Ideas
Are You Sure You Know What Revenge Porn Is?
Forty-eight states have passed protections against revenge porn—but their narrow definition of such content leaves many people exposed.
The US Needs to Recognize Intimate Privacy as a Civil Right
Digital privacy invasion isn’t just a consumer protection issue. It’s inextricably linked to equality, with urgent implications for women and minorities.
Streamers Use Playlists to Control the Music Industry
The recorded music market is regaining its former hourglass shape—this time with platforms like Spotify at the center.
The History of Predicting the Future
Humans have long tried to determine the shape of what’s to come. But even the most advanced technology can’t solve the fundamental issues with predictions.
If AI Is Predicting Your Future, Are You Still Free?
Part of being human is being able to defy the odds. Algorithmic prophecies undermine that.
Predicting Death Could Change the Value of a Life
New technology promises to forecast the length of your life. But for disabled people, measuring mortality can prove fatal.
Crime Prediction Keeps Society Stuck in the Past
So long as algorithms are trained on racist historical data and outdated values, there will be no opportunities for change.
The Creepy TikTok Algorithm Doesn’t Know You
The uncanny, addictive AI has turned math into a mystical force—and flattened humanity into a series of codes.
Ideas
Are You a Victim of Crypto Crime? Good Luck Getting Help
Local law enforcement isn’t ready to deal with this new type of fraud, even with shady scams on the rise.
Opinion
Tech Companies Are Reconsidering an Old Enemy
Nobody likes being asked to wait, but recent political history has shown that a completely frictionless internet has its own dangers.
Bots Run the Web
I Love Twitter Bots and I Cannot Lie
Don’t judge a bot by the troll farms—some make the internet a weirder and more wonderful place.
Ideas
The Unlikely Cure for Burnout? A Second Job
“Overemployment” sounds like more of the same old grind, but its underlying philosophy is critical of work.
Ideas
Why Therapy Is Broken
Everyone is telling one another to “get help,” but few acknowledge that the practice is often flawed.
Ideas
Growing Old Online
Millennials, the first generation to be online as kids, are starting to feel like we’ve aged out. Is there a way to age gracefully on the internet?
Ideas
The ‘Surveillance Solutionism’ of Putting Cameras in NYC Subways
When “if you see something, say something” becomes “we see everything,” everyone loses.
This Dangerous Meme in US Politics Is Over a Century Old
Many associate the “America First” movement with Trump, but its origins—and rebirth—are more complicated.
Ideas
Games, Mysteries, and the Lure of QAnon
What do puzzles, video games, and conspiracy theories have in common?
Ideas
What Modern Humans Can Learn From Ancient Software
Retrocomputing is about more than nostalgic nerdery. It’s also a way to keep your tech in perspective.
Ideas
The End of Roe Will Spark a Digital Civil War
New privacy and expression laws that vary state to state will be a nightmare for platforms, and for users’ rights.
Ideas
The Vast Wasteland of Internet Television
When TV came online in the aughts, it was exciting. Then Facebook took over.
Cloud Support
Am I Wrong to Judge People for Talking to Me in Emoji?
WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist reassures a literary reader that it’s OK to communicate with images.
Ideas
The Woman Who Became a Company Has Lessons for a Post-Roe World
Jennifer Lyn Morone became a corporation in hopes of protecting her data privacy. Her experience shows the downfalls of treating data like property.
Ideas
Banning Phones in Class? Not So Fast
Tech dependence is following many students back to school—but waging a war against devices helps no one.
Ideas
So, You Want Twitter to Stop Destroying Democracy
Telling people to quit the platform is less effective than stopping influential elites from using the site in harmful ways.
Ideas
What Abortion Pill ‘Reversal’ Really Accomplishes
It’s more than an unproven medical treatment—it’s a view into the antiabortion movement’s larger project.
Ideas
The Russian Spy in My Econ Class
Johns Hopkins' long history with student-spies suggests this most recent incident will not lead to much change—but maybe that's OK.
Ideas
The FTC May (Finally) Protect Americans From Data Brokers
The agency’s lawsuit against Kochava should squash the industry’s core defense—and help keep sensitive info off the open market.
Ideas
Who Pays for an Act of Cyberwar?
Cyberinsurance doesn't cover acts of war. But even as cyberattacks mount, the definition of "warlike" actions remains blurry.