Latin America is moving fast to protect democracy from excesses of big tech

Bosses of tech giants Meta, Google and X had front row seats at Donald Trump’s recent presidential inauguration. This special treatment highlighted the increasingly cosy relationship between leaders of technology companies and the White House. Just a few weeks before the ceremony, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg had pledged to “work with President Trump to push […]

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Google is on the Wrong Side of History

Google continues to show us why it chose to abandon its old motto of “Don’t Be Evil,” as it becomes more and more enmeshed with the military-industrial complex. Most recently, Google has removed four key points from its AI principles. Specifically, it previously read that the company would not pursue AI applications involving (1) weapons, […]

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The economic value of romantic tradition

We may never know if St Valentine, a martyr beheaded for officiating the forbidden weddings of persecuted Christians, was keen on chocolate and flowers. But we do know that millions of people around the world will be using those very items to celebrate his name on February 14. In the UK, it is estimated that […]

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Africa ‘brimming with hope and possibility’: Guterres

“The partnership between the United Nations and the African Union has never been stronger,” said the UN chief, striking a positive tone from the outset. “Together, we see an Africa brimming with hope and possibility.” The Secretary-General noted the “booming, enterprising” young population of the continent and the wealth of renewable resources it offers, and […]

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First Trump DOJ Assembled “Tiger Team” To Rewrite Key Law Protecting Online Speech

As President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order in 2020 to retaliate against online services that fact-checked him, a team within the Department of Justice (DOJ) was finalizing a proposal to substantially weaken a key law that protects internet users’ speech. Documents released to EFF as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit […]

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In the struggle to get Britain working, the long shadow of austerity could be part of the problem

Austerity is an unusual economic concept. While it is one of the economic terms that attracts the most interest from the public, it remains controversial in policy debates. Advocates argue that reducing government deficits through spending cuts and tax increases restores confidence and stabilises economies. Critics, however, warn that these policies just deepen downturns. My […]

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Alaa Abd El Fattah’s Mother, Laila Soueif, Calls on UK Government to Help as She Continues Hunger Strike

As calls by UK’s top leaders for the release of British-Egyptian blogger, coder, and activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah from prison in Cairo continue, Alaa’s mother, math professor Laila Soueif, grows weaker four months into a hunger strike she began in September to keep attention focused on her son and protest the lack of progress in […]

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The ‘romantic’ advertising tricks that give you unrealistic expectations of love

The run up to February 14 is a good time for selling certain products. And alongside the jewellery and flowers, advertisers also try to sell us something broader: a notion of what we should consider romantic. This might involve an idyllic and perfectly filmed holiday destination, or the casting of a glamorous Hollywood star to […]

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Yes, You Have the Right to Film ICE

Across the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already begun increasing enforcement operations, including highly publicized raids. As immigrant communities, families, allies, and activists think about what can be done to shift policy and protect people, one thing is certain: similar to filming the police as they operate, you have the right to […]

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there may be silver linings in the trade war storm clouds

US tariffs – both threatened and imposed – on trade partners including China, Canada, Mexico and the EU quickly set off waves of retaliatory measures. The latest commodities in the sights of president Donald Trump are steel and aluminium – with tariffs of 25% announced for all imports. But not only do these taxes disrupt […]

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