken Doctor, a media consultant and analyst, about the "News" feature Facebook launched this week for users on its mobile app.

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