1621
Vivaldi: Violating CoC on forum may close your email account
We’re building a Community that is happy, kind, and constructive. Read our Code of Conduct for and find out how you can help us get there.
New
The latest blog posts to take off on Hacker News. 4,917 posts.
Society, Policy & Culture
Any year
1622
1623
Managed by Bots: surveillance of gig economy workers
What if your boss was an algorithm? What would you do if your employer suddenly fired you or reduced your pay without telling you why? And without being willing to give you a reason when you ask for one?
1624
Internet uptake has accelerated during the pandemic
ITU’s Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2021 offers a snapshot of the most important ICT indicators, including estimates for the current year.
1625
The Internet Has a Rat Poison Problem
How online sales of highly regulated, super-toxic rodenticides exploit gaps in the law and imperil wildlife.
1626
How do you fix a stroad?
We respond to a question posted for us on Reddit about a stroad that seems unfixable—and maybe that’s because it is.
1627
“Free PACER” bill advances through Senate judiciary unanimously
The Senate Judiciary Committee today by voice vote advanced the Open Courts Act (S. 2614), a bill that would modernize the federal judiciary’s case management system and — finally — make access to court filings free for all Americans.
1628
Number of journalists in jail reaches global high
Editor’s note: Numbers for each prison census are adjusted yearly as CPJ learns of arrests, releases, or deaths in prison. The numbers for CPJ’s 2021 census have been revised from 293 to 302 in accordance with this policy. For the most recent data, see cpj.org/data/imprisoned/ The number of journalists jailed around…
1629
Open letter to Mark Zuckerberg: act now on child and adolescent mental health
Será imposible identificar los retos que enfrentan los jóvenes si no podemos estudiar correctamente cómo estos interactúan en línea. Más de 200 académicos se adhieren a este manifiesto
1630
The pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness
The global pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness in America. This report from Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, explores who is lonely, the many causes of loneliness, and ways to alleviate it.
1631
Germany: New government plans 'right to encryption'
The coalition contract of the newly elected German government contains right to encryption.
1632
Mushroom leather and how it is made (2020)
We love innovative materials which can replace our use of animal leather. But what is mushroom leather? and how is mushroom leather made? Read our complete guide to Mushroom leather and find out how this natural, earthy material can help lower our fashion footprint.
1633
US Should Create Strategy by End of '22 to Reduce Increasing Ocean Plastic Waste
Reckoning with the U.S Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste concludes plastic waste in the U.S. is ubiquitous and increasing. Worldwide, at least 8.8 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans each year — the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute — and in 2016…
1634
1635
1636
Texas woman wins round in lawsuit challenging swat teams destruction of her home
ARLINGTON, Va.—On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit filed by a Texas woman whose home was destroyed by a SWAT team may move […]
1637
German Court Rules Against Internet Security Non-Profit Quad9
A public and free DNS service for a better security and privacy
1638
1639
Update on Omicron
On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for…
1640
Legendary F1 team boss Sir Frank Williams dies, aged 79
Sir Frank Williams – the longest-serving Team Principal Formula 1 has ever seen – has died at the age of 79.
1641
Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern
The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) is an independent group of experts that periodically monitors and evaluates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and assesses if specific mutations and combinations of mutations alter the behaviour of the virus. The TAG-VE was convened on 26 November 2021 to…
1642
New German government calls for European ban on biometric mass surveillance
The newly-agreed German government coalition has called for a Europe-wide ban on public facial recognition and other biometric surveillance. This echoes the core demands of the Reclaim Your Face campaign which EDRi has co-led since 2020, through which over 65 civil society groups ask the EU and their national…
1643
As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective
From Texas to Virginia to Pennsylvania, there is a growing movement to challenge books in schools that some suggest are inappropriate for students. Concern goes beyond explicit content; it now includes opposition to LGBTQIA material, the history of racism, and material that may cause discomfort to readers. While…
1644
How death rates from Covid-19 differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated
To understand how the pandemic is evolving, it’s crucial to know how death rates from COVID-19 are affected by vaccination status.
1645
1646
Octopuses, crabs and lobsters to be recognised as sentient beings under UK law
Octopuses, crabs and lobsters will receive greater welfare protection following an LSE report demonstrating they have capacity to experience pain or distress.
1647
Los Angeles is gearing up to ban wood-frame construction
Over the summer, the Los Angeles City Council Public Safety Committee approved a proposal to expand Fire District 1, an anachronistic planning overlay that would effectively ban wood-frame construction in much of the city. Superficially premised as a measure to improve fire safety, the motion has been heavily promoted…
1648
The Stroad
A stroad is a street/road hybrid. Stroads are dangerous and unproductive, and if we want to build strong towns, we have to eliminate them.
1649
Google Play permitting alternative billing systems for users in South Korea
Posted by Wilson White, Senior Director of Public Policy Click here to read this post in Korean The South Korean government recently passe...
1650
German state planning to switch 25,000 PCs to LibreOffice
The north-German state of Schleswig-Holstein plans to switch to open source software, including LibreOffice, in its administration and schools. In doing so, the state wants to reduce its dependence on proprietary software, and eventually end it altogether. By the end of 2026, Microsoft Office is to be replaced by…