Since 2018, Republicans have lost confidence in U.S. institutions Sean Kates, Joshua Tucker, and Jonathan Ladd - December 29, 2022 And Amazon is no longer one of America’s most beloved institutions, our research finds.
The Canadian truckers’ ‘freedom convoy’ disrupted life and blockaded borders. Did the protest succeed? David Meyer - February 24, 2022 The trick, for activists, is to get authorities and other audiences to focus on their issues as well as their tactics.
Facebook’s global outage wasn’t the result of a hack, but big political questions lurk behind it Laura DeNardis - October 7, 2021 ‘Public’ Internet relies on private networks and technical protocols that have to work in sync
The Kremlin forced U.S. tech firms to shut down an app some Russian voters hoped to use. Now what? Tetyana Lokot and Mariëlle Wijermars - September 30, 2021 More authoritarian leaders could use “election interference” complaints to rein in Internet freedom
Great powers have always dictated the terms of ‘global’ tax deals. This time may be different. Martin Hearson - June 29, 2021 Lower-income countries now want to have their say in global tax politics.
Huawei is trying to avoid U.S. sanctions. That may change the U.S.-China tech rivalry in Africa. Henry Tugendhat - April 29, 2021 The company’s new mobile phone operating system sets up a battle between U.S. and Chinese tech firms over what Africans can see, hear, read and say.
The Academy Awards will have new diversity rules to qualify for an Oscar. But there’s a huge loophole. Ryan Hecker and Bethany Lacina - April 23, 2021 Here’s what our research found
Behind the Gaetz scandal, there’s a bigger issue: Most states have loopholes that let men exploit teenage girls Amber Lusvardi - April 13, 2021 They can bypass statutory rape charges through marriage
Netflix has India’s ruling party outraged about a ‘love jihad’ plot. What is love jihad? Laura Dudley Jenkins - December 30, 2020 This conspiracy theory functions much as did the ‘anti-Sharia’ laws passed in U.S. states, demonizing and legitimizing antagonism toward Muslims
Why the Nashville bomber warned people to evacuate Joseph M. Brown - December 30, 2020 Terrorists often want to persuade civilians to their side — while luring police into danger
How Google is hurting local news Yphtach Lelkes, Sean Fischer, and Kokil Jaidka - December 21, 2020 Our audit reveals that Google News sends readers — and advertising dollars — away from local news outlets.
The Trump administration is investigating Google. Good luck pinning the giant down. Maha Rafi Atal - October 25, 2020 It’s hard to regulate Big Tech
Uber wants to limit its drivers’ rights in California. User loyalty is its secret political weapon. Henry Farrell - August 21, 2020 Uber is using “platform power” to sway California voters.
How China’s new national security law will hobble Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement Maggie Shum - July 13, 2020 Protesters and candidates face new risks
Where are people less likely to obey coronavirus restrictions? Republican counties. Keena Lipsitz and Grigore Pop-Eleches - May 12, 2020 That’s especially true in counties with lower education levels
Contact tracing apps can help stop coronavirus. But they can hurt privacy. Toby Shevlane, Ben Garfinkel, and Allan Dafoe - April 28, 2020 Governments now face trust issues and trade-offs
The coronavirus is expanding the surveillance state. How will this play out? Ben Power - March 27, 2020 Improvised tech solutions today may be permanent policies tomorrow.
Republicans were more concerned about Ebola than they’ve been about coronavirus. Here’s why. Michael Tesler - March 27, 2020 Party leaders’ messages have a big influence on public opinion -- especially on new and complex diseases like Ebola and covid-19.
ICE said it won’t deport people for seeking medical care. Immigrants won’t believe them. Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer - March 20, 2020 Trump is still promoting the wall and border closings – which he’s now saying will stop the virus.
This is who Americans trust about coronavirus information. Shana Kushner Gadarian and Bethany Albertson - March 19, 2020 Here’s what our research finds
Many Americans deeply distrust experts. So will they ignore the warnings about coronavirus? Eric Merkley - March 18, 2020 The problem isn’t just partisanship; it’s the anti-intellectualism in American life.
China and the U.S. blame each other for the coronavirus. But both countries made similar mistakes. Rui Zhong - March 17, 2020 Communication lags may prove costly.
Red states are finally starting to Google ‘coronavirus’ Michael Tesler - March 16, 2020 Sometimes, reality breaks through the partisan bubble
Why is Trump funding quantum computing research but cutting other science budgets? Jon R. Lindsay - March 13, 2020 The national security implications of this technology may be exaggerated.
Why are the #OscarsSoWhite? Google searches give us a clue. Bethany Lacina - February 9, 2020 Here’s how the Hollywood-audience-Hollywood feedback loop works.
An Indian nuclear power plant suffered a cyberattack. Here’s what you need to know. Debak Das - November 3, 2019 Authorities don’t seem to understand the real threat from cyber-operations.
Is the clock ticking on daylight saving time? Here’s what it would take to change it. Thomas R. Gray and Jeffery Jenkins - November 3, 2019 We look at the politics behind why Americans love/hate turning back the clock
It’s not easy to spot disinformation on Twitter. Here’s what we learned from 8 political ‘astroturfing’ campaigns. Sebastian Stier, JungHwan Yang, Franziska Keller, and David Schoch - October 27, 2019 Hint: Don’t look for an account that tweets like a bot.
Think celebrities get punished for being political? In fact, they get retweeted. Joshua Tucker, Jonathan Nagler, Jan Zilinsky, and Cristian Vaccari - October 27, 2019 Michael Jordan’s supposed dictum — “Republicans buy sneakers, too” — may be outdated.
These 3 factors explain why the NBA and other companies struggle to push back against Chinese censorship Margaret Roberts and Jennifer Pan - October 16, 2019 But banning the NBA also poses a risk to Beijing.
Twitter got somewhat more civil when tweets doubled in length. Here’s how we know. Yphtach Lelkes, Kokil Jaidka, and Alvin Zhou - September 17, 2019 The takeaway: Social media companies can improve public discussion without censorship.
There’s a gender gap in political science. Our series examines the problem — and looks at some solutions. Kim Yi Dionne - August 18, 2019 It’s as important as any other issue our profession studies.
Conservatives say Google and Facebook are censoring them. Here’s the real background. Shannon C. McGregor and Daniel Kreiss - July 31, 2019 The social media giants say they don’t want to regulate political speech. But they already are.
Why do Facebook and Twitter’s anti-extremist guidelines allow right-wingers more freedom than Islamists? Anna Meier - July 31, 2019 Relying on governments to designate organizations as terrorists means “de-platforming” is always political.
Who’s winning the Democratic debates? Here’s what Google search trends can’t tell you. Filippo Trevisan - July 30, 2019 What do those search spikes really mean, anyway?
Europe is targeting Big Tech with new taxes. It’s straining the transatlantic alliance. Rasmus Corlin Christensen and Martin Hearson - July 17, 2019 Trump’s new investigation is only the latest skirmish in this new divide.
Silicon Valley paints itself as a hotbed of free enterprise. Here’s how the government helped build it. Henry Farrell - July 16, 2019 Margaret O’Mara’s book explains how government, women and marketing pizzazz helped build up Silicon Valley.
Huawei Marine is being sold. That’s unlikely to change the threat it poses. Jack Hasler - June 5, 2019 One of its new owners has been a deputy in China’s National People’s Congress since 2013.
Google workers want to outlaw mandatory arbitration. Here’s why this matters. Sarah Staszak - May 2, 2019 Corporations win in arbitration. Workers and consumers win in court.
Once, the ‘Judeo-Christian tradition’ united Americans. Now it divides them. Anna Grzymala-Busse - April 17, 2019 The Judeo-Christian tradition has become a partisan catchphrase.
Who will be angry when the Star Wars episode IX trailer drops today? Bethany Lacina - April 11, 2019 In short, both the left and the right.
Europe just hit Google with a 10-figure fine. Again. Henry Farrell - March 20, 2019 E.U. Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager spoke Tuesday at a
The smash success of ‘Captain Marvel’ shows us that conservatives are ignoring the alt-right Bethany Lacina - March 14, 2019 Superheroes who are women or people of color attract new audiences without losing the old ones
Zuckerberg’s announcement changes everything for Facebook Henry Farrell - March 6, 2019 Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday that the social
U.S. trade negotiators want to end China’s forced tech transfers. That could backfire. Yu Zhou - January 28, 2019 [caption id="attachment_74894" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Under President Xi Jinping, a program
Why the World Bank’s new famine warning system won’t help prevent famine Allison Grossman - December 12, 2018 [caption id="attachment_81442" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In this Sept. 21, 2018, photo,
How Donald Trump appeals to men secretly insecure about their manhood Eric Knowles and Sarah DiMuccio - November 29, 2018 From boasting about the size of his penis on national
We’re going to live in a world of bots. They need to be polite. Gillian Hadfield - November 21, 2018 [caption id="attachment_80586" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A robot server carrying dishes to
Here’s a way you can combat fake news Joshua Tucker - November 8, 2018 [caption id="attachment_79983" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Signage is displayed outside Facebook’s headquarters
What 500 elections in 28 European countries can tell us about the effects of anti-immigration rhetoric Michael Freedman and Elizabeth Dekeyser - October 30, 2018 As the midterms loom, President Trump and the Republican Party
There’s an old conservative idea behind Donald Trump’s threat to regulate Google Henry Farrell - September 4, 2018 [caption id="attachment_77325" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The logo of Google is pictured
Hackers used a fish tank to break into a Vegas casino. We’re all in trouble. Henry Farrell - September 4, 2018 [caption id="attachment_77317" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A child admires a flowerhorn cichlid
Europe has just hit Google with a record $5 billion fine. Expect fireworks. Henry Farrell - July 18, 2018 The European Commission, which administers antitrust policy in the European
Here’s how Europe’s data privacy law could take down Facebook Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman - May 25, 2018 [caption id="attachment_73825" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A journalist watches a speech by Facebook chief
Today, a new E.U. law transforms privacy rights for everyone. Without Edward Snowden, it might never have happened. Nikhil Kalyanpur and Abraham Newman - May 25, 2018 [caption id="attachment_73788" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Former National Security Agency contractor Edward
Forget Congress. Facebook’s real problem is in Europe. Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman - April 12, 2018 [caption id="attachment_72154" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Founder and CEO of Facebook Mark
This simple technological fix helped veterans get health benefits Henry Farrell - February 22, 2018 [caption id="attachment_69529" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The U.S. Digital Service team. (courtesy
Why would authoritarian Belarus liberalize cryptocurrencies? Tatsiana Kulakevich - January 25, 2018 The rise of virtual currencies is pushing governments around the
Here’s how Google is helping, not hurting, democracy Henry Farrell - December 22, 2017 Sean Richey and J. Benjamin Taylor have a new book
This is how social media data can help NGOs Henry Farrell - October 20, 2017 [caption id="attachment_65197" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images[/caption] Stefaan Verhulst is
America’s tech entrepreneurs are Democrats not libertarians, but they may be changing the Democratic Party Neil Malhotra and David Broockman - September 22, 2017 [caption id="attachment_63844" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A logo sign at the headquarters
A liberal think tank has just pushed out an employee who criticized Google. That’s worrying. Henry Farrell - August 30, 2017 The New York Times reports that the liberal-leaning think tank
Cybercriminals have just mounted a massive worldwide attack. Here’s how NSA secrets helped them. Henry Farrell - June 28, 2017 http://www.washingtonpost.com/video/world/cyberattack-affects-at-least-16-uk-hospitals/2017/05/12/0bdeccf8-373a-11e7-ab03-aa29f656f13e_video.html With the news of a new, June 27th ransomware attack,
Republicans claim Trump may have been surveilled through ‘incidental collection.’ What’s incidental collection? Henry Farrell - March 22, 2017 [caption id="attachment_55620" align="aligncenter" width="960"] FBI Director James B. Comey leaves
If Trump restricts skilled immigrants, the U.S. could lose jobs to other countries Layna Mosley and David Singer - March 22, 2017 [caption id="attachment_55712" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during
It probably wasn’t Russia who attacked the Internet today. That’s what’s scary. Henry Farrell - October 22, 2016 [caption id="attachment_48280" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Twitter was unavailable for much of
When young people get involved in online communities, it leads them toward politics Joseph Kahne and Benjamin Bowyer - October 21, 2016 [caption id="attachment_47861" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (iStockphoto)[/caption] The 18-year-olds who can
Are you safer in a Tesla on autopilot, as Elon Musk says? Let’s do the math. Mark Palko - October 7, 2016 [caption id="attachment_47463" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A driver rides hands-free in a
What could make Americans — and Congress — care about Zika? Joshua Busby - August 17, 2016 [caption id="attachment_45386" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Aedes aegypti mosquito is thought
Why Donald Trump’s ‘rigged elections’ warning could actually make his supporters less likely to vote John Sides - August 15, 2016 If you were running for president, and you wanted to
Post-Brexit, the U.K. is in its worst political crisis since 1940 Matthias Matthijs - June 29, 2016 On June 23, 2016, Britain voted to leave the European
Do Americans care about the rest of the world? These two Google maps give you the answer. Kalev Leetaru - June 27, 2016 [caption id="attachment_42899" align="aligncenter" width="1902"] Map of how often Americans search
What do Google search results tell us about the Brexit vote? Andrew Gelman - June 22, 2016 [caption id="attachment_23107" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] (Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images)[/caption] A couple of
Here’s the data that told us Bernie Sanders would lose Kalev Leetaru - June 15, 2016 [caption id="attachment_39277" align="aligncenter" width="908"] (Seth Wenig/AP)[/caption] As we approach the
The U.S. wants to maintain cross-border data flows. That may be tough. Henry Farrell - June 2, 2016 [caption id="attachment_41553" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Visitors at the Google booth during
Racial prejudice, not populism or authoritarianism, predicts support for Trump over Clinton - May 26, 2016 [caption id="attachment_40883" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. (DSK/Agence
In a Trump-Clinton match-up, racial prejudice makes a striking difference Michael Tesler - May 25, 2016 [caption id="attachment_40883" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary
‘The Good Wife’ transformed how political women are shown on TV. Here’s how. Lilly Goren - May 6, 2016 [caption id="attachment_40152" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Julianna Margulies as lawyer Alicia Florrick
Can Google Trends predict referendum elections? Andrew Gelman - April 29, 2016 [caption id="attachment_39725" align="aligncenter" width="908"] The national flag of Greece and
Don’t expect the Cuban government to be grateful when the embargo lifts John Carey - April 6, 2016 [caption id="attachment_38668" align="aligncenter" width="908"] In Havana, an antique American car
This is the book you need to read about how rich people and corporations shield their money from the taxman Henry Farrell - April 5, 2016 [caption id="attachment_29581" align="aligncenter" width="848"] Courtesy University of Chicago Press[/caption] Gabriel
Weary professors give up, concede that Africa is a country Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne - April 1, 2016 [caption id="attachment_38201" align="aligncenter" width="4868"] Africa, from space. (NASA)[/caption] After years
10 things I learned via Twitter on International Women’s Day Kim Yi Dionne - March 8, 2016 [caption id="attachment_36959" align="aligncenter" width="604"] In 2009, U.S. Secretary of State
What does artificial intelligence see when it watches political ads? Kalev Leetaru - February 8, 2016 [caption id="attachment_35445" align="aligncenter" width="742"] Two actors pose for stock footage
Here’s why the activist who started the Safe Harbor fight thinks that negotiations won’t work Henry Farrell - January 31, 2016 [caption id="attachment_35070" align="aligncenter" width="5184"] Activist Max Schrems, standing in front
If U.S. privacy negotiations with Europe fail, it’s a recipe for chaos Henry Farrell - January 31, 2016 [caption id="attachment_35084" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A European court case against Facebook
Apple may owe Ireland $19 billion, but Ireland doesn’t want the money. Here’s why. Henry Farrell - January 29, 2016 [caption id="attachment_34981" align="aligncenter" width="908"] (Angel Navarrete/Bloomberg)[/caption] Depending on the outcome
Donald Trump has nothing left to gain from media coverage Nicholas Dietrich and Kevin Reuning - January 15, 2016 [caption id="attachment_33662" align="aligncenter" width="908"] (Randall Hill/Reuters)[/caption] A number of pundits,
Here’s how Washington weaponized America’s IT companies and why it backfired Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman - December 16, 2015 [caption id="attachment_33588" align="aligncenter" width="908"] The sign outside the National Security
Here’s what we learned from Twitter about the last Democratic debate Joshua Tucker, Jonathan Nagler, and Andy Guess - November 14, 2015 [caption id="attachment_32209" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Workers stand at the podiums on
Who went viral after the first Democratic presidential debate Kalev Leetaru - October 16, 2015 Since the first Democratic debate Tuesday, there has been endless
Facebook is at the center of a huge privacy controversy. For once, it isn't Facebook's fault. Henry Farrell - September 25, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29866" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Mark Zuckerberg, right, is the founder
Facebook is at the center of a huge privacy controversy. For once, it isn’t Facebook’s fault. Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman - September 25, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29866" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Mark Zuckerberg, right, is the founder
China manages capitalism for its own gain. This explains how. Roselyn Hsueh - September 24, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29824" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] In this 2014, file photo, President
American businesses gave themselves a 6% tax cut over the last 15 years. Here's how they did it. Henry Farrell - September 21, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29581" align="aligncenter" width="848"] Courtesy University of Chicago Press[/caption] Ever
American businesses gave themselves a 6% tax cut over the last 15 years. Here’s how they did it. Henry Farrell - September 21, 2015 [caption id="attachment_29581" align="aligncenter" width="848"] Courtesy University of Chicago Press[/caption] Ever
Why does Trump remain atop the polls? You can still blame the media. John Sides - August 28, 2015 [caption id="attachment_28400" align="aligncenter" width="2200"] Donald Trump answers a question at
This is the Twitter data from last night's GOP debate you are not supposed to pay attention to this morning Joshua Tucker - August 7, 2015 [caption id="attachment_28230" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Republican debate participants (top row L-R)
This is the Twitter data from last night’s GOP debate you are not supposed to pay attention to this morning Joshua Tucker - August 7, 2015 [caption id="attachment_28230" align="aligncenter" width="1484"] Republican debate participants (top row L-R)
Using the n-word is more common than you (or President Obama) may think Michael Tesler - June 25, 2015 [caption id="attachment_26476" align="alignnone" width="620" class="align center"] President Barack Obama pauses