Technology
How Big Tech Impacts Our Lives
Exploiting Meta’s Weaknesses, Deceptive Political Ads Thrived on Facebook and Instagram in Run-Up to Election
Despite Meta's stated commitment to crack down on harmful content, it failed to catch tens of thousands of ads that used false claims and deepfakes of political figures to collect users’ sensitive personal data or bait them into monthly charges.
Neo-Nazi Telegram Users Panic Amid Crackdown and Arrest of Alleged Leaders of Online Extremist Group
An analysis by ProPublica and FRONTLINE shows a surge in activity on Telegram channels aligned with the Terrorgram Collective, as allies tried to rally support for their comrades in custody and sought to oust users they believed to be federal agents.
How a Washington Tax Break for Data Centers Snowballed Into One of the State’s Biggest Corporate Giveaways
Companies have saved $474 million since 2018, with most of the windfall going to Washington-based tech giant Microsoft. Lawmakers repeatedly expanded who qualifies, and they lowered the number of jobs expected in return.
Local Reporting Network
Data Centers Demand a Massive Amount of Energy. Here’s How Some States Are Tackling the Industry’s Impact.
As the draw on the grid from these computer warehouses undergoes explosive growth, states that offer tax exemptions to support the industry are considering whether their approach still makes sense.
Local Reporting Network
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Impact of Our Reporting
DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against RealPage, Maker of Rent-Setting Algorithm
The lawsuit, which comes in the wake of a ProPublica investigation into the Texas company, accuses RealPage of taking part in an illegal price-fixing scheme to reduce competition among landlords to boost prices — and profits.
Microsoft President Grilled by Congress Over Cybersecurity Failures
The criticism from members of the House Homeland Security Committee came in response to a ProPublica investigation that found Microsoft repeatedly rebuffed an engineer’s warnings that a product flaw had left millions of users vulnerable to attack.
Senator Elizabeth Warren Probes Google’s Quest for Soldiers’ Medical Data
Responding to a ProPublica report, the Massachusetts Democrat has begun investigating Google’s “aggressive” pursuit of a biotechnology archive that could be used to build AI tools. She also faulted the Pentagon for favoring the tech giant.
Series
Series: Power Hungry: Data Centers vs. Green Energy in Washington
Series: Zero Trust: Inside Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures
Series: The Extortion Economy: U.S. Companies and Ransomware
Series: Machine Bias: Investigating Algorithmic Injustice
