White House Censoring Press Pool Reports, While Still Discriminating Against AP
On Tuesday, the White House effectively eliminated the Associated Press from the White House press pool, changing the rules to basically bar the wire service entirely. This is even after (or perhaps in response to) a Trump-appointed judge ruling that the White House was clearly violating the First Amendment in excluding the AP from various […]
White House Falsely Calls NPR, PBS A “Grift,” Moves To Cut Already Modest Funding In Latest Attack On Journalism And Informed Consensus
Authoritarians don’t much like journalism, education, or informed consensus for what should be obvious reasons. But the far right has long had a particular animosity for publicly-funded broadcasting. In part, because when done right, public broadcasting is free of the kind of perverse financial incentives that results in the kind of feckless, truth-averse, “both sides” […]
Report: Trump Reportedly To Do Away With IRS Direct File Program For No Discernible Reason
For three years now, a select group of states have had a pilot program through the IRS for its Direct File program. For years and years, companies like Intuit had gotten away with all kinds of shady tactics designed to lure people in with the promise of free tax prep filing using online software, only […]
The “De” In “Decentralization” Stands For “Democracy”
There’s a certain dark irony in watching tech billionaires who built their empires on the “democratizing power of technology” now actively working to dismantle democratic institutions. The same figures who once championed connection and openness are now the architects of the most dangerous centralization of power in modern history. This is why I wrote last […]
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/17/the-de-in-decentralization-stands-for-democracy/
Daily Deal: Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychain
The Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychain is the perfect accessory for Apple Watch users on-the-go. With a built-in 950mAh lithium-ion battery, it can charge all series of Apple Watch. Its portable, pocket-size design makes it easy to carry around while exercising or traveling. With four LED lights indicating the status of the charge, it’s easy […]
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/17/daily-deal-apple-watch-wireless-charger-keychain-4/
Florida’s New Social Media Bill Says The Quiet Part Out Loud And Demands An Encryption Backdoor
At least Florida’s SB 868/HB 743, “Social Media Use By Minors” bill isn’t beating around the bush when it states that it would require “social media platforms to provide a mechanism to decrypt end-to-end encryption when law enforcement obtains a subpoena.” Usually these sorts of sweeping mandates are hidden behind smoke and mirrors, but this time […]
Otherwise Objectionable: How 230 Let US Internet Companies Win
While politicians from both parties race to dismantle Section 230, we’re missing a crucial part of the story: how this uniquely American law helped US internet companies succeed globally. In the latest episode of Otherwise Objectionable, I explore with legal scholar Anupam Chander what might seem paradoxical — how a domestic liability shield became America’s […]
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/16/otherwise-objectionable-how-230-let-us-internet-companies-win/
Techdirt Podcast Episode 414: Disruptive Tech Solutions For Reproductive Health
Support us on Patreon » Many people don’t think of reproductive health and reproductive rights as tech issues, but they very much are — moreso than ever in a post-Dobbs America. The internet is vital to communication and spreading information around reproductive health care, while abortion drugs are changing the very nature of what reproductive rights […]
Private Contractors, Fired Cops Are Making ‘Gang Member’ Determinations For ICE
Having turned little-known Venezuelan gang Tren de Agagua (TdA) into the new MS-13 with a few viral videos and extremely questionable assertions, the Trump Administration is now injecting the same artifice into its TdA membership determinations. ICE is not only along for the ride, but it’s helping drive. Despite guidance warning against using tattoos to […]
Daily Deal: Adobe Photoshop Elements 2025 3-Year License
Edit with the magic of AI, create with stylish effects and templates, and be creative on the go. With Adobe Photoshop Elements, it’s never been easier to fix flaws, fine-tune specific areas, and add motion to quickly bring your vision to life. A 3-year license is on sale for $100. Note: The Techdirt Deals Store […]
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/16/daily-deal-adobe-photoshop-elements-2025-3-year-license/
Enshittification King David Zaslav Continues To Fail Upward With Yet Another Pay Raise
We’ve well established that the AT&T–>Time Warner–>Discovery series of media mergers were some of the dumbest, most pointless “business” exercises ever conceived by the extraction class. The utterly senseless saga burned through hundreds of billions in debt, saw more than 50,000+ people lose their jobs, killed off numerous popular brands, created oceans of animosity among creatives, and resulted in […]
As Columbia Folds, Harvard Shows What Institutional Courage Looks Like
The first few months of the Trump administration have seen a quick divergence between those who are quick to bend the knee to unconstitutional, authoritarian, censorial demands from Donald Trump, and those with the spine to actually stand up and say “fuck that.” While it’s important to call out and shame those who cave, it’s […]
Another IRS Commissioner Steps Down After Being Forced To Share Immigrant Tax Records With The DHS
Away goes more talent. And away goes another obstacle standing in the way of Kristi Noem’s DHS and Donald Trump’s plans to rid this country of as many immigrants as inhumanely possible. One acting commissioner — one with 38 years experience — has already resigned because of the DHS’s desire to use tax records as […]
Daily Deal: How to Hack from Beginner to Ethical Hacking Bundle
With the How to Hack from Beginner to Ethical Hacking Bundle, you’ll learn how to diagnose different kinds of cybersecurity attacks and how to defeat them. You’ll practice all the skills and techniques in real-time using an ethical hacking lab so you can put your learning to the test. Courses cover basic scripts and beginner […]
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/15/daily-deal-how-to-hack-from-beginner-to-ethical-hacking-bundle/
DeepSeek Is Already Being Applied Widely Across China’s Industries, And Used For Government Surveillance And Propaganda
It’s just three months since the Chinese company DeepSeek released its R1 reasoning model. In that time, its global impact has been dramatic: An article in Fortune magazine described how DeepSeek had “erased Silicon Valley’s AI lead and wiped $1 trillion from U.S. markets.” It also immediately raised serious privacy issues in the EU. The […]
RFK Jr. Commits To Knowing The Cause Of Autism By September Of This Year
Warning bells should have been going off in your head long before RFK Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic for several decades, was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. We’re in the first few months of Trump’s second term, but already there are several health issues stemming from Kennedy’s efforts. There […]
FCC’s Gomez (Correctly) Says Brendan Carr Is Abusing FCC Authority To ‘Censor And Control’ Journalists
Instead of doing things like protecting consumers or telecom and media market competition (you know, his purported job), Trump FCC boss Brendan Carr has spent his first few months in office abusing agency authority to threaten companies that refuse to kiss the Trump administration’s ass, or harass telecom companies that aren’t sexist or racist enough for […]
Daily Deal: Cybersecurity Projects Bundle
The Cybersecurity Projects Bundle offers a hands-on program featuring five real-world cybersecurity projects, totaling 35 tasks. Participants start with an introductory video for each project, detailing objectives and requirements, followed by task completion that mirrors real cybersecurity challenges. Support from industry professionals ensures personalized feedback and guidance. Upon completing the program, participants gain practical experience, […]
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/11/daily-deal-cybersecurity-projects-bundle-7/
Court Allows Government To Continue Stalling While Abrego Garcia Remains In Hell
Abrego Garcia is being held incommunicado in a foreign torture camp. As far as anyone knows, he has no idea that he is the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and a high-profile legal battle to get him home. He likely doesn’t even know if his family, or anyone else, knows where he is. We […]
ARPA Is Delivering The ‘Abundance’ Ezra Klein Claims To Be Looking For
So you may have noticed that the media red carpet has been rolled out for Ezra Klein’s new book, “Abundance.” I don’t think the premise of the book is particularly original or challenging: that government should promise and efficiently deliver big things that genuinely help the public. But as we noted last week, I had […]