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Society, Policy & Culture
The most popular blog posts about society, policy & culture on Hacker News. 4,917 posts.
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Study finds Wikipedia influences judicial behavior
A new study finds clear empirical evidence that Wikipedia influences judges’ application of the law. The study was led by Neil Thompson of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).
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Polish general who fought with Washington may have been female
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, 1777. At the end of a daylong battle, George Washington’s right flank has completely collapsed. British troops are closing in. A dashing Polish cavalry officer reports to Washington’s bodyguard that they are in danger of being surrounded. Washington orders Casimir Pulaski to gather as many…
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Internet Association Endorses Internet Censorship Bill
A trade group representing giants of Internet business from Facebook to Microsoft has just endorsed a “compromise” version of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), a bill that would be disastrous for free speech and online communities. Just a few hours after Senator Thune’s amended version...
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New US homeownership measure puts people first
An alternative way of calculating the homeownership rate tells us how many individuals own their homes—something the most commonly used metric fails to track
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Highest rates of teen bullying are between friends and friends-of-friends: study
Teens who bully, harass, or otherwise victimize their peers are not always lashing out in reaction to psychological problems or unhealthy home environments, but are often using aggression strategically to climb their school’s social hierarchy, a University of California, Davis, study suggests. These findings point to…
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US internet speeds 91% faster in 2020 according to user speed tests
Internet speeds in the US were more than twice as fast as Europe's in 2021.
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Why we are suing Apple for better HTML5 support in iOS
Nexedi is willing to help improving HTML5 support in the iOS platform. To achieve this we are launching a lawsuit against Apple so that developers of Web browsers with better HTML5 support than Apple's Webkit can publish their applications on Apple Appstore.
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Local rules instead of global censorship
After the Capitol riot, the question isn't about how the social media monopolists should wield their power - the question is whether they should have such power in the first place.
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Temporary ban on behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority imposes a ban on Meta carrying out behavioural advertising based on the surveillance and profiling of users in Norway. The ban will initially apply until October
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Toxic Positivity
Can positivity be toxic? We’ll investigate the concept of toxic positivity. From this, we'll learn how we can communicate authentically.
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Denver’s e-bike subsidy program produced more new riders, fewer car trips
As cities explore ebike incentive programs and look to model Denver’s success, we offer context on the state of the ebike industry, how Denver funded and implemented their program, results, and recommendations.
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EFF Outlines Plan to Fix the Broken Patent System
San Francisco - The U.S. patent system is in crisis, but there are clear steps Congress and the White House can take to mitigate the impact of vague patents, patent trolls, and a weak legal process to protect competition and creativity, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) explains in a new...
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Three NSA Whistleblowers Back EFF's Lawsuit Over Government Spying Program
San Francisco - Three whistleblowers – all former employees of the National Security Agency (NSA) – have come forward to give evidence in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF's) lawsuit against the government's illegal mass surveillance program, Jewel v. NSA. In a motion filed today, the three...
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EFF Files FOIA Suit Over U.S. Marshals’ Cell-Tracking Spy Planes
San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit to shine light on the U.S. Marshals Service's (USMS) use of small aircraft mounted with controversial cell-phone tracking systems. The Wall Street Journal revealed last year that the...
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EFF statement on U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold TikTok ban
Shutting down a communications platform or forcing its reorganization based on concerns of foreign propaganda and anti-national manipulation is an eminently anti-democratic tactic, one that the US has previously condemned globally.
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The reality of celebratory gunfire
A must-see interactive analysis of Celebratory Gunfire, including animations and projections on how far and how fast bullets travel
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Drivers who keep their windows down are exposed to 80 percent more air pollution
Discover how Surrey researchers show driving with windows down increases exposure to air pollution by around 80%, with implications for health.
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Microsoft, I Forgive You
Microsoft is different now. The evil masterminds are all retired. No more Ballmer jumping around screaming for developers, developers, developers. No more Gates plotting monopoly schemes for world …
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Google introducing tool for under-18s to remove images of them from search
Today we’re announcing a variety of new policies and updates to help keep kids and teens safe as they spend more time online.
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How Thai authorities use online doxxing to suppress dissent
A sustained, coordinated social media harassment and doxxing campaign – which we codenamed JUICYJAM – targeting the pro-democracy movement in Thailand has run uninterrupted, and unchallenged, since at least August 2020. Through our analysis of public social media posts we determined that the campaign was not only…
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Why the sun is a poor dumping ground for nuclear waste (2010)
A physicist explains why the sun is a poor dumping ground for nuclear waste.
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Big Tech has already made enough money in 2024 to pay all its 2023 fines
Big Tech (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft)'s annual revenue dwarfs total fines. The cost for privacy is insignificant to them.
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Monopoly Technology Platforms Are Colonizing Education
Perspectives is an opportunity for Fellows and others to share their ideas in short, accessible essays. IPE/BC Fellows hold a range of views and interests relative to public education.
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Freedom Act Passes: What We Celebrate, What We Mourn, and Where We Go from Here
The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act today by 67-32, marking the first time in over thirty years that both houses of Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions and oversight on the National Security Agency’s surveillance powers. The weakening amendments to the legislation proposed by...
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