121
Topics /
Society, Policy & Culture
The most popular blog posts about society, policy & culture on Hacker News. 330 posts.
122
EU ban on destruction of unsold clothes and shoes enters into application
Under the new rules, businesses must prioritise keeping products in use by selling them or preparing them for reuse.
123
Welcoming Discord users amidst the challenge of Age Verification
Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications
124
Countries are competing to see which can carry out mass surveillance the best
USA and their friends in the surveillance alliance Fourteen Eyes have demonstrated that they have the capacity, the desire and the experience to monitor who they want, when they want, anywhere in the world.
125
ICE Is Going on a Surveillance Shopping Spree
We need to have a hard look at the surveillance industry. It is a key enabler of vast and untold violations of human rights and civil liberties, and it continues to be used by aspiring autocrats to threaten our very democracy. As long as it exists, the surveillance industry, and the data it generates, will be an…
126
LibreOffice: Request to the European Commission to adhere to its own guidances
The European Commission has accepted our request, and starting from today – Friday March 6 – has added the Open Document Format ODS version of the spreadsheet to be used to provide the feedback. We are grateful to the people working at DG CONNECT, the Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks…
127
Private equity firms acquired more than 500 autism centers in past decade: study
A new study from researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health highlights a push from private equity investors into autism therapy centers across the nation.
128
Slop is not necessarily the future
Everyone's worried about slop, but good code will prevail, not only because we want it to, but because economic forces demand it.
129
How AI destroys institutions
Civic institutions—the rule of law, universities, and a free press—are the backbone of democratic life. They are the mechanisms through which complex societies encourage cooperation and stability, while also adapting to changing circumstances. The real superpower of institutions is their ability to evolve and adapt…
130
Taylor Farms: How One Company's Reach Became a National Risk
Our report examines how Taylor Farms became one of the largest produce suppliers in the U.S. and what its power means for food safety, farmers, and workers.
131
A new bill takes aim at government pressure to silence lawful online speech
The bipartisan legislation creates a federal cause of action against government officials who coerce or attempt to coerce broadcasters, interactive computer services, or AI providers into taking actions against lawful, First-Amendment-protected speech, and establishes a transparency system for government…
132
ArXiv's Next Chapter
On July 1, 2026, arXiv will spin out from Cornell University, its home for the past 25 years, to become an independent nonprofit organization. With this next…
133
The Nobel Prize and the Laureate Are Inseparable
The medal and the diploma are the physical symbols confirming that an individual or organisation has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize itself – the honour and recognition – remains inseparably linked to the person or organisation designated as the laureate by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
134
The government uses targeted advertising to track your location
The online advertising industry has built a massive surveillance machine, and the government can co-opt it to spy on us.
135
Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"
New documents show the tactics Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok execs used to disrupt learning, prey on minors, and co-opt the PTA to control the narrative with parents WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project published a new report spotlighting newly unsealed documents in the 2026 social media addiction…
136
137
SMPTE Makes Its Standards Freely Accessible
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — June 17, 2026 — SMPTE®, the home of media professionals, technologists and engineers, has announced that its entire Standards catalog is now freely available to the global media technology community.
138
Apple announces changes for apps in the European Union
Apple today announced changes to its business terms for apps in the European Union, following close collaboration with the European Commission.
139
Australian energy retailers must offer three hours of free daytime electricity
The Solar Sharer Offer launches 1 July 2026. Here's what changed, how the cap works, and how to maximise free daytime electricity for your home.
140
US Government designates host of noblogs.org a "global terrorist"
The US government has classified the Italian collective Autistici/Inventati as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist," citing the collective's "far-left" politics.
141
Hypothesis, Antithesis, synthesis
Introducing Hegel, our new family of property-based testing libraries.
142
Significant US farm losses persist, despite federal assistance
While FBA and ECAP payments are an important and welcome step in addressing near-term financial stress, they do not fully close the gap between costs and returns.
143
H.R. 6028 would fundamentally change the U.S. Copyright Office
In a voice vote earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6028, the “Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act.” The legislation is presented as a technical reorganization of some government agencies, but it’s much more than that. H.R. 6028 would fundamentally change the U.S....
144
eBay Restricts Listings of Radio Equipment, but Exempts Ham-Band-Only Gear
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.
145
146
50% of U.S. vinyl buyers don't own a record player
The Great Return: From Digital Abundance to Analog Meaning
147
Meta's legal team abandoned its ethical duties
From Big Tobacco to Menlo Park — and the collapse of legal ethics
148
Article by article, how Big Tech shaped the EU's roll-back of digital rights
In a new analysis we trace Big Tech's fingerprints on the Digital Omnibus proposals - a major deregulation of EU digital laws including the GDPR and the AI Act. They are helped in this attempt by the Trump administration and the European far right.
149
150
Police Have Used License Plate Readers at Least 14x to Stalk Romantic Interests
This article was updated on September 3, 2026. For a more comprehensive and up-to-date tally of ALPR abuse, check out IJ’s database of ALPR abuse. […]